Hello,

The 4.0 in my 1998 XJ started knocking, and I got a quote for a running 4.0 with 160,000 miles out of a ‘98 Grand Cherokee for about $650. I think I’m gonna drop that in for the time being. I’m wondering if there’s anything I should do to the “new” engine before I drop it in. Right now I’m planning on replacing the rear main seal, oil pan gasket, and valve cover gasket. Also I just want to make sure that this engine will drop right in to my Cherokee as it is from the Grand Cherokee.

Thanks for any help!

 

You'll have to swap all the accessory brackets and the oil filter adapter. To swap that adapter, you'll need a set of orings. The parts you can get from the store (Fel-Pro) have 4 orings (you need 3) and only 2 fit.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/det...5/#post3588470

 

So these are the 3 I need for the HO version?

91-01 HO Model Orings

0.676 x 0.070 AS568 size -017
0.859 x 0.139 AS568 size -212
2.484 x 0.139 AS568 size -230

I’ll probably take the route of getting them individually from a hardware store or hydraulic shop. Just want to ensure that I interpreted that forum correctly!

 

You have a pretty good plan. The only other item to 'think' about would be weather to pop off the head and put a new head gasket in it. Since you are doing the other items. But then where do ya stop??

 

No need to go down that path.
Like you said, where do ya stop?

 

The Fel-Pro set used to come with 4 o-rings. It now comes with 5 o-rings. It should have all 3 that you need. I just bought a seal set a week ago. Part number ES72962.

 

Goodluck finding those! I called around to every supply store around here. No one had all 3. Most shops didn't even have 1 of those 3. According to the shops, they are oddball sizes. If you can get a hold of o-rings that are HNBR (Buna-N), they seem to be an upgrade over regular Buna. Either would suffice and last a long time though.

 

Last I knew the O-Rings kits were still available from Mopar.
I know at least for my '00 cause I bought 2 to have in "stock" not too long ago.
Yes they do cost twice the amount of the FelPro gasket one.
Didn't care.
LOL.

 

Nah, more like 4 times the cost.

 

Thinking the FelPro was $4 and change and I paid $9 and change from local dealership.
But I kinda have an in cause they are a customer of the Napa I retired out of so....

EDIT: I lied. Looked up the receipt. $12.64 with tax.

 

Dang it Ralph! You got a heck of a deal on that set from the dealership. The dealership is charging over $20 these days! The Fel-Pro kit is around $6.

Everything has gone up. Surprise, surprise right?

 

You do have a point.
It was sometime ago and like I said I do have an in.
But I have been buying stuff like this for sometime just cause of OEM parts becoming N/A.
The added bonus if I need them is that I got them cheaper.
Pretty sure I have every sensor for my '00.
Except O2 sensors which it seems getting NTK's lately has been a problem.
Sorry I didn't grab 4 of them too.
But I replaced mine about 25K ago so I am not overly worried about that.
And when the time comes that I no longer need them, assuming of course I didn't use them in the meantime, wait till you see the outrageous prices I will post these on Ebay for.
LOL.

 

Pull the timing chain cover and at least inspect the margin of slop. Seems that near 180k+ the timing chains in these are wasted. My chain was so loose I can’t believe it wasn’t slapping on the cover. It’s cheap and easy to do. New chain, gears, and the plastic wedge thing inside the cover. The Melling kit is $67 on the rock (and don’t forget to use a 5% off coupon for all orders).

 

I was going to suggest that as well. But if you do that, you might as well replace the head gasket. I mean if the engine is sitting there on the ground or on a stand, no oil pan and all that, it's a heck of a lot easier to do it now, than in the engine compartment. Head gaskets can corrode at the water jacket, and ...timing chains ...well the previous post described it pretty well. Then you can more easily put the front crank seal in too. And if it was me, I'd replace the valve stem seals at the least (and maybe take the head in for a valve job). At least I-6's are easy to work on. I had about 340k miles on an I-6 4.0 on another Jeep, but the vehicle just rusted out, while the engine was still a great runner. So you could still get (hopefully) get many years out of this engine. The end result if you put in a tight timing chain is better response. But where do you stop, right?

I didn't want too throw this out either, but I'd pull out the distributor and have a look at that as well. Slop and the pick-up. In my 340k mile jeep, it eventually wore out the distributor which I had to replace at one time. So it's worth an inspection. Again ...if the engine is out on the floor or on a stand, whatever you can do to save yourself potentially a lot of screwing around later on, will be ultimately time and frustration (and probably money) saved if you do it now. I guess don't listen to me, or your project will get bigger ...LOL


.

 

So, being an old guy....
Thinking outside the Box here, why not just do like I did on my last Engine..?
buy a 500 Jeep off CL or FB and pull the engine, drop it in yours, sell the Skeleton to a JunkYard for 400$, AFTER youve pulled whatever....? parts/screws/nuts/bolts/brakecalipers/
hinges/fuses/electrical parts you Want to have on 'Stand-by'...?
Get a Beater off CL or FB that is rusted out. Make sure the engine is OK, pull it, strip what you want, call a.scrapper to tow it away. Drop it in your XJ.
Costs you about 100$, minus all the extras. Do a.Pressure check on the cylinders before you buy it. All good.
NO FUSS... I bought one that the doors didnt even close on. My wife was Pissed, until I put it in my DD and it fired up..
get the same year, and wiring. Park them next to each other, open the hoods, and see if the "Sister."
GL. the reason we like these, are that they're Cheap, and Crazy Durable, and Available EVERYWHERE...