My dad is getting rid of his 1992 cherokee and I got a 1989 cherokee where the motor has been giving me problems. Is it possible to swap the engines in the jeeps?

 

What is wrong with the 92?

 

Where to start? Rusted out floor boards, windows broken or dont work, doors are hard to open, it has a lift on it but think its also rusting out too. Everything but engine needs help in it!!

 

the motor should swap over, but you have to put all the parts from the 89 on the 92(brackets, intake(injectors, throttle body etc., exhaust manifold, dist)). This will allow you up use the same wiring harness that orginally came with the jeep.

I stripped a 98 TJ block down to the block(kept the valve cover and oil pan) and threw all my 97 XJ stuff on it and its running good.

when you have the motor out, now would be the time to do the head gasket, valve cover gasket, rear mail seal, and oil pan gasket.

 

That was my major concern was the wiring harness. It is all different on his compared to mine. Is there a good way to take the wire harness out without damageing it?

 

on my jeeps(97+), i cant speak for any years, all you need to do is unplug all the connectors on the motor and lay the wiring harness aside. The Engine wiring harness is pretty simple. its one big connector on the computer, and then it snakes around to the firewall, then onto the motor. Disconnect all the connectors and set the harness aside.

you are not using any of the 92's sensors, or wiring. like i said before, strip it down to the block like this,


Then put it into the jeep, then install your 89's exhaust, intake, dist., etc,... Thus you will use the 89's wiring harness.

That clear anything up? I hope

 

It did but still have some questions for you. If the motor that is in the jeep now wont start, could that cause the other motor not to start as also? By the way the engine just keeps cranking and getting sick of keeping putting money into it and it does nothing. I replace almost every part you can on that motor and it still is giving me trouble.

 

unless there is something mechanically not allowing the motor to start, like a broken distributor drive gear, the new motor will not start. There is something electrical not allowing the engine to start. You need to first figure out why the motor in there isnt starting. Because if you dont, then you will have more possiblities why the new motor wont start. Left something unpluged when the swap was done(no start), didnt time the dist correctly(no start or runs poorly), broke a wire when removing/install the new engine,.. etc,...

With the engine that is in there now, are you getting fuel? Spark? injector pulse?

 

Well the engine thats in the '89 right now I changed out the distrubtor, coil, spark plugs and wires. I also changed out the battery cables and the alternator too. Right now everybody is telling me the timeing chain skipped links and through the timeing off so that is why I cant time it right. I will maybe stop by where I have it and take pictures and get those posted so everybody can see what i mean.

 

Pictures are good!

do you have a vacuum gauge? If you do, if the chain jumped a tooth, it will give you poor vacuum cause the valves are not lined up with the piston strokes as well

 

Sorry really havent been able to take pictures of it yet but i am not sure what the vacuum gauge looks like? Tell you truth I am not good with motors, been people giving me ideas to test so I been doing them!!

 

Sorry to jump in the middle but wont you have a problem with the intake and exhaust because the 92 is ho the 89 renix or is the head going by the way the reason im asking is I have a 89 also and ive been told it wont work efficently with the ho head

 

Thats a good point, hmm thats why i am asking makeing sure i dont miss anything!!

 

Swap batteries. I had a battery that would charge fully and turn the engine all day long, but it wasn't powerful enough to keep it running. Changed battery and problem solved. If you have another battery, try it.

 

alright so let me get this strait you took the block from the 92 and stripped it down and are putting the 89 components on it?

If you have the 92 computer, why not use the 92 as full upgrade and keep the 92 intake and exhaust and everything? you already have everything stripped down why not swap over computers and wiring harness to the newer one?