Hello I just bought a 1994 jeep Cherokee 4.0. I bought a new distributor because it was really bugerd up .The built-in hold down was cut off and the plug wires are one space off. Put new distributor in & put plug wires where they belong but will not start. My question is why would anybody do this. It came with receipts showing new longblock was installed & distributor modification was done a couple of months later. Any body have any ideas.thanks....joedon

 

Hmmmm. I has me a suspicion:

Haynes and Chilton manuals show the wires incorrectly - one space off. Maybe he was "correcting" for that problem, and you came along and "fixed" it.

Somewhere around here is a picture of the correct placement and order. I'll see if I can find it for you....

Found it:

 

When I got my 1991 Cherokee it also had a distributor modification very similar to what you described. It also had a recent engine swap out from a wrecking yard. The previous owner was told the engine was good. When I did a cylinder compression check, I found compression readings from 50 to 150 depending on the cylinder. No wonder the previous owner had trouble! I ended up pulling the head and having the valves reground. I believe the engine sat so long in the wrecking yard that rust developed around the valve seats. The other problem my jeep had was a plugged catalytic converter. I put a new muffler, catalytic converter, and tail pipe on, replaced the modified distributor with an original used distributor, put the plug wires on correctly and WA LA! It ran beautifully.

 

Mostly done on 1990 and down 4.0 tip 13......https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/cr...x-tips-153657/