So Iv'e had my XJ since 1998. Recently my gf has been driving it because her car broke and she can't afford another one.

Well long story short she is driving it the other day and it starts to overheat. Well she is on the freeway so tries to get it to a gas station but it dies before that. She says it barely overheated but I have a sneaking suspision she is full of it.

Took it to the mechanic today and he thinks that it's toasted just from the sounds of it. I imagine that he will get back to me in the next few hours or so.

Now I love my Jeep and have been wanting to do mods on it and it has some minor ones now. I wasn't planning on starting with the engine but hey here we are.

I'm set for a deployment to Iraq in March and will be gone for a year.
I anticipate that while I'm deployed I will be able to save some cash and am trying to figure out what kind of engine to put in it.

Any ideas? Websites I can check out?

Great first post huh.

 

jasper makes a decent engine...

also check out some JY's for some 4.0L I6's...

 

I think the general consensus here will be a stroker..

There are a couple of ads for Strokers in the JP magazine.. of course I cant think of any of the company names but I am sure other members will.

 

I'm wondering if this might be an opportunity to go with something other than a simple 4.0L engine and am thinking an entire drivetrain upgrade.

 

go with a SBF.

 

Ok and what's that? Got a link or anything? thx.

 

SBF=Small Block Ford..??

 

Well, if you're gonna have time to save up some tax free cash and you're talking full drivetrain change and you're talking a motor besides the bulletproof 4.0. I'm guessing you want something A.) bigger and B.) with that V-8 sound and stump pulling power. I would not even attempt to put anything bigger than a warmed over small block Chevy in an XJ because you'll bend the frame into a pretzel the first time you get all over it hard even with stiffening. If you go with a V-8 swap invest in all the frame stiffening stuff that is out there in the after market and get some good motor and tranny mounts. Get a tranny and Transfercase that will stand up to your V-8 of choice and hell go with full width Dana 60s front and rear. I personally haven't gone that route but, I've seen it done. It looks VERY cool. If you're wanting to fit on and run your average Jeep trail, I'd warm up or stroke your 4.0 and put a Dana 44 from an 87 XJ, an 8.25 from a 90 or later XJ or a Ford 8.8 in the rear and run your front Dana 30 until you break it and then get a dana 44 built for the front.

 

hesco and titan make crate strokers

 

i'd stick with the 4.0 - its the whole reason I own a jeep..

 

Putting any sort of V-8 is way more work then you want to do in a XJ! If the engine can be rebuilt, build it to be a 4.7 stroker. If not, just put another 4.0 in it.

 

Just get a reman 4.0 or a stroker don't do any major engine mods.. Me I went the route of a new raman 4.0 and paid right at $900 shipped for mine..I ordered mine from citymotorsupply.com but shipping was free for me. They run a route through OKC once a week so they just dropped mine off on the way through.

 

Iv'e been talking to some of the guys at work and they are saying that any kind of retro fit is to much power for an XJ on the trail. that a new or remaned 4.0L is plenty and doesn't require a bunch of mods.

I'm thinking that might be the route that I want to go.

 

Ok so i have been doing some looking around and talking to friends. I'm thinking that a 4.6L stroker might be something I am interested in.

What kind of things do i need to look for? I will have a year to complete this project.

I'll continue to look around this site.

thanks

 

Google is your friend. And I am sure there are others here that will point you in the right direction for a stroker. Another thing I will suggest, as it is something I have always wanted to do.. is do a Cummins 4BT swap.