I would like to know what the maximum vehicle angle is to run the engine without damage. When on a steep incline, I sometimes wonder if the engine may be starving for oil. I see quite a few of the rock crawler gang that run their rigs at very steep angles, nose up, nose down, and sideways.
Does the 4.0 have dual pickups so that it will oil well at steep angles? Is there a spec for maximum angle?

 

Take a close look at the shape of the oil pan. With 5 quarts of oil it is almost impossible to starve the pickup. I would guess it would take an incline greater than 60 degrees to move enough oil away from pickup while going uphill. It might be a little less descending but there is also very little load on engine in that case.

 

Watch your oil pressure gauge if it starts to drop or the engine runs funny cut it off.

 

This is not worth worrying about in a stock XJ and most modified ones as well. By the time you reach an incline that might cause issues you will likely have fallen off the cliff already. If you are feeling nerdy there is an inclinometer available for dash mount but it's hardly a needed item. When you get off road your butt tells you way more than a gauge ever will. Plus it's not like you are driving up a freeway at a 40 degree incline for twenty miles. Obstacles are either fixed point or short distance challenges that you get over and trail ride to the next one(mostly). To answer your last question, iirc the 4.0 has one oil pick up.

 

I wondered the same. Often hit 45 degrees rolling off vertical sand ledges, going back up is not as extreme.

 

Your beach pics are always epic.

 

Every time I see an inclinometer mounted most likely is on a mostly stock 4x4 or one lifted 6-10" with blocks, nothing else 8>)


They are all for looks IMHO and not so good for even that.