Hey guys,

I have a 1995 Cherokee, I water locked the motor.. Threw that away.. Put a motor out of an unknown year into the jeep. Ran for a while but now it's knocking.

There seems to be a bunch of different rebuild kits due to year.. How can I figure out what kit I need?

There are a few types of head bolts and it seems the 1995 or older ones are hard to come by.. I know the motor I have now has 6pt bolts.. Newer ones have 12pt right? Are the bolts interchangeable?

I don't plan on removing the manifolds this time, the head is basically bran new, so not
Messin with it.

 

You're going to have to figure out when your engine was built.

 

And there are no hints on the block? Mine did not have the boss's for the coil like my old motor

 

4.0 Engine date codes

The date code is on the passenger side of the engine, on the block, just forward and up from the distributor on a machined flat surface.

The digits of the code identify:
 1st Digit-The year (8 = 1998).
 2nd & 3rd Digits-The month (01 - 12).
 4th & 5th Digits-The engine type/fuel system/compression ratio (MX = A 4.0 Liter (242 CID) 8.7:1 compression ratio engine with a multi-point fuel injection system).
 6th & 7th Digits-The day of engine build (01 - 31).
1. FOR EXAMPLE: Code * 801MX12 * identifies a 4.0 Liter (242 CID) engine with a multi-point fuel injection system, 8.7:1 compression ratio and built on January 12, 1998.

 

Awesome.

Can the head bolts be interchanged? Seems the 12pt bolts are easier to find. I'd hate to reuse the bolts twice now

 

The ones on my '92 have been reused 4 times now. At least.

Head hasn't blown off yet.

 

Lol

 

Are heads pretty universal? I'm going to end up getting a different bottom end, and I have a fully rebuilt head with like 200mi on it

 

Thank you for this post. I was just pondering this today as I'm lazy and don't want to get new ones. I trust your opinion. Ill chance it. Thanks.

 

Got some reinforcement bars across your hood?

Kinda like the supercharger blankets used on dragsters?

 

A bunch of plastic ties, wrapping all the way around the engine.

 

White ones, I hope. They're stronger....