henschman

Hello all... I recently bought a 2001 Cherokee in great shape for $500 with a blown motor. I have a '97 Cherokee with a running motor for a parts car.

I know about the distributorless ignition issue... I am planning on putting the '97 block into the '01 jeep, using the '01 head so as to keep distributorless ignition.

Are there any differences in sensors or pulleys or anything else between the blocks out of the trucks with distributors and those with DIS? Anything that would make it not worth doing? Anything else I need to know about this swap? I know they use a different OS in the PCMs between those years, but I figured that wouldn't matter since i'm putting everything in the '01. The only problem I can think of is if they switched to different sensors when they switched operating systems or something. Let me know!

Thanks a lot,
henschman

McRay

I have 1996 and a 2001 Jeep Cherokee it looks that all the difference is the ignition coils and disturber and also the exhaust and intake manifold are different. Being you are use the head off the 2001 you will have no trouble inner change. Your sensors should work being you are not changing anything on the head. lets us know how it turns out. I would have the head checked off of the 2001 due cracking between #3 and 4 cylinder when over heated.

henschman

uh oh... allegedly, the reason the '01 engine is blown is because it overheated! It definitely threw a rod through the block; that much I can see. I better have my head checked!

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to remember to post how it goes.

McRay

If you have to use the old head you can still use ignition system off 2001 with coil pack - and change disturber make a bracket for the coil pack. Also I am not sure I think you can use the Intake & exhaust manifold with modifying gaskets. Check the hole size from the 97 engine to 2001 exhaust manifold.

henschman

Yeah, the exhaust ports on the older heads are supposed to be bigger. I thought about using my old head just for this reason, along with the bigger 01 intake manifold, to get a little better performance, but I thought it would simplify things to just use the head with the car it came from in case of any minor differences... plus, I'd have to fab up a bracket for those coils, or drill and tap the head to mount them... I didn't think the PITA was worth it for just a few more horsepower.

But if worse comes to worse and I have to use the old head, I'll just use the old exhaust manifold too, and buy the gasket for that.

Keep the help coming guys... if anybody else has done this, please let me know! I'm still worried there might be a difference in something on the blocks that might throw me off.