my haynes repair manual made reference to a v6 engine as well as the I6 that i currently have. i have also heard of a v6 from various online sources (i question their credibility). is this just a stupid mistake people repeatedly make like i think it is or is there actually a v6 i just haven't heard of?
(i hope i posted this in the right section)

 

84-86

 

Sure did. A Chevy 2.8L .

 

No.. The mighty Jeep Cherokee has always had the awesome 4.0L straight 6! And I hear rumors of a 4 cylinder sometimes too but I refute those too..


Well ok.. Rumor has it that a sorta crappy 60degree GM 2.8 V6 was installed for a few years during the infant stage of the XJ.. Some say it only made 5-10 more ponies than the 2.5 4 banger.....

SSShhhhhh.. Remember.. The XJ has always had the 4.0L ...

 

Somewhere in mine I remember it referring to a diesel as well. Never heard of one of those anywhere else but that book. Is that a mistake or did they run a few of those off the line as well.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Cherokee_(XJ)

 

There were two different diesel engines produced. IIRC one was for the US market and the other was only available overseas but I could be wrong about that.

 

Had the misfortune of getting to service one a long time ago. A 2.1L oilburner, I think. WOW! I think even the little old folks with thier walkers were passing me on the test drive! Anyway, the 2.8 Generic Motors engines were a pain! Same performance as the 2.5L 4 cyl, but much worse mileage. If you ever got the carb set right, it ran well. Very maintenance intensive.

 

Engines in the XJ...

GM V6-171 1984-1986. Had GM OBD-I controls.
AMC 4-150 1984-2000. Three basic iterations (1V carb, TBI, PFI,) and three control systems (AMC/RENIX, ChryCo OBD-I, ChryCo OBD-II.) Not to be confused with the Pontiac 4-151, used in the CJ 1981-1983 (which had a 2V carburettor)
Renault 4-126 Turbodiesel, 1985-1987. I don't know what the controls were.
VAM/VM Motori 2.5L Turbodiesel, export market only. 1990-1996/7 (?)
AMC 4-242, 1987-2001. RENIX, OBD-I, or OBD-II.

I think the VAM 6-282 (Mexican production) engine may have made it into some South American production XJs, but I wouldn't swear to it at the moment.

I find it interesting that, throughout the history of the marque through 2005 or so, the only non-AMC gasoline engines were GM (Buick V6-225, Buick V8-350, Chevvy V6-171, Pontiac 4-151) for Jeeps. The Diesels were Isuzu, Renault, or VM Motori; and they only got ChryCo engines starting with the KJ, WK, and XK (Chrysler 4-148, Chrysler V6-225, Chrysler V8-287.)

Notable exception would be the Grand Cherokee ZJ - which got either the AMC six (6-242) or the Dodge LA-block V8 (V8-318, V8-360 for a 1998 Special Edition.) The WJ went with either the 6-242 or the Chrysler V8-287, then the 6-242 was replaced with the Chrysler V6-225 for the WK (it never made it into the XK or KJ platform. I have a hard time considering the Compass or Patriot - MK platform - Jeep vehicles in their own right - they're actually rebranded Dodges.)

I'm sure I have a list somewhere of which engines were used from who, and when they were used in which models; I just don't have it handy...

 

the 2.8 V6 is pretty much garbage, but the 4.3 V6 kicks butt....

 

Even the 3.1 and 3.4 are significant improvements - and the RWD/4WD 3.1/3.4L are drop-in swaps. The 4.3 is largely based on the SBChevvy, and would take a bit of work to get in

 

Wasn't the 3.1 and 3.4 basically big 2.8's? Like you said, the 4.3 is a v8 with 2 cylinders lopped off. Now the Buick 3.8, that was a motor. They ran them from the late 60's to almost current and they were turboed in the Grand National. Weak oil pump though.

I'm getting old.

 

don,t give up on the 2.8........... buick and olds had great success with that motor. they turbocharged it, supercharged it and all around had better luck with it. GM changed the engines performance when they put it into the S-10 and S-15 picups and the XJ. it basically got waaaaay detuned.

 

it was the dark ages. chevy 2.8 if u have one melt it dawn thats about all they are good for

 

hey don't knock the dark ages that's where I'm from.