Theres a video of a guy with a 97+ 2.5 in switzerland... Not sure exactly what year.

 

It is.

However, the difference between the 2.8 and 3.1/3.4 is day and night - and they revised the V6-60 with the two larger versions to eliminate the "self-changing oil" problem. I had a Cavalier with the V6-2.8, and I just dumped in a quart every three weeks and changed the filter & topped off every three months. I never could get that damned oil leak fixed - it would drip from the rear head where the cylinder head, intake, and valve cover all came together (there's a funky three-point seal at each end of the head.)

Had a Corsica with the 3.1L - I actually got to do my own oil changes, and the vehicles was much perkier (despite having a 500# greater kerb weight...) That old Cavalier couldn't get out of its own way, but the Corsica could keep pace with nearly anything I threw at it!

Besides, the 2.8L in the XJ came with the "Baby 904" Chrysler slushbox - get the whole drivetrain from a donor S10, and you'll net the THM700R4 (4L60), which is a tougher slushbox and picks up an overdrive. And, you'll get the NP231C, which is also tougher than the NP231J.

 

Yup there is a V6 I own a 1986 XJ it come with a 2.8L V6 I read that in 1986 AMC jumped the gun and used a Jimmy's engine but it's very weak with any upgrades it only has 117Hp not enough
That's why I did an engine swap and still keep it the V6 idea but went with a 4.3L
Which it has 262Hp that is a lot of deference in power but my tranny had to be swapped too ..

 

Here's the pi$$er on that oil leak at the rear of the engine. AMC could have gotten warranty coverage on that engine from GM but declined the $45 cost per unit to get it. They took a gamble. The 2.8s leaked like a sieve from the rear, first from the 2 piece rope rear main seal and then from the back of the intake manifold. There was an upgraded rear seal available after awhile.

GM never came out with a fix for the leaks between the intake manifold and the block, but jeep developed a fix and published a TSB to deal with it. It required using a small burr bit in a die grinder and grooving both the manifold and the block at the front and rear so the RTV used would not squish out.

 

be weary of dealers and craigslist ads tho, i see a lot of V-6 4.0s out there

 

Especially the ones that just put in a new 4.0 V6.

 

I think you meant "wary" - but I'm "weary" of seeing engines I know to be inline described as "V6" as well...

 

I probably should have tried that, but I was limited in tools at the time (my Dremel was in Indiana, I was in CA. Hell - most of my tools were still in IN...)

And, I didn't know about the Jeep TSB at the time, since this was about 1988. Wups!

But, the idea has considerable merit...

 

I would hope that nobody with a 2.8 Cherokee would put another "better" v6 in it when they have practically laid the groundwork for a small block to be swapped in there

 

i dont know, im kinda tired of it...

 

Not so much. Considering the only real commonalities between the SBChevvy and the Chevvy V6-60 is that they're both V-block engines, and they're both General Motors, work still has to be done for the SBC/BBC/V6-90 swap.

Dropping in the larger/later V6-60 is easier (in the engine bay,) and you can drag the electronics along with it. The crossmember will need to be moved/adapted for the THM700R4/4L60, but that has to be done anyhow (whatever SBC you get, you're changing the transmission. THM350, THM400, THM700R4, 3L80, 4L80, 6L80, 4L60, and all of the manuals - all will need to move and/or adapt the mount for the transmission...)

 

before i had my xj i had a wanted to buy ad and i got a lot of people offering the 4.0 v6, to which i replied "when did you get the engine swap done?"

 

I'd always ask them why they'd want to stick a Ford engine in a Jeep?

 

Haha true, but just in case they were incredibly stupid yet incredibly resourceful, I left the option open that they put it a 4.0 v6 from a Volkswagen. You just never know with some people

 

i have the v6 2.8 in my 86 cherokee.... 211k miles on it runs good for the miles but sucks for power.