2000 and 1999 GC engine swap
 

Hello everyone, so I have a strange question for you... I currently own a 1999 grand Cherokee that the driveline is fairly new in, there are some issues that I should be able to fix, those being it is quite rusty underneath and one of the control arm mounts broke off on the rear end... I can weld new metal in but there is another option... There is a 2000 that's got a bad engine and I can buy it for $250 give or take. The issue is, it was being parted out, and in the process of this, I bought some crucial parts off of it, the pcm, skim module, ignition, and door lock.
My 99 is totally optioned differently and doesn't even have a chipped key in it. Basically, say I bought the "parts" jeep and wanted to go the route of swapping all the good stuff to that one, how much of a pain will it be being the limited "parts" jeep had so many more options? Would be nice if I could replace all that's been removed from the 2000 with what my 99 has to offer but idk if it'll work because I'm under the impression that they have quite different wiring harnesses... Is it more work than it's worth? Should I just weld the s*** out of my 99 and run it?

Take this for what it's worth, but I had to weld up the same areas on my 97 ZJ, then I couldn't find anybody that would pass it for inspection after being welded! There are prefabbed sections you can buy now that are made if this, but IDK if NY will accept them or not.

IDK about the 99s, but the 2000 has the Can-Bus system where all the modules communicate with each other over a common data bus. The PCM runs constant diagnostic sweeps of all the modules and if it gets bad info, it sets a trouble code.

Yeah I am unsure as well, my last 2000 came with a pcm out of a 99 in it and it set a code for trans temp on that jeep, the black one in question donated it's pcm, skim and ign to that jeep well, at a cost of $150 but that fixed the issues on my last jeep. That 99 pcm also had the skim as well, I actually still have that, the ign, and somewhere, the pcm of the 99 that came in my 2000. So it is possible I can hook all that to the wiring if swapping the drive line over is the option. Inspection shouldn't be a issue for me though

I don't want to say yes unless I know for sure, but it sounds plausible. The big thing on the inspection is all your emission monitors have to be set when it's plugged into the DMV database. I've been there! I have a P0740 torque converter clutch code that now is permanent, in the fact that I'm not going to fix it. When the PCM sets a trouble code, all diagnostic sweeps stop until it is fixed. What I do is reset the code, then drive it, checking the monitors with my scanner until I only have one left to set, then drive quickly to get it inspected before the CEL sets again! A drive cycle on mine is about 240 miles. This has worked for 4 years. On OBDII, the state allows 1 monitor to be n/a when tested, but not 2. The safety part of the inspection is at the discretion of the inspector. BTW, the ABS system doesn't have to function for NYS inspection.

Yeah I was working in a shop when all this inspection equipment came into play, and with it, the crazy rules. I have a guy that will pass me as long as my cel isn't on so even if I decide to just weld the s*** out of my current jeep to repair the frame, it'll pass

One other option is to install a long arm kit! LOL!

This is very true lol. That uses the transfer case cross member correct?

The one I saw uses a crossmember that appears to either replace that, or cover it.

I believe it replaces it and drops the t-case a bit to produce a less severe angle for the drive shafts. Not sure what the tops get though.

Well, on the WJ there's only 1 and they use a spacer under the ball joint. IRO has a 4-link rear setup that uses a crossmember mount. We're talking about lift kits here, but you really don't have to go extreme on it. That 4-link kit is $999. It needs a 3" or more lift to use it.

Well the jeep already has a IRO 4" lift, but it's not the long arm kit. So just to add the long arm kit is another grand just about? That's nuts lol

Yes, but it solves your frame rust problem. I wonder why they sell a kit for just the rear, unless there are lots of people with your same problem.

It's a more common issue than most people would think. Bad design where they're mounted. Not so thick metal where the mounts for the control arms attatch to the sub frame of them. Road grime just catches in the seams and eats away at the metal and eventually they rip right off.

That's EXACTLY what happened with my 97 ZJ. They take ALL the stress when you run in 2wd most of the time.