Im a long time XJ owner but need a little bit more room in back for my son so id like to get into a WJ with a V8. I have heard alot of bad things about the 4.7 dieing and just wanted to know if its all true and if so is there and thing to look out for or ways to prevent it ( besides the given ).

Im looking for a WJ because I like the body style and its in my price range.

Yes its true them engines are junk! My sister in law has one siting in her garage with a rod hanging out the oil pan this was the second engine also, if your going with a wj get one with the 4.0 in it,not only in the wj but the Dakota and Durangos were junk too something about the timing and oil pumps they just don't hold up and give up at low mileage or 200k and there bad about intake and head gaskets blowing. At the dealer I work at when they come in as trade ins we don't even look at them they go straight to the car auction.

i don't know alot about the 4.7's but you should be able to get one with a I6. the biggest thing i would watch out for is tranny issues i dont' remember which one but one of them has lots of issues

**ahh nick beat me oh well**

I was just wanting a v8 for alittle more power since in my mind a grand cherokee being alittle larger then a regular cherokee has to be heavier so with the bigger cherokee and a small camper behind it the 4.0 sluggish. This is just a thought, i never drove a wj

My friend had a wj with the 4.0 in it and pulled a trailer full of the junk when the moved from Arkansas to New Mexico and it done good, then 4 years later they pulled there junk back with same wj only problem they ever had with it was a head gasket while living in New Mexico, it had 252k when they traded up last year

my friend has a wj with the I6, it's on 33's with stock gears and still has plenty of power to pull so no worries on power

Yeah ill just have to take one for a test drive to see how the 4.0 feels in it...... so it sounds like there's no hope with the 4.7

dont know about you but i didnt get the impression there was alotta hope for it

yeah my bad.... I ment NO hope

It be pretty hard to find a good one lol, only other grand to get if wanted a v8 would be the srt grand that has the hemi in it now that's a bad ****! We had one a while back at the lot all wheel drive and it needed to be!

This is the first time I've ever heard anything bad about the 4.7, google it a bit you'll find plenty of good things and it's like most engines, good maintenance is key.

The only experience I have with them personally is a friend of mine has a 99' with the 4.7 and he's pretty much ran that thing through hell and back and the two main problems he has had were a blown power steering pump and a water pump...nothing crazy.

Do a little more research, and do your inspections on any potential buy thorough and I bet you'll find something that will work for you.

We have an '04 WJ with the 4.7 that we bought new in late '03. It now has 112,000+ miles on it, and it still runs strong, doesn't use any oil, and idles as quiet as when it was new. Granted, most of the miles are from trips between Tenn and Mich several times a year. On the last trip down from Mich on I-75 it got 20.4 MPG on regular gas.
It's always been serviced at the dealer, and the engine has never had anything other than tuneups done, nor has it needed it.

If you want a V8 and same some money at the same time, you should look at a V8 equiped ZJ. If you find a 98 with a 5.9 you'll have more than enough power to tow with.

The 4.7L HO's made 265-270 HP, 325-330 lb. ft. of torque, compared to the standard 4.7's 235 HP. >->http://www.wjjeeps.com/ho_engine.htm

when my dad worked as a service advisor at a chrysler/dodge/jeep dealer in casa grande a few years ago, he would always see 4.7 equipped vehicles come in overheated. if they got hot enough, the aluminum heads warped to the point where they cant be resurfaced. from what he was telling me, a set of new or reman'd heads was ALOT of $$$$. id definately try to find a ZJ (93-98) with the 5.2L V8. probably cheaper than a WJ, and personally I like the ZJ body alot better than the WJ, but to each his own. Also if the 5.2 isnt enough for you, you can swap in a 5.9 VERY easily. basically the only thing you would have to change is the computer. motor mounts, exhaust manifolds, air cleaner, etc is all the same.