Jeepjunky

just wondering how good is the 2.8, power, reliability... and opinions on how good it is. from what i read, you shoud stay away from it but just wondering what u guys think

00jeepXJ

not good..... even in their original application of GM small cars they were underpowered and pretty poor in reliability. I have seen them last 100k miles and seen them last 30 seconds after a professional rebuild. I would look at another engine swap for it. The GM 4.3 and 3.8L v6's use similar bell housings and mounting. Look into one of those for an alternative to yours when and if it goes. Just my thoughts.

Jeepjunky

now would it be possible to swap in a 4.0 instead?

00jeepXJ

not really... with out some serious cutting... I was told that the engine bay on the jeeps that had the 2.8's are too small for the 4.0L because they were meant for the v6 and I4 only. I could be wrong on that though so if some one else could verify that it would be good. However, anything is possible with cutting and welding! If you have the time and know how you could stuff pretty much what ever you could get yours hands on.

OnlyInMyXJ22

Get a 3.4 V6 out of a Camaro. Info.

Jallen9

I had a camaro with the 3.4, and it's a good engine. From what I understand, it's almost a direct swap for that 2.8. It's not super powerful, only 160 hp and maybe 200 tq. It was designed to be a truck engine. They last a long time, too. After a rebuild, mine went to about 230K miles. I know gm sells crate 3.4s to replace the 2.8s. I'd take a 4.0 over one any day, though. Even the newer ones are really cheap, so i don't see much of a reason to get an xj with a 2.8.

emptypockets

My '86 has a 2.8 in it. No, it isn't a powerhouse, but I've been happy with it overall. I overheated it on the hwy (blew a heater hose) and pegged the temp gauge. I drove it to a buddies house 8-9 miles in bumper to bumper traffic that way with the cap off and force cooled the motor with a garden hose (I was on the way to the hospital for my Mom's surgery). I tossed on some new heater hose he had laying around and off I went. No blown head gasket, no pinging, no mad at me motor and its been quite a few months since it happened with zero issues. She just plugs and plugs and plugs. The alt is located on top of the motor, the radiator is pure beef compared to the 4.0, carb setup (a plus if you dig carbs, which I do), and stroker kits are readily available (which is what the 3.4 is to begin with, a factory stroked 2.8). I'm not sure how many guys have actual experience with these motors vs. what they've heard. I off road my XJ and it does fine. You might have to use your head more than the skinny pedal, but there's nothing wrong with honing your driver's skill. A lower gear set would probably help bring it to life. I don't think you can say a motor will only last such and such miles, it primarily comes down to how you take care of it. Go check out the S-10 forums, a lot of guys are running 200k plus on the original motor. I have no plans to swap my motor and plan to run it till it dies. I think it has a worse rep in the Jeep community than it deserves.

Jallen9

maybe i should rephrase - mine was running fine when i sold it at 230K miles. i don't know if they made fuel injected xj's with the 2.8, but the 3.4 swap is one of the easiest swaps ever, if it's carbureted. if it's fuel injected then some changes need to be made, and i don't know what they are. there isn't much ECU tuning for the 3.4. i think it's just the engine and that's it because like emptypockets said, the 3.4 is just a bored and stroked 2.8. they're dirt cheap at junk yards, too. you may even be able to find a fuel injected one and just use the carb and intake from the 2.8. don't know for sure. it's a great little engine with a surprisingly large aftermarket.

sam24th

If you get a 2.8 Cherokee the engine bay wont fit a 4.0 without cutting into the firewall and some welding. I myself had a 2.8 camaro and it was underpowered. You can make them fast though VERY. They are also pretty reliable. You can also do a 3400 hybrid swap using the 3400heads. But that requires a lot of mods aswell as a fuelnjection swap. The best swap for it would be the 3.4 swap from a 93-95 camaro/firebird. I did that with my camar and it has a lot of low end torque. It pulls like a train now.

5-90

Fech. If you have one, start looking for an upgrade.

Getting a "good" V6-173 is uncommon, bordering on rare. I had one in a 1985 Cavalier - it changed its own oil, and ran like a wet turnip

The V6-181 (3.1L) and V6-194? (3.4L) in rear-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive, and GSR (Goodwrench Service Replacement) configurations are all direct mechanical swaps, the V6-262 is derived from the Small Block and uses the GM V8 bellhousing pattern (the 60-degree V6 uses the "GM Metric" pattern, which is different.)

The GSR block may be identified in FWD platforms as having an unused starter motor mounting pad on the rear of the engine, as mounted (the GSR block was a direct replacement for both FWD and RWD applications.)

For the best swap, I'd suggest getting the entire drivetrain out of a 1988-up S-10/S-15 series. The 60-degree V6 was usually paired with the THM700R4/4L60 transmission, which was rather stronger than the 30RH AMC & Chrysler used and nets you an overdrive gear in the bargain! The NP231C transfer case (again, used behind the 4L60 in 4WD applications,) has a wider drive chain than the NP231 used in Jeep, which is also a bonus (the internals may be swapped, but I believe the actual mounting of the transfer case is different.)

NB: I'm sure you'll have to fab up a new crossmember and mount it, I haven't checked. However, the engines mount the same - and grabbing the control electronics for the 3.1/3.4 will also allow you to net MPI, which is going to be better than the old Weber that was supplied with the thing.

It is worth noting that, from the showroom floor, the V6-173 was considered "marginal" next to the AMC 4-150 - the V6 made only slightly more horsepower at high RPM, the 4 made a bit more torque at low RPM, the AMC four is based on a proven design (the AMC "Modern Era" six) while the GM V6 was a relatively new "clean sheet" design at the time.

The theory behind the 60-degree V6 was sound, but the implementation in the first generation sucked. The 3.1L was a massive improvement.

I feel somewhat qualified to say this, as I owned a 2.8L and 3.1L back-to-back. Both were front-wheel drive, both used the THM125 transaxle, and the 3.1L-powered vehicle was about 400# heavier at the kerb, six inches longer in the wheelbase, and has a comparable aerodynamic profile (it was shaped a bit better - but had a larger frontal area.)

Driving the two? Night and day. I'd only buy another V6-173-powered vehicle if I planned on swapping the engine outright ASAFP.

The V6-262 (4.3L) is a good engine - and more common to find donors for (later S10/S15 4WD, Astro/Safari 4WD, K10/1500 4WD,) and I'd suggest getting the whole drivetrain & electronics from the donor for the same reasons listed above (and the fact that the bellhousing pattern is different anyhow.) The V6-262 usually came with the 4L60/4L60E as well, and was released late enough that getting an early THM700R4 should not pose a problem (the THM700R4, through about 1987, was only fit for use as scrap metal or a boat anchor. It had a number of fatal flaws, and the only effective "repair" was outright replacement.) The V6-262 would also use the Small Block mount - so you'd need to adapt the mounts to fit the engine.

Going with a Small Block V8, then, becomes a viable option - and can also net you a 4L80 transmission if you think you need it (think THM400 with an added overdrive gear,) and can get you either the NP231C or NP241C transfer case. The SB V8 won't be found in the S10/S15 or Astro/Safari, but you can make up for that by looking for it in the entire K-series pickup and Suburban - and later versions (like the V8-364) can be had with even a 6L80E transmission, if it can be adapted (it's either a five-speed plus overdrive or a four-speed plus two overdrives, I don't recall offhand.) The 6L80 would probably come with the NP241C transfer case, which is notably stronger than the NP231C, NP231HD, and probably even the NP231DHD. (Same underdrive ratio - using 2.72:1 was common for New Process.)

Absorb that, and let me know if you still have any questions. I'd have to dig out my notes for more thorough answers...

Jeepjunky

^^ very good info. well i was surfing on the web and saw an MJ that siad it had a V6 found out it was a 2.8 and was wondering if it was worth getting. mainly cuz of no rust and it only has 57xxx in it!

SHANE 87

my opinion on the gm 2.8 v6 is reliability is crap powers crap and anything els about it is crap

Jmb94

If it's a good deal, get it! And figure out what to do with the engine later!

Anyone know anything about swapping a 2.5 4 Banger in?

SHANE 87

well i havnt heard anything bad about them

5-90

Change mounts & electrics, drop it in. IIRC, the 4-150 uses the GM Metric bellhousing pattern, just like the V6-173. (Some early ones may have use the GM V8 bellhousing pattern - a holdover from the Pontiac 4-151 1980-1983, but I doubt any of those ended up in the XJ.)