i have a 2000 4x4 4.0 cherokee sport automatic. i need/want to put a new engine in my cherokee, but dont know what engines to purchase. i was wondering what are all the years i can put in it easiest and if any wrangler manual engines and years will be much trouble putting in.

 

Is your motor broken? A wrangler motor wouldnt really be an upgrade as they were made with the same engine options...

If your looking for power you can build a stroker from your old motor, if the block is still good.

Or if you want even more power you can put in a chevy small block... but thats a little harder.

 

My motor is broken. I just want to get this thing up and running for a reasonable price. I found 4.0 wrangler engines and a couple engines out of some cherokee's in my area, but the wrangler's seemed in better shape and lower miles and even a little cheaper. I didn't know if there was much work between the manual tramission wranglers, putting the engine into my automatic. And maybe what might be a cut off years for my cherokees engine.
thanks for your help.

 

How exactly is it broken? If there isn't a hole in the side of the block, I agree with miglia-spyder and say stroke it.

 

if all you want to do is replace it, any 4.0 from any year cherokee will fit in there....

a friend of mine just bought a 98 ZJ (grand cherokee) for 300 bucks....great body, like new interior, but the engine was bad....so he bought a great running 4.0 with around 120k miles, and put it right in there for 400 bucks...so now he has a great looking (looks like new actually) and great running ZJ for a total price of 700 bucks...

in other words, its easy to find a 4.0 and they arent very expencive

 

....i know i might get crap for it but in my state the emmissions laws say you have to have an engine from the same year or newer vehicle without getting it inspected through the state and having a dr2365 form to get it tested.



that being said it doesnt matter if it comes from a manual or auto still the same engine

 

If you were to get just another stock 4.0, their are a couple things you need to know!

The main difference is your stock 2000' engine has a coil pack ignition system. All 4.0 motors older than 2000 have a distributor ignition system... I may be off by a couple years here, but your going to want to stay away from motors made before 1991 because they were not the "high output" motors and have about 20 less HP (they are good motors though).

Now im not completely sure if your going to have to get a new ECM / ECU for a distributor motor, but i would assume you would have to along with a new wiring harness... Maybe someone can help me out here....

The only problem with the 2000 and 2001 4.0 motors, was the head that was manufactured poorly (0331)... It tends to crack between the 3rd and 4th cyl, causing massive problems!

 

whatever 4.0 you switch to, use the intake manifold and throttle body off your 2000, it's good for a couple extra horsepower. And like mentioned, the older distributor models are wired different than your newer coil pack ignition system on that jeep. It may be a matter of just swapping over some parts, but I'd be keeping an eye out for 4.0 inline 6's with coil packs instead of distributors. putting an engine out of a manual into an automatic generally requires a flywheel change with most vehicles, I'm not sure about the 4.0... And whoever said small block it? the 4.0 is a much more reliable motor than a v8... and if you want more power, build a 4.6 stroker out of that old 4.0 block