Hey guys I did a compression test today (wet and dry but not at operating temp) here's the numbers

Dry Wet
C1 95 C1 112
C2 85 C2 75
C3 90 C3 100
C4 90 C4 55
C5 65 C5 72
C6 60 C6 60

I may have put a little too much oil into the cylinders during the wet test. Not sure how much that would affect it, first time I've done a compression test.

I'm gonna use Seafoam in both the intake and the gas tank and retest both at operating temp. Also gonna put some engine restorer into the oil. See if anything changes.

This Cherokee does have almost 300k. I bought it for $500 with no title hoping it had been rebuilt. Clearly not lmao.

I do like manuals more than autos so I'm considering dropping an engine with a manual trans in my Jeep. The body and interior on my 4 door is really nice. No dents, no strange smells, may be worth the effort. I do like the 2 door Cherokees though..

I have the space, tools, time, and drive to do a swap. What I may not have is the money I'm somewhat poor, I live with my parents and make about $90 a week at the moment. Could get more hours, but then I'd have no time to work on the Jeep! Will be making considerably more by October, I'll be a certified maritime welder by then.

So what do you guys think,

New engine and tranny
or
New Jeep?

I'd honestly kind of enjoy the learning experience of putting the engine and trans in. Even if its a waste of money in the end, can't put a price on knowledge and experience.

Thanks for the opinions in advance!

 

Do the swap. 4.0 liters are cheap - probably cheaper than the ax15 you'd want to put behind it. Plus, you'll learn more about how the truck was engineered. It's a very valueable experience.

At the risk of assuming, you're probably as young as I was when I did my first engine swap, and I'll never forget that. Ended up owning that car for a long time.

 

You can definitely swap a motor for a few hundred dollars. This depends on what you want to spend.

300k miles is a lot, so there's more to factor in than just an engine. You probably have lots of wear and tear on your transmission and drivetrain and it's likely you'll fall into the proverbial "domino effect" of things going wrong after you replace the engine. In the grand scheme of things, total replacements going forward might equal or exceed a replacement Jeep.

That's why I suggest deciding what's worth it to you.

 

If you want a manual, I suggest you buy another jeep that has the manual. The headache and cost to make the conversion is not worth it in my opinion. If you can find a junkyard engine that runs good, I say go for it. Better yet, if you can find a wrecked XJ with low miles buy it and start swapping parts around.