It looks like the 01 is a sport my 97 is a country.

 

my personal opinion you dont want a 2000 or 2001 cherokee engine, they had head gasket issues....but as far as for sitting it should bolt right in

 

how bout the electrical?

 

that should be different, not 100% though

 

00-01's had head cracking issues, coil on point ignition, and some other things. It's worth holding out for an older one.

 

Here's another option. If the head on your '97 is okay you can put it on the '01 block, use the '01 intake manifold, swap over your 97's sensors and distributor and you should be good to go. Also use the '97's exhaust manifold.

 

well I have an option to buy a 98 engine (just engine) with 100k for about 600 or

a 01 front end damage jeep (engine seems to have no damage 128k) but no seats or front axel. for the same $$ I was thinking I could always use parts out of this.

 

Guess I'm not asking enough for the '99 engine I'm selling. It's got 160k-ish miles on it but it runs good. has the newer style intake but has the 0630 head (not prone to cracking). Only need about $450 for it.

But the 01 sounds like a good deal. Probably lots of other parts you can use or sell to make your money back- just don't use the head.

 

The head cracking issue is blown out of proportion. People on this forum hear about it and like to talk about it the 0331 heads are of the devil or something.

Yes, it's an issue, yes, it's possible, but if you maintain your engine and don't overheat it you'll most likely be just fine.

If you're going so far as to swap the engine, it's not much more work to change the head gasket before installing it in the Jeep, if you're worried about it.

 

Will he run into any issues with the coil on point though? I have no idea, I'm just asking.

 

he will not be able to use the seperate coils and distributorless system unless he changes his complete wiring harness and computer.

He could still use the motor but install the distributor and sensor from the older engine. It's a simple work around.

Reason so many mention the head cracking issue is we hate to have to do things twice. Why use a head prone to cracking with an unknown history when there are better, easier alternatives?