EvilScientistMoose

Hello, first time caller, long time listener, so, effectively, this is going to be a noob question.

I've inherited both a 1992 Cherokee Laredo 4.0 auto, and a 1993 Astro 4.3 AWD van.

Considering I already own an off-road bike or two, and don't really have time to take something else off road....I'd like to build a daily driver out of the Jeep (freaking snow on the ground here almost 6 months out of the year), something resembling stock-size tires, and if possible, utilize the AWD out of the Astro, as this jeep will hardly ever see dirt....would swapping the Astro engine/tranny/awd transfer case into the Jeep work?

Keep in mind, this is going to be only a street-driver....and the reason why I'm considering this is that the Jeep 4.0 is freaking melted from my sister overheating to something like 300 degrees, lol (pistons were melting around the ring lands on all cylinders)...

That being said, since I'm a Ford guy primarily, what is going to have to be pulled from the Astro, so far as the ECM/wiring harness is concerned?

RedZeppelinXJ

there are a few guys here who have done the 4.3L swaps....i'd search and see if you can find a build thread

this will take a lot of fab work.....motor mounts, tranny/t-case crossmembers, driveshafts, shifter linkage etc.

you will more than likely need the entire harness from the astro....this is a big project to undertake

lolzabee

Any idea what the axles are on the van?

RedZeppelinXJ

astro vans have the typical chevy IFS front and probably a 12-bolt rear

PingPong

The easy way to do this is to take said motor, and wiring harness and trans, and find a chevy 231, and bolt it up. As for the jeep side of the swap call up Advance adapters and order their motor mount kit, and depending on your skills their exhaust for the 4.3.

TheJerm

If you want AWD, use a np242 from another jeep.

This swap will be like any other engine swap that isnt the native motor. Engine, trans, wiring harness, computers, mounting and some massaging to make it work

PingPong

IN my truggy I am currently swapping in a 91 4.3 TBI. I did it cause of packaging. Look in my webshots page and you can find what I have done.

Kuro89

I got a look at an awd astro at a jy and the axle shafts for the front come right out of the transmission like a trans-axle, this confused me for a bit, its similar to a Subaru lay out

TheJerm

How about a set-up like this

Kuro89

That is weird
Though If only the motor in the Xj is trash why not just swap the motor, that is hard enough as it is why go through the pain of trying to swap a completely different drivtrain

TheJerm

Because he has the ambition to be AWESOME, unlike some people

Kuro89

ouch! haha
but seriously I get the idea that Moose isn't looking for some insane (insanely awesome as it may be) fab project