**First off Id like to state that this is just curiosity and I’m aware that FI is superior to carb. This question doesn’t apply to those who spent their kids college tuition on making the gayest xj on earth and how it can out-climb a goat thanks to FI.

Please, if you feel like you need to **** and whip out the pitchfork because you saw those three infamous words “CARB SWAP XJ” go pound sand and ***** elsewhere. This question is just out of curiosity.

the question:

Since the stock gauges can’t work without the ecu, how would you make them work if a carb was swapped on?

 

What year is your XJ ?

 

Early year xj's don't use ecu driven gauges, 97+ you'll never get to work without the ECU. They run off bus signals, no ecu no bus.

 

It’s a 1995, 5 speed xj.

 

Are you actually doing this or a rhetorical question...first thing off the bat, you need to drop fuel pressure from 50 ish down to 6.....obviously don't need fuel rail or injectors....therefore old school intake with no injector ports...is this a street legal thing or a back farm project...going to be the devil keeping the check engine light off

 

It’s for fun, I have an old xj that’s not going to pass inspection nor worth making it road worthy. The challenge is to try and make a carbureted system that works as if it came from the factory. I tried to get answers before, however these threads usually get flooded with people who offer no practical explanations other than “efi is better”. My initial thought was to find an 84 v6 xj and see if it could be adapted to retain the dummy lights, etc.

 

Carbs are icky, unreliable and they suck.. according to people who don't understand carbs.

I own injected and carbbed vehicles.

The swap your contemplating is do-able and has been done. I've seen one IRL. A '95 four door complete with points & coil distributor.

​​​​​​'95 uses Chrysler MPI, meaning there's a fuel return line. That will make fuel pressure regulation easier.

Clifford makes intake manifolds for putting carbs on 4.0's Low buck approach would be mod your existing manifold.

Retrofitting analog instrument cluster should be easy. Any compatibility differences in engine sensor can be addressed by changing sensors.

IIRC the XJ mechanical speedo cable driven end and the electronic speedo sensor are physically shaped the same.



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The check engine light bulb is removable.😊
Black tape works too😎

 

what distributor was used?

 

I'll assume that it was from an AMC straight 6 and recurved for the 4.0.

 

There's an aftermarket HEI dizzy available.

 

where have you seen it?

 

summit Racing, Jeg's, Ebay..................

 

Barry Grant race demon on custom by me adapter unit. Secondary function is locked out. For mudrunner power.

Bolts on to existing tb holes, inside the "box". Corners have devcon epoxy ( used on ported heads, good enough for me!) . Works well, sounds 😎 cool, lol.