I never said an LQ4 wasn't reliable, they are good engines, but I wouldn't consider them as reliable as the 4BT Cummins or the 4.0.

 

All depends on what you're doing.

I'd say a stock LQ4 should be no less reliable than a stock 4.0.

The thing is, 4.0's aren't really "swapped" engines like LQ4's are.

Any engine swap, if not done properly to "the T", will be less reliable.

A 4BT in stock configuration is very reliable, but also a slug. The moment you start adding, tweaking, upping things, it's reliability start to decrease.

The 4.0's are notoriously bad for reliability when being stroked or adding forced induction, they're just not built very well for it.

The main reason some don't think the newer motors are as reliable, is that they rely on far more electronics. People seem to like to bypass things, and bam...you have issues.

Also, most swaps I've seen, have been in rigs meant to be wheeled. Wheeling tends to reduce reliability no matter what the motor is.

I'd sure as hell hate to be side hilling, or doing technical crawling with a 700 lb. motor.

A close freind of mine (one of my best men), is swapping a CRD into an MJ. He has a build thread on NAXJA, though...it might be years before he completes it at this rate. The CRD out of a KJ is nothing to overlook. It'll make a 4.0 feel slow.

I have nothing against diesel swaps, in the right platform. For an XJ, the 4BT seems to be what guys cling to who because its the most bro-dozer, and in reality one of the few diesel engines they know about.

I know someone who swapped an OM617 into a Sammi. That thing was a beast, and would run on pretty much anything that would ignite (ATF, Diesel, Oil, etc.)

 

I am not sure what bro-dozer means, but the reason I like the 4bt is because it is well known, simple, reliable, and there is a ton of aftermarket support for it to make it more powerful, the same can't be said for several other small diesels.

 

bro dozer= all those trucks that are lifted high with tons of lights, big rims and tires, bumpers, etc that will never see a spec of dirt. Basically a mall crawler.

 

As some one that use to have a 460 78 bronco,A nose heavy off road rig can scare you sometimes.If your quick on the go pedal or have a aftermarket shifter and slam in reverse fast both saved me a few times from feeling like a sock in the dryer.I'm with you i do like diesels but off road if rather not have one.The weight is a big reason and they rev slow to me.Crawling and many times a quick reving engine can get you out of a tough spot.But with something slow reving youll have to back up and take a running start at it.Even mud racing most big blocks do better then most diesels even a high power 12 valve can get shown up by wheel speed and rpms

 

That's my first thought.....

 

I like the 4BT but would agree with others it isn't for the XJ. Kinda defeats the whole light weight off road vehicle that the XJ was meant to be. That and unless you let it hang low below, you have to have a good part of the engine sticking above the hood, neither is good for wheeling. An older VW engine that is light weight like what was in the Rabbit or Jetta would most fit the XJ. Or if you just want a diesel because it is a diesel, then look hard and find an original 2.1L out of an XJ, that would be the easy bolt in swap, if you can find one.

 

I would rather keep the 4.0 over any European made diesel engine.

 

I would rather keep the 4.0 over any European made diesel engine.

 

The big thing is the money to do any engine swap.Real world most cost 6k and up if you do it yourself.If your paying a shop to do it double that number.

 

YouTube it for videos. If you're not quite the fabricator, you're only dreaming.........

 

European Diesels make our diesel market look...cute.

Our diesel market is centered around Light Duty Truck and bigger.

The Europeans have us killed in the diesel area.

I'd take one all day long over ancient technology like a 4BT.

That being said, I'll keep my 4.0.

The only thing it would get swapped for, is something with 8 cylinders (unless ecoboost type engines become cheaper and more readily available).

 

Uh-oh. Guess who owns VM Motori, the company that makes the European diesel?

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles!!!!!!!!!!

 

There I fixed that for you.
That is why they are better built.
Ancient technology or not I am for what works, and the 4BT has proven to be reliable, is easy to work on, and gets good fuel mileage.
I agree, as I said before I would much rather keep the 4.0 than swap a European diesel in, but I think an XJ with a Dodge 360 or even a 318 would be nice.

 

My point is less about size, and more about availability, technology, etc. etc.

Europe's car market in general makes ours look laughable.

Diesel's are a good portion of the market there, where they're a blip on the map here.

Hell, the general public here knows very little about diesels, or that there are diesels in vehicle outside of light duty trucks and larger.

Putting a 4BT in an XJ to me will never make sense.

Whenever I see "4BT swap", I usually immediately think attention *****.

They want a diesel for no other reason than it's a diesel. They throw around 4BT because it's one of the few diesel engines they can name.

Much better power to weight ratio setups out there than a bread truck motor.