I have a 1996 XJ, with a stock 4.0 HO engine, out of curiosity and for future knowledge I would like to know if anyone has put a or knows that a Toyota V8 has been put in an XJ, I know GM engines can fit relative easily but Toyota's reputation for reliability would make it more favorable for me. I would like to know if it has been done or is possible and what would need to happen.

had a cracked block. swapped out engine for like engine. it is rough running at times and also makes a noise from the muffler like a low gurgle rattle when you get on the gas. guy who put it in for me said that he thinks it is because the engine has been sitting. and recommended changing the oil at like 2500 miles and getting the fuel injection cleaned. anybody recommend doing anything else? i literally just got it back yesterday, so i have put maybe 40 miles on it.
Thanks - Ghastly

How can you have better reliability than a jeep I6....My 92 lasted 275k before I stroked for no good reason and my 01 went 260 before the ****ty 0331 head leaked and blew the bearings...any well maintained pre 2000 should last 250-300k as long as you don't pour sand in it lol

I thought people buy XJs and other old jeeps mostly because of the glorious 4.0 reliability.

That is being conservative.

A Jeep 4.0 will outlast any Toyota V8.

Yes, I recommend starting your own thread rather than hijacking someone else's. Do you do that in real life? Just jump in and take over someone else's conversation?

drdewald24, I don't think you'll find any lack of reliability in the LS engines, which are the GMs that folks like to drop in.

I don't think it's done for reliability, though. It really is very hard to beat the 4.0 on that score. I think it's done more for power.

The Toyota 5.7 V8 is an overhead cam engine so it's physically large. My first concern would be fitting the engine inside the relatively cramped engine bay of the XJ.

Second, it's a very heavily computerized drivetrain. You'd likely want to get the whole engine/trans/t-case combo to swap as one unit, along with all of the wiring and computers.

Third, I suspect you may need ABS sensors to go along with the drivetrain swap as ABS is fully integrated into more modern vehicles. And there may or may not be differences between Jeep ABS sensors and the ones used by Toyota. At the very least, you'll have to investigate what exactly you need.


I think it can be done. It's just going to be a huge undertaking.

The smaller Yota 4.7 V8 would be an option. It's a physically smaller engine so it might fit in the engine bay easier. Depending on the year, it may or may not need as much of the computer control. But then you have only a 4.7 V8. You may as well do a stroker because you'll get just about as much power as the Yota 4.7 and if you build the stroker right it will be just as reliable.


Honestly, if you want an easy swap to a reliable V8, go with a 5.3 or 6.0 out of a GM truck. They last as long as the Toyota V8 but they have two advantages. They're smaller so they fit better. And there's an enormous aftermarket to support the swap.

there's nothing unreliable about an ls motor--to the contrary, they're easy to drop in, run like a kitten at idle, have tons of low end torque, and will run forever.
ditto on a crate 350, if you're intimidated by the ls, you can get a brand new zz6 motor from gm, 350 ci, 405 hp, complete turnkey from oil plan to EFI, even includes EFI.
There's nothing inherently more reliable with the Toyota motor. in fact, it will likely end up being more of a nightmare finding adapters for the transfer case/tranny.
(btw, there are tons of adapters out there for the LS/350, the best is novack -- they also have a decent research section that discusses the pros and cons of various motor swaps)

I'd bet that a correctly rebuilt 4.0, or stroked version, with good maintenance, will go a million miles.

I run a 4.6 stroker, and even I won't make that claim

I didnt mean so much as for reliability over the 4.0 I meant as a V8 with more power and that Toyota's V8's are often praised for reliability. The goal was more power while still reliable.

The Toyota V8 is perfectly fine for more power and reliability. It just has some drawbacks in that it is a physically large engine and there isn't much of an aftermarket to support the swap. If you really want to use one, please post up lots of pictures of the swap. It would be cool to see someone do something unique like that.

The reason people go with an LS motor is that it's a compact engine for it's power output and there is an enormous aftermarket there to sell you parts to bolt it in without much fabrication of any kind. All of the hard questions have easy answers. And the LS V8 family is quite reliable as well. So power and reliability is there, along with ease of installation.

Alright thank you this was kinda the answer I was looking for. There seems to be no sense in a Toyota engine if the LS has easier install and similar reliability and performance.