XJ96Sport

Hey guys and girls, I have got my hands on a 96 xj country and it has a bad piston arm. Since I have to pull the motor anyways (4.0l 6cyl) just to fix that... I was thinking why not bore it out and build it up to a 4.7l. Then my buddy said why not build a 350 and drop it in instead. I'm really not sure what the better move is here… I've done quite a bit of research and skimmed through the forums and I feel like what was a simple choice is becoming an overwhelming number of options to now include the eaton m62 or 90 supercharger with no build up on the block or the 5.2l pulled from a ZJ (which I think is awful btw) and so on. My goal is bang for the buck on a budger ending with around 300hp that's not trash. So what do you all think? Once I've got a motor figured out I plan to document the build. Keep in mind that this is for the diy home garage type build. I don't have a lift or anything wild and the biggest cost would be parts and bore never labor.

dans98xj

Personally I would go with the Stroker. You all ready know the engine is going to fit in the engine bay, the electronics are there to get it up and running and you will be able to retain the trans with out a swap or special adapters. It would be almost drop in when done to put it simply.

Fred/N0AZZ

How many engines have you built so far by yourself? You do realize that some labor costs will be involved by the machine shop for the block and head work required.


A completer overhaul of an engine isn't a first time project, it takes skill and some special tools to do the job correctly and for it to run and last.


As for the type of swap you do it all depends on money a 350 swap needs other things with it to work. Like cooling, trans, transfer case so on and fabricating skills also.


A stroker will take parts and machine work and the skill to rebuild/assemble the engine. You need to ask yourself if you have these skills to spend all the money on parts and outside labor to end up with an engine that will not run or not assembled properly jn the end.

XJ96Sport

I've partly done two. I have not done lower block such as crank and pistons, I've not modded wiring harneses or changed ecm/ecu, and I've not done a transmission. But top end, cooling system, and heating and air I've got down along with generic maintenance like evil drum breaks and oil and lube n such. I'm going to school for welding and fab this fall so in the long run I can do some custom stuff. As far as machine shop goes I use slack and they give me a straight price they don't break it down like machine cost and labor time.

JeremyXJ

Stroker all the way. It takes some work to build properly, but it's plug and play.

XJ96Sport

Yeah from what I understand I have to get the block, the head, and the intake bored out. After that it's all about proper hardware installation. I know it's not as simple I'm just being generic. The only thing I think I would be stumped on is the upgrade on fuel injectors and if any changes need to occur with the ecu/ecm to get that happy fuel air mix. I have the official Chrysler dealership service manuals for the XJ series so that will be helpful but not 100% all the answers I don't think. I'm excited though because this is going to be my first build that I'm considering a big deal. I hope to have it done by summer next year. Take my time because I want it right and I want to do as much as I can myself and of course money is always an issue that slows down big build projects.

cleenrob

if its between the stroker and a 350, id go for the stroker

if you want a chevy v8 id go with an ls motor

MoparNJeep

Go stroker. Ford 24# injectors. 4.2 crank. 4.0 rods and stroker pistons. I added a comp cam 252h grind. I have lots of low end power. Can be done on a budget for about $800 if your bores are in good shape. I have about $1800 in mine. Including new head , waterpump, header, etc

Bustedback

Piston arm?

andrewmp6

If you have a budget go with a stroker,A v8 swap is not cheap at all,You gotta buy all the swap parts the engine a new trans and maybe t case while your at it things get pricey fast.If i had to go v8 it would be a ls family either the 5.3 or 6.0 from a truck a 4l60e and t case i would run a dana 30 or maybe a ford np205 but will take a adapter kit to use.If i had to use a 350 it would be stroked to a 383 bigger heads and aftermarket efi on it.Off road with a carb can be a pain unless its a mud only truck.

Fred/N0AZZ

Yeah that told me a lot also.

DELTA3

Maybe connecting rod he means?

TRCM

probably, but still...........indicates level of knowledge pretty well regarding engine internals

XJ96Sport

Yeah, like I stated before I have not done lower block work. I'm not lost I just have not had to touch that part so I have not learned all about it. The last two jeeps have been my first venture into auto mechanics and the Jeep bug bit me hard. Ok then I'm very excited to say 4.7 it is. Please feel free to keep dropping great knowledge on me though I truly appreciate it. Like I was going to just go online to find the specs for the 4.7 that summit sells and use that as my point of reference to rebuild mine.

DELTA3

I have built more LS engines than I care to count, so it's always a great option. But the ease and simplicity of sticking with the Jeep engine is a no brainer.