JeepKitty

Ok...

So the head gasket blew in my '88 and came to find out at the machine shop that the head is cracked--also found out why it wasn't overheating with a blown head, the genius who owned it before me was running it without a thermostat...

Anyway, found a few threads on people doing the HO head on a Renix, learned the basics--Renix intake and exhaust manifold ports don't line up on HO, tps is all weird etc etc.

I just can't seem to find any hard, clear, instructions on how to mate the Renix wiring and/or sensors to the HO intake manifold.

The donor head/intake/exhaust is from a 1993, so fairly early HO head.

I am just trying to learn exact procedures (and least expensive, as I was not planning on doing this right now, but I have to...ugh)

-What wiring/sensor mods must be done to match Renix harness to HO intake?

-Is the EGR and EGR pipe on the 93 manifold going to hook up the same?
-I live in Southern California, smog is a beeotch here...

-Am I going to be able to hook up all the vacuum line spaghetti so that everything works the way it should?

-Is there going to be major differences in the head gasket parts that I will need? ie...should I use a Renix head gasket or HO or are they the same?

-Are the Renix pushrods going to work with the HO head?

And anything else I may be forgetting...

I really appreciate the help, guys. I am just trying to figure this out ASAP.

Alice (that's her name, haha) is my only and my daily. Thanks.

Gee oh Dee

Havent read it in awhile, but this write up may help...

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/re...ts-easy-47578/

RenegadeT

how timely, I am dropping an HO motor in my Renix XJ right now.

The link above is to huntingman's thread is interesting, but he had a manula tranny (Renix TPS only has one pigtail with 3 wires...my automatic has 2 pigtails with 3 wires each.)
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/re...o-swap-133908/

I think we will end up adapting the Renix PS to the HO throttle body
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1003642
there is an adapter availble from HESCO, but its $145 now

Fuel lines are different, both HO supply and return are at teh front of the engine, the Renix has one on the rearward. I have a complete 95 XJ to pull fuel lines from and can cut/splice to the Renix XJ somewhere along the framerail.

You'll probably have to get a new CPS with the correct connector on it.

The exhaust is different, you should try and get teh HO downpipe...the Renix exhaust manifold is shorter and also has the O2 sensor in it. The HO downpipe has the O2 bung in it, I think the Renix O2 pigtial will have to be lengthened to reach, but that should be OK.

Vaccum lines and EGR....uh, dunno...sucks to be you in California

You might be better off running the Renix manifold on the HO head. The ports don't line up right, but heard many pepole say it will work.

BTW, your engine didnt overheat because of no tstat, i bet the PO was having overheating issues (head gasket already blown?) and removing it was just an attempt to "fix" the overheating

JeepKitty

Mine is a manual, so only the one connector... Jusy seems to be no definitive how-to list on the wiring stuff and while huntingmans thread is very informative, it's a little hard to understand and he just junked a lot of vacuum lines and the egr as well.

JeepKitty

Wah.

cruiser54

Put the HO head on the 88. Use the 88 intake and exhaust manifolds with the 88 manifold gasket. Use 88 valve cover.

JeepKitty

Sweet, thanks, Cruiser

Not that big of a deal on the intake and exhaust ports, then?

cruiser54

Wouldn't be acceptable for an Indy car, dragster, or NASCAR. People like us will be fine with it. FWIW, the exhaust ports are identical and the I've seen intake ports on factory engines that were mismatched more than an HO versus Renix intake port is.

JeepKitty

*squee*

I'll let y'all know how it turns out, should be done Monday or Tuesday, then.

Thanks a bunches everyone, meow

huntingman2706217

If I was in your position...

I bought my old xj with that engine in it already... Didnt know the difference tillvbi went fo install a 99+ intake... Ran fine with the renix intake on it for the year I had it that way...

That being said run the renix intake... Take a ho intake gasket and port the intake to match as close as possible...

Take a renix intake gasket and port the head as close as possible... It will be fine... This will save you from changing all this BS... And its probly what I should have just done... But i was stupid and just tried everything to make the 99+ intake work since i spent the money on it and didnt want to waste it... Turned out I used just as much money on other crap...

That writeup primarily is only good if someone found themselves in the same spot as me...

cruiser54

I've done something similar on two of these. Wasn't necessary but I can't leave stuff alone. Use the Renix gasket to match-port both the head and manifolds. Use the Renix gasket upon assembly because the HO gasket is more likely to leak.

But, to the OP, this is not a necessity by any means.

JeepKitty

Hey all,

Head swap success, all factory renix, except for 93 head. Runs great, actually better, especially after cleaning up 250K miles of carbon build up out of the intake and TB. Thanks for the help!

No porting, or fabricating needed, just had to BARELY bend the egr tube to get it to line up perfectly.

Now, we'll see how smog goes... Lol

cruiser54

And they said it couldn't be done....

Thanks for the update.

Gee oh Dee

X2

More often than not threads go unfinished.

I've been guilty myself.

Wes Hawkins

Thank goodness for these forums. I have been looking at this very same issue on the stroker I am building for my 88 cherokee. I got it all together and started to put the intake on and saw the different mating surfaces on the head and manifold. I've been a auto tech for over 30 years and did I feel stupid for not seeing this sooner. I was thinking about just porting the head to the renix gasket and the manifold to the HO gasket but wasn't sure if there would be enough material on the cylinder head to drop the floor of the runner that much. After finding this forum post it sounds like there will be so I will be doing that today.
Thanks, Wes.