4.0, 5.2 Engine swap

[jimoshel]

Tried search to no avail. Has any one did a 4.0 swap to a 5.2? Preferably in a MJ but even a XJ will help. If so, is there a write up on it in the DIY?

[cruiser54]

Been done. Read about it on NAXJA or JeepForum. Not for the faint of heart.

[alleydog]

Check out Shelbyluvv"s Project Black Betty right here. He's taking a break right now but theres lots of good stuff done already. I'm planning to put a 5.2 and ax15 in my 89 comanche this winter, have most of the parts rounded up.

[shelbyluvv]

I have done it. Terrawombat has started his as well. I just got the transmission mount finalized yesterday. The motor mounts can be fun to figure out. I had to build my wiring harness from a few different rigs.

 

I decided to keep the old style dash while Terra went with a 97+. Depending on your choice for the dash will dictate the wiring mods. I think Terra's went easier with his 97+ (OBD-II) wiring than my 94 (OBD-I) setup. The CC bus talked directly to his dash. But he has the hassle of the 97+ conversion to deal with along with the fuel tank. All I had to do was track down a HO MJ pump assembly.

 

It can and has been done. Just pick a direction, either -96 or 97+ and run with it.

 

We got your back Jim!

[terrawombat]

Yep, started mine and got about 75% of the way done with the engine bay wiring, but then got a new job in a new state and left my shop and everything else back in NJ. When I finally get my own place, I'll bring everything down to MD and start back up on it.

 

Anyway - most of it has been said already by shelbyluv. The wiring can be a fun or it can be a real PITA, depending on if you enjoy doing that sort of thing. I found it very enjoyable mapping out the wiring details, splicing harnesses together and watching all of the gadgets come to life.

 

If you've got some time, give this thread a read: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1059679 Not too much in the way of how-to's, but that thread did teach me a few things - that the OBDII Chrysler CCD Bus is universal across all of their vehicles. Meaning that the PCM from an OBDII 5.2L Dodge Dakota or Ram will talk to the gauges in a OBDII Cherokee. That was my biggest concern with the swap - I didn't want to have to keep the original XJ PCM just to run the gauges while the other PCM (be it from a Dodge Dakota or Ram or Jeep Grand Cherokee) ran the engine.

 

Like shelby said, you need to pick what era you want to go with. I went with 97+ because I wanted to update my MJ with the newer style XJ interior AND I knew that Chryco's CCD Bus communication system was more standardized throughout their product line on the OBDII vehicles.

[jimoshel]

Thanks guys. I've been reading more in the last week on this than I ever did in school. There's lot's of info out there. Just gotta find it. Decided to go with the '98 ZJ but haven't decided on which MJ yet. Probably be the '87 cause the engine in it is bad. Wanted to go with a standard tranny but then figured why? Just use the complete 98 drive train,wiring and dash. Checked gas tanks and believe I'll modify the the MJ to accept the ZJ pump assembly. Already got the ZJ in the garage and started stripping it. Park the MJ beside it tomorrow and get this thing started. Glad I got my camera fixed 'cause I'm gonna be takin lots of pics.

:popcorn: :wrench:

 

 

 

 

 

I don't try to keep up with the Jones. I prefer to drag them down to my level

[terrawombat]

Sounds like a good plan.

 

I know that the ZJ dash is a bit wider than the MJ/XJ, but I'm not sure by how much. I have seen at least two ZJ dashboards swapped into XJs in the past, so I know that it can be done, I'm just not sure how clean it will look in the end.

 

If you're not doing any major wiring modifications, then I think you should be able to get the whole swap done in much less time than the idjits like myself who are still hacking up harnesses.