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Motor Swapp


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No, you don't.

 

New trans will be necessary, so a chevy trans would be best.

 

If your 2.5 is an 86, you would need to do a lot of custom work to the radiator support and convert it to 87+ 4.0 header support so you can use a 4.0 radiator.  87+ 4 cylinder already have the 4.0 core support with adapters to mount the 2.5 radiator.

 

then either custom or expensive ready made motor mounts, exhaust manifolds, and painless wiring harness.

 

And in the end, you end up with ZERO benefit over the 4.0.

 

 

The 4.3 is literally a chevy 350 with two less cylinders.   it costs the same to convert to a 350 as it does to a 4.3, which is about $1500 in parts before motor and trans.

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Sell the motor, and go buy a parts Cherokee.  Then bolt it all in.   a 4.0 is LITERALLY bolt in to any 87+ xj or MJ.

 

 

I'm sorry, but using what you have because you have it in no way, shape, or form, is the smartest choice.   If you look at hp and torque, for the money you will spend, you get no benefit of going with something that doesn't belong in it.

 

 

above and beyond that, EVERYONE does a chevy swap.   and a common one at that.   the 4.3 is dirt.   put a 350 in it or pick something that's actually a decent motor.    350, mustang 5.0, etc. are the only worthy swaps for these trucks if you want to go beyond factory available parts.

 

 

I'm not kidding when I say that there is at least $1500 in swap parts in this.   There's a member who did this swap, regrets it, could never get it to run right with all bolt-on kit parts made by the pro's, and wishes he could afford to go back.

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I was gonna do it on my 89, I bought a GMC Jimmy that I gutted for all the parts.

In the end I decided to hop up my 2.5l some more, I figure if the 2.5l comes out I will put in a V8. I'm putting the 4.3l,700r4,231c combo in my buddies Wrangler.

 

The swap doesnt look too bad but unless you have deep pockets you will have to do alot of fabrication.

 

If you do some searching on the web there are a few writeups on putting the 4.3l in an XJ, this will give you a pretty good idea what you would be getting into.

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If my squirrel ever goes out, I will either put in a blown 2.4L out of a GT Cruiser, or just go whole hog and slam a V8 into it. No point in getting a "normal" 6 banger then wishing for more further down the road. BTW, JeepCoMJ, a SC 3800 HAS definately crossed my mind.

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No, they are the best v6 ever. I'm just not willing to do the work, because I won't ever buy an 86 for that purpose, and there is absolutely zero reason to do anything but a 4.0 swap.

 

 

For the cost of a 4.3 bolt in, you can stroke and maybe even supercharge a 4.0

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