Input on 4cyl Mj

[Nthaworx]

Hey guys/gals. I'm new to the Mj world have owned plenty of 4.0 Xj's.

 

My question is how reliable or unreliable are the 4cyl motors?? I'm looking for an Mj locally and most I've came across are all 4cyl. Would it be worth buying? Or wait to find a 4.0

[87Warrior]

2.5 is just as reliable as the 4.0!

 

Do not turn down a nice MJ because it has the 2.5. If you don't happen to love the 2.5, a 4.0 swap isn't very difficult and is well documented.

 

My 86 2.5l truck is quite a trustworthy rig. It did just as well as my 4.0 TJ and and an XJ have powering over mountain passes in Colorado. The 2.5 obviously won't have the same grunt as a 4.0, but it still does great and is totally worth exploring as a power plant.

 

Here is my 185k mile 2.5 on Black Bear Pass.

[Nthaworx]

Awesome! I just wasn't sure! I appreciate the input. That makes me more willing to buy it!! 

[Minuit]

The 2.5 will do anything you need to do, it just won't be as much fun or get you there as quick as the 4.0. It was actually one of the more powerful 4 cylinder truck engines in its day, so it's better than most in that respect. Just imagine a 4.0 with 2 cylinders chopped off. That's exactly what it is.

[dasbulliwagen]

www.4bangerjp.com has lots of info specific to the 2.5. They deal mostly with the port injected models of 91 on up, but the base longblock is the same. I don't go off road, but mine does all I ask of it. Ive gutted and sleeved the cat, removed the engine driven fan and installed a controlled electric one, added a "cold " air intake. It has pepped up a little but you still have to remember you only have a 4 cyl. I have a stainless header and Mopar stage 3 cam to put into a 2.5 rebuild in the future as well. And like was said, its an (relatively) easy swap out for the 4.0 if you want that in the future.

[outlaw star]

Great little engine. Just rebuilt mine as well. I don't need speed anymore. Lol

[Darren]

Don't buy a 4-banger MJ. There isn't much (if any) difference in price between 4 and 6 cylinder trucks. The 4.0 makes more power yielding similar fuel economy, so why buy a four banger?

 

Never buy a 4 cylinder thinking you may swap in the 4.0 later. It's not worth the time or money when you could have bought one to begin with

[shelbyluvv]

Welcome back Darren.

[Darren]

Thanks Bo.

[mvusse]

Similar Mileage? I get 27 mpg highway, 21 mixed in my 4 cylinder. Best I ever got out of a 4.0 was 24 highway, 17 mixed.

 

21 mpg is a 24% improvement over 17.

[benjy_26]

I've put in a bit over 35,000 miles of city, highway, and off road driving in the almost 2 years since I got my MJ. I got mine with 190,000 miles on the clock, and aside from maintenance and Cruiser's Renix tips (and a new exhaust system) I haven't had to do anything to the engine. It's dead-nuts reliable and gets me over Southern NM and West Texas mountain passes pretty well, even when pushing around 31's with a 3.55 geared rear end and an AX4. It's not the fastest truck, but it's gotten me everywhere I needed to be and has done it getting at least 25mpg on the highway.

[outlaw star]

Remember, you bought a Jeep, not a Ferrari. Its meant to drive and enjoy the cruise, not win any races.

[64 Cheyenne]

If I had to make a choice between a nice MJ with a 4cyl and a rusted pos hulk with 4.0, well let me just say there wouldn't even be an issue, 4cyl and nice beats rusty pos 4.0 any day....