kc91987 Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 I have a 1988 jeep comanche that had a 4wd and ax15 swap i am now trying to swap in a 96 ho that had an automatic. I am trying to gather info for my mechanic on what issue problems he will encounter and info will help thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 This swap is easier than some will lead you to believe. And generally Pooh-poohed by those who have never done it. Those of us who have done it, like myself, will share with you the things that need to be done for a successful swap. Just think of it as swapping in a long block. XJ Cherokee and ZJ Grand Cherokee 4.0L engine blocks interchange. 2000+ TJ Wrangler and WJ Grand Cherokee 4.0L engine blocks interchange. YJ and 1997-1999 4.0L TJ blocks will interchange in XJ/ZJ XJ/ZJ blocks, and the 2000+ TJ/WJ blocks do not interchange without significant modifications. TJ/WJ 4.0L Engine blocks underwent clean sheet design changes effective in the 1999 WJ Grand and 2000 TJ Wrangler. These blocks are not interchangeable with XJ/ZJ engine blocks. The reason is motor mount bolt holes and belt driven accessory mounting bolt holes are in different locations, or not present at all, TJ/WJ vs. XJ/ZJ. Now that we know which engines we can use, let’s get down to business. The HO and Renix have some differences but none that can’t be overcome very easily. One running change was that the rear of the head was no longer drilled and tapped for the temperature gauge sender beginning in the 96 model year. The sender can be relocated to the threaded hole in the thermostat housing taken from an HO engine. You’ll have to extend the wire to that location. Some brave souls even drill and tap the HO head at the rear for the sender. You will be using the intake and exhaust manifolds from your Renix, along with all your sensors and wiring. Since the intake ports of the HO are slightly different, you use the Renix gasket. Exhaust ports are identical. You will need to use your Renix distributor as it is different than the HO design. See Tips #12 – Setting Your 4.0 to #1 TDC and #13 – Distributor Indexing to be sure you get the distributor installed correctly. The flywheel or flexplate from the Renix must be used so your CPS gets the correct signals. The valve cover from the Renix allows you to keep your CCV system intact and requires no modifications. The HO block will have a plug in the coolant galley on the driver’s side of the block, closest to the front, which needs to be removed so your Coolant Temp Sensor can be installed in it’s place just as it is on the Renix. It requires a 5/16” square drive or a modified 3/8” drive that has been ground down to fit. Do this before installing the engine. As for the knock sensor, which is located just above the oil pan on the driver’s side of the engine about mid way, all the blocks I’ve seen are threaded for it. If not, I’ve heard they may be drilled but not tapped. Tap the hole if that’s the case. XJ: “Regular” (not Grand) Cherokees ’84-’01ZJ: Grand Cherokee ’93-’98 (Gen1)WJ: Grand Cherokee ’99-’04 (Gen2)YJ: Wrangler ’87-’95 (Gen1)TJ: Wrangler ’97-’06 (Gen2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc91987 Posted September 10, 2016 Author Share Posted September 10, 2016 Is it possible to use the harness and computer from the 1996 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 Is it possible to use the harness and computer from the 1996 ? Sure. Are you an electrical geek? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc91987 Posted September 10, 2016 Author Share Posted September 10, 2016 Me not in the slightest but my mechanic is pretty good just trying to gather information for him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjrev10 Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 Got to swap both the engine harness and the dash harness. Need complete donor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 Got to swap both the engine harness and the dash harness. Need complete donor. Yup. And for what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67rway Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 There are reasons for this swap, but I can tell you first hand (and very fresh) that you'll need to answer Cruiser's question above before it can be justified. Popular wisdom here is generally opposed, but here's a short list of why I did it: - had a cheap complete good running 96 with a wrecked body - my 88 had the BA10, and I wanted the AW4 - swapped the front axle (disconnect) - swapped to 4X4 - swapped the A/C from the XJ, so the dash was coming out anyway - prefer the open cooling system - was taking the brake/booster assembly - yep, the complete HO powerplant is more than a few hp stronger than than Renix combo above, and they run better (donning flak jacket) - I prefer the OBD2 diagnostics, and I have a DRB3 Your mechanic better be really cheap, because the complete swap takes time. LOTS of time. I completely stripped all the mechanical, electrical, and dash from the donor XJ, did the same to the MJ, than built the MJ with the XJ parts. Ultimately, I'd be hard pressed to say I'd do it again despite the fact that I enjoy doing such swaps. Let me know if you (or your mechanic) have specific questions I can help answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 There are reasons for this swap, but I can tell you first hand (and very fresh) that you'll need to answer Cruiser's question above before it can be justified. Popular wisdom here is generally opposed, but here's a short list of why I did it: - had a cheap complete good running 96 with a wrecked body - my 88 had the BA10, and I wanted the AW4 - swapped the front axle (disconnect) - swapped to 4X4 - swapped the A/C from the XJ, so the dash was coming out anyway - prefer the open cooling system - was taking the brake/booster assembly - yep, the complete HO powerplant is more than a few hp stronger than than Renix combo above, and they run better (donning flak jacket) - I prefer the OBD2 diagnostics, and I have a DRB3 Your mechanic better be really cheap, because the complete swap takes time. LOTS of time. I completely stripped all the mechanical, electrical, and dash from the donor XJ, did the same to the MJ, than built the MJ with the XJ parts. Ultimately, I'd be hard pressed to say I'd do it again despite the fact that I enjoy doing such swaps. Let me know if you (or your mechanic) have specific questions I can help answer. LOL. You'll need body armor. JK. Excellent info!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc91987 Posted November 28, 2016 Author Share Posted November 28, 2016 Everything you guys have told me was true. It seems i definetly should have done the hybrid swap to begin with but he got rid of the donor jeep and my old engine. Before i knew it it was too late. So at this point from what hes told me he has the engine in and mated to the transmission ive sourced a dash harness and he still can't get it going. From some of my other research it seems I may also need the fuel pump/sender unit from the 1996.Are there any other important tips or information I can give him to help him at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc91987 Posted November 28, 2016 Author Share Posted November 28, 2016 So i just talked to my mechanic and he said the dash harness was cut where it goes back to fuel pump taillights dome light and I'm assuming the rear doors. He said there are 13 wires going to a black plug and 10 wires to a gray plug can you point me in the direction to find out what wire colors are what and go where. Any help would be very helpful and I would be graateful. I am no mechanic by any means and he talked me into buying a junk 96 from him acting like he would have no problem putting it in and he has clearly bitten off more than he could chew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbyluvv Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Time to buy and FSM for a 96 XJ and chase the wiring diagrams. If your "mechanic" was a good mechanic he will already have an All Data account... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Time to buy and FSM for a 96 XJ and chase the wiring diagrams. If your "mechanic" was a good mechanic he will already have an All Data account... Yeah man. This isn't gonna get done from a forum...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc91987 Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Trust me I'm realizing that now........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Here: http://cruiser54.com/?page_id=365 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc91987 Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 I appreciate it i do have a haynes but this should be more in depth. thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87MJTIM Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 A source for a selection of FSMs is Jeep4x4center.com. Scroll to the bottom of the left-hand column. Select: Jeep Community - Jeep Knowledge Base. In the "Online Repair Manual" section, select your vehicle (Jeep Cherokee) and the year (1996-2001). You can then download different sections as it relates to your specific needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjrev10 Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Got to swap both the engine harness and the dash harness. Need complete donor. Yup. And for what? You said it yourself, "Are you an electrical geek?" Easiest way is to swap the complete harnesses but everybody knows that. If he just has the engine and trans, I still find a donor and swap the wiring instead of trying to figure out what goes where.... the little time I have is valuable. If he's paying somebody to do the work, the time is valuable to the OP too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67rway Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 For what it's worth, I have the original 1996 FSM and all the detailed wiring diagrams are for a RHD vehicle. Not much help. I did my 88 to 96 conversion by replacing everything electrical on the 88 with that from the 96. That did mean identifying the source wiring from the 96 to the interior lights (which remained), and adjusting the wiring length to the tail lights (where it involved adding additional bulbs to the housings). The alternative is to pinout each wire in the harness to it's source, tag it, and use the 88 diagram to match it up. I began this way, and bailed on it for the above plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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