Preparing for a 4.0 swap

[Jtrux]

No techy or anything so just throwing this here to BS a little about my upcoming project.

 

Been getting things lined up to do a 4.0 swap on my 2.5 equipped MJ.

 

I bought the truck with 60k original miles but it had sat for 20 years untouched in a damn field next to a damn pole barn. Why in the Hell couldn't he have moved it over just 20 feet!!! Anyways, paint is rough and interior is scorched from years of sitting in direct sunlight but it's virtually rust free (drivers floor needs replacing but that's it).

 

I drove it for a year after getting it running (a battle in its own right) and was orignally okay with the 2.5 but I just couldn't get the mileage I wanted. I babied it and only managed 19mpg with stock sized tires and a light foot. My LJ in bone stock form was able to get 22mpg and had a helluva lot more oomph to it. I know I probably could have squeezed more mileage out of it had I taken the time to go through everything but I found myseld scouring CL ads and found a 1994 XJ with a 4.0 that ran for 500 bucks. He wanted a grand to start with but cash talks. Anyways, also picked up an AX15/NP231 from another 94 XJ on CL for 200 bucks out of a running XJ. So here I am now, sitting at work at 4am, thinking of the swap ahead and just how far I want to take it.

 

On one hand, I want to drive my damn truck again. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind having a sharp little MJ that woukd turn heads. Money and time are not really an issue, just trying to decide how far I want to dig into it.

 

I already have the interior pretty well dimantled and my plan was and always has been to get the floor fixed up and then fix up the interior a bit but the XJ has a very nice interior. So, the plan changed to swapping the interior of the XJ over, including the tach dash, tilt wheel, etc. Then I thought I'd pull the windshield and back glass and reseal them Since I know the front is leaking and figured I'd do the rear while I had it out. Then I got to thinking that would be a great time to paint it. So many decisions.

 

I think I will play it by ear and just see how I feel as I progress. One day I want to just swap it all over as quickly and cheaply as possible and the next day I'm ready to make a damn rotisserie and go nuts. The latter is the plan I keep going back to more and more.

 

I have decided that I will go with a factory tan color that has been offered by Jeep (Goby was one and there have been a few others). I love surf fishing and camping on the beach and I have dubbed the MJ "The Sand Crab" so a tan exterior would be fitting. Just typing this out makes me want to go crazy and just do it!

 

Alright, that's enough for now. lol

 

Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk

 

 

[87Warrior]

Figuring out where to 'stop' is always a challenge. Just as you said, it starts by stripping the interior to replace a floor pan and ends up with a full repaint, "just because you are in there". There is a fine line we all walk with these trucks, but most of us fall into the endless rabbit hole and don't recover...