4.0 Rebuild or Scrapyard?

[BathiasRei]

Hey Jeepers

Recently I got a 1997 TJ 4.0L 5 spd off my girlfriends uncle (PO) completely free with 270k on the dash and have been driving it around for the last month or so. Despite the high mileage the PO told me he put a new engine in the car with ~70k miles on it, but retained the old ax-15 with a broken first gear, so I thought I was graced with a new TJ but as a 4 speed lol. Giving the car general inspection and going through maintenance, all bases seemed to be covered and nothing seemed to be wrong with the car despite the high mileage and some fluid changes needed.

All this said and my hopes raised, yesterday afternoon, the car developed a ticking noise... Originally I just assumed it was lifter tick and not an immediate issue after consulting previous threads, as the noise started very faintly and could only be heard while driving at higher rpms, but after driving for about a mile or 2 the noise would become substantially louder (especially when accelerating or downshifting) and start to sound like it was coming from the bell housing or near the firewall.

With me being dumb as bricks, I thought that I could manage to baby the car 10-15 miles back to my apartment and take it to a local shop later but this would ultimately lead to me completely losing the engine on the highway and having to tow the car back to my girlfriends place...

My main question, as a full time college student living on campus without a garage to work out of, is whether or not it is worth even towing the car to the mechanic closer to me and trying to get the 4.0L rebuilt/replaced or if I should just send the TJ to the scrap yard for a quoted 1.5k. The car is currently sitting in front of my girlfriends place ~30 mins away and now that I'm without a car I am unsure of what my best option would be...

Thanks and Cheers

 

[Pascal25]

How's the frame and body? Any mods or upgrades to it, or is everything stock?

 

[BathiasRei]

How's the frame and body? Any mods or upgrades to it, or is everything stock?

Car was completely stock and rust free being a california only car, only issues were a few scratches, faded plastic and old joints

 

[Pascal25]

Car was completely stock and rust free being a california only car, only issues were a few scratches, faded plastic and old joints

Don't send it for scrap. Even if you aren't in a place to handle the engine repair/replacement, someone else will want it. Engines can be found for relatively cheap; I got one with PCM included for 500$ last year.

 

[BathiasRei]

Don't send it for scrap. Even if you aren't in a place to handle the engine repair/replacement, someone else will want it. Engines can be found for relatively cheap; I got one with PCM included for 500$ last year.

Where do you reckon I should be looking for an engine, ebay and junkyards? I think I'm also concerned about investing money in replacing the engine just for the original tranny to give out as well, leading me into a money-pit and no form of transportation.

 

[Ctdriver86]

Pics of Jeep, body, frame in good shape? Need to know what I may be flying out to CA, to buy.

Seriously though, look into the damage, you caused and get quotes to repair. I wouldn’t even look into scrapping.

edit.. or like Pascal said, find a used one and pay shop to swap. Check FB marketplace. You may come across a 4.0/ax15 combo. Or find both separately and have a shop swap both at the same time.

 

[Pascal25]

Where do you reckon I should be looking for an engine, ebay and junkyards? I think I'm also concerned about investing money in replacing the engine just for the original tranny to give out as well, leading me into a money-pit and no form of transportation.

I don't see many TJs available in scrapyards around here, but I think some XJ engines are compatible for' 97. Others will be able to chime in on that.
I do see lots of engines, sometimes still paired with transmission, for sale on FB Marketplace.

 

[BathiasRei]

Pics of Jeep, body, frame in good shape? Need to know what I may be flying out to CA, to buy.

Seriously though, look into the damage, you caused and get quotes to repair. I wouldn’t even look into scrapping.

edit.. or like Pascal said, find a used one and pay shop to swap. Check FB marketplace. You may come across a 4.0/ax15 combo. Or find both separately and have a shop swap both at the same time.

I'm thinking I'll upload some detailed pictures tomorrow when I go visit my girlfriend lol.

I suppose this is all true and engine/trans shouldn't be too hard to come by, I think I'm largely just worried about getting the cash for a new daily in the mean time as well as not leaving a roller outside of my gfs place... I was calling around for a quote on engine inspection/rebuild and local shops were quoting me between 6k-8k as a ballpark and a few hundred dollars for general inspection on an engine I know is toast...

edit: If I'm looking on FB marketplace, specifically for transmissions, I'm not too familiar with what to look for and what deems something as a lemon vs value if others has .02 on it.

 

[JMT]

Hey Jeepers

Recently I got a 1997 TJ 4.0L 5 spd off my girlfriends uncle (PO) completely free with 270k on the dash and have been driving it around for the last month or so. Despite the high mileage the PO told me he put a new engine in the car with ~70k miles on it, but retained the old ax-15 with a broken first gear, so I thought I was graced with a new TJ but as a 4 speed lol. Giving the car general inspection and going through maintenance, all bases seemed to be covered and nothing seemed to be wrong with the car despite the high mileage and some fluid changes needed.

All this said and my hopes raised, yesterday afternoon, the car developed a ticking noise... Originally I just assumed it was lifter tick and not an immediate issue after consulting previous threads, as the noise started very faintly and could only be heard while driving at higher rpms, but after driving for about a mile or 2 the noise would become substantially louder (especially when accelerating or downshifting) and start to sound like it was coming from the bell housing or near the firewall.

With me being dumb as bricks, I thought that I could manage to baby the car 10-15 miles back to my apartment and take it to a local shop later but this would ultimately lead to me completely losing the engine on the highway and having to tow the car back to my girlfriends place...

My main question, as a full time college student living on campus without a garage to work out of, is whether or not it is worth even towing the car to the mechanic closer to me and trying to get the 4.0L rebuilt/replaced or if I should just send the TJ to the scrap yard for a quoted 1.5k. The car is currently sitting in front of my girlfriends place ~30 mins away and now that I'm without a car I am unsure of what my best option would be...

Thanks and Cheers

In your situation I think I’d tell your story and put it up for sale for $3500

 

[Superjay5]

What does losing the engine mean? I guess what makes you think it’s even bad? I get the noise, but that could be all sorts of things,…

 

[macleanflood]

Take a look at the at the DeXJ channel on YouTube. Great videos on quick refreshes of 4.0s.

AX-15 is easy to take apart and rebuild. Novak and Advanced Adapters sell new ones for $2k.

-Mac

 

[Duck Doctor]

Consider selling the rig as a roller versus to a junk yard. Replacement engine and transmission are going to be cost prohibitive if you are paying labor.

 

[BathiasRei]

What does losing the engine mean? I guess what makes you think it’s even bad? I get the noise, but that could be all sorts of things,…

Engine doesn’t turn over anymore after it gave out on the highway, it just makes a crunchy noise when it tries to start then nothing but the starter. Suspecting one the piston skirts broke off and caused havoc?

edit: I'll record a video of the sound it makes when I try to crank it and post it soon

 

[BathiasRei]

Consider selling the rig as a roller versus to a junk yard. Replacement engine and transmission are going to be cost prohibitive if you are paying labor.

Yeah, this does seem like a better move alongside what JMT was saying, I'm wondering if my car will fetch a price around 2-3.5k with such high mileage on the odo

 

[macleanflood]

edit: I'll record a video of the sound it makes when I try to crank it and post it soon

Don't do more damage.

It's easy to bore scope a piston through the spark plug holes and it's also fairly simple to pull a head and get a good look.

-Mac

 

[Rickyd]

If you can't do the work yourself it is a tough situation. I would part it out or ship it east before giving some thieves at a wrecking yard 1500$

 

[Rickyd]

Duplicate

 

[bucky]

You’re a Poor college student with no money or time. Sell it and use the money to buy a dependable used car. I agree with JMT ask $3500 “as is” on FBM or CL. What you will get for it plus what you’d spend fixing it will buy a decent used car.
Life lesson learned - There’s nothing free in life but the air you breathe.

 

[FarFire70]

In your situation I think I’d tell your story and put it up for sale for $3500

This is the best advice for you. You're not at the point in your life that others on this forum are where you can take on this project.

Do not scrap!

Many would buy the shell of a decent Jeep. (Pics would help confirm this advice).

 

[BathiasRei]

This is the best advice for you. You're not at the point in your life that others on this forum are where you can take on this project.

Do not scrap!

Many would buy the shell of a decent Jeep. (Pics would help confirm this advice).

Sorry for taking pictures at night, this is the last time I’ll be seeing her for a bit as I have to go back to campus! Only noticeable issue to my noobie eyes are a slight power steering leak onto the pitman arm and old bushings.