Engine replacement options

[Iron Sky]

Jeep has been running rough for the last month or so - gets very little pavement driving as is and we haven’t been up to the trails in awhile. Thought it might just be from sitting etc. but was checking the fluids today out of boredom and found the forbidden milkshake…

My engine oil looks like a melted frosty. I know that can basically only mean one thing - that coolant is in my oil. I don’t have an oil cooler running in my radiator, so the only point of ingress would be the head gasket, head or block itself. So what are my options at this point?

Maybe I should mention that it’s a 4cyl with about 230k miles on what appears to be the original engine. I’ve rebuilt the cooling system once due to overheating about 5 years ago but since then it has been ok. Always lost coolant somewhere but never found it in the oil (however last oil change it smelled like straight up gasoline, telling me I probably had a horrible blow by issue already).

Should I bother trying to repair/rebuild? And if so what should I look for as the cause of the failure? Or should I just save up and swap to a 5.3 or the like? I may have access to a complete, “running” vehicle with all drivetrain and wiring intact - but that’s a long story.

 

[RINC]

Jeep has been running rough for the last month or so - gets very little pavement driving as is and we haven’t been up to the trails in awhile. Thought it might just be from sitting etc. but was checking the fluids today out of boredom and found the forbidden milkshake…

My engine oil looks like a melted frosty. I know that can basically only mean one thing - that coolant is in my oil. I don’t have an oil cooler running in my radiator, so the only point of ingress would be the head gasket, head or block itself. So what are my options at this point?

Maybe I should mention that it’s a 4cyl with about 230k miles on what appears to be the original engine. I’ve rebuilt the cooling system once due to overheating about 5 years ago but since then it has been ok. Always lost coolant somewhere but never found it in the oil (however last oil change it smelled like straight up gasoline, telling me I probably had a horrible blow by issue already).

Should I bother trying to repair/rebuild? And if so what should I look for as the cause of the failure? Or should I just save up and swap to a 5.3 or the like? I may have access to a complete, “running” vehicle with all drivetrain and wiring intact - but that’s a long story.

Detroit 16v92?!!

 

[SkylinesSuck]

How much $ would you have in theory for a swap?

 

[Link]

Cummins 4BT.

 

[Wildman]

Since you have a 97 TJ the cheapest and easiest V-8 swap would be a Dodge magnum either 5.2 or 5.9. If you can find a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a magnum V-8 they are also good candidates.
The nice thing about the magnum swap is that it's only about 14 wires that have to be blended in the Jeep harness. And the PCM for the V-8 talks to your dash without any other items needed.

 

[GPK03X]

Detroit 16v92?!!
View attachment 421039

HELL YEAH BROTHER!

 

[Iron Sky]

Since you have a 97 TJ the cheapest and easiest V-8 swap would be a Dodge magnum either 5.2 or 5.9. If you can find a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a magnum V-8 they are also good candidates.
The nice thing about the magnum swap is that it's only about 14 wires that have to be blended in the Jeep harness. And the PCM for the V-8 talks to your dash without any other items needed.

Luckily (at least in this case) the wiring and pcm are not much of a concern to me. I’ve already torn out all ancillary wiring for everything but lights and gauges, so if I was going with GM power, I’d almost certainly just swap everything over including the computer and such.

 

[Iron Sky]

Cummins 4BT.

I also thought about this at one point previously because I never really intended on keeping the 4cyl long term - but it is insanely cost prohibitive. Last time I checked a Cummins swap would cost me almost 2-3 times what a GM would.

 

[Iron Sky]

How much $ would you have in theory for a swap?

I’m planning on probably a cost around $1,500 to $2,000, provided I am able to get the donor vehicle I have planned on. I had a quote several years ago for a reman 4cyl and it was about the same cost but things have gone up significantly from there.

I just don’t even know if it’s worth trying to see if the engine could be rebuilt (and put the money into it) or just let it sit for awhile until I get the funds and space to do a full swap.

 

[Wildman]

I’m planning on probably a cost around $1,500 to $2,000, provided I am able to get the donor vehicle I have planned on. I had a quote several years ago for a reman 4cyl and it was about the same cost but things have gone up significantly from there.

I just don’t even know if it’s worth trying to see if the engine could be rebuilt (and put the money into it) or just let it sit for awhile until I get the funds and space to do a full swap.

If you can do a LS swap for under $2K I'll be amazed. One of the cheapest I've heard so far was $5-6K and he did a lot of his own work plus didn't have some gauges working due to the GM PCM won't talk to the stock dash.

Best of luck. There is a thread where a member just did a 4 cyl replacement and it was more than $2K for the rebuilt engine.

Here it is: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/finally-found-a-remanufactured-engine.61758/

 

[4s50]

I did an LS swap in my CJ7 about 7 years ago. I spent about $7K engine, harness, 4L60E and Ron Davis Radiator and another 2500 for incidental stuff.

 

[4s50]

And there is always this option-https://www.novak-adapt.com/complete-turnkey-powertrains-and-kits/novak-tj-v8-swap-kit/

 

[Link]

I also thought about this at one point previously because I never really intended on keeping the 4cyl long term - but it is insanely cost prohibitive. Last time I checked a Cummins swap would cost me almost 2-3 times what a GM would.

But it would be so cool!!

I saw a 4BT conversion a few years ago. It came driving up to where I was and I immediately recognized that sound. It had the Cummins emblem on the side. If I had time I would have picked the owners brain but I had other things to do at that moment. I’d love to do it one day but realistically, I’ll probably never get around to it.

 

[PNW_LJ]

Just hellcat swap it and be done with it lol.


But seriously, if you don't have a huge emotional attachment to your current rig, it could be better to cut your losses and get a 4.0 TJ.

 

[NskLJ]

And there is always this option-https://www.novak-adapt.com/complete-turnkey-powertrains-and-kits/novak-tj-v8-swap-kit/

That doesn’t seem like a bad price at all.

 

[1997BLKTJ]

I just pulled a 4 cyl out of a 97 TJ for a 360 Magnum swap this past weekend. Engine has 130K on it and still runs well and is is sitting in my driveway. Shipping from Pittsburgh to Dallas may be cost prohibitive however.

Just letting you know it is available - PM me if you are interested in keeping 4 angry squirrels under the hood.

 

[SkylinesSuck]

I just pulled a 4 cyl out of a 97 TJ for a 360 Magnum swap this past weekend. Engine has 130K on it and still runs well and is is sitting in my driveway. Shipping from Pittsburgh to Dallas may be cost prohibitive however.

Just letting you know it is available - PM me if you are interested in keeping 4 angry squirrels under the hood.

(Road Trip movie reference for the too young or too old)

 

[Iron Sky]

Hah yeah, the shipping would get me! But I appreciate the thought. The reason behind my cost around $2k is because I may have access to a complete running 2500 to work with. If I go that route, the biggest cost factors are going to be cooling and driveshafts (ok maybe $2500-3000 with driveshafts. There’s going to be a lot of small parts and such I’m sure that come along but I’m saving a ton on labor lol.

If I end up draining the engine and pulling the head, how can I tell if it’s just a head gasket I can replace and get back on the road for a few hundred?

 

[RicanCrazy]

Best case scenario is the gasket failed and everything else is still worth keeping intact. Worse case is there are cracks and maybe the head is warped. Don't know where its at unless you start taking it apart.

 

[L J]

Or should I just save up and swap to a 5.3 or the like?

Yes.