Greetings TJ community!
First time posting here, but I've been using the forum as a reference for a while now. So here's the run down for me, I picked up a TJ back in early Sept with roughly 130k on the 2.5L with 5 speed manual. About 5 weeks after having it and starting to address the various little issues on it as I could my engine went out. Still not exactly sure what's wrong with it, but it knocked, bangs, didn't want to accelerate, but the engine also raced at idle (to the point I almost had the clutch all the way out while on the breaks to hold it in place at the stop light), top of the radiator is cracked/split, coolant was puking everywhere, but oil was still good (checked the top of the engine later and there's no oil to be found?). I barely got it back home then a few days later finally got it fired up and barely limped it to the garage I'll be working on it until I get it running again.
I'm planning to do either the V8 Magnum swap (probably the 5.9/360 over the 5.2/318) or the TDI swap. From what I can deduct the Magnum swap is slightly easier than the LS, and I can pick up a Magnum for roughly the same price (possibly slightly cheaper) than the LS around here. Plus it's "slightly" more plug and play with the wiring by keeping everything in the Mopar family. On the other hand, I am somewhat of a "diesel nut" (multiple diesel trucks and currently a diesel car too). I can pick up a TDI for about the same price as the V8 options. I have some funds set aside for the build, but somewhat limited (still waiting on my winning PowerBall ticket). Is there one swap that is significantly cheaper than the other option? One that takes less time (and won't cause me to go into fits of anger (as much))? I know with the V8 I'll have to grab either the AX15 or NV3550, where as the TDI I can keep my current AX5 (but still might swap it).
Hoping to finish pulling the engine and transmission this weekend. I'd really like to have everything up and running again by about the first of the year. I know a lot of guys devote months to these swaps, but I gotta get this thing up and running. I got the Jeep for winter driving because my daily driver is a rear wheel drive and MidWest winters don't make that easy to get around in sometimes. I want a Jeep that can be driven daily, I can haul cross-country on road trips, camping/backpacking trips, and some rock crawling/off-roading/overlanding.
Can I get any input from anyone willing to render about these swaps? Any previous threads or discussions on here?
Current setup:
1997 TJ
2.5L
5 speed AX5
33's
~4" lift
Thanks in advance for anyone that replies,
Trever
First time posting here, but I've been using the forum as a reference for a while now. So here's the run down for me, I picked up a TJ back in early Sept with roughly 130k on the 2.5L with 5 speed manual. About 5 weeks after having it and starting to address the various little issues on it as I could my engine went out. Still not exactly sure what's wrong with it, but it knocked, bangs, didn't want to accelerate, but the engine also raced at idle (to the point I almost had the clutch all the way out while on the breaks to hold it in place at the stop light), top of the radiator is cracked/split, coolant was puking everywhere, but oil was still good (checked the top of the engine later and there's no oil to be found?). I barely got it back home then a few days later finally got it fired up and barely limped it to the garage I'll be working on it until I get it running again.
I'm planning to do either the V8 Magnum swap (probably the 5.9/360 over the 5.2/318) or the TDI swap. From what I can deduct the Magnum swap is slightly easier than the LS, and I can pick up a Magnum for roughly the same price (possibly slightly cheaper) than the LS around here. Plus it's "slightly" more plug and play with the wiring by keeping everything in the Mopar family. On the other hand, I am somewhat of a "diesel nut" (multiple diesel trucks and currently a diesel car too). I can pick up a TDI for about the same price as the V8 options. I have some funds set aside for the build, but somewhat limited (still waiting on my winning PowerBall ticket). Is there one swap that is significantly cheaper than the other option? One that takes less time (and won't cause me to go into fits of anger (as much))? I know with the V8 I'll have to grab either the AX15 or NV3550, where as the TDI I can keep my current AX5 (but still might swap it).
Hoping to finish pulling the engine and transmission this weekend. I'd really like to have everything up and running again by about the first of the year. I know a lot of guys devote months to these swaps, but I gotta get this thing up and running. I got the Jeep for winter driving because my daily driver is a rear wheel drive and MidWest winters don't make that easy to get around in sometimes. I want a Jeep that can be driven daily, I can haul cross-country on road trips, camping/backpacking trips, and some rock crawling/off-roading/overlanding.
Can I get any input from anyone willing to render about these swaps? Any previous threads or discussions on here?
Current setup:
1997 TJ
2.5L
5 speed AX5
33's
~4" lift
Thanks in advance for anyone that replies,
Trever