I think I hate my engine—what would you do?

LATJ

LATJ

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Location
Mandeville, LA
I have a 2004, 2.4, 5-speed with 4.10s on 31's. It will barely do highway speeds in Louisiana, can't imagine hilly states...

What would you do?
  1. Regearing is $1,200-2000 depending on the shop and the gear vendor.
  2. Engine swapping is more. Figure $3000-5000, DIY with parts.
While I'm not terribly concerned about the money, both of those projects are "big". They will be noticed and felt...

My dilemma:
  1. If I regear to 4.88s, then it goes better, but I still have a 4 cylinder jeep.
  2. If I swap in an LS or a HEMI,
    1. The 4.10s gears should work pretty well.
    2. I prefer manual, but V8s seem to go automatic
    3. The NV1550 won't survive behind any V8
    4. I think the 4 cyl 231 has a different transfer case input spline count, 21 vs 23?
    5. Seems like both trans and transfer case would have to be replaced
I can do the engine swap myself. I can't do the re-gear.

Maybe I should just buy a 4.0 Jeep and sell the 2.4 Jeep as-is? It definitely looks the part, the 2.4 just can't back it up...

Most of my JEEP time is on the road in S. Louisiana. I don't like MUD. Rock and trails are good, of which, we have none...
 
For now...do gears.

An engine swap will make you upgrade your tranny too. An engine swap should be a thought out plan because the tranny really is a huge cog in the daisy chain and needs addressed. Stick with a manual, which one....granny low first four speed (the strongest you could ever stuff into a Jeep) or a 5 spd stronger than your 1500.

Or do you go automatic. (I hope not)

Gears are a beautiful thing because if you ever decide to go bigger tire you've got the gearing to still turn a bigger (within reason) tire. Add a v8 to those gears down the road and the right tranny and now you've got a badass machine.

Go gears and please consider 5.13's too.
 
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Have you considered a power adder for your 2.4 like a small turbo?
Your $3 - $5k engine swap budget numbers are based on what? You mentioned LS or HEMI so I'm confused...
Do you plan to stay on 31" tires or are bigger shoes in your future as well?
 
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from what I've read your budget estimate might be low for the swap. Maybe if you get a Mopar donor vehicle for a 5.2 or 5.9 you might be able to come in under $5k.

I agree with those that say sell and get a 6 cylinder. Even if you still end up doing the swap, you'll at least have a transmission, transfer case and maybe rear axle that will be reusable.
 
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It would be unlikely that you'd have to spend more than 3000-5000 dollars extra on a Jeep of your same year and rough mileage that has a 4.0 engine. So why not sell your four cylinder and put all that money plus a few grand toward a six cylinder? That way you've solved both issues.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
from what I've read your budget estimate might be low for the swap. Maybe if you get a Mopar donor vehicle for a 5.2 or 5.9 you might be able to come in under $5k.

I agree with those that say sell and get a 6 cylinder. Even if you still end up doing the swap, you'll at least have a transmission, transfer case and maybe rear axle that will be reusable.
Click to expand...

Because of the year of his TJ he'd be better off doing a Hemi or LS swap. Plus he couldn't legally do a 5.2/5.9 swap as Dodge stopped using the Magnum V-8's in 2002 with a VERY few being used in 2003. And I realize for many the legality of swapping in a older engine isn't a issue but it's a federal law.


You can stay with a manual transmission if you want but as you said you'll have to swap out your stock transmission as the stock one won't work. And yes you will either need to swap out the transfer case or swap the input gear.
 
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Thanks - you guys are confirming what I felt I knew. I like to hear it from others who don't have their $$ on the line.

I'll sit tight for now and keep a sharp eye out for a 4.0. And if mine blows up in the meantime, so be it!

I'm not a super big fan of the khaki anyway... It was cheap and available, so we grabbed it.

(that engine swap number was pretty much a guess...)

I agree about the auto, I hear its great on the rocks and I've always figured it would be easier to drive offroad, but I just like the manual transmission.
 
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Ya'll sound like a bunch of quitters. Swap it. Hemi + 60s + 40's. It is the only way. Get on with it. Many of us with the 4.0 (+42rle at least) hate the lack of power.
 
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sahara2000 said:
It would be unlikely that you'd have to spend more than 3000-5000 dollars on a Jeep of your same year and rough mileage that has a 4.0 engine. So why not sell your four cylinder and put all that money plus a few grand toward a six cylinder? That way you've solved both issues.
Click to expand...
That onion can be split into many pieces....

Let's say for the sake of convo he's going to sell his for an equal jeep but 6 cylinder.
Obviously that's excluding a Rubicon.
He's looking at a sport or an X. Possibky a Sahara but for the sake of convo lets stay on the Sport or X.

So let's compare..
T case... same..check.
Axles front and back...same..Check.
Tranny. Diffrrent. 6 cylinder tranny is stronger. Advantage 6 cylinder.
Gears. A drop to a 3.73 for the 6. Advantage 4 cylinder with the 4.10:1

Now the unwritten part.
Sentiment and connection. We don't know how much he loves his current Jeep.
He also knows the condition of the current Jeep. No surprises.
Any accessories the OP put on that were a PITA but love having doesn't need to be done again.

Lastly and this varies by state....
Do NOT forget the state title fee and Notary fee etc etc.
(They go up every fucking year it seems)
With those fees and sales tax (pending a trade on a difference figure or tax on the full amount)
Those fees could be another thousand or more on top of the Jeep cost itself.
 
Wildman said:
Because of the year of his TJ he'd be better off doing a Hemi or LS swap. Plus he couldn't legally do a 5.2/5.9 swap as Dodge stopped using the Magnum V-8's in 2002 with a VERY few being used in 2003. And I realize for many the legality of swapping in a older engine isn't a issue but it's a federal law.


You can stay with a manual transmission if you want but as you said you'll have to swap out your stock transmission as the stock one won't work. And yes you will either need to swap out the transfer case or swap the input gear.
Click to expand...
It's a state by state case basis but what supersedes all else is his emission tag under his hood...and has nothing to do with year of swap.

Example...his particular vehicle had no EGR, ACL, AIS, pending on if it had federal emissions or California emissions it had 1 cat...or 1 cat and a mini cat...
His is equipped with an EVAP, (they all are) , PCV valve (they all are), FR (they all are)
(2) O2 sensors, SK(controlled by the compter)

Those are the extent of the emission components on any vehicle.
I listed what his came with in 2004.
If he swaps he needs to make sure his swap will match the emission components listed on his underhood tag.

Exanple..

A 2001 magnum 360
Provided it matches his CA emission vehicle or Federal enission vehicle has the absolute identical emission components as his 2.4
Exactly the same. In that case it literally would be a swap and go. (Emissions wise anyways)
 
Rubicon88 said:
It's a state by state case basis but what supersedes all else is his emission tag under his hood...and has nothing to do with year of swap.

Example...his particular vehicle had no EGR, ACL, AIS, pending on if it had federal emissions or California emissions it had 1 cat...or 1 cat and a mini cat...
His is equipped with an EVAP, (they all are) , PCV valve (they all are), FR (they all are)
(2) O2 sensors, SK(controlled by the compter)

Those are the extent of the emission components on any vehicle.
I listed what his came with in 2004.
If he swaps he needs to make sure his swap will match the emission components listed on his underhood tag.
Click to expand...

You need to read up on Federal engine swap rules. While they are not strictly enforced if you do a swap and then at some future time these rules started to be enforced you'd be SOL. And federal rules state you cannot use an older engine that the model year of your vehicle. And since the 5.2/5/9 wasn't produced in 2004 it doesn't meet those requirements.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/engswitch_0.pdf
 
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I'm in Louisiana, LA, not L.A. :)

Buying a 4.0 is the easiest option. I'm not sentimental about this Jeep. I do really like Jeeps, TJs in particular. Had a 97 back in the day, loved it. Didnt have the money to mod it the way I wanted. Now I do (still not crazy mods). Other than the 2.4 and the khaki color, I really like this Jeep.
 
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LATJ said:
I'm in Louisiana, LA, not L.A. :)

Buying a 4.0 is the easiest option. I'm not sentimental about this Jeep. I do really like Jeeps, TJs in particular. Had a 97 back in the day, loved it. Didnt have the money to mod it the way I wanted. Now I do (still not crazy mods). Other than the 2.4 and the khaki color, I really like this Jeep.
Click to expand...

Yes if that is what your end goal is it is way easier to buy another TJ with a 6 cyl in it. If you wanted to do a engine swap then it makes more sense to swap in a V-8 over trying to swap in a 6cyl.

Good luck with your shopping.
 
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