What year is the best TJ?

Jerry Bransford said:
Another couple model year 4.0L engines I'd think twice about before buying... late '99 after they went to the coil rail ignition system up to about 2002. Those years had the notorious 0331 head on the engine which is known to crack even on well maintained 4.0L engines.
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Yep, dealt with that first hand on my 99 XJ.
 
My son had a 98 TJ with the gauge cluster problem, we would try a fix & it would work then quit, then we would go through this again & again it sux.
We do have a well cared for 97 that never had any issues ever other than regular whare parts 208,000+ miles & counting.
 
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Well I just bought my first TJ an 04. So did I do good or should I be on the lookout for known issues?
 
Jeep R/T said:
We're the older 4.0 '97- early distributor '99 prone to cylinder head cracking?
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Only if it had the 0331 head casting but that was typically only found on 2000-2001 models. So unless someone replaced you're head with an 0331 casting, you'll be good!
 
In the UK most 4.0 models newer than the 2002 would have a insane road tax band, you could end up paying £505 every 12 months just to keep it on the road.
 
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badlieutenant said:
The OPDA wasn't that hard to fix. The hardest part was manually turning the crank to get TDC. Other than that it was just slight adjustments on the OPDA itself to get it lined up perfectly.
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Depends on the rig. I've watched the adventures of some where the motor has had to be rebuilt a couple of times under warranty and they still aren't right. I'd consider the OPDA to be the Achilles Heel of that year spread. It is as much of a problem as the non TUPY 0331 head is in that year range. I'd also put the gas fill overflow issue right up there with being a not so good thing.

The issues aren't bad enough to not buy one, but they also don't make me want to run out and hunt one down either.

03 and 04 in the Rubicon trims are pretty nice but the 42RLE can be a regearing nightmare if you wind up with the harmonic vibes.

I'm pretty much of the opinion that there are none to avoid and none to seek out. I sold a Rubi cheap because I can NOT stand dark blue or dark paint. I would rather own a bone stock white 97 than a Rubi Unlimited in dark blue or black.
 
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