Breathing new life with a free 4.0L upgrade to 1988 Wrangler

[SonoraDetective]

Ok guys been reading researching and still confused as hell. couple of points

1. My Wrangler has no engine, tranny and/or transfer case. Wiring harness from engine is completely gone except lights.

2. I have free recently rebuilt 1989 Cherokee with severe body damage.

1. Can I use the entire drivetrain and just drop it in as a package?

2. What will my wiring issues be, to get my Tach to work?

3. And how do I go about wiring up the fuel pump part of the equation.

4. Anyone on here done this exact swap.

I have spent almost a week researching and no one seems to have done this exact swap.

HESCO just tells me to go buy a 1991 or newer, they sellno quick connect harness for the RENIX Cherokee's to be installed into the wrangler.

Hey any help would be cool or suggestions. I will document the whole project once I get the Cherokee over here and start stripping the engine and harness out of it.



Semper Fi

[PA-XJ2]

hey, i was ganna do the same swap with my 88 YJ, ok the trans out of a XJ will not work unless its a AX15, if it is an AW4 it will not work (to long for the short wheelbase) and when it comes to wiring if you can get a hi-output head/intake manifold and throttle body, reason is painless wiring makes a full wiring harness for 91-97 4.0s! the transfer case is most likey a NP231 and that will work perfect in your YJ. and just to clear up a common mistake any jeep 91 and new will have a hi-output 4.0, the renix was stopped in 90. let me know if you have any questions!
-Keep Jeepin

[SonoraDetective]

arghhhhhhhhhhh

Are you 110% positive on the length issue? I was told I would just need to shorten my back drive shaft 2 1/4 inches to perform this swap?

[PA-XJ2]

yeah, if its the AW4 its to long, if you look at one its just as long as a 727 with a tcase

[Kodiak Spirit]

you cant shorten that rear driveshaft anymore than it allready is, you might want to go with a slip yoke eliminator kit on the t-case to git some of those inches back, but I think the cherokees allready had a fixed yoke?

[PA-XJ2]

it is a slip yoke.
-Keep Jeepin

[SonoraDetective]

Breathing new life in my wifes red jeep

You guys are really starting to make me cry. I reallyyyy do not want to give up the free transplant idea.. How are other people putting these in their wranglers? I keep seeing post's were everyone talks about installing a AW4 in their wrangler. Why is this one so different? Is there some other tranny I can put(auto) that is. This is going to be wifes jeep. She is scared to death of my jeep.

I always thought they istalled this same package in some of the YJ's in 1989? Only difference was it was a 4.2L engine.

[PA-XJ2]

Jeep has some Great auto trans for the YJs, the best one ive come crossed is the 727r 3 speed trans, i had it in my 88 YJ, another good one is the 995(it maybe called 999 im not sure). you maybe able to use the AW4 but forget wheelin it, the drive shaft is ganna be crazy short! every time i looked in to it and measured it it was to long, your ganna need a new front drive shaft. but keep you hopes high it wouldnt be fun if Sh*t worked haha!

[SonoraDetective]

Breathing new life in my wifes red jeep

Will have both motors out and on the ground this weekend for the great measure off..lol.. And then maybe I will cry some more...

[PA-XJ2]

good luck with it, the 4.0 and 4.2 have the same block the difference is in the bore and stroke, the 4.0 has a larger bore and smaller stroke were as the 4.2 has a smaller stroke and a larger stroke. If you put the crank and rods from the 4.2 into the 4.0 it gives you a 4.5 stroker!!

[Kodiak Spirit]

or blows the head off, whatever...

I'M Just Kidding!!!

[SonoraDetective]

Breathing new life

Anyone have an idea how you do the wiring piecing together? omewhere I can look at pictures or get better description how to mingle these together. i will be getting the tranny harness alog with the Cherokee harnes and the whole jeep to play with for parts.. Hal

[PA-XJ2]

hey, if you have the whole harness from the XJ why dont you just use that or are you still ganna use the 4.2? when it comes to a blueprint the repair books have them but there very hard to follow(even for me i went to school for 3 years to be an electrician, and then i started for auto body), other then them im sorry to say i think your on your own but try NAXJA.com!
-Keep Jeepin

[SonoraDetective]

Breathing a sigh of relief now

Just worked a deal today.. trading my free 1989 Cherokee for another free 1995 Cherokee with a 4.0L HO wooo hooo. So now I can order the kit from HESCO and say done. RIGHT??????????

Or do i still have wiring to do?

[Kodiak Spirit]

you gotta introduce me to your friends! that is a sweet deal!