First thing, welcome! I was excited when I saw your registration
Thanks and some others on here have already helped me through E-mail. Thanks for everything.
Fourth thing, take some time, spend some time on here, read up. Tons of info on pretty much all of the "general" questions you're asking. Way more opinions already here than you'll get in this one thread.
I've been reading!! and reading!! and reading!! and reading!!
Does yours have solid foam on the sides or has the top/foam been removed already?
All Foam is perfectly intact. I'll be removing it as part of the refinishing job, and will probably replace it with an upholstered interior up top, and I owned 3 spray on liner franchises and still own an application piece of equipment.
One word: awesome! If you're at all comfortable with wiring diagrams and electrical work, it's a great swap. I used the AW4 that came with the engine straight from the XJ. Stout tranny with a great reputation.
www.cjoffroad.com has a forum with almost more info than you can read on the swap and I have a thread here about mine.
If I install a 4.0 weather from an XJ or a TJ, I will be using absoloutly everything, including the front clip wiring harness, dash wiring harness, and might even go as far as looking into assembly of YJ column into the thing. I'll splice together all gauges, and speedo is mechanical.
I've pulled several dozen of these motors from the Salvage that I've bought and parted out over the years. I've also done an install or two of a 4.0 and done a 258 install in an early YJ as well. AW4 vs 42RLE I need to read up on mods needed to the rest of the driveline as far as mounting and distance etc.
Mine will do 80-85 at 2k RPM with 35s and 4.56 gears. I was doing 80 tonight in my stock Rubicon LJ and it had to turn 3k RPM, just for comparison.
Rest of my fleet includes a
1987 LWB MJ (60,000 miles, 4.0 AW4, 355's, 8.8, 2" AAL/Coil lift, 31x10.50's on Gamblers)
1996 XJ4 Sport (100,000 miles, 4.0, AX15, 355's, 1" Shackle, 1" Spacer, 235x16's on Icons)
2005 LJ Rubi (30,000 miles, 6 speed, Kilby OBA, OME 2" lift)
2008 JK4 Rubi (30,000 miles, 6 speed, ARB OBA, Rough Country 2")
All vehicles have ARB Bull Bars (including rear bar on JK) and Winches.
1995 XJ4 Sport (150,000miles, Stock, Huge Rust Bucket, Bad Engine Knock from PO Neglect, Meyer Plow, Retreads, Welded 8.25, Lots of Soffit and Facia and Zip screws)
I previously put 400,000 on a 1989 MJ and 313,000 on a 1995 XJ. It is sad how much emissions and smog clogging took place on the 4.0. My old 1995 XJ ran circles around my LJ Rubi when it was new... and the XJ had 300,000 on it. Both had 4.10's and 265x16's. I'd love to figure out how to open up my 2005 to produce some more horsepower.
IMHO, an engine upgrade can do nothing but help. I didn't try to keep the AC, no idea what would be involved there. Way more trouble than I'd go through. I don't run the hardtop up here though, no top/soft top in summer and it's parked for the salt/winter.
Don't forget to factor exhaust into your budget. The stock stuff behind the manifold is next to useless. I ended up with all new from the manifold to the tailpipe and it cost almost as much as the engine/tranny.
Again, check the cjoffroad.com 4.0 swap forum for all kinds of info.
I never saw that CJoffroad.com site before thanks for the great info. As for exhaust, I'll be putting in a Banks Tube if I put in a 4.0 and I will be putting in custom bent exhaust as well. Exhaust is going to need replaced anyhow.
Last thing on this. I always tell folks to forget about the "value" of these things unless you're going to do a detailed restoration to completely stock and do it all right. If you modify it in pretty much any way and "collectible value" goes out the window and it's just an old Jeep. Just enjoy it!
Your Jeep is great. I read most of your thread on your build etc. I may wind up with Gen Right or Rokmen Armor on mine. But I'm shooting for a little different completion point that what you did. I'm looking for something that is refined/refinished/rebuilt a tad bit more than you did with yours. Don't take that the wrong way your rig is awesome, my own personal preference and eventual use is a little bit different.
All of these were AMC20, 2.73 with the trac-loc limited slip (that's important, as I found out, if you want to try to get a lunchbox locker of some type in the rear, the carrier won't work for those). They all had the TF999 3-speed auto and 258.
Thanks for answering redundant q's with great info like above.... Really 2.73?? Not 3.73?? That sucks!! Is the AMC 20 stronger than a D44??
Thanks a bunch for all the help...
Thinking about an off white (cream color) with charcoal grey armor/hinges/bumpers/ and a dab of gloss black and electric lime green (2005 color) for accent. Intentions are to do painted on stripes.
No worries at all, that's exactly my point... do whatever you want with yours and just enjoy the heck out of it!