1986 Jeep Cherokee engine question

dhermesc · Dec 1, 2010

I'm looking at a really nice 86 Jeep Cherokee with the GM 2.8 V6 engine. The people have it for sale pretty cheap because it has a rod knocking. Will just about any 2.8 V6 fit from say a Citation or a S10 as long as I swap intakes and such from the original engine?

Will an older 4.3 fit?

karl f · Dec 1, 2010

generally rear wheel drive to rear wheel drive engine swaps work. transverse may create a nightmare.

watch out for serpentine vs v-belt water pumps- the impellers typically are designed to drive opposite directions.

also i recall from my jeep interest days about 10 years ago that a 3.4 was considered a suitable/drop in replacement (by gm and epa) for the 2.8 which was discontinued at that time. some later cheap camaros used a 3.4 so that would be a source for rwd configuration. I"m not sure on specifics of bellhousing however.

don"t know much more to help you but i hope i have somewhat

karl f

ps have an 85 rollover with 4 cyl automatic drivetrain that still runs with about 110,000 miles located in MN. body totalled but has been driven in the field for fun a few times.

Old Roy · Dec 1, 2010

Think I'd be asking about transplanting a 4.0 in it I believe I heard someone say same bell housing.

I have had three of them and pretty well bullet proof. may need the computer changed too.

dhermesc · Dec 1, 2010

A little to far away - I'm in Kansas.

Used 2.8s are in the $450 to $600 but most have 100K+ miles on them. Remanufactured engines are in the $1100 to $2000 range. What is sad is this Jeep only has 58K on it and pretty much looks it.

John Harmon · Dec 1, 2010

My 85 Cherokee Chief has the GM 2.8 with throttle body injection and Chrysler 727 transmission.I can't remembeer the brand of transfer case it has or the axles mfg.It is a AMC product so they used what they could get. I had the Transmission rebuilt and we had a bear of a time getting the right torque convertor for it. The dealership supplied one contrary to what they claimed, was not the right one.I finally got a used one from a like vehicle at a scrap yard ,that fixed that problem,point is be careful and don't loose track of what parts are needed to get one of these vehicles going. An AMC and a Chrysler built Cherokee are two different animals.

karl f · Dec 1, 2010

after you purchase, make sure it isn"t an exhaust leak or something minor

sometimes you get lucky.

It would be well worth fixing this one right.
Any internal damage would be from sludge or condensation from sitting so much.

good luck
karl f

Hobo,NC · Dec 1, 2010

(quoted from post at 18:59:06 12/01/10) I'm looking at a really nice 86 Jeep Cherokee with the GM 2.8 V6 engine. The people have it for sale pretty cheap because it has a rod knocking. Will just about any 2.8 V6 fit from say a Citation or a S10 as long as I swap intakes and such from the original engine?

Will an older 4.3 fit?

A side ways engine will not interchange,,, their no provision for engine mounts,,, the 2.8's were not that good of a engine I would shy way from it...
Even if its free it could Be a money pit... I have converted a few engines, the hardest to up-grade is a jeep engine to a larger jeep engine,,, cuzz most move up to a chebby 350 all the nice cheap bolt on parts are for a chebby,,, you can buy all the parts needed for the chebby V8,,, other swaps you have to take whats avalible , modify it are make it....

Jeep is also bad about put'n a trans behind a engine that will only tolerate that engine,,, when you move up you also have to upgrade the trans...

Paul N Texas · Dec 1, 2010

I have a '93, and the reason I got it cheap, was that it had a rod lnoking in it... Thing is, it really didn't sound like a rod, but then again it was a heavy sound low, and to the front. After we did the sale, I transferred the paperwork, and drove it watching the temp and oil pressure for a day. I told the boss to drive it around and home that night, and tell me what he thought it was. The next morning, he called the shop to get one of his wreckers to come pick him up... I just knew the engine was totaled. When they got back to the shop, he walked in, and handed me the outer part of the Harmonic Balancer.... The rubber had come apart, and if fell off. It's now got 248 K miles on it. It leaks some oil, but not bad. It has a little tick from a lifter, and needs paint, but it's been great. The engine is an inline 6 with auto trans and 4X4.

Brian Jasper co. Ia · Dec 1, 2010

I can't say for sure on the 2.8-3.4 engines, but the 3.8 bell housing bolt pattern is different between FWD and RWD. I would bet the 60 degree engines are too.

Hobo,NC · Dec 1, 2010

(quoted from post at 18:59:06 12/01/10) I'm looking at a really nice 86 Jeep Cherokee with the GM 2.8 V6 engine. The people have it for sale pretty cheap because it has a rod knocking. Will just about any 2.8 V6 fit from say a Citation or a S10 as long as I swap intakes and such from the original engine?

Will an older 4.3 fit?

A neat trick when having to do work on the engine is to remove the complete front grill,,, 4 bolts are so hold it in,,, when removed it opens the hole front of the engine up,,, to remove the rad swing out the left side and remove the lower hose and trans lines...

A school boy helper that worked for me showed this to me,,, their was not much about these he did not know... He worked a few years with me,,, in that time we put a V8 in his, different trans, different front and rear axles, and rebuilt the transfer case a few times,,, I was at his dads a few weeks ago,,, he had his wrangler completely apart down to nuttin but a frame,,, he was welding in the mounts to add a chevy pick up 1 ton running gear...

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Bob N.Y. · Dec 1, 2010

I put a 2.8 from an S10 in to a 1984 Cherokee.

JDseller · Dec 1, 2010

My brother had a S-10 with a 2.8 in it. He came over to my house one day and it was hammering very load. We both thought that it had a rod knocking. We pulled it into my shop. He took the oil pan off and we looked at all of the rods. They where fine. We pulled the heads off and one piston had a big piece of carbon sitting on top of it. He copper coated the old metal head gaskets and stuck it back together. Silly puttied the pan back on. He drove that truck for another 200 k before it did blow up. He just was off a divorce that took all of his "cash" money.

Hobo,NC · Dec 1, 2010

The new replacement GM target engines were pumped up to a 3.1,,, the 3.1 replacement addressed some well all of the oil leakage issues the P.O.S. 2.8 had....

1986 Jeep Cherokee engine question

dhermesc

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karl f

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Old Roy

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dhermesc

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John Harmon

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karl f

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Hobo,NC

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Paul N Texas

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Brian Jasper co. Ia

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Hobo,NC

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Bob N.Y.

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JDseller

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Hobo,NC

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