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Engine swap questions...

S

SNG

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Idaho
New to the Cherokee Nation and I have a few ?'s.
'90 XJ with an engine from a '00/01 swapped in (old ignition sytem swapped in and using the old ECU) will not start (no clicking etc) I have searched and drawing blanks. FWIW I just got this for my wife (little brother did swap, not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree) and I am about to pull out the rest of my hair:doh: .
Thanks.
 
I would start really basic first and rule out the easy stuff such as;
Check all grounds
Check all electrical connections and wires to ensure nothing got roughed up during the swap
Check voltage at the battery
Check voltage at the starter
From that you should get some sense of what the problem may be.
There may be a host of engine swap specific troubleshooting tips, but I have no experience in that area, so this is my .02
I would certainly invest in a repair manual if you do not already have one, there will be some troubleshooting info in there as well.
Good Luck
 
CromeY90 said:
well if its the ecu outta the 90 engine of course wont start
Click to expand...

What?

OP, have you tried jumping the starter? At the starter short across from the positive main connection to where the starter relay wire attaches to the solenoid. CAREFUL. Key OFF, brake set, Park for an auto or neutral for a stick, wouldn't want you to run yourself over.

If it is an auto, there is a neutral safety switch on the transmission that will keep the engine from cranking--the NSS.
 
After doing what Joe suggests, since your confidence in the dim bulb is indicated, make sure the braided ground cable is hooked up from the left rear corner of the head to the driver side firewall and the 3+- ground wires are attached under the engine dipstick tube bracket. Did he attach the negative battery cable tightly to the block? Also make sure these connections, when investigated, are clean and tight.
 
cruiser54 said:
After doing what Joe suggests, since your confidence in the dim bulb is indicated, make sure the braided ground cable is hooked up from the left rear corner of the head to the driver side firewall and the 3+- ground wires are attached under the engine dipstick tube bracket. Did he attach the negative battery cable tightly to the block? Also make sure these connections, when investigated, are clean and tight.
Click to expand...
Minor nitpick, it's the right rear corner (while looking at the engine.)

Does it try to turn over (with or without clicking), i.e. lights flicker when you turn the key to start, voltage drops, etc? If so, maybe he put the torque converter on the engine and poked it into the transmission, you can do that successfully if you're lucky but you have a really good chance of getting the splines jammed between the input shaft / reaction shaft and the torque converter and damaging one or the other in the process (or both), as well as jamming the whole thing up so it won't turn at all. This only applies to an automatic obviously.
 
cruiser54 said:
Kastein, I'm an ex parts guy. Everything was called as if you were sitting behind the steering wheel. Sorry for the confusion.
Click to expand...

That is the way it is supposed to be done.
 
SNG said:
New to the Cherokee Nation and I have a few ?'s.
'90 XJ with an engine from a '00/01 swapped in (old ignition sytem swapped in and using the old ECU) will not start (no clicking etc) I have searched and drawing blanks. FWIW I just got this for my wife (little brother did swap, not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree) and I am about to pull out the rest of my hair:doh: .
Thanks.
Click to expand...

no-click no-start isolates it a bit, could be battery, wires, starter solenoid, starter relay, ignition, or numerous other things, but at least it's not the engine or else it would be crank no-start.

once you get it sorted, let us know how you got the engine integrated with the old computer
 
wow... yall pulled this one out, blew the dust off and brought this old tread back to life.

Did no one notice its a 3 year old thread?
 
cruiser54 said:
Cromey resurrected it, Joe and I got suckered in.
Click to expand...


:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1:confused1
 
Yep, years late AND you were wrong about the ECU year, he has it right ;)

I was wrong too though apparently, I always just listed a location and my viewpoint (looking back/forward on the vehicle), didn't realize it was all supposed to be relative to one location.
 
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