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3.7 swap?

standley20

NAXJA Forum User
Location
nc
hey guys don't beat me for this but my 2.5 is about dead and im looking for a cheap swap. I have searched and nothing on a 3.7 and nv3550 swap. is it just a to costly of a swap or is the 3.7 a dud? my jeep is gonna be on 35s soon and just wanted to get some feedback. thanks.
 
What year is your XJ? What would you do about engine/transmission electronics?
 
89 I can get a killer deal on a liberty complete running and driving for $800 it was offered to me and been thinking it would have to a little more peppy than the whooped 2.5
 
It might be better than the 2.5, but all your money is going to go into the custom install. What would you do about the electronics?
 
everything I would need to swap is in the running and driving vehicle I would just use the harness, manifolds, pump ect. I guess im really wondering is it worth being the liberty fell in my lap I don't mind fabbing my own mounts and exhaust maybe should reword my question from cheap swap to worthwhile swap
 
Just because you have a cheap donor, does not make it a good swap. You don't read much about 3.7 Liberty swaps because they just don't get done.
 
Wife has a KJ....while it's been decently reliable and is easy to work on, it's pretty gutless. Personally, I'd swap in a 4.0 if you need to.
 
Just because you have a cheap donor, does not make it a good swap. You don't read much about 3.7 Liberty swaps because they just don't get done.

This

If you’re gonna go through the time, effort, and expense of a swap, make it a worthwhile one.

Like an LS
 
Just dumped my daughter's liberty and put her back in an XJ. I am not a fan of the 3.7. Complicated and expensive to work on for 200 hp. Replacing head gaskets cost me over 1k and I did the work.
 

Expensive and also kinda crap. IIRC, Dirt Every Day (on the Boobtube) swapped that engine into a TJ, got an LS-swapped TJ, plus a similar TJ running the stock 4.0 with maybe a few mods and compared things like seat-of-the-pants power, fuel economy, noise level, etc.

They liked that little Cummins engine... right up until they went off-roading and punched a giant hole in the plastic oil pan on a rock. Yeah, you read that right, PLASTIC. OIL. PAN. Me and others have already said it- the cheapest, easiest, bestest, most common-sense swap is a 4.0...
 
Expensive and also kinda crap. IIRC, Dirt Every Day (on the Boobtube) swapped that engine into a TJ, got an LS-swapped TJ, plus a similar TJ running the stock 4.0 with maybe a few mods and compared things like seat-of-the-pants power, fuel economy, noise level, etc.

They liked that little Cummins engine... right up until they went off-roading and punched a giant hole in the plastic oil pan on a rock. Yeah, you read that right, PLASTIC. OIL. PAN. Me and others have already said it- the cheapest, easiest, bestest, most common-sense swap is a 4.0...

Wow I have never hit my oil pan on anything and if I did it would probably punch a hole through it as well. I know the Cummins swap is pricy but it comes with almost everything you need. Swapping in a 4.0 would not be cheap since the 2.5 has a different wiring harness than the 4.0 and Chrysler stopped making the 4.0lt harness so you would need to source a used one. You would also need to install a new exhaust, is the intake compatable 2.5 vs 4.0? What about pullys, alternator and starter are all of those compatable 2.5 vs 4.0? Honestly I don’t know but it seems like it’s worth it to me buying the Cummins if I had a 2.5 and wanted something better.
 
Expensive and also kinda crap. IIRC, Dirt Every Day (on the Boobtube) swapped that engine into a TJ, got an LS-swapped TJ, plus a similar TJ running the stock 4.0 with maybe a few mods and compared things like seat-of-the-pants power, fuel economy, noise level, etc.

They liked that little Cummins engine... right up until they went off-roading and punched a giant hole in the plastic oil pan on a rock. Yeah, you read that right, PLASTIC. OIL. PAN. Me and others have already said it- the cheapest, easiest, bestest, most common-sense swap is a 4.0...

Meh, everything now is plastic. It's really not that crazy. Even the early Ford 6.7 diesel had a plastic pan. But keep in mind the oil pan in a tj is very exposed. If I spend that much money on an engine it's definitely getting a skid.
 
So I have been thinking about your dead 2.5lt. What about blue printing the 2.5 and adding a turbo to it? It could be cheaper option and you would have a lot of room in the engine bay for things like an on board welder dual battery setup or burrito box.
 
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