Diesel engine swap + what "expedition rig"?

B

Bdiddy11

Adventurer
So... I have a Jeep Cherokee and have been looking at swapping a diesel into it. I've been looking at the various options of 1.9 TDI, 2.8 CRD, OM617 etc.

Ideally I want a rig that is somewhat comfortable, fits a family of 5 (only 3 of us atm), has good off-roadability, gets 20+ MPG in town, automatic and can cruise at 75mph.

I don't know if this is possible without spending gobs of money, but what would you suggest as a good diesel swap or gasser to be a better expedition rig for long trips?

I'm open to all ideas... not just limited to doing a swap in an XJ. I also like the 97-200+ 4Runners and Land Cruisers. Just trying to find the best MPG friendly expedition-able rig. I've also thought about a diesel Liberty, but not a huge fan of that body style and would def need bumpers and other add-ons to make it look halfway decent =)

Comments about "just buy a commuter car as a DD" isn't what I'm after... I could buy a long range tank, but I'm still getting not so hot MPG.

Looking for ideas that are reasonable, (importing diesels might be too $$) of diesel swaps into an expedition rig
 
fjrohrs

fjrohrs

Adventurer
1991-1997 Land Cruiser or 96-97 LX450 would fit your needs on size, automatic, and comfortable. Where it lacks without a diesel swap is in the 20+ mpg section.
 
Route55

Route55

Adventurer
Jeff@QuadShop said:
For the XJ, I'd go with the OM617 or Cummins 4BT. Both are fairly easy swaps with plenty of power to pull around a XJ.
Click to expand...

X2

The 4bt is probably more reliable and parts are fairly easy to get in the US. However, even the little 4bt makes gobs of torque and stock xj axles will be of questionable ability. Providing you have a 96-99 high pinion non disco 30 in the front and a dana 44 or 29 spline 8.25 (or swap in a ford 8.8) in the back you should be O.K. at best. Plus you will want to swap out to 3.07 gears, as the 4bt is a very low revving motor.

The om617 is an interesting swap, parts are not too bad to get. The motor will take higher rpms, so the gear swap may or may not be necessary.

Either is a great way to go - however since mileage is a concern, why not learn to drive a stick? Five speed 4.0 XJs in stock form get 23-25 mpg. My 97 has 255,000 miles on it, got 25mpg with stock tires, fell down to about 21mpg when I went with a new set of 30 inch bfgs last fall. Stock Jeep Automatics suck fuel.

I'm personally swapping a 4bt into my 83 (fullsize) Cherokee currently, and am hoping for better power and mileage than my 97.
 
Viggen

Viggen

Just here...
Jeff@QuadShop said:
For the XJ, I'd go with the OM617 or Cummins 4BT. Both are fairly easy swaps with plenty of power to pull around a XJ.
Click to expand...

4BT in an XJ? How much lift are you going to run to make that fit? Also, family of 5 in an XJ? You must be joking.


Buy something already swapped, or better yet, something factory diesel. You are going to spend SO much more time and money properly swapping in all the required pieces for a diesel than just buying something factory. I would avoid a 4BT anything. They always seem to pop up for sale than any other swapped in motors. There must be a reason for it. Also, around town, maybe 20 mpg. Maybe, but I wouldnt hold my breath for anything more. You can get a 4th generation 4Runner that gets 17 and will run on regular. By the time you do the math, a diesel might net you a few extra miles per gallon but the added cost of fuel and the added cost of a swap means youre in the hole.

Best advice is already here: go buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD.
 
N

nasko

Adventurer
I do not know how easy/hard is to swap this motor but there is Isuzu 3.1 TD on ebay with the motor, transmission, ECU, etc for $2800 or so
 
B

Bdiddy11

Adventurer
CRD Grand Cherokee on Fueleconomy.gov shows it only gets 17 city, 22 highway... only slightly better than what I "should" be getting in my XJ.

@ Viggen... a family of 5 in an XJ... that's why I'm looking for input. Currently we only have a 1 year old baby girl and will be adding to the family every 2-3 yearsish so eventually I know we'll run out of room.

@Route 55. I'll eventually learn to drive stick, but I hate the stop n' go traffic where I live, plus I like the laziness of driving an auto =)

I've contemplated the 4bt, but from the reading that I've done, it seems like too heavy of an engine and the noise reports make it seem like it'd be a little bit annoying to have on a slow dirt road trying to take in the countryside.

I realize that doing a swap would cost more $$ that I could put towards regular gasoline, but what I'm looking for is something to take us further on the trail and gett better MPG around town without driving a dinky little commuter car. This would be a rig that I would build/keep until it rotted around me as I sit in the driver's seat. It wouldn't be a project that I expect positive returns in the next 5 years since it would be my rig for the next 15+ (hopefully).

Ideally I want to build a rig that gets better MPG and upgrade just about anything I can over the next however many years to make it the most dependable rig I could so we have that peace of mind going on long trips.

It would sure be nice to have more diesel options in the U.S. that actually looked good =/
 
U

UglyScout

Observer
I'm not sure you will be happy with an XJ as an expo rig for more than your current 3 people. By the time you add gear it will be full and then you will need a roof rack and bumpers full of stuff - which will mean worse mileage - which will put you right back where you started....

I'd start now with building/buying something that will work for the long term.

As for a 4BT - they are LOUD I'm about 95% sure I would not want to take my family on a long road trip with one....
 
HillbillyfromAL

HillbillyfromAL

Explorer
I agree the XJ isn't really a comfortable setup for 5. We used to do it as kids but the fun part was never the drive. If your looking at keeping it for a long try to find something a bit bigger. As far the noise with a diesel the kids will like it, it'll lull them to sleep.
 
eric1115

eric1115

Adventurer
Bdiddy11 said:
I realize that doing a swap would cost more $$ that I could put towards regular gasoline, but what I'm looking for is something to take us further on the trail and gett better MPG around town without driving a dinky little commuter car. This would be a rig that I would build/keep until it rotted around me as I sit in the driver's seat. It wouldn't be a project that I expect positive returns in the next 5 years since it would be my rig for the next 15+ (hopefully).
Click to expand...

I have no firsthand experience with XJ longevity, but everything I've read says that this unibody vehicle does not have a 15-year offroad lifespan. It'll last that long on-road, but start flexing it offroad and the unibody starts to fail. I'm sure others with more experience can weigh in better than I can, but thought I would toss that out there for your consideration.

-Eric
 
Buliwyf

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
Get a used Ford Excursion with a 7.3L, sorry, but you'll be happier in the long run.

Swapping a Cummins A series into an XJ is possible, but your family will try to kill you while you sleep. B series is too big, noisy and heavy. Your stock 4.0 isn't a bad engine at all. The cost of upgrading to a diesel buys a whole lot of fuel. So I recommend sticking with what you have, or getting the diesel Excursion.
 
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