• Important! If you attempt to register and do not get an email within 5 minutes please check your spam box. This is especially true for Microsoft owned domains like Hotmail, Outlook, and Live. If these do not work please consider Gmail. Yahoo, or even AOL email which works fine.

TJ Engine Replacement Project

wct097

NPD Club President 2021-2022
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP
Sorry, no pictures yet.

Yesterday, my brother and his roommate pulled the wrecked ZJ into the garage and started disassembling it. They spent about 2 hours on it and had the hood, radiator, grill, fan, battery, engine accessories, and wiring harness off or disconnected.

Today, I got started with a friend and my brother's roommate about 3:30pm. By 5pm we had the engine out, the ZJ out of the bay, and the shop cleaned up. Bringing the engine home tomorrow to start cleaning it up, inspecting it, and working on replacing the seals. The goal is to have it ready to go in the TJ on Friday.

Once the TJ is back up and running, we'll be stripping the ZJ before sending it to the crusher. Appears to have a NP242 t-case, auto (not sure which one), and D30/35 diffs. Front suspension is toast with the coil spring on the drivers side resting on the tie-rod and the shock sticking out of the fender. Has two good wheels.
 

FinlayZJ

Doing hoodrat things
VIP
It's threads like this that bring back so many memories of working on my ZJ and TJ and make me happy that I no longer own them.

Where are the pics!!?!?!?!?!?
 

wct097

NPD Club President 2021-2022
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP
Was in too much of a hurry to snap pics tonight. Didn't have a lot of time. I intend to take a bunch of the donor engine before, during, and after the cleanup and re-sealing. Will also document the TJ's engine swap and subsequent 4.0 rebuild.

Here's the ZJ prior to becoming the donor:





DUI rollover on the highway....
 

wct097

NPD Club President 2021-2022
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP
Does anyone have any idea what this is?

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...Dorman---Help_22148109-P_N3491_T|GRP2083_____

It looks like plastic bolts that you thread in to the oil pan bolt holes, then put the gasket on over them, so that they hold the gasket in place, then you can hang the pan on them and replace them with the metal bolts one at a time while keeping the gasket and pan in place. Looks useful, actually. I'll be working on the engine on a stand, but I can still see the value.
 

wct097

NPD Club President 2021-2022
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP
180k on the donor engine. 244k on the old engine. Going to seal up the donor to keep it going for a few months while I rebuild the original engine.

So it's quite likely that someone on Craigslist needs one to replace broken junk?



I'm looking forward to getting the donor engine on the stand in my garage so that I can open it up and check it out. It'll be tempting to replace the water pump and oil pump while I'm at it, given the fact that I don't know exactly how long it'll be in place before I get the rebuild done, assuming a rebuild is possible.
 
Last edited:

wct097

NPD Club President 2021-2022
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP
AdvanceAutoParts.com discount code.... A123 = $20 off of a $50 order. Ordering $100 worth of parts for $60... nice.
 

Noise

S7Fuz = SerI0US8UIsNEEZ
WCT097
You have got to be one the only ones from the original jeepsunlimitedOT crew that thinks this is a good idea.
I admire your effort to keep your junk rolling but trolls aside...WTF dude?






Edit: good luck
 
Last edited:

BrandonM7

MaMway Platinum Member
Staff member
Moderator
VIP
Ultra-Premium
I think keeping the TJ running is a fine idea - I'd do the same. I damn sure wouldn't do two engine swaps and repairs on two old broke-dick engines to accomplish it, though.
 

Noise

S7Fuz = SerI0US8UIsNEEZ
I think keeping the TJ running is a fine idea - I'd do the same. I damn sure wouldn't do two engine swaps and repairs on two old broke-dick engines to accomplish it, though.
keep yourself busy playing with your touchpad in bed. At least i'm fighting with the the touchpad from the garage. :beerchug:
 

wct097

NPD Club President 2021-2022
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP
I like the TJ and intend to keep it running as long as I'm able to wrench on it. I've also been thinking about doing an engine rebuild as a side-project for a while now. I was originally thinking about just buying a 4.0 or a 351w to do a rebuild just for the fun of it. I don't have a vehicle to put the 351 in, but figured I would find an old car to fix up eventually. The TJ's engine letting go just made the choice obvious.

At any rate, the ZJ's 4.0 is getting a basic re-seal and tune-up to carry the TJ until I can get the original 4.0 rebuilt (assuming it's rebuildable). I figure that with the TJ running, time won't be an issue and it'll be one of those weekend projects that my friends & I do while drinking on Friday & Saturday night.

When it's all done, I'm going to have a zero mile engine to go back in the TJ. I may put it back in as soon as it's ready, or I may wait until I'm ready to replace the rusting fender and have the whole thing repainted. It really depends on how the ZJ's engine does once I'm driving it again.

edit: When I decided my engine was going, I quite literally had two friends ask to help on the rebuild. We like that kind of thing. It's fun to turn wrenches and get your hands dirty when you're an IT geek and spend all day behind a computer.
 
Last edited:

Noise

S7Fuz = SerI0US8UIsNEEZ
edit: When I decided my engine was going, I quite literally had two friends ask to help on the rebuild. We like that kind of thing. It's fun to turn wrenches and get your hands dirty when you're an IT geek and spend all day behind a computer.
I get where your coming from and also read the other thread about the "whatever" class car you want to but.
Gotta ask though how old are you?
 

FinlayZJ

Doing hoodrat things
VIP
Does anyone have any idea what this is?

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...Dorman---Help_22148109-P_N3491_T|GRP2083_____

It looks like plastic bolts that you thread in to the oil pan bolt holes, then put the gasket on over them, so that they hold the gasket in place, then you can hang the pan on them and replace them with the metal bolts one at a time while keeping the gasket and pan in place. Looks useful, actually. I'll be working on the engine on a stand, but I can still see the value.
Pretty much what you said. They are helpers to hold the gasket to help getting a good seal on the pan. Might as well do the rear main while you're in there. :rotflmao:
 

wct097

NPD Club President 2021-2022
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP
I get where your coming from and also read the other thread about the "whatever" class car you want to but.
Gotta ask though how old are you?
32 next Tuesday. I was unaware that enjoying swinging wrenches as a hobby was limited to age & income, but that would appear to be the case based off of the commentary here.
 
Top