[SouthAfricaJeep]

ok, so i have a 95 grand chrokee, the orvis edition with the 5.2 v8. i bought it used and it has a lot of miles on it. overall, its still in fairly good condition but the engine keeps breaking down and im am getting really tired of having to replace a new thing every weekend and since im in college and a bit tight on money, it gets to the point where im not going to be able to keep fixing it. i had to replace my water pump about two weeks ago because it was leaking badly, my radiator the weekend before.

one of my friends told me that maybe i could find a savage grand cherokee that has been hit in the side or the back and swap the engine that i currently have in there, with the 5.9 if it has a lot less miles and wear on the engine itself and is still in good condition. then he said i should have the block of the one i plan on putting back in, machined to make sure its still in good condition. this would also be usefull later since i plan on putting a bigger lift and some bigger tires on my jeep. with the 5.9, i will be more than ok in terms of the the extra torque for the bigger tires.

i am pretty sure that my dad has most, if not all of the tools that i will need including a craine and a winch for getting the motor out and in. i have never done an engine swap before but i am pretty good at figuring out how to do things like that. i do not let anyone else work on my car like dealerships because everytime i have done so, they broke more things than they fixed.

i would greatly appreciate it if someone that has done this swap or one similar before, to help me on how to do the swap the best way. i would also appreciate it if someone could tell me what all i am going to need in terms of parts to make the new engine fit. also, i dont know if i could just swap the motor or if i have to replace the computer, etc. some pictures would be awsome too.

any help and ideas would be greatly appreciated

[baxy]

the motor itself is a direct boltin as long as it is complete , some years 5.2 and 5.9 have different harmonic balancers, somethig should be done with the fuel delivery though , google different companies that sell chips and such would be a good source of info, maybe simply changing to bigger injectors could richen up the fuel system enough
should be fairly straight forward swap

[Texas ZJ1]

baxy is not telling all the truth. Chips are learned by the computer and are a waste of money.

What is needed for a 5.2 -> 5.9 swap?

93-95 ZJ V8
5.9 flexplate
5.9 harmonic balancer
5.9 driver's side motor mount
torque converter from 96-98 V8

96-98 ZJ V8
5.9 flexplate
5.9 harmonic balancer
5.9 driver's side motor mount

Notes
You can use a spacer or washers and make the 5.2 motor mount work.

You can oval out one of the holes on the 5.9 flexplate and make a 93-95 torque converter work.

Late '95 ZJs may not need the torque converter because some of them came with '96 flexplate and torque converter.

A complete motor from a 98 5.9 ZJ will bolt right into a 96-98 V8 ZJ. Because of OBD1 and EGR, it will not bolt into a 93-95 ZJ. You will need to use the old throttle body and sensors. If you have emissions testing, you will need to use the old intake manifold and the passenger's side exhaust manifold to maintain the EGR system.

The upside to swapping a 5.9 into a 93-95 V8 ZJ is the 46RH transmission, which is stronger than the 44RE used in the 96-98s.

I'm currently building my 5.9 up in the garage, doug thorley headers and the kolak exhaust.

Hunter

[Virmagicus]

Originally Posted by baxy

google different companies that sell chips and such would be a good source of info,

Mopar ECU (Flashed) purchased through Kolak. As Hunter mentioned, chips are worthless on ZJ's.

[baxy]

the point I was making was the fuel system needs to be addressed

ALSO EVERYTHING that bolts to your 5.2 regardless of year WILL bolt onto the 5.9 longblock
unless you find a 2000 or newer longtblock
PRE magnum engines differed in the flexplate and balancer , as long as you use a matchng flex plate and torque you wont have any problem bolting those together. if you find a completely dressed 5.9 out of a grand of course you will have a few odds and ends that differ. go buy a 5.9 longblock and swap it in

[thingtwo235]

Dont mean to jack this thread but what would you want the motor from? Would a 5.9 from like a dodge truck fit?

[newfieZJ]

Added some parts numbers to reference

5.9 flexplate (external balance) Mopar PN P4876706
5.9 harmonic balancer (external balance) Mopar PN 5007187
5.9 driver's side motor mount
torque converter from 96-98 V8 Mopar PN 5007298AB (1900-2100 stall) or 5007299AB (2250-2350 stall)

Any 93-2002 Magnum V8 (5.2 or 5.9) will bolt in , yes , from Dodge Ram. Durango's , or Dakota's . My engine is from a 2001 Dodge Ram p/u .

Baxy , why do you think a 2000 or newer won't fit ?

[aaron7]

Doing the same swap, though my 360 isn't going to be stock... at all ;D

Since converting to OBD2 is a huge PITA, I'm using my 93 harness and Mopar Perf. ECU. I'm upgrading my injectors and throttle body as well as having my 360 intake ported.

At a later date I'll be using a MegaSquirt as the 318 ECU is really going to hold me back.

[baxy]

2000 the harmonic balance from a 5.9 is different than a 5.2
from 93 to 99 they ar the same all magnums in these years are balanced the same
none of the flex plates or torque converters have weights on them anymore
5.9 torque has a lower stall, but the one in your jeep will work doubtfull the adverage driver will notice the difference
I do see that the PN are different for the balancers but as far as I know all magnum v8 are internally balanced

[baxy]

I know someone is going to go look a wikipedia and say 360/5.9 magnums are externally balanced !!!
I can tell you I havent seen a flex plate or torque converter since 1991 which has any weights on it
I probably have 2 dodge/jeep transmissions out a week
the torque rebuilder we deal with just make one stall speed used in either 5.2 or 5.9 (low stall) unless specifically ordered

[newfieZJ]

the 96-98 torque converters are indeed the same , the flex plate and the harminic balancer are also externally balanced for the 5.9 only .

matching flex plates to the torque converter is the key , the 2001 Ram flex plate would not work with mine , I had to keep it original with the t/convertor , I assume because of different converters with different bolt patterns . yeah , you can use whatever V8 torque converter you want , but not from a pre-96 because of the bolt pattern difference , the flex plate has to be 5.9 externally balanced .

The above info was quoted from another forum where it became a " sticky " . It was backed up by one of the leading authorities of Jeep performance , Dino Saavy . The swap was done by HighdesertZJ , both of these guys are very very knowledgable when it comes to jeep engines . I would guarentee the info provided by Tex is correct , heck , he's in the middle of doing it right now .

Next time you get a 5.9 in the shop , take a closer look , unless your looking for it , it can certainly be overlooked

[HighLonesome]

Originally Posted by Texas ZJ1

baxy is not telling all the truth. Chips are learned by the computer and are a waste of money.

What is needed for a 5.2 -> 5.9 swap?

93-95 ZJ V8
5.9 flexplate
5.9 harmonic balancer
5.9 driver's side motor mount
torque converter from 96-98 V8

96-98 ZJ V8
5.9 flexplate
5.9 harmonic balancer
5.9 driver's side motor mount

Notes
You can use a spacer or washers and make the 5.2 motor mount work.

You can oval out one of the holes on the 5.9 flexplate and make a 93-95 torque converter work.

Late '95 ZJs may not need the torque converter because some of them came with '96 flexplate and torque converter.

A complete motor from a 98 5.9 ZJ will bolt right into a 96-98 V8 ZJ. Because of OBD1 and EGR, it will not bolt into a 93-95 ZJ. You will need to use the old throttle body and sensors. If you have emissions testing, you will need to use the old intake manifold and the passenger's side exhaust manifold to maintain the EGR system.

The upside to swapping a 5.9 into a 93-95 V8 ZJ is the 46RH transmission, which is stronger than the 44RE used in the 96-98s.

I'm currently building my 5.9 up in the garage, doug thorley headers and the kolak exhaust.

Hunter

Don't oval the hole in the flexplate, it will lead to a serious imbalance. Please remove that line from the FAQ.

[rustynail]

I have a 72" Plymouth with a 360 that I built up to 300 hp. I have not driven it in 5 years since I was bit by the 4x4 bug. I thought that this motor would not work but am I reading here that it could work?!? Will it work?

Originally Posted by Texas ZJ1

The upside to swapping a 5.9 into a 93-95 V8 ZJ is the 46RH transmission, which is stronger than the 44RE used in the 96-98s.

Hunter

This makes no sense to me, why would they increase hp for 96' and then put a weaker tranny in there?

[HighLonesome]

Originally Posted by ZJ-Orvis

This makes no sense to me, why would they increase hp for 96' and then put a weaker tranny in there?

HP is the same, torque went from 285 to 300 lbs. Lots of things don't make sense...plastic door handles for example..but they're everywhere.

Only the 'Magnum' blocks will bolt in easily.

[joemadoo]

5.9 Swap is highly recommended... Mine's been running great for almost a year