5.9 Swap going bad, help needed

    Well, it looks like I’m screwed. I have the all hard parts I need for my swap including the bell housing and flywheel needed to mate the 5.9 to my NV3550 but it doesn’t look like it is going to happen. The electronics issue has reared its ugly head and is proving to be a showstopper.


    After much searching, I found a place (B & G Chrysler in MI) that thought they could program the Jeep’s ECM to run the 5.9 engine whiling keeping the Jeep’s VIN and mileage which will satisfy Maryland’s DMV. So I went about getting the hard parts and now am ready to start installing the engine. I called B & G to make sure they could take care of the electronics and it turns out they cannot flash the computer with the 5.9 tables.


    At this point my options are:
    1) Leave the Jeep alone and sell the 5.9 and all the hardware.
    2) Sell my ’02 TJ and buy an older one that has the correct network
    3) Do the swap anyway and find an IP, harness, and body computer to replace mine.


    I hate even the thought of option one. Worst case, I’ll probably go buy something old to put the engine in. I found a 63 Rambler on eBay, but it was a little too far and had a little too much rust. Still, this might be my best option.


    Option two sucks at least as much. While I haven’t made many changes that could not be undone, I hate to waste the time and money I’ve already spent on my Jeep just to find another one. Besides, I spent a lot of time finding one with a D44 axle, the NV3550, A/C, cruise, full doors, a cool color, etc.


    I think option three is the worst. The chances of finding everything I need at a reasonable price and having everything work is probably zero. I know I could eventually get it working, but I’d probably have the engine sitting in the Jeep for months while I buy parts and mess with wiring. I’d rather spend the summer riding around in my 4.0-powered Jeep than looking at one with a 5.9 under the hood.


    Anyway, sorry for the long post, I’m looking for other options and opinions. Any feedback would be appreciated.

    Thanks! I tried to contact them a while back and never got a response. I will try to call them if I get home from work in time tonight. The website doesn't off much info, but the fact they work with Dakotas and Jeeps gives me some hope.

    I got in touch with the guy from dakotaparts and he couldn't help me either. It seems no one knows if any Dodge PCM and communicate with the body network in a 2002 and newer TJ. A Grand 'may' work, but that is a lot to go through for a maybe.

    have you posted over on pirate. that is the only thing I can think of for some help. if you dont want to I can cut and paste your post from here and put it there. In my honest opinion if there is a way to do it or a person to do it you can find out about it over there. I would post it in the general 4x4 forum by hte way not the jeep since it aint really jeep related

    Hey, I know someone who happens to have experience swapping 318's from OBDI and II systems into YJ's... I doubt that would solve your issue of attempting to re-wire the motor into the existing harness, but perhaps he may be able to give some advice? I believe that he actually swaps the entire wireing harness and body computer... PM me if you're interested, but it sounds like you could do all that yourself if you wanted to and it also seems like your goal is to use as much of the TJ stock computer and wiring as is possible?


    Don't start the swap now. Wait till after the summer. You will be in absolute missery without a jeep durring the warm months. As for the swap try posting on the forum for offroadexchange.com. The guy who runs it is a genius with dodge stuff and they are very friendly & helpfull. He just swapped in a 318 to a jeep. It just might take a day or two for a response.

    Quote from "Hasselholf"

    Don't start the swap now. Wait till after the summer. You will be in absolute missery without a jeep durring the warm months. As for the swap try posting on the forum for offroadexchange.com. The guy who runs it is a genius with dodge stuff and they are very friendly & helpfull. He just swapped in a 318 to a jeep. It just might take a day or two for a response.


    He does have a point :) Why swap a motor (even if it's in the sunset of it's life) mid-wheeling-season? Wait until there's very little wheelin' to be had and do it in the winter :)


    --Randall

    I'm actually the odd guy out when it comes to the Jeep season. My Jeep sits mostly unused all summer while I'm out riding my motorcycle. Once the snow flies, I'm back into the Jeep until the roads are clear of salt. Besides, this 'should' be a simple swap and I have everything I need to make it happen. Well, at least I thought I did.


    I'm starting to lean towards a turbo or blower on the 4.0. It runs great and has just a tic over 50,000 miles on it. There is nothing wrong with the current engine, I just wanted more power.


    Maybe someone with a 97 to 2000 TJ wants to replace a tired 4.0 or anemic 2.5 with a 5.9? I even have the hard to find flywheel, clutch and bellhousing that mates the 5.9 to an NV3550 (or AX15 if you want to explode one for fun).


    I'll try a post over at offroadexchange.com, it can't hurt.

    Its not that hard im dropin a 2001 360 into my 92 yj im makin my own harness to link each pcm to each other so each one can drive and recive
    what what they are needed to. Mopar owns all the pattens on all the electrical connectors in there harnesses...







    Brian

    Set up a "Stand Alone" harness to run the motor, That way the gauges will run off the stock harness.

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats


    Well, I might consider a 5.9 swap if the price were right....


    That's a helluva heavy motor though.... It oughta bolt right up to my NV4500, no? What's the bellhousing look like? Clutch? Flywheel? Etc?


    On the other hand, I really don't need one ounce more of tork...


    What are we talkin about here?


    E-mail me if you wanna brainstorm, randall AT randallman.net


    --Randall

    Quote from "FZMax"

    I thought about a stand alone, but honestly they are way too expensive. That Tec3 looks nice, but at three grand it should be. Somedays I really miss carbs.


    Eh...the TECIII can be had for significantly less than $3K and I'd suggest looking into other alternatives first. I don't know how similar the TJ's ECU harness is to a SRT4 but if it was close the AEM EMS (http://www.aempower.com) is a really nice unit and depending on the wiring similarity could be plug and play wiring wise. I've been running the AEM in my car for a couple years now and the learning curve's a little steep at first but after you get the hang of the interface tuning with it isn't that bad. Some others that I'd suggest would be Accel's FAST system or Autronic's unit. Most of these can be had for 1000-1500 new and if you lurk around the import forums enough can be had for significantly less used.


    --Ian

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