After a rough start I finally got the 4.7 jeep running and driving

[69wannabe]

I picked up a really nice 2000 jeep grand cherokee back in march with a locked up 4.7 V8. I was very hesitant to buy it with that engine in it since I was scared to death to tear into it!! I have a weak spot for jeep's and it was very nice with leather seats and a sun roof and the paint and interior were like new. I hated to see it ruin since it had been sitting for 3 to 4 years.

I decided to face my fears on the modular engine and see what I could make of it, I got it home and it sit for a month or so here til I could get other project's up and going but I got a start on it in may. Picked at it and got the heads off first and got them fixed/replaced (had to replace one of them) and then got the rest out and finished tearing it down. It was in bad shape for sure and I was hoping that the block wasn't busted or ruined.

Turns out the block was good so I got all the machine work done and slowly got the engine back together over a couple of months and got it back in the jeep early in september. I took alot of precautions to make sure the engine didn't fail from neglect of other failed items. The radiator had been replaced sometime but I had my radiator guy to check it out for flow and leaks and he said it was good and had the starter and alternator freshened up with new brushes and bearing's/bushing's. Also replaced a few hard to get to sensors like the crankshaft and camshaft sensors with new mopar sensor's and replaced the coolant temp sensor and the cooling fan relay with mopar parts.

Just wanted to be sure it didn't run hot due to cheapo parts that someone else had thrown at it. Replaced the fan clutch and water pump too and put a new mopar thermostat in it too. I know I may have replaced some things that were unnecessary but I wanted to be sure of what I had.

Got it up and running and the engine ran good, good oil pressure (thanks to a pre luber tank I picked up off of amazon) but the transmission control module started smoking, I have no idea why at this point it was smoking so I pulled the fuse box cover and found the TCM had a fuse and it was not blown so I pulled it to keep the module from smoking to let the engine run a bit. I was just glad to get it up and running so I finished putting the grille and headlight's back in and backed it up under the shed and gave up on it for a bit.

After a couple of weeks of not touching it I had picked up a FSM for the jeep and had a buddy going to help me try and figure out why the TCM was messing up. My buddy is really great with wiring and I knew we could most likely figure it out. So as he was on his way here I decided to start it up and see if it was still doing the same thing. I put the fuse back in and started it up and it didn't smoke at all out of the module so after he got here we let it run awhile and drove it down the road and back and it seemed to do ok except of the engine running a little rough and some black smoke coming from the tailpipe.

Drove it a couple more times and it still had the black smoke and running rough after it warmed up but other than that it seemed ok. After changing the oil to get the break in oil out of it I let it sit a few days while I thought about the black smoke and running rough issue. It had no check engine light on so I had nothing to go by there but I had a similar experience with another jeep grand cherokee with a 4.0 6 cylinder. The symptom's were similar and after a few searches on google I narrowed it down to a bad TPS (throttle position sensor) Replaced the one on the 6 cyl jeep and it ran great so I decided to try on on this jeep even tho it is a V8 I figured I would try it anyway. It was a good guess because after I replaced it the jeep has ran great since and no more black smoke from the tailpipe!!

Finally getting to drive it without it running rough but the jeep had sat so long that the brake caliper's were froze up and the brakes were holding pretty bad on it. I thought it was just the front's so I replaced the front caliper's, rotor's, and brake pad's and it really freed the jeep up. I could tell a good difference in the feel of it. Drove it around a couple of days and noticed sitting at a red light that there was smoke coming from the back of the jeep. I was like not again and I was close to home so I drove it on to the house and got out and checked the tail pipe for smoke but it was not coming from the tail pipe it was coming from the rear wheel's.  So I replaced the rear caliper's, rotor's and pads and also had to replace the axle bearing's and seals since the driver side was leaking onto the rotor.

Well I know this has been a long post but it was a long struggle to bring this old jeep back to life again. I did have to replace one taillight and replace the driver side door lock actuator to finish it up. I have put about 300 miles on it now and so far so good!!! I am not as afraid of a modular V8 engine as I used to be or a 4.7 anyway!! The jeep turned out to be very tight and quiet driving so maybe it will be a good one for a long time!!

[b5blue]

No pics? When I bought my 89 XJ I did bunches of service replacements prior to putting on the road also. I think it's smart money to do so and the XJ has proven itself reliable. I recommend checking every connector under the hood, many of mine were working but getting really crappy. I used Caig Labs D-100 DeOxIt. Upgrading the injectors to Bosh made for a big jump in mileage for my 4.0 6Cyl also. Good luck with it!   

[69wannabe]

Them square cherokee's are tough for sure!! The first jeep I bought was a 93 cherokee sport with the 4.0 and it has been a very good jeep. Bought it for the wife to drive then my daughter drove it for 3 more years and wore it out pretty much and after that I rebuilt the engine for my son so he would have a jeep to drive. Got it fixed up for him in 2012 and he has been driving it since. The 4.0's are my favorite 6 cyl ever and I know the 4.7's have a bad reputation but I have to see for myself I guess.

I have a 98 grand cherokee with 250,000 miles that still runs and drives good and I have a 93 grand cherokee with the 318 in it that is a good running jeep too that my mom bought new. My daughter now has a 2000 grand cherokee and the wife has a 2004 grand cherokee. Love me some jeep's!!!

[b5blue]

  No doubt about Jeeps, my first car was a 50 Jeepster.  Many friends have Grand Cherokee and few issues. My son will get this XJ when I get my 70 Charger back into daily driver shape soon. We are doing some 2nd wave repairs as soon as the fall weather hits down here. (Brakes/new gas tank and some seals/gaskets)
  The guys here gave the thumbs up on this 120K mile 2dr/2wd/4.0-5sp Sport and it's proven very useful hauling stuff and getting me to work. About the only thing it's not very good at is long range driving. (It's not very high speed friendly.) 

[69wannabe]

They are pretty dependable like you said above, I have had a few issues that is normal wear and tear like replacing a radiator and replacing the coil pack on one of the newer 4.0's. When you say down here where are you referring?? It is turning fall here in georgia and it has been nothing but raining and wet lately but it has been warm at least. I picked up a 97 grand cherokee in february with a cracked block and had planned to get it up and running but the 2000 V8 jeep was alot nicer so I started on it first. I am going to build up a good 4.0 for the 97 and most likely sell it in the spring hopefully!!

[b5blue]

  I'm down here between Tampa Bay and the Gulf and it recently dried out some but still high 80's at best. Add that sunshine, the humidity and the feels like temperature is: "It sucks to be out here fighting mosquitoes."  We should be 10-15 degrees cooler this time of year but have had winters that just did not get much cooler then 85. (Like the year I stripped all the old paint and rust off the Charger thinking it would be cool and dry for painting.  )

[69wannabe]

LOL, it is pretty humid here in north georgia as well. Was changing the oil in the wife's jeep yesterday and two mosquito's were fighting over which one was going to get me I think!! My charger hasn't moved in three weeks thanks to the continuous rain that hasn't stopped lately. We have had maybe one or two days of no rain but it was still muddy and too nasty to get the car out. Hopefully we will get some dry weather next week for a change!!!

[b5blue]

  A trick I use on them skeeters is to put a sprayer top from 409 cleaner (Or the like, any will work.) on a bottle of rubbing alcohol. When they start gathering around you mist them and they'll drop to the ground. Ether a kill shot of alcohol to wet them or a boot grind to finish them off for good.
  I've nailed as many as 4-5 out of the air with one shot. 

[Stegs]

ah jeeps

Love jeeps, there are addicting, cant have just one...

i think im on my 9th or 10th one now.....


OIIIIIO

[69wannabe]

Good tip on the mosquito's B5!!! Been raining so much here haven't been out at the shop doing anything in a few days. You are right stegs, between me and more of the family I think there are 11 jeeps. A few regular cherokee's several grand cherokee's and a patriot. I would like to have a wrangler or two but those are pricey!!! The older grand's and cherokees are reasonable to come up with especially when they have a bad engine or need work!!!

[Stegs]

Good tip on the mosquito's B5!!! Been raining so much here haven't been out at the shop doing anything in a few days. You are right stegs, between me and more of the family I think there are 11 jeeps. A few regular cherokee's several grand cherokee's and a patriot. I would like to have a wrangler or two but those are pricey!!! The older grand's and cherokees are reasonable to come up with especially when they have a bad engine or need work!!!

right now i have a 2012 JK 2 door, factory hard top in orange crush

I must admit, its a work vehicle, even that said....i prefer jeep xj's

I love the sound of a 4.0 straight 6 in a jeep cherokee!

very addicting for sure