1999 Jeep Cherokee 4.7 engine problem

LJHOPP

MEMBER
1999 JEEP CHEROKEE
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
160,000 MILES

I have a 99 jeep grand cherokee with a 4.7.

The problem is I am wondering if a 4.7 engine that is out of newer Jeep/Durango/Dakota/Ram will fit into a 99 wj.

I know that the tonewheel have to swaped to the 16 tooth tonewheel and the cam tone wheel have to be changed to get the engine to work.

But do you have to modify any of the wiring harnesses or hardwire any of the wiring to get the engine wiring to work.

5 Replies

RACEFAN966

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5,029 POSTS

How new is newer?

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Monday, January 4th, 2010 AT 11:52 AM

LJHOPP

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Lets say an engine out of 05 dakota

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Monday, January 4th, 2010 AT 12:13 PM

RACEFAN966

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To keep things simple and plug and play then 00 to 02 with 16 tooth is all that I would recomend. From 03 up it all gets tricky from there because you now have choices like 31 or 32 tooth trigger wheel and with or without egr hole and so on.

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Monday, January 4th, 2010 AT 12:28 PM

LJHOPP

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Engines from that time frame are expensive. I can get a 05 dakota with 4000 miles for 1100 so that is the way I want to go. I know that you can can swap tonewheel and cam tone wheel to get the engine to work. But will I have to modify an y of the wiring.

I do not want a simple plug and play if I went that way I would of just got a reman but I would of had to spend over 2200 for that. Used ones selll for about 1800 for a decent engine with decent miles. When you can get a newer 4.7 and just swap a few parts and you will have a close to new engine.

So my question is would you have to modify any of wiring to get the engine to work.

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Monday, January 4th, 2010 AT 1:19 PM

RACEFAN966

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This isn't a normal engine swap so there is no diagrams that say do this do that ok. It isn't like building a street rod as I have done many times. Now as I said the other thing you need to check is the with or without EGR hole. If this is not like yours then it will mean swaping everthing from the intake manifold up and all the sensors too. The rest of the difference is in the heads you should have head casting 801? Now if that is true then you will not only need to find an engine wiring harness but also the computer for the newer engine and the smog and everthing which may end up messing with the transmission sense it is electric shift. The PCM talks to the TCM and so on. This will cost you more in the long run.