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Building a 4 banger?

2K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  dos0711 
#1 ·
So I had an 03 Sport with 4.0 and a bunch of options...as a toy. My mother has been driving the same bare bones 99 w/ 2.5 and a hardtop for 10 years with no AC. I had a twinge of involuntary guilt and swapped with her. Now she's far more comfortable and should be good to go for 10 more years but I'm stuck with a stripped down 4 banger and 130K miles on it. I had so many plans for my 03 but now I'm not sure what to do. All of my Jeeps have been 6s. It's just a toy...not a daily driver...and I don't expect I'll be mudding...just tooling around the local fire roads and trails...a bit of low impact rock crawling. Anybody with a built up 4 banger that they've been enjoying? Can I find happiness in a 2.5?
 
#3 ·
Is it the auto of doom or the I might be okay getting on the freeway 5 spd?

No much out there for HP gains, you can add some minor intake parts off the 4.0L, but in the end to get more power you either need to do a engine swap or sell it and get a different jeep with the 6 in it.

But for a fun jeep to put around in not so bad and the engine will last a while.
 
#4 ·
ya, that engine is a work horse. and its actually quite fine on the trails. it goes anywhere a six will, accept sand dunes, it doesn't like those. the nice thing is it does great on the trails, and doesn't have enough power to break itself, unless you really try.

its actually just doggy on the road. you'll have fun with it. i wouldn't waste any money on the motor, untill you decide to swap it out.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Having the 4 cyl., teaches patience on the road. I don't hurry anywhere, anymore. IF a car needs to be passed, it's usually mine.

I didn't have any problems on the trail with the motor. The 4 cyl. has enough power in 4-low for most things.

With stock height & stock tires, it's actually decent. Once it's lifted & 33's on it, it's kinda dog-y on the road.
 
#8 ·
i agree with mouthful.

i came from fast little tuner cars (some may remember my VR6 corrado) and a lead foot. this usually just led to a lot of unnecessary speeding tickets.

with my little 4 cylinder jeep on 31s i take my time getting to point B (though I can still hit 75 on a good day and once, while going downhill, i too hit 80, haha). i've had it for like three years now and i haven't received a speeding ticket since. :D

my tires are getting more and more worn out though, and i've been debating bumping up to 32s. we'll see.


oh and it's always done me just fine on the trails. :)
 
#9 ·
Well, everyone seems to drive slower as they get to be a senior citizen. That said, my 4 banger auto yj was more than adequate for me. I did find myself taking the secondary roads instead of the interstate if I could.

I'll tell you though, I feel like I'm driving a Ferrari with the 4.0 in my new to me Cherokee.

And I'm getting over 20 MPG.
 
#10 ·
Well, everyone seems to drive slower as they get to be a senior citizen. That said, my 4 banger auto yj was more than adequate for me. I did find myself taking the secondary roads instead of the interstate if I could.

I'll tell you though, I feel like I'm driving a Ferrari with the 4.0 in my new to me Cherokee.

And I'm getting over 20 MPG.
:rofl:, yep, 4.0 is night and day. i've looked down while keeping up w/ yahoos on the interstate and going over 90 speedo maxed out at 85 and still lots of pedal left. didn't realize it till i saw the speedo, and immediately slowed down.

i've owned both, will not buy another 4 banger. but loved the one i had as far as reliability, and longevity, and toughness
 
#11 ·
Hmmm...sounds like I might find happiness with a 4 banger after all...this is purely for puttin' around my little town and doing some exploring. No highway driving for me. There isn't a highway within 40 minutes of my house anyways...I can go months without breaking 55mph. It's got a 5 speed so I can row the gears a bit when I need to. I suppose if I grow emotionally attached, I can always go the engine swap route down the road. Thanks for the opinions.
 
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