What donor vehicle am I looking for.

I've decided to do an engine swap on the XJ Cherokee. As much as I like the 4.0, it's getting tired and rather than a rebuild, I'm going to drop a LS in it. The LS should fit and give me 20 mpg or better to boot. 

I want to keep the 4WD. There is a company that makes an adapter to bolt the Jeep transfer case to a 4L60e. 

The iron block wouldn't weigh more than the 4.0. I don't need huge displacement so a 4.8 or 5.3 will work. I just want the modern engine and the 20+ mpg that goes with it. 

So, I need a complete wrecked vehicle to rob for parts. What should I be shopping for? What years came with the LS. I want to stay away from DOD. I want cheap. 

Depends. Do you want a gen III or gen IV electronics package?

I recommend a 2003 suburban.

5.3 with cable actuated throttle body.

Tom Suddard said:

Depends. Do you want a gen III or gen IV electronics package?

And this is what I don't know. Assume I know pretty much nothing about LS engines and electronics. What are the advantages to one over the other. 

Well, there's Advance Adapters...

But looking at the prices, I can't imagine how rebuilding the 4.0 won't be more economical.

Might it be easier to yank an entire LS/tans/transfer case assembly from a donor? 

In reply to Ian F :

It might. But I need a starting point. There are a billion Chevy trucks out there and I'm not sure what years I need to be looking at. 

Find a rusty 99-00 Silverado. There fairly cheap and still had a cable operated throttle body. Not sure how easy they are to find down south but you can get 2wd trucks and vans pretty cheap in salt land.

Are the front driveshafts on the same side of the engine for the XJ and a GM truck? (Is it Ford that is different from everyone else? I can never remember...)

In reply to RossD :

Good point.  It looks like Jeep has the pumpkin on the driver's side - same as Ford but opposite of GM, Dodge and Toyota (unless this has changed...).  At least the older ones... I've found some images that indicate GM moved the pumpkin to the driver's side at some point. 

Ian F said:

In reply to RossD :

Good point.  It looks like Jeep has the pumpkin on the driver's side - same as Ford but opposite of GM, Dodge and Toyota (unless this has changed...).  At least the older ones... I've found some images that indicate GM moved the pumpkin to the driver's side at some point. 

Gm moved to driver’s side drop in 1988.

toyman i can probably find you a rotbox up here for cheap if you feel like taking a ride.  They get really cheap when the frame breaks from rust

This is local to me with a asking price of $2k. 4WD, runs and shifts. 

I may go look at it this weekend and see how much I can talk him down. 

Someone french fried when they should have pizza’d

If that's $2k then my not rolled 99 is worth more than I thought. 

I agree with Patrick.  I see rusty GM 4x4's for sale on FB for cheap all the time.  Of course, now that I'm looking for one there are none... 

I sold my 99 with a weird driveability  issue but running down the road for 1800. Yikes

Patrick said:

Someone french fried when they should have pizza’d

Thank you for that.

4X4s down here start in the $4K range and go as high as $10K. Without the rust, they last forever. Half blown up with 300k will cost you $3k.

In reply to Toyman01 :

Up here, 4WD is fairly common, so rusty ones sell for dirt cheap - especially in PA where rust holes can make inspections a PITA.  Nice, rust-free ones sell for a premium. 

Toyman01 said:

4X4s down here start in the $4K range and go as high as $10K. Without the rust, they last forever. Half blown up with 300k will cost you $3k.

I guarantee you i could get you a running driving one for under 1500.  Do not count out the 04-05 trailblazer and variants.  Also don’t let the DBW deter you.  You can change two plugs, slap a cable throttle body on and use an 03-07 van pcm because it’s capable of running either DBW or cable with the flip of a switch and a couple trouble codes disabled in the program.  For trucks stay 05-down if 5.3 because of the afm issues.  No 4.8 ever got that so if you find a crashed 08 go for it.  

Pretty sure i could get a 4.8/wiring/pcm/trans/transfer case for $800 today if i tried.  Buying a pullout that someone didn’t cut the harness on really doesn’t net you anything less than buying a whole vehicle except you don’t have to scrap a junk truck when you’re done.

https://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-chevrolet-silverado-1500/6533322013.html

You can rebuild the 4.0 with a 258 crank and come out with a stroker. 

Toyman01 said:

This is local to me with a asking price of $2k. 4WD, runs and shifts. 

I may go look at it this weekend and see how much I can talk him down. 

Hopefully talk him down $1500!

Has anyone done a fly n buy just for a drivetrain donor?

In reply to Appleseed :

How would you drive that mess home? 

In reply to Trackmouse :

On a low boy trailer behind you