Sah dudes, its that time, the good ol' 4.0 don't have much left on her, she's tapping and knocking and won't last much longer.
If you can, please take a few minutes to read and just leave at least a small sentence or phrase that will give me something to work with as I do more research.
I have a vague idea of what I need to do and how I want to do it, but I'm not exactly sure what all of my options are, so I'm needing some help to learn all of them so I can figure out where to go and what my budget is going to look like. I also plan on eventually putting a low psi turbo on it, but that can be done after I get this thing rebuilt, so I want to upgrade whatever I need to while the engine is out and whatever can be done afterwards will be dealt with then. I also want to switch to a stronger, standard transmission, like the AX15 or something else like a NV3500.
Currently the Jeep is just my daily driver, but I plan on doing a small lift and 31s to be more capable as a trail runner in the future. I don't want to struggle too much while towing, though I don't plan to do heavy loads, a small trailer if anything. I don't plan on racing, but I definitely want a bit more giddy-up and not have to be as nervous to get up into the 3 and 4k rpms if I need/want to.

What are some good quality brands to look for, some to avoid (like Jasper), and what are things to watch for good or bad when looking for a machine shop?
I may have to stick with my own block, but if I can get my hands on another engine to work on separately, what should I look for?
I plan on having the block bored or honed, whichever it is, 30-40mm is the numbers I've heard, as well as new pistons. And what about an acid and/or hot bath?
The crankshaft, do I reuse it or invest in a new one? What do I look for to find out if its still good or not? Do I get a stroker shaft instead, or will that be too much for the rest of the engine or drivetrain when the turbo is added?
The camshaft, I want to upgrade it as well, what am I looking for considering what I plan on doing with the jeep? Or do I spend the extra money to get a significantly better one?
Should I get a new head, or would I be better keeping the original head and having it machined and upgrading the valves, springs, rocker arms, the like? Or is there really a need/difference between the two?
I've heard that '99 and up have better intake manifold flow, is this true or significant and do they take up more bay space than say a '94?
What about injectors? What would be a good way to go with those? Obviously new, but should I upgrade and what should I look for?
The old exhaust manifold definitely has to go, so what is a good brand to go for and is there really that much of difference between a stock manifold and a header to justify the cost?
What about the ECM? Should I get a new one or stick with the old? One that can be tuned? Do I need to worry about it when switching the tranny?

With all the change going on with the engine, I doubt the AW4 is going to last long or be enough even if I spent the fortune to have it properly rebuilt.
So with switching to a standard, what is there that I need to consider?
I've thought of switching to the AX15, its widely available and definitely stronger than the AW4, but is it strong enough? Can I upgrade it or would I be better off looking for something along the lines of a NV3500? I don't know much about it so I'm limited with that at this point. What are some other good options that will still be good for highway speeds?
And the transfer case, NP231, it will obviously need rebuilt, or is there a stronger case that I should be looking for instead?

I know its allot to go over and I'm sure there are plenty of things that I havent thought of yet so if you guys could help me out and lend your opinions to a young, avid jeeper looking to make his first vehicle and pride and joy last, I would greatly appreciate it.
Blessings, friends

 

Try looking at this web site they have a lot of performance parts and engines . https://www.shop.505performance.com/main.sc

 

I have heard some pretty terrible things about 505 performance including lack of communication, crazy lead times, and failure to deliver on very expensive orders. I won't order from them unless I absolutely have to.

It sounds like you are going to have to do a lot of research. Like a lot....
There are some good videos on youtube. There are also some good write-ups floating around on the internet.

I can really only recommend finding a reputable local performance shop.

 

Good to know, gives me a reason not to go with 505, their products where a bit more expensive than I was anticipating, and all the numbers on those products kept flying way over my head.

 

Thanks, gives me a place to start, but those price tags look to be heavier than the products XD

 

That's good to know , there stuff did sound to good , I guess need to look else where .

 

 

As far as the transmission goes, an AX15 swap is common, but there are many things to consider:
You wil need an ECM from a manual XJ.
You will need driveshafts from a manual XJ (front and rear) that match your rear axle (D35 or C8.25 - the latter is better). Also, original manual XJ's use 3.07 gears, I don't know if it's fine to run the tranny on other ratios, but probably is fine.
You will need pedals from a manual XJ.

If you're committed to a manual swap, the best thing to do might be to find a parts XJ with a good tranny that has all the parts.

There is debate over whether the AX15 (89-99 Xj's and wranglers) or NV3550 (00-04 Xj's (01 was last year) and wranglers) is better. You mention NV3500 but I'm assuming you mean NV3550 which is a direct bolt on replacement - other manuals will require adapting).
I have experienced both from brand new to 300k+ miles on each and I absolutely believe the AX15 to be superior. The NV3550 shifts a little smoother but rattles in neutral and mine blew up after 300k whereas my Dad's AX15 went 400k and was in perfect working order when he retired his Jeep.

That said - the AW4 is a solid and reliable transmission. You may be giving it too little respect. If yours is working fine, I'd leave it in and drive it until it dies and you're forced to rebuild or replace.

 

Also you need the spacer plate between the tranny and engine - it's different between auto and manual Jeeps.

 

The NP231 is a great transfer case and should be more than tough enough for an upgraded I6 engine and 31" tires.
Many folks like the NP242 transfer case since it allows for full time 4wd.
Either one is certainly fine.

Again, I'd not rebuild or replace your transfer case unless there's a good reason to, but that's just my own opinion.

 

I would get an used engine at the Junk Yard and install it. Cheapest, easiest, quickest and be done.
A full rebuild gets expensive real fast. Golen and ATK longblocks start at $3500+.

Unless you are willing to drop $10k+ into your XJ, the rest is all just a pipe dream.

 

I agree with leaving the AW4 & NP231. Both are stout and proven. Make the decision to swap those when (if) they grenade.

As far as the motor goes, have you looked into the costs and time/labor that goes into it? Yes, it can be done, but it can be costly and difficult to tune. I suggest going with a stroker. Check out this site, tons of great information.

https://www.jeepstrokers.com/forum/

 

Pick up a lower mile junk yard engine. They can be had for $200 to $400 in my area. I have been running forced induction on my stock engine for some time now. Let me know if you have questions.

 

*PHEW* That's a bit of a load off my chest. I my main concern was trying to replace the tranny after the fact, but in reality I guess that isn't such a big deal. Yeah, NV3550 was what I was referring too, I'd heard 3500 and that they were used in the wranglers, but I wasn't sure if the numbers were correct. I really do like my auto, so far its doing pretty good, it feels like it may be slipping a teeny bit with higher speeds and acceleration though I'm sure thats just cuz of the engine, my biggest fear was blowing it after a rebuilt boosted engine, but I suppose you're right as long as I'm not rough on it. Whats a good way to keep it healthy? Obviously don't bash or overheat it and change the fluid regularly, which I recently did (not sure when the last change or flush was, was light brown with a red tinge on the dipstick), but are there any insider tips and tricks?

 

Good to hear. I too have thought about maybe switching to a 242, but I had heard somewhere that they were a tad weaker because of the nature of the internals for full-time 4x4.
I agree, I was just concerned that the added power would blow the tranny and or t-case right away, but if they'll at least last a little while I'd be happy waiting until something decides to go out with a bang of glory.