RE: Shed of the Week: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Discussion
Do these engines work well on LPG? How much would a properly engineered conversion cost?
You'd need to get some miles out of it to recoup the money, but it could make it a sensible daily driver. Lots of people still convert old Discos and Range Rovers that aren't worth much more than this.
You'd need to get some miles out of it to recoup the money, but it could make it a sensible daily driver. Lots of people still convert old Discos and Range Rovers that aren't worth much more than this.
Limpet said:
Do these engines work well on LPG? How much would a properly engineered conversion cost?
You'd need to get some miles out of it to recoup the money, but it could make it a sensible daily driver. Lots of people still convert old Discos and Range Rovers that aren't worth much more than this.
When my dad had the limp fallible lpg system fitted to the unreliable Jeep. The results were mixed.You'd need to get some miles out of it to recoup the money, but it could make it a sensible daily driver. Lots of people still convert old Discos and Range Rovers that aren't worth much more than this.
300bhp/ton said:
Limpet said:
So much about this is objectively appalling. Only an American engine could take 4 litres to churn out 176 bhp, [/footnote]
This same old s
t again, you uninformed people never give it a rest do you 
It wouldn't be so bad except you are wrong with every fact and obviously have no clue as to why.
Most owners wont have a clue how many bhp it has, in the states as well, they wont care how much it costs to fuel as it is so cheap, it will lumber up to highway speeds in 11 seconds or so, not fast but does the job, its not the car for over here and definitely not one for petrolheads being heavy, and not that powerful.
J4CKO said:
300bhp/ton said:
Limpet said:
So much about this is objectively appalling. Only an American engine could take 4 litres to churn out 176 bhp, [/footnote]
This same old st again, you uninformed people never give it a rest do you It wouldn't be so bad except you are wrong with every fact and obviously have no clue as to why.
Most owners wont have a clue how many bhp it has, in the states as well, they wont care how much it costs to fuel as it is so cheap, it will lumber up to highway speeds in 11 seconds or so, not fast but does the job, its not the car for over here and definitely not one for petrolheads being heavy, and not that powerful.
These give anywhere between 4.5 and 5.0 ltrs and with a cam push around 275bhp. That for me makes sense in something like a wrangler as a alternative to a tuned Defender. Not so much for a Cherokee though.
Limpet said:
Do these engines work well on LPG? How much would a properly engineered conversion cost?
You'd need to get some miles out of it to recoup the money, but it could make it a sensible daily driver. Lots of people still convert old Discos and Range Rovers that aren't worth much more than this.
The 4.0 litre works very well on LPG.You'd need to get some miles out of it to recoup the money, but it could make it a sensible daily driver. Lots of people still convert old Discos and Range Rovers that aren't worth much more than this.
Conversion costs aren't cheap however, and a 6 pot costs more than a 4 pot to convert. That said, if you look, you'll probably find other Grand Cherokees and Cherokee's already for sale converted.
The 4.0 litre was the base engine in the Grand Cherokee, with a 5.2 V8 as the main engine and 5.9 as the top of the range, which is genuinely a brisk 4x4, but rare in the UK.
The V8's don't like LPG as much however.
The regular Cherokee really is a small car and the 4.0 litre suits it well. I clocked mine at 0-60mph in 8'ish seconds and it'd shoot up to 100mph+ easily. And would really upset TDV6 Range Rover Sports with ease.
MPG, on a run, 20-22mpg was easy and the norm. Trundling about mid to high teens.
The Grand Cherokee is bigger and heavier than the Cherokee, so with the 4.0 litre it's a little slower and likely slightly worse on fuel.
The Grand Cherokee is more luxury orientated inside, it is arguably nicer than a same era Range Rover or Discovery. However they are still a lot smaller and a lot lighter. They are Unibody construction, rather than ladder chassis and separate body tub, like the Land Rovers.
J4CKO said:
300bhp/ton said:
Limpet said:
So much about this is objectively appalling. Only an American engine could take 4 litres to churn out 176 bhp, [/footnote]
This same old st again, you uninformed people never give it a rest do you It wouldn't be so bad except you are wrong with every fact and obviously have no clue as to why.
Most owners wont have a clue how many bhp it has, in the states as well, they wont care how much it costs to fuel as it is so cheap, it will lumber up to highway speeds in 11 seconds or so, not fast but does the job, its not the car for over here and definitely not one for petrolheads being heavy, and not that powerful.
And nearly all of the comparable Jap trucks of the time would be 150-170hp V6's.
As for speed, I think the 4.0 Grand Cherokee was around 9 sec or so. The 5.9 V8 was 7.x
This is what my 4.0 Cherokee managed:
8.52 sec 0-60mph and the 1/4 mile in 16.34 secs. Reckon that's not bad for many a 'warm' hatch these days..
Edited by 300bhp/ton on Friday 6th May 12:58
300bhp/ton said:
The 4.0 litre works very well on LPG.
Conversion costs aren't cheap however, and a 6 pot costs more than a 4 pot to convert. That said, if you look, you'll probably find other Grand Cherokees and Cherokee's already for sale converted.
The 4.0 litre was the base engine in the Grand Cherokee, with a 5.2 V8 as the main engine and 5.9 as the top of the range, which is genuinely a brisk 4x4, but rare in the UK.
The V8's don't like LPG as much however.
The regular Cherokee really is a small car and the 4.0 litre suits it well. I clocked mine at 0-60mph in 8'ish seconds and it'd shoot up to 100mph+ easily. And would really upset TDV6 Range Rover Sports with ease.
MPG, on a run, 20-22mpg was easy and the norm. Trundling about mid to high teens.
The Grand Cherokee is bigger and heavier than the Cherokee, so with the 4.0 litre it's a little slower and likely slightly worse on fuel.
The Grand Cherokee is more luxury orientated inside, it is arguably nicer than a same era Range Rover or Discovery. However they are still a lot smaller and a lot lighter. They are Unibody construction, rather than ladder chassis and separate body tub, like the Land Rovers.
Good info, thanks Conversion costs aren't cheap however, and a 6 pot costs more than a 4 pot to convert. That said, if you look, you'll probably find other Grand Cherokees and Cherokee's already for sale converted.
The 4.0 litre was the base engine in the Grand Cherokee, with a 5.2 V8 as the main engine and 5.9 as the top of the range, which is genuinely a brisk 4x4, but rare in the UK.
The V8's don't like LPG as much however.
The regular Cherokee really is a small car and the 4.0 litre suits it well. I clocked mine at 0-60mph in 8'ish seconds and it'd shoot up to 100mph+ easily. And would really upset TDV6 Range Rover Sports with ease.
MPG, on a run, 20-22mpg was easy and the norm. Trundling about mid to high teens.
The Grand Cherokee is bigger and heavier than the Cherokee, so with the 4.0 litre it's a little slower and likely slightly worse on fuel.
The Grand Cherokee is more luxury orientated inside, it is arguably nicer than a same era Range Rover or Discovery. However they are still a lot smaller and a lot lighter. They are Unibody construction, rather than ladder chassis and separate body tub, like the Land Rovers.
I was just curious re the LPG. Doing some fag packet maths based on 12,000 miles a year:
Fuel spend at 20 mpg @ 108p per litre = about £2940
Fuel spend at 16 mpg (80% of unleaded figure) @ 54p per litre = about £1840
Suddenly a £1500 (for arguments sake) conversion doesn't look too ridiculous if you plan on getting 3+ years use out of the thing, and although you won't recoup the cost of the conversion when you sell it, it will also make the car much easier to shift on for a decent price as long as its been properly done and documented.
Obviously there's a risk to it. If anything expensive fails or the car gets written off before you break even, your financials go out the window.
Could be a very affordable way of running a big wafty petrol barge for a few years if you're prepared to look at TCO over a period instead of upfront cost.
The 4.0 is 'pretty reliable'? I'd like to see what you think is very reliable as these engines will run forever 
I had a friend who had a 4.0 with a slight knock at cold and a little less power than he remembered....it was like that for months..maybe a year, decided to pull the head before a long trip and figure out whats going on, one cylinder was in bits.
The only thing that can kill these engines is the fuel bills, they are very thirsty, even in the US. The 4.7 V8 is a bit better, more power and makes a lovely noise (had one in my Ram 1500) but it needs far more TLC, if I had the choice, the 4.0 is the way to go.
I had a friend who had a 4.0 with a slight knock at cold and a little less power than he remembered....it was like that for months..maybe a year, decided to pull the head before a long trip and figure out whats going on, one cylinder was in bits.
The only thing that can kill these engines is the fuel bills, they are very thirsty, even in the US. The 4.7 V8 is a bit better, more power and makes a lovely noise (had one in my Ram 1500) but it needs far more TLC, if I had the choice, the 4.0 is the way to go.
300bhp/ton said:
This same old st again, you uninformed people never give it a rest do you
It wouldn't be so bad except you are wrong with every fact and obviously have no clue as to why.
take a deep breath and relax, hopefully this will calm you down - junior bentley on a meadow with some treest again, you uninformed people never give it a rest do you It wouldn't be so bad except you are wrong with every fact and obviously have no clue as to why.
I had a plain Jane XJ Cherokee with the same engine.
As comfortable as a Granada and as capable as a Defender.
4.0 six engine very strong. The 2.5 diesels are crap and unreliable.
Problems include ABS, front UJs, rear diffs and saggy springs. Daft vacuum operated heating flaps often go awry and light bulbs are queer American items which can't be bought in places like Halfords.
Central locking and alarm is a pain in the backside and can only be reprogrammed by a Jeep dealer. Otherwise, there are a couple of decent breakers who advertise on eBay.
My preference is for the boxy XJ Cherokee, preferably in cloth Sport trim. Less to go wrong, more honest about it's shed status.
I sold mine several years ago for £750 and fewer than 100k miles.
As comfortable as a Granada and as capable as a Defender.
4.0 six engine very strong. The 2.5 diesels are crap and unreliable.
Problems include ABS, front UJs, rear diffs and saggy springs. Daft vacuum operated heating flaps often go awry and light bulbs are queer American items which can't be bought in places like Halfords.
Central locking and alarm is a pain in the backside and can only be reprogrammed by a Jeep dealer. Otherwise, there are a couple of decent breakers who advertise on eBay.
My preference is for the boxy XJ Cherokee, preferably in cloth Sport trim. Less to go wrong, more honest about it's shed status.
I sold mine several years ago for £750 and fewer than 100k miles.
BeirutTaxi said:
Some friends of mine who use to run a repair garage said the two things they dreaded working on were French cars and Jeeps. I thought they would be easy to work on but apparently not!
I can't comment on the more modern Jeeps. But things like the XJ and WJ are easy to work on.I always see these as the Volvo 4x4 estate Volvo never made but really should have. Size wise they are not massive which can be handy. The seats are super comfy & many a Cherokee seat has been transplanted into other things.
You can find really nice ones of these & something like a base model minty one would suit me right down to the ground.
300bhp/ton said:
J4CKO said:
300bhp/ton said:
Limpet said:
So much about this is objectively appalling. Only an American engine could take 4 litres to churn out 176 bhp, [/footnote]
This same old st again, you uninformed people never give it a rest do you It wouldn't be so bad except you are wrong with every fact and obviously have no clue as to why.
Most owners wont have a clue how many bhp it has, in the states as well, they wont care how much it costs to fuel as it is so cheap, it will lumber up to highway speeds in 11 seconds or so, not fast but does the job, its not the car for over here and definitely not one for petrolheads being heavy, and not that powerful.
And nearly all of the comparable Jap trucks of the time would be 150-170hp V6's.
As for speed, I think the 4.0 XJ was around 9 sec or so. The 5.9 V8 was 7.x
This is what my 4.0 Cherokee managed:
8.52 sec 0-60mph and the 1/4 mile in 16.34 secs. Reckon that's not bad for many a 'warm' hatch these days..
So many Americans have this stuff, they are pretty cheap, they all do the special editions, I remember being there aged 20 in 1991 staying at a mates and his friend came round and he had been given an Ford Explorer (I had remembered it as being a Jeep) "Eddie Bauer"
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/ford-explo...
For passing out of college, not that well, but still, not a bad present, I dont think I got anything !
I think Eddie Bauer is a similar deal to Orvis (who is you very best friend, you are...) so they all do it.
These are great old things for sub £1k and pretty robust too and feel more powerful than the numbers suggest, parts can be found cheap and relatively easy to work on.
They are good when converted to LPG (I've had a few of these in petrol, LPG and diesel, I thought LPG was the best option, petrol consumption is eye watering on these if you try and drive normally, but not a problem if you are just pottering around locally as a 2nd or 3rd car).
One thing to keep in mind is the driving experience is nothing at all like a normal car, its more akin to steering an oil tanker in a rough sea!
Expect 30 degrees list either side when you try and attack corners and roundabouts in the normal fashion you might do in a car. Watch out for worn/wobbly drivers seat base as well, that ads to the feeling of being at sea.
They are good when converted to LPG (I've had a few of these in petrol, LPG and diesel, I thought LPG was the best option, petrol consumption is eye watering on these if you try and drive normally, but not a problem if you are just pottering around locally as a 2nd or 3rd car).
One thing to keep in mind is the driving experience is nothing at all like a normal car, its more akin to steering an oil tanker in a rough sea!
Expect 30 degrees list either side when you try and attack corners and roundabouts in the normal fashion you might do in a car. Watch out for worn/wobbly drivers seat base as well, that ads to the feeling of being at sea.
I had a 4.0 High Output XJ - I bought it so there was something on the drive when nobody was home - I got change from £250. Taxed and tested (no idea by whom...).
It was frightening in that it was faster than my E46 320d but on mud tyres and with only the vaguest of connections between the steering wheel and the steering-wheels.
I used it on road a couple of times before the paperwork ran out then just used it for a bit of plodding about in the fields at home. It achieved single digit mpg for my entire ownership. The interior was horrendous in both it's styling and its quality. I stopped using it when the bonnet cable snapped and the battery went flat. It went off for scrap and I got my money back on it - after three years.
I've got a picture of my dad washing it somewhere (read: removing the moss) - no two-bucket-method here, he was standing on the roof in wellies with a hose pipe and a yard broom
It was frightening in that it was faster than my E46 320d but on mud tyres and with only the vaguest of connections between the steering wheel and the steering-wheels.
I used it on road a couple of times before the paperwork ran out then just used it for a bit of plodding about in the fields at home. It achieved single digit mpg for my entire ownership. The interior was horrendous in both it's styling and its quality. I stopped using it when the bonnet cable snapped and the battery went flat. It went off for scrap and I got my money back on it - after three years.
I've got a picture of my dad washing it somewhere (read: removing the moss) - no two-bucket-method here, he was standing on the roof in wellies with a hose pipe and a yard broom
rallycross said:
One thing to keep in mind is the driving experience is nothing at all like a normal car.
I think this is one thing often missed with modern 4x4's.Personally I like and want them to drive like trucks. If I want one to drive like a car, I'll buy a car.
Still can be a lot of fun though.
From a Gymkhana/targa rally a few years ago. We were the only 4x4 in the event and running about mid table and ahead of 2 MX-5's.
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