Modern EFI engines?

Thanks,

Jeff

That used to be true.  Not so much anymore with electronic control on everything now.  I think it's about a toss up at the present time.  Same for longevity.  What diesel does buy is a mountain of torque and better economy, along with cold weather starting problems.

As Mark suggests the little Ford 2.5 engine is a fairly easy swap, and so is the Chevy 4.3, which is a good choice if you want more power. Either of these are good choices.

I personally like to remain stock, other than brakes, and have no complaints about reliability. The "tinkering" is minimal and one of the things I enjoy most about antique vehicles is keeping them in good order.  

Just for fun I went down to the barn Christmas morning when it was 7 degrees here, and both of the Jeeps I have down there started on the first try. They did take a few minutes to warm up enough to push in the throttle, but once there they both idled smoothly. The 47 has the L134, the 67 has the F134, both carbureted with breaker point ignition. 

Changing engines requires a whole new level of additional modifications that don't always go to plan. Whether it be steering linkages, master cylinder, cooling, etc. there is almost always something to fix or improve. After all that trial and error, suddenly a huge oil leak appears in the rear axle. That's just old car ownership.

The new LS-based 4 cylinder engine looks like a treat. I can't wait for them to produce them. If I wanted the simplest route to have a turn-key engine, the EFI L134 can be done in a few weekends. It's a wonderful addition.

I am having this very dilemma myself right now with my 52 Delivery. It has a perfectly fine 1968 AMC 199 with single barrel and single exhaust that runs great, gets decent mileage and has never left me stranded in the 5 years since I restored it. The engine is on its' original bore (84K miles), has a rebuilt Carter YF carb, but I did install an HEI GM style distributor. It still has the T-90/D-18 and a BW R10 overdrive. 

I have another great running 4.0 HO (1998 version) with AW-4 trans and 231 transfercase that I am thinking about swapping into the Delivery. I would swap the axles as well. Why you may ask? More power, fuel economy, ease of operation and reliability(?!). If I do, I will swap ALL of the electrical harnesses and components from the Cherokee and install them in the Delivery to end up with a "standard" wiring system. This will hopefully prevent the swap over mystery problems that always rear their ugly head when merging various harnesses, gauges and switches. The Cherokee HVAC will not fit, so I'd keep the 1972 Ford pickup under dash system I have now (another bastardized effort, but it works, sorta.....)

If I was smart (I am not), I would LEAVE IT THE HELL ALONE! If it breaks down now, I should almost always be able to get it running on my own. I even carry the original distributor with me, even though the GM unit has been flawless (damn it, jinx!!).

Regarding diesels, the price of fuel has negated the advantages to owning a diesel. I have a 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 with a Cummins (yes, everything I have is old!), but it's a cream puff trailer tower only unit that I will have til I die. I love that truck, but it has broken down on me a few times on trips, like EVERY other mechanical device will eventually. The good news is, I was able to fix it on the side of the road and make it home. It ate 5th gear 4 times in 135K miles, so I recently upgraded it to the Mercedes G-56 six speed from a late model Ram 3500 diesel. Love driving that and it will hopefully last. Diesel just means more expensive repairs. I have at least $7K just in that swap effort doing it all myself.

Diesel rattle in a CJ-2 would be a bitch to suffer through after a while. Even in my pickup, I am nearly deaf after 500 miles and it has a full exhaust and sound deadening in the cab. The Kubota 2203 only makes 110 lb ft, and the Go Devil makes 105 lb ft, so....................

My vote is to go with whatever engine YOU are most comfortable with repairing on the side of the road and is the CHEAPEST/EASIEST to get parts for when it does break down (it will!).

Happy Jeepin'