It's been a long time coming, but with the engine management and wiring harness sorted out, we could finally justify turning our running, driving J2000 into a driveway ornament for a week or two while we yanked the stock 232, T-14, and Dana 20 drivetrain in favor of some more modern components.
We've been calling this project J2008, reasoning that it's what we'd like to see Jeep offer if the company was still building fullsize pickups. In reality, we're just wishing for better power, drivability, and mileage. And there's no denying the ease with which a 4.0L replaces a 232 or 258 inline-six. Skipping the V-8 allows you to retain the factory six-cylinder radiator, hoses, motor mounts, and engine brackets. And we were shocked to discover we didn't even have to drill new framerail holes to retain the factory crossmember. But you can read all about that elsewhere in this story.
Check out some of the finer points of bolting a modern 4.0L, NV3550, and NP208 into a vintage FSJ in this issue. Next time we'll be wiring, fueling, and firing the beast as well as finishing up a few odds and ends necessitated by the drivetrain swap.