ilmbryan

*sigh* I have been fearing this day, my 07 JKU with 123k started to give a light knock in the passenger side of the block. It only happens after the engine is at full operating temp not when it is warming up. I'm in this rig for the long haul, so I'm looking for replacement motors. I'm going to stay with the 3.8, I've already dealt with the 5.2 TJ swap/headache/PITA. So my question for those who have the experience are the engines from 2007-2011 the same? Any different mounting points or sensors? I'm having my mechanic drop the oil pan this week, but I'm fearing the worse (main bearing or broken rod). Thanks for your time guys.

karls

A guy on another forum swapped in a 2011 into his 08 (iirc) and he needed the wiring harness from the newer motor. His o2 sensors were all kinds of wonky for a little while. Remember with 07 being the first year that they were still working out the kinks and making minor revisions along the way.

Good luck and post up about the failure when you find out if you will.

ilmbryan

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, when I get a handle on what went wrong I will post it up. I'm still crossing my fingers for a little good luck, but am not counting on it. Also, if anyone has a beat on an engine please point me that way.

Woodbutcher

You could try getting in touch with some of the conversion shops. Motech / jeep speed / AEV and the like. also the for sale section of the forum. Good luck.

Ryan0260

What weight oil are you running, and is the motor an oil burner?

ilmbryan

The minute I heard it I went home and parked it, changed the oil to 10w-30 just to test the waters. The oil was clean and it only was an "oil burner" when I had a front main leak at 107k, I promptly changed that gasket. When I was inspecting the motor I noticed my water pump has developed a leak and that my harmonic balancer appears to be a tad "wobbly".

Schantin

From a monetary standpoint, keeping with the 3.8 is by far the cheapest choice. A low mileage one can be found for under $2K.

My 2007 3.8 lasted 83K miles. It wasn't dead when I swapped it; but it was smelling of coolant BAD, losing power, + the clutch was slipping horribly. When the engine was pulled, it was discovered the block had cracked below the intake manifold. To it's credit, I actually got 40K miles from the engine AFTER it initially began showing symptoms in the form of a leak thru the bell-housing (mainly due to adding Bars-Leak to the radiator). However, the engine ws proving VERY incapable of powering my Jeep over the mountains common in SoCal.

Due to my disenchantment with Dodge powertrains, I went with a LSx swap from MoTech in Las Vegas, NV. I'm not going to blow sunshine that this is cheap (it was $18,725), but the difference was night and day. Since my 07' was paid for, I was able to get a 4-year personal loan from Discover to cover the cost of the swap @5% interest. That's less than the previous Jeep payment; and I have a new engine/tranny/transfer case/exhaust combo. For me, it was the "logical" choice. I've put 10K miles on the combo since the swap with no regrets and zero drama.

This might not fit your budget/plans, but it's always an option.

Invest2m4

I'm curious, is it possible/easier to swap in a 3.6 out of a 2012+ JK? I'm not suggesting it's a great engine to swap in, but wondering if it is a cheap option. I saw one locally for sale for $1000 and it was new (used by an auto company for product mockups or something). Probably not any easier to swap, but I don't know...

jtphoto JK

Just as easy to put a Hemi in. Someone will have to build a piggyback computer to run the 3.6 in older JK model. Doubt the conversion kit would be any cheaper then a Hemi kit (engine not included). There are so many 3.8s out there it shouldn't be too much trouble to find a good one.

Timecloud

Here is the Atlanta Craigslist ad from a guy selling a 3.8 for $700. NC's not that far away.

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/cto/4269940688.html