Thanks for helping here. I have a good 1998 XJ8L engine(109k) and found a 2002 XJ8 that I am considering to buy to transplant the engine. Can this be done easily? (Plug and play). Or are the year differences too much to bother with? Has anyone done this before?


Thanks Jim

 

It's been done before, there's certain differences, not just plug and play. Worth a search on the forums

 

I was going to do something similar but decided not to. There are too many things to exchange and by the time you do the work and buy the gaskets and seals I decided it was better to find a AJ27.

 

I'm actually in the middle of doing one now on a customers car. Anything you want to know specifically besides if the swap has been done

 

There's a couple of things that need swapping over depending on the spec of the 26
Flex or starter ring gear as the crank sensor slots are different
Cam sensors 27 has 2 26 has 1
Cats O2 sensors, 26 has 2 27 has four pre and post cat so swap the cats.
Throttle body on the 27 is fly-by-wire and will need switching also.
A2B kindly offered to help and can assist on each of these swaps.
Hope this helps and good luck!

 

In addition you need to change the structural sump- AJ26 has one sensor at the oil filter and the AJ27 has 2
The VVT sensor is different- in timing cover on AJ27 and in cam cover in AJ27
The timing chain cover is different- no VVT in AJ27.

Question to Jim. What is wrong with the engine in the car he is looking at. Did it overheat- dropped valve seats or maybe tensioner failure- valve damage. If this is the case he might not be able to use bank 1 head-need for second cam sensor.

Question to A2B. What is the cost of this conversion to the customer? It would give Jim an idea of what he is looking at.

A2B is a lot more knowledgeable about this since I haven't done it. When I researched doing the swap I figured it would cost about $500 to do the conversion. What I did I waited and watched Craigslist and other sites and found a 99XK8 that was totaled. I got it for$800. I got a good engine, transmission, and luckily the same paint and interior as my XK8. Now selling the rest for parts.

 

It is TONS easier to go 'the other way'.... AJ27 into AJ26.

bob

 

You know whats easier than that? Putting a AJ27 engine in a AJ27 originally equipped car.

 

Bob,

Just out of curiosity, if you put a AJ26 upper oil pan on a AJ27 motor, would that lack of oil temperature switch not being there trigger as a fault in the ECM?

 

I don't know if it would. Knowing the electronics on these cars I'm sure it would. I have a 2000 xk8 I'm working on. I'll unplug the extra sensor to see what code it throws.

 

If you do follow through, note that the US version AJ26 has four oxygen sensors, so you don't need to change the cats.

 

The AJ27 uses an oil temp SENSOR and I'm sure the ECM wants to see an input. The ECM and TCM share information and I think I remember reading that one will substitute for the other in case of missing sensor info. It will still flag the fault.

bob

 

Unplugged the temp sensor and I get a pending code P0197, engine oil temperature sensor low.

 

Thanks to both Bobs!!

 

It doesn't sound worth it, from the many replies! AKA a little over my head!
for what I know I can do with a small budget right now!
Anyone what a good used AJ26 engine? Capt Jim

 

Sell it in the for sale section. Don't throw it away like many people do.