hi, I have a question and was hoping to get some help. I have a 1998 vanden plas that needs another engine. I was wondering if an engine from an '01 or an '03 would fit. I have had the car sitting for a while, and would really like to get it running again and this would give me a good place to start. any help is appreciated thanks.

 

With enough money and time, of course, anything can be fitted to anything. But I think the consensus has been on this forum that the 98 engine is unique enough that you would be better off finding a good 98 engine. Or a not so good 98 engine, and fix it up before swapping it in.

 

Boomer is correct in that the cost of converting a later model engine to your car might be an expensive process.

The '97 - '98 cars came with an AJ26 engine. After that they had an AJ27. The basic blocks are the same, just the bolt on stuff, including heads, different. If you were to find a wonderful, low mileage AJ27 it might be worth the conversion labor effort, otherwise for a direct swap stick with a '97 - '98 AJ 26.

If you are doing this yourself (the labor is free) by all means put the best engine available in. The XK8/R forum FAQ Sticky has a discussion on the issues of the conversion.

 

I have told this story before on this forum but when I was at the dealer several years ago I had a customer that did an engine swap on his 1998 XJ8 and could not get it running correctly. It kept running rough and flagging a CMPS/CKPS relationship fault. I checked the 'B'bank intake cam to be sure it was timed and correct (AJ26 single reluctor lobe had not fallen off or damaged). I checked the 'A'bank to be sure it was timed. I replaced the crank sensor with known good part, NO CHANGE. Valve clearance OK. He came in to check the progress and we talked. That is when he revealed that he and his son had used a 1999 engine and swapped ALL the AJ26 parts to the AJ27 engine. I was stunned. I never thought to look at the right head to see the CMPS was NOT plugged in because the AJ26 only has the left head CMPS. I asked if he also swapped the Torque Converter Drive Plate (the crank timing segments are part of it). He said 'No he left the AJ27 one on the engine'. That's when I said 'FOUND IT'. The AJ26 and AJ27 have different spacing and number of segments. He brought me the AJ26 drive plate and I installed it. The engine ran normally. If the customer had told me about the swap I would have found the fault with alot less diagnostic time. You can use any 4.0 V8 but you have to know what needs to be swapped/installed for it to operate correctly.

bob gauff