4.0l compatibility

[Coggs]

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows about the compatibility of swapping heads with different blocks. I have a 2000 TJ 4.0, worked great one day, next time I started it, it had a god awful ticking/knocking sound, sounded like it was from the back two cylinders. I watched a couple vids on YouTube And the ticking sounded like others with lifter issues. I have a mechanic ( not familiar with Jeep ) who is helping me tear it apart and we have the lifters out now but he doesn't see any signs of problems anywhere. I do have 2 extra 4.0l engines on hand but they are from 97-98 I think and have a distributor and wires, mine has the coil packs, any info on where to go from here would be greatly appreciated as I'm missing out on soooo much good mud right now lol. I'm not sure if I can just put my head on the block of my spare or can I just swap the engine along with the computer and have everything work that way, thanks again for any advice, cheers.

[justajeep]

The older head will work, you just have to make up some brackets to go from valve cover bolts to hold the coil pack. Just need pieces of 1/8" flat bar with holes drilled in the ends and a little bend. The 2000 heads are known for cracking, so not a bad idea to get rid of it even if it isn't your problem.