Cars House

Guys,

I got a friend with a 1980 cj-7 with a cracked block and was wondering what the most wallet friendly alternatives were to get him up and running. I know the only year that particular 6 setup was made was 1980 so wasn't sure if i needed to find a block that would work that was a 1980. buy another block and stroke it. I told him to put a v-8 in and call it good, but he doesn't have the money as he wants to lift and put tires and such. Thanks in advance
Find a used 4.0 to put in it from a cherokee or wagoneer. Make sure you get the computer and wiring harness. Most can be found locally for around $500 or so. Or try local craigslist, post an ad in the wanted section here, Ebay, etc, etc
Or you could just try and find a running 4.2 They are not overly expensive and are a dime a dozen. Heck, I have one in my garage right now thats a huge paperweight. Not that it will do you much good but just giving an example.

Any 4.2L (258ci) engine will swap in with no issue. Can be found in a ton of jeep vehicles from the mid 70's until around 90 I believe.
"Wallet Friendly"?

Get a used 4.2 and drop it in.
Get a long block 4.2 and drop it in.
Get a reman 4.2 and drop it in.

V8's are nice. 4.0L I6 and EFI is also nice. But they can lead to things that aren't 'wallet friendly'.