Jeep diesel conversion

Well after several hours of searching for information I've come well short of anything resembling knowledgable in the way of diesels. So I thought I would pass on my situation and see if anyone can lead me in the right direction. My sister has an 88' jeep cherokee that she brought to me wanting it fixed and converted. Originally she was wanting to convert to electric but since she would loose the 4WD on that route she decided to settle for a diesel. The reason being is that she is very environmental friendly and also cherishes this jeep. Now as an added goal she wants to be able to use biodiesel. Now with that said I have quite a bit of experience with gasoline engines especially of the Chevy 350 variety but I have NO experience with diesel. Good news is I am also very mechanically/engineering minded and love jumping into unknown territory head first. Here is my first question or position anyway. Her jeep is factory spec'd at 177 HP, 224 LB-FT if my information is correct, so I am hoping to find a diesel engine near the same ratings so that it doesn't overpower the capabilities of the (automatic) transmission which brings me to my next question. Question 2: though I have tried to research it all I could I have failed to find any definate Identification on what tranny is in her jeep but I am wondering how difficult it would be to fit the diesel engine to her stock tranny? I am sure I will hear that it would be easier to use a tranny made to fit the diesel but I am thinking that IF I were able to fabricat a useable adapter of some kind that would save me from having to modify many other things such as drive shafts, tranny mounts, not to mention clearence issues. Clearences and mounts for the engine I expect to have to overcome as well along with a completly new exhaust, but those don't worry me too much as long as the engine will come close to fitting in even if I have to relocate custom engine mounts to position it right. By the way as one more side note I would prefer to have a diesel which is fully mechanical so I will not have to go through the nightmare of cpu's of any kind. So there you have it sorry for such a long description but I figured it would help you to help me if I gave you all the info. Thanks for any advice you guys can give I appreciate it.

If you're in the USA, then suitable diesels will be hard to find.
If you are anywhere else in the world, then you've got a multitude of options.

I'd suggest something like an Isuzu 4JB1T, it's a 2.8l, 4cyl turbo diesel which fits easily into similar size vehicles. Complete mechanical control, only a fuel stop solenoid and glow plugs.

You'll probably need a new torque converter with lower stall speed and maybe remap the shift points in the automatic.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was checking that particular engine out and notices it power ratings are pretty low. Will the 4jb1t be enough to do any decent off roading with? The jeep is no rock crawler by any standards but it will still be needed for the occasional basic off roading.

diesels usually make lower horsepower than gas engines of the same or greater displacement. where diesels excel is in torque.
although finding an engine with less power will make the jeep slower by a bit, the added torque at low rpms will make it FEEL faster.

as for off roading, i can almost guarantee that as long as you dont put 44" tires on it, and expect to be able to climb a 45* grade, the engine will not be the limiting factor of the equation.
for what most people do with their jeeps, (which is drive on the highway) a modest sized engine is enough
if you want to drive on trails and such, you can get a bigger engine, but as long as you have a 4wd LOW range, you will have enough torque mutiplication for most any normal circumstance.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was checking that particular engine out and notices it power ratings are pretty low. Will the 4jb1t be enough to do any decent off roading with? The jeep is no rock crawler by any standards but it will still be needed for the occasional basic off roading.

Yes that is an excellent engine for a vehicle that size. As goose said, the low end torque will make the vehicle far better offroad than it was with a gas engine. Onroad depending on gearing it'll push that vehicle to about 90-100mph.

Keep in mind that Isuzu rates their engines quite conservatively. Better intercooling, more boost and more fuel makes for huge increases in power and torque.

Uh, the solution is extremely simple.

Jeep made a turbo diesel Cherokee in 1984 - 1987 with a Renault - sourced 2.1 liter diesel engine.

For a lot less money than an engine conversion on an existing Jeep, you could afford to buy the best turbo diesel Jeep out there.

If you require a newer model, in 1994 - 96, Jeep made a 2.5 liter turbo diesel Cherokee, with a modern VM Motori (Italy) sourced engine, primarily for Europe and South America. Again, for less money than your conversion you may be able to buy and import one, although emissions certification may be a bit tricky. However, there are companies that specialize in the importation and registration of cars to the US that could tell you if this is affordable.

haha. forgot about that

Uh, the solution is extremely simple.

Jeep made a turbo diesel Cherokee in 1984 - 1987 with a Renault - sourced 2.1 liter diesel engine.

For a lot less money than an engine conversion on an existing Jeep, conversion, you could afford to buy the best turbo diesel Jeep out there.

If you require a newer model, in 1994 - 96, Jeep made a 2.5 liter turbo diesel Cherokee, with a modern VM Motori (Italy) sourced engine, primarily for Europe and South America. Again, for less money than your conversion you may be able to buy and import one, although emissions certification may be a bit tricky. However, there are companies that specialize in the importation and registration of cars to the US that could tell you if this is affordable.
My brother owns a tractor with that same VM diesel in it. It's thirsty, noisey and has blown oil out the breather since it was 300 hours old.
DON'T DO IT!

Jeep does have a current turbo diesel cherokee.
2.7 common rail turbo diesel used from about 2004 to present.
You won't import a diesel one for anything near the cost of conversion.

The 3.0l mercedes engine in the current Grand Cherokee is the pick of the bunch.
http://jeep.www0-w2k3.net24.net.nz/db/documentlibrary/07MYGrandCherokee.pdf

I did read somewhere that they had made that renult cherokee but I couldn't find enough info on it to see if it was the least bit reliable. I had also already suggested just buying a diesel jeep instead of converting but she has ALOT of sentimental attachment to this one so she is set on converting. Thanks for all the posts guys.