Hey guys, I have a 1985 Jeep Cherokee 2.8 v6 5 spd 2dr. I was wondering if there is a smallblock v8 that would bolt to my tranny that I could possibly use in a swap. I absolutely hate the 2.8 and I'm trying to kill it as we speak. I heard that a ford 302 motor will bolt up to the tranny but I'm not sure and I really am new about this whole jeep experience. I love my jeep and would love it more if I had a V8 in it. Please help.  

No V8 is going to bolt up to your tranny. Putting a V8 is a Cherokee is not a simple task as there is fit issues and when you do you need to upgrade drive line as well.  A GM 3.1 or 3.4 will bolt in. Later Cherokees had a lengthen engine compartment to take a in line six but not that model year. I suggest you stop trying to "kill" it and rethink things a bit.  

There is absolutely no doubt that the 2.8 V6 was the worst enginer ever put in a Jeep. Unfortunately, you cannot simiply bolt in a V8.
The engine bay is not big enough. Later Cherokees have a longer hood to fit the I6.
The unibody is not stiff enough.
The transmission, transfercase, and axles are not strong enough.
Your really only have two options. You can swap in a Chevy V6. Or, if you are absolutely convinced that  V8 is the only way to go, you can sell your Cherokee. Small Block Chevy swaps into Wranglers are relatively easy. And it is possible to do a SBC swap into a later Cherokee, although the unibody will still require a great deal of stiffening, and the rest of the driveline will still need to be swapped as well.
Jeeps are awesome. But sadly, you have what is probably the least buildable solid axle Jeep ever produced.  

Actually the 2.8 is not a bad motor but it does suffer if it is not maintained properly (if you do not change oil often you will have issues later in its life) As far as bigger V6's, if you really want to go that route, you need to stick with a 60 degree block (angle between banks) like the 2.8, 3.1 and 3.4 is. A 4.3 is a 90 degree block based off of a 350 with two cylinders removed and is a lot wider and your bay is narrow and short too and this is why Jeep choose the 2.8. The 3.1 and 3.4 are direct spinoff's of the 2.8 and is based on same design and they are all good motors. Another thing, the 2.8 meed to wind up to makes its power (and they can be warmed up nicely too) and if you have lifted it and installed bigger tires the 2.8 will feel weaker if you did not regear it. You would be time. fuss and money ahead if you simply swapped in a good 2.8 or one that has been  warmed up some and some deeper axle gears. I have seen some pretty warmed up 2.8's hold together just fine and run well but again frequent oil changes are key here as this is not a engine you change the oil in it once a year or just add oil to it. You might be able to fit a old buick 225 V6 in it or the more modern 231 version (same motor with a increased bore) because though it is also a 90 degree block it is a bit smaller than 4.3 and Kaiser/Jeep actually bought 225/3.7 V6 and all its rights off GM/Buick in 60's so it was a jeep motor for a while. AMC/Jeep sold it back to GM in 70's and it was retooled to be a 3.8/231 and that basic design is still used today by GM in some cars.  

I disagree with your first statement. The 2.8 was crap from the factory, was crap when it was new, is still crap now, and will remain crap in 10 years. It's most suitable for use as a boat anchor. If you options were the 2.5L 4 banger and the 2.8L V6 you were better off getting the smaller engine.
The best thing you can do to improve the V6 is drain all the oil, drive it till it seizes, and turn it all over to a scrap metal dealer to recycle.  

The 2,8 was a good motor for what it was made for it was just not understood by many (including yourself it seems) A 2.8 needs to be able to wind up to make its power and it needs good clean fresh oil change too. If you lug it a lot and do not change the oil it will fail sooner and they they will blame engine not operator or the way it was taken care of. I know of at least one mid 80's Jeep that has been taken care of and the 2.8 in it still runs good. A lot of them plugging around in cars still and running fine too. Like I said before, it is not a engine that you change oil in once a year when you are working it hard in a 4x4 because good oil is critical to its life span. So is proper cooling. Some of those stock 2.8's can actually rev high enough to hurt themselves if you wind it out all the time (they could go well past 6 grand) where as a stock small block or 2.5 will run out of breath before it can hurt itself but again this is operator error not a engine flaw as there is no reason to take it that high when power peaks below 5000 RPM.  

Thanks for the input guys. However I agree with dirty dog in saying that the 2.8 is a horrible motor after having owned one. Its has been unbeleivably hard to kill though. I rev it straight to redline every shift and deliver pizzas in it and cant imagine it blowing up without draining the oil first. I just hate it because it has no balls what so ever. I think I'm gonna continue to kill it and throw another 2.8 in it and sell it. Thanks alot for the help.  

one last question for you guys. What about the 4.9l v8? its a 60 degree block v8 from gm. I know I would have to do something with motor mounts but would it bolt to my tranny? I actually have plenty of room in the engine bay for it if I move my radiator back alittle and it is plenty wide enough for a v8. Could I bolt it up though?  

You need to forget about V8's in that Jeep. Even if you fit one in the chassis and drive line cannot take it. Focus on a bigger V6. A 3.1 would bolt right in and it could be warmed up nicely and with proper gearing it would surprise you. A stock 2.8 was pretty smogged up and well below its potential. So many blame engine and fail to look at the bigger picture on why things run the way they do. Proper gear is critical for good performance in a small 4x4.  

You do not have as much room as you think. You MIGHT be able to shoehorn that engine into the bay, with enough KY and a BFH and a sawzall, but you'd probably make it half way around the block before the rest of the driveline gave up. And then you'd be trapped inthe car after the body flex causes the doors to jam. Tough to sell it after the Jaws Of Life are used to extract you....
OK, some slight exagerations, but not really that much. Think of it this way. There is unlikely anybody on this site who is more in favor of excessively large, powerful motors than I am (408 stroker in my Dodge, 383 Chevy in my Wrangler, 700HP Supercharged 383 LT1 in my TA...) and even I am saying this is not a good idea.
Your Cherokee is small and light enough, and the problems of a V8 swap significant enough, that it's just not worth it. Put in a good V6 and you will have all the power you need. With the money you save you can lift it, get some big meats on it, lock it, get a winch....  

BTW, the only main difference between between a 2.8 and 3.1 is the crank or stroke as bore is the same so a 2.8 can be easily expanded to make more torque. If you bone yard shop for a new engine, you want a L44 made from 85 to 88. It had bigger ports and valves and it was same head as used on later 3.4 and was rated at 140 HP(a 3.4 is a over bored 3.1). You could also look for a LH7 used in 81 to 83 Citation X11 models. It was rated at 135 HP. He current engine is a LR2 and rated at 115 HP. Also on the 3.4 side from 93 to 95 it was used in the Camaro and Firebird as a base motor (L32) and was rated at 160 HP and 200 ft lb of torque and is a big upgrade from his current motor. There was some super charged and DOHC versions of 3.1 and 3.4 but those will not likely come cheap and they made over 200 HP. Other than working out the fuel injection on later 2.8's and all 3.1's and 3.4's, those engines will all bolt right in with little fuss. A nice 3.1 or 3.4 would play well in there and there should be tons of 3.1's out there as they were used in a lot of cars for a lot of years.