I am pretty sure that the owner's manual for my 95 YJ says "3 speed automatic". Yep, I just looked. "PRND2L" is what it's got, in automatic configuration. I don't think that there is any "Donner" four speed that will fit. Still, you could do a lot worse than a hydraulic Chrysler auto.
Earle
What part of the world do you live in?
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Absolutely Earle... I just don't have two of them sitting around waiting to be put in something :)
Ebay man, although for some things there's enough competition to drive prices higher than you might find the old fasioned way... most things go for cheap.
I live in southern Maryland, about an hour south of D.C.
Mike Roma> What part of the world do you live in?
South East near W Virginia? I only ask because I used to live in Richmond. It IS slim pickings out there, so if it's in reasonable shape and decently priced, JUMP ON IT!
Carl
Errr south west...
Carl
Yes, on the western side of the Chesapeake, about two and a half hours from the closest part of WV (where my girlfriend's family just moved to from Northern Virginia - Harper's Ferry, very nice - I see tons of nice Jeeps out that way), maybe two hours from Richmond.
It seems to be that most of the Jeeps around here are newer TJs driven by the Navy guys, not too many of the trail rig variety. The only things around here big enough to take on a trail are Ford pickups with big V8s and "Git R Dun" stickers.
Another note > Errr south west...
I usually just approach a friendly-looking one at a gas station (generally when thier rig is covered in mud). They are usually more than happy to give directions and draw maps.
Carl
It may seem like you'd be dumb to pass it up but ask yourself how much more money would you have to spend for a project that's ALREADY how you want it, or closer to how you want it. Then compare that to the total projected cost after you've swapped half the drive train out of your "be dumb to pass it up" bargain. Do some math, unless you're dead set and your mind is made up. In that case knock yourself out and do a write up of the conversion for us.
Now if it costs you $1500 for the YJ, and then $2000 for parts* (It will by the time all is said and done) plus you and your fathers time, probably 30 man hours if everything goes perfectly AND the donor (thanks Earle) rolls into your driveway all by itself without you having to go find it and trailer it home.
Tack on 20 or 30 more man hours if you don't have a donor and that WILL mean you'll make more than one trip to the Junk Yard. I'm serious I love doing major mods to my Jeeps, but one thing no one really thinks about is all that TIME you sink into "cheap" projects.
$3500 (2k for parts) for a "bargain" that you have to THEN spend 60 man hours cussing at, chopping up and modifying... Versus $3500 for a stock
1991-95 YJ with OEM 5 speed, and a fuel injected 4.0 that is renown for going 250,000 miles without mechanical failure. Versus a 4.2 that's carbed (well know source of hair pulling frustration) Very weak in power (FACT: there were a couple years where the fuel injected 2.5 (4.0 based 4 cyl.) was rated MORE POWERFULL THAN THE 4.2 While BOTH were on dealer lots!) and not very likely to get past 150,000 miles without a rebuild.
Another thing to factor in is that automotive projects usually go for ten cents on the dollar, after someone dies, loses interest or decides to make a family instead. The trick is finding one, and getting there before the other hopefuls.
If you're going to build one, you won't get to drive it as much as you wanted, and it will go for that same ten cents on the dollar after you decide to do something else with your life.
Earle
Part of the reason for the project actually is to spend a lot of time in the garage - my dad needs a hobby. Interestingly enough, I found a 92 XJ 4.0 within an hour's drive for $500. So, if I don't buy this YJ I can always swap this engine in place of my '93's 4banger.
And I will never decide to do anything else with my life. I may get bored with most things rather quickly, but I've never gotten bored with my Jeep.
And whatever I do I'll make sure I write it up for you guys.
Earle Hort> "Simon Juncal" wrote in
Yep, nearly finished projects and total baskets cases are all over Ebay which takes care of the finding them trick.
Just narrow searches down to a couple hundred miles from your zip and you've got the worlds best classified ad's
I actually found the XJ on Craig's List after Ebay turned up zilch. I'm going up to look at it tomorrow (today I guess since it's actually mornin time now), hopefully if all goes well I'll be bringing it home.
Sim> > Another thing to factor in is that automotive projects usually go for ten
XJ's are a ton of fun and dirt cheap to buy and build. An XJ with a 3.5" lift and 31" tires can do a LOT of fun trails. Later on, you can boost it to
5.5" for around $150 with coil spring spacers, 1.25" shack;e and .75" block. and run 33" tires.Carl
Great Success! The XJ is in pretty good condition, everything looks clean, motor runs very nicely. It needs a new power steering pump and the steering column needs tightening (stupid tilt wheel) but otherwise everything looks good. The guy is a professional used-car flipper, says he just doesn't have time to do the repairs.
Tomorrow my pops and I will be renting a tow dolly and bringing her home. It'll be an extra car for a while until we find a Wrangler to put the drivetrain in or my 4banger explodes. Either way, a huge find.
By the way, he said the tilt wheel go> XJ's are a ton of fun and dirt cheap to buy and build. An XJ with a 3.5"
messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
I don't know if the steering column common problem or not. The CPS likes to die every now and then, causing and infinite crank no-start. It's around $30 and takes around 30 minutes for a first-timer, 10 for someone with experiance. It's probably around a 100,000 mile part.
What year is the XJ again? 87-91 have a closed cooling system with a pressure bottle. The pressure bottle is prone to cracking and leaking. Most convert to an open system found in 92 and later.
Other than that, the 4.0 is too big for the XJ's compartment, so they do tend to run hot and sometimes overheat if the cooling system isnt well maintained.
Post some pics for us!
Carl
Nice find. The tilt column thing is fairly common and the fix is simple: tighten the four bolts that hold it together. Like most thing, that's easier said than done - you have to pull the wheel and break the column way down (from the top) to get to to those !@#$% screws. I was liberal with the Loctite when I did mine awhile back.
The other reply I saw mentioned a tight engine bay. They stretched it in
87 when the 4.0 came out, so I have had no problem even running West Texas in the summer. I understand J. C. Whitney carries the bottles for the closed cooling system. Thermostat, belts, couple of injectors, valve cover seal, harmonic balancer and an alternator pretty well covered my 88 in the 70k miles I've had it (started at 112k) and I still prefer it on the3 road to my wife's little putt-putts. I have the 88 MJ and the original POS 5-spd manual died shortly after I got it (that's a real weakness if it's a manual) but I expected that. other than fixing what I break, that's about it.
I should be so lucky. My thermostat seems to be stuck open so now that it is cold outside it takes for ever to make heat.
I think I might sound like an idiot here, but: we brought it home on a tow dolly, so obviously the front wheels are up. I tried to put the t-case in neutral, but couldn't seem to find it, had my dad pull the truck forward hoping to feel the disengage - no dice. Ended up trailering it with just the tranny in neutral, but it still bothered me. So what gives? Does the t-case only 'need' to be in neutral for flat towing or is it me doing stuff wrong or possibly a bad t-case? I won't be able to really test drive it until I fix the power steering pump.
There is a small electric fan off to the side of the belt driven fan - standard or not?
I'll get pictures up as soon as I figure out how to reinstall Dell Image Expert - without the system disk - which somehow magically deleted itself when I installed my printer. So now none of my photo programs work and my camera doesn't get recognized whatsoever by the computer. Either that or I'll just use my brother's IBook - so much simpler.
Lee Ayrt>
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