1991 Jeep YJ Build Suggestion Thread!

jds97Wrangler

jds97Wrangler

Active Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Location
Mccleansville, NC
I thought I was pretty much done with Jeeps last year when I sold my 2001 TJ. But then last week my neighbor called me and said the transmission had went out his 1991 Jeep YJ 2.5l. I offered to help him replace it but he said he just wanted to sell it and asked if I knew someone who would be interested. I told him I may be interested depending on the price, he then said he wanted $600.00 for it. I couldn't say sold fast enough.

Well now I have a Jeep again and need to decide what to do to it. If you look at the pics you'll see a hitch basket he included with it. I sold it for $100 bucks so I am only into the Jeep for $500.00 so my options are pretty limitless.

First things first I need to fix the drive line, don't want to stick with the 4 banger. So I am trying to decided weather to put in a I6 or V8.

I can get a a complete setup out of a 2000 Durango for $550, it includes the 5.2l magnum, wiring harness, PCM, Auto transmission and 231D transfer case. If I go this route I will have to do a lot of wiring to combine the OBD2 Harness into my existing jeep wiring and I will also have to get a B&M auto shifter and rig something up to adapt my existing 4 wheel drive shifter to the NP231d of the Durango. I also have to change the output on the transfer case and make new drive shafts.

Or I found a 1995 I6 out of a Cherokee which includes the the motor, wiring Harness and PCM for 150.00. If I go this route I have to find a AX15 and will probably build the motor into a Stroker.

I'm sure there are people who have done both both these conversions, so I am looking for feedback on experiences people have had doing either.

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Im in the middle of a 5.2/auto swap in my cj7. The auto is long so the engine will need to go way far forward & cause u to cut the grill for a rad to fit. Thats needed to keep the stock rear driveshaft.

If u stretch the rear it might not be as much of an issue.

Sent via telegraph
 
To swap in the 4.0 you are going to have almost the same amout of work as the 5.2, you might as well go with the V8 right away. Our sponsored rig runs a stroker 4.0 and it runs awesome but it was already a 4.0. So far so good but I have heard/read a lot of horror stories about stroked 4.0's. There are a lot of guys over on Pirate who have done the 5.2 swaps so I am sure you will find answers to any issues you may run into.

My vote is go with the 5.2 motor unless you want to add a 3rd option and go with a 5.3 or 6.0 LS :D
 
First off, you suck for getting that YJ for $600!

I would probably go with the 4.0 swap due to simplicity. Like mentioned above, I'd be concerned about rear DS length with the full Durango engine/tranny/TC swap. It is definitely something to investigate before jumping into.
 
Paradise,

If I go with the 5.2 Setup i am going to use a SYE which should shorten the the length drastically. Then i will just have a CV drive shaft made.

Dave,
After doing some research on the 4.0 it it appears I can use my 2.5 wiring harness and just add the 2 extra injectors as long as I use a 95 or older 4.0. The other plus to going with the 4.0 I stay with the 5 speed that I like. The down side is trying to find a good AX15 that isn't to expensive.

I'm really leaning towards the 5.2 setup but I am a little concerned with trying to add the OBd2 PCM and wiring to a a OBD1 vehicle. Also as I said above I am not a big fan of automatics. The other thing I never keep jeeps very long after I buy them I like tinkering and modifying them and then after about a year selling them. I am a little concerned that with a V8 it would limit my pool of purchasers when I decide to get rid of it like I know i will. After all this is my 4th jeep in 4 years.
 
so unbolt the rear hitch thingy, rear bumper, pull the drivetrain. call it tinkering and sell the Jeep to me for 800 call it a day and make a few bucks.
Seriously great steal. I guess keeping it legal is the reason for the type of swap your plannin. Does painless make harnesses to run the easier to find Chevy V8's or a Ford? I always liked a Ford 302 or 351 with a C4 in these. As for limiting your purchase pool I wouldn't worry done right matters most. And since its no longer the stock 4 banger its modded either way you look at it.
 
Im running a d300 behind it so its shorter then the 231 w/ slipyoke.

Ppl have done them in yj/tjs many times. Idk what they generally use for trans.

It is possible to use the ax15 behind the 5.2. They did it in dakotas for a few years, & nv3500s in rams.

Sent via telegraph
 
4 link front & rear with rear stretch & v8 & 1 tons & be done
 
Dkra
if I ever planned to keep a jeep that is what would do. But I like to do a few budget mods to them, take em to URE a couple times then sell them to make a few bucks. I'm planning on this one becoming the down payment for my wife's SRT 8 Challenger in the spring.

I'm going to start stripping it down this week then next weekend decide what engine and trans I want to buy. I got a lead on Cherokee ax15 and transfer case for a reasonable price. I know the Cherokee clocks the transfer case down lower then the wrangler but I've. read you can redrill the transfer to clock it the same as the yj. Is that true?
 
Well Been a while since I update, turns out ther was nothing wrong with the transmission when the PO changed the the clutch this past summer he put the shift boot in wrong and it was wrapped around the shifter not letting it shift. So I decided to rebuild the the 4 cyclinder and just make a reliable 4 banger out of it.

Some Pics of the of the motor after rebuild complete.

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After I finished the motor trans and transfer case rebuild I decided to try to my luck with body work and and paint. The driver raocker had a big rust hole under teh rocker guard so I had to cut the rocker out and weld in a new. I didn't any pics of this process but here are some pics of the jeep after prime.

All the paint was sprayed by a first time painter using a $14.99 spray gun and Duplicolor Paint Shop rea day spray paint.

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You can see my make shift paint booth in the back ground, believe or not I have a attached garage and my wife never smelled any paint in the house.


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After some wet sanding and buffing the paint looks pretty good, amazing what you can learn to using google and Youtube. :bling:

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I believe I used to drive past that YJ parked in some guys yard in greensboro. If that is the jeep then you robbed that man getting it for $600 :huggy:
 
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