Eagle

Somewhere between zero and negative 10. 4.88 isn't even available from Dana-Spicer. It was never used by the factory; it is offered only by aftermarket gear makers. That means the only place you might find one is in a Jeep that has been heavily modified by an owner. Anything is possible, but it's rather unlikely.

AMC used to have an option for a 16:1 "Quick Ratio" manual box in the Javelin and AMX. All my Javelins and AMXs were set up with the QRM box. I liked it. The slower 20:1 box was pretty awful. The MJ FSM says the ratio for the manual box was 24:1 -- I don't think I could drive that around the block.

Could be it sat long enough for the O-rings to dry out and shrink. When they got wet again, they swelled enough to make a seal. Maybe?

It's not, but have fun trying.

There should be an adjustment screw somewhere on the radio body to tune the receiver to the antenna -- but my fuzzy recollection is that affects AM more than FM.

Okay, let's try this. Redwolf is in Virginia Beach. I'm in southern Connecticut. According to Google Maps, that's 444 miles and takes 7-1/2 hours to drive. Call it 8 hours. I have out back of my garage a complete 1986 Cherokee 2.5L 5-speed, 4WD. I bought it several years ago to build into a trail rig, then most of the places I used to go wheeling were closed down so I never proceeded with the project. The previous owner had a rebuilt engine put in it. The new engine has about 30,000 miles on it -- I found the receipt in the glovebox. I have not heard it run -- when I tried to start it after I hauled it in here, it would cough and sputter a little, but it wouldn't actually fire up. Spark is VERY weak -- might need an ignition module, might need a CPS. I've had it for sale in the Classifieds here and there's no interest. I need to clear out the yard. At this point all I want out of it is the 4.10 axles. I have other axles I can stuff under it. Redwolf, if you want it and you're willing to rent an auto hauler from U-Haul for a weekend, you can have it. That'll give you a complete donor vehicle, all the peripherals, wiring harness, ECU -- everything.

Your diagnosis is probably correct. I had my '88 Cherokee repainted by Maaco when that happened, but it was a mistake. The new paint looked good for about a year, then it started to face and chalk. Now I have rust peeking through the paint on the roof, and the finish looks like a flat rather than a gloss. What I would suggest that you try is a light sanding with wet-dry paper, trying to sand away the burned clear coat but leave the color coat -- then respray with a new clear coat. Disclaimer: I think this will work, but I have not tried it yet.

My '88 was doing the same thing before I parked it. I was thinking CPS, but now you have me worried ... I don't think your scan tool can read the Renix data. It's NOT OBD-1 compliant, it's proprietary.

You can buy a Reese universal hitch at Wal-Mart.

You know, we're all trying to help you here, but you obviously don't want to be helped. Having been told multiple times what the best/easiest/fastest drop-in swaps would be, WHY do you keep asking about inferior engines that will require MORE work, MORE time, MORE effort, and MORE money ... all to get you something that doesn't run as well as what you have now? Talk to a real junkyard, not a pick-n-pull. They talk to each other -- they can find you whatever engine you want, and then you decide whether or not you want it. If you get an engine from a pick-n-pull, there's no warranty. Most used parts (including engines) from a "real" junkyard come with a 90-day warranty. Do your own search: www.car-part.com In the time we've all wasted trying to diagnose your dead or dying 2.8L you could have had a swap completed by now. Stop fooling around -- either find one of the right engines suggested by multiple people here, or sell the MJ and buy a Ranger or S10.

If down time has to be minimized, you need the easiest, fastest swap or conversion you can find. That means that a 4.3L V6 is NOT a candidate. It was never used in the XJ/MJ. It's a completely different block (essentially a shortened small-block V8) that will require fabricating motor mounts, different transmission and/or adapters, different fuel delivery system -- it's as much work as doing a Chevy V8. For what it's worth, in the early days of NAXJA another member who lives about 5 miles from me was driving an 86 XJ with a 4.3L V6. I asked him if he thought it was a good conversion. He rolled his eyes and said "Never again!" Even a 3.1L or 3.4L GM V6 will require some work. You would have to rebalance your flywheel to use with those engines, and that means a machine shop bill. Now -- Pay attention to what we write and don't read what you want to read. The Jeep 2.5L is NOT -- I repeat NOT -- the GM Iron Duke 2.5L engine. You do NOT want a GM 2.5L engine. You need a Jeep/AMC 2.5L out of a Cherokee, Comanche, Wrangler, or Dodge Dakota. That engine was used in the MJ, even the '86, so physically it will bolt in with no adapters and no custom mounts. It will work with your transmission with no adapters -- the bell housing bolt pattern is the same. As I posted above, the oldest version (only in XJs) used a carburetor. Your best choice would be the MPFI engine, but that would mean a bit more work because you'll also have to get the engine room wiring harness and ECU to run it. Back in the late 1990s, Jeep was selling a MPFI conversion for the 4.2L Wrangler I6 engine, which came from the factory with a carburetor. The conversion kit was basically the MPFI setup and engine room harness from the newer, 1994 Wrangler with the 4.0L engine. So ... if the controls for the 1994 4.0L can be split out and used as a stand-alone conversion, if you get a 2.5L with the wiring harness I see no reason you can't install that as a stand-alone. If you are considering the mid-generation of the 2.5L with the throttle-body injection, consider that if the injector goes bad it sells for about $130. The newer MPFI models use the same injectors as the 4.0L engines of the same years.

1993–1995 Chevrolet Camaro 1993–1995 Pontiac Firebird Plus 1984 - 2000 Jeep Cherokee/Comanche 2.5L (I don't think they offered the 2.5L in 2001. It was used through 2003 in the Wrangler.) Yeah, yeah, I know -- it's only a 4-cylinder and you have six. Consider this: 1984-1986 2.8L V6: 115 hp @ 4,800 RPM, and 145 ft-lbs of torque @ 2,400 RPM 1984-1985 2.5L I4: 105 hp @ 5,000 RPM, and 132 ft-lbs of torque @ 2,800 RPM (Carbureted) 1986-____ 2.5L I4: 105 hp @ 5,000 RPM, and 132 ft-lbs of torque @ 2,800 RPM (TBI) 1987-1990 2.5L I4: 121 hp @ 5,250 RPM, and 141 ft-lbs of torque @ 3,250 RPM (TBI) 1991-2003 2.5L I4: 130 hp @ 5,250 RPM, and 150 ft-lbs of torque @ 3,250 RPM (MPFI) You can see that even the original, carbureted version of the 2.5L is very nearly equal to the 2.8L V6. Once you get the 1987 the 4-cylinder out-performs the V6, and the 1991 and newer multiport version is significantly better than the V6 in horsepower, as well as slightly better in torque. The 2.5L will bolt right up to your transmission, and it won't eat it. You can also find the same 2.5L engine in Dodge Dakota pickups of the same vintage.

Or even a late model Cherokee 2.5L

Maybe -- maybe not. I once threw a used engine into an old Javelin. It had sat long enough under wet enough conditions that the rings were rusted to the cylinder walls. The car was a clunker that I just wanted to get running, so I pulled the head, soaked the cylinders liberally with penetrating oil for a couple of days, used a 2x4 and a heavy ball pein hammer to break the rings loose, then I cut the ridges off the tops of the cylinders and honed the walls with the pistons in place. Put it back together and after a couple of hours of (re)break-in it didn't even smoke.

Even if you get one out of a 2001 XJ (which will have the new-style, inferior, vibration-prone output shaft), it will be 13 years old. Why not just put a chain in the one you have?

2000 is a baby. How many miles are on the engine and why do you think it needs a rebuild?

You need an engine. Quit throwing time and money at that boat anchor and find yourself a decent Camaro 3.4L with fuel injection.

The ratio on the manual boxes was something like 20:1 or 24:1. The ratio on the power boxes is 14:1, and I prefer the ZJ box with a 12.7:1 ratio and I'd be even happier with a 10:1 ratio. Don't go looking for a manual box ... you WON'T like it.

And Chrysler used the 8.25 in vehicles other than the Cherokee ...

3.5 V6? What engine is that? It's not one I've ever heard of.

That's how I stopped mine from leaking -- silicone. Which means if I ever open them I'll have to reseal them, but after 26 years if I haven't had to open them yet, it's unlikely I'll ever need to.

You're making a big mistake. They leak. All of them. All the time. The wing vents on my '88 XJ leaked from the day I took delivery (new). After several complaints at the dealership, the Chrysler field rep offered to "fix" them ... by replacing them with the non-operable windows.

What size tires do you plan to run? IMHO, if you want more balls than the 4.0L offers you need more than gears -- you need an LT1.

Unless something has changed recently, the highest (numerical) ratio you can get for the Dana 30 front axle is 4.88 -- and that's only available from aftermarket gear makers, not from Dana-Spicer. Beyond that, the pinion gets too small to be useful.

Only if it comes from a '97 or newer XJ. The newer ones have larger axle shafts. The older 8.25 has the same shaft diameter and spline count as the D35. The housing is stronger, but the internals aren't much better. If you're going to do it, do it once. So if I swap it I should go with a post 97? I'm pretty sure that's what I wrote.