Eagle

In the AMC years, the 2.5L had different ratios for 4-speeds, 5-speeds and automatics. Once Chrysler took over, they eliminated the 4-speeds and settled on using 4.10 gearing for all the 2.5L XJs.

Nope and Nope.

I don't think the fluid is all out. Almost half the total volume of fluid is in the torque converter. I know I'm a stick shift guy and autmatics aren't really "my thing," but my understanding is that the only way to get that out is to drop the tranny and pull off the torque converter. Otherwise, even dropping the tranny pan only dumps what's in the pan, not what's in the converter.

The Ford 8.8 is stronger, but you are correct that the Chryco 8.25 offers several advantages. It's the right width, and the diff is centered on the axle. Nothing about the 8.8 is insurmountable, but I think the 8.25 (in the 29-spline version) is a good choice. They're both c-clip axles, so the Ford doesn't offer any major advantage there. Go for it.

Sucking the fluid out through the filler still only gets about half of it out, because it doesn't drain the torque converter. Doing it that way is no better than just using the drain plug. The filter is not easily changed like an oil filter on the engine. To replace the tranny filter screen you have to drop the pan. The lower part of the filler tube is welded to the pan, so that has to come too. The upper part of the fill tube is pressed on with an o-ring between the two halves. Usually, in an older vehicle that o-ring is so hard that you need dynamite to get the two halves of the tube apart, and you'll most likely trash the upper end. A good Jeep dealer keeps them in stock, because they don't bother trying to save the old one, they assume it's trash and replace it with the filter. I did one that had 165,000 miles on it. It was an '88 XJ and I worked on it in 2003. The old filter would have been fine. I'd suggest not worrying about it unless you're having a problem. As to synthetic tranny juice ... girsmj86 is the first and ONLY person I have ever heard of who has used synthetic in an AW-4 and not experienced problems. I think you're better off saving your money and using conventional tranny fluid.

What upgrades do you need, and who told you you need them? I've been making inquiries to AT&T (which is, I believe, the only option available to me where I live). So far I have had responses from three different people, and that means I have three different opinions (actually four, as one of them waffled when I asked a question about the initial message) regarding whether or not DSL will work with my computer. Meanwhile, my IT friends all tell me it will work, and my computer at work is less powerful than what I have at home and that chugs along just fine on an AT&T DSL connection, so it's obvious that their techies in India or Pakistan or wherever they hide out don't really have a clue.

In dealing with and talking about building contractors, we have a saying: "Nobody has time to do it right the first time, but everybody seems to have time to come back and do it over." It's actually amazing just how universal this is. It's a mindset and a business model that I can't get my limited mentality to embrace. It might take a whole extra 30 seconds or a minute to align a valve correctly when you install it, but to have to send a man with a truck and the equipemt back to remove the valve and re-install it probably wastes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. Do the guys who messed it up the first time ever get FIRED for not doing it right? Rarely. I can't understand why not. The same is true of auto techs, too, of course. That's why I buy shop manuals and do every single job I possibly can myself. I can trust my work, and if I have to do something makeshift, at least I know where it is, how it was done, and WHY it was done. That way I can correct it at the next opportunity. Too many shops cut corners and do things that make their job simpler this time, but make subsequent repairs much more difficult. I have no use for techs who do that kind of stuff.

I think he has ice in the line.

It can easily be engaged manually. Just pop the cover off the disconnect housing and engage the sliding collar. It can be shimmed in place using large washers, or even a hose clamp. Close up the housing and just pretend you have a one-piece right side shaft. Be sure to plug your vacuum tubes, though.

BTW -- have you plugged these lines (or the ports) yet? If not, you created a vacuum leak. I don't think it's the only problem, but it isn't helping any if you're trying to diagnose a no-start condition when you have a built-in, known vacuum leak.

Correction, DryGas won't do ANYTHING if the line is already frozen. DryGas isn't even fuel system anti-freeze. All it is, basically, is alcohol. It most certainly isn't fuel system defroster.

We're not psychic. It would have helped if you had bothered to explain what you were doing. How are we supposed to "realize" what you're doing if you don't tell us?

Nah. YJs are HP. They gayed over the TJ axles. But he doesn't want the housing, jsut the shafts. I hope. Unless he likes leaf springs! I thought he wanted the entire axle, so he wouldn't have to set up a different ratio in his front differential.

x2 what he said ^^ The same light warns that the parking brake is on and that there is a pressure imbalance between the front and the rear. First step, as noted above, is to make certain that the parking brake isn't on, not even a little bit. Assuming that's okay, if the light is on either the front brakes or the rear brakes have air in the lines, or have a leak.

XJ springs are 5 inches shorter than MJ.

Cherokees have a 104" wheelbase. Having wheeled both an XJ and a SWB MJ, I don't think there's any need to go shorter than the XJ's 104", and I don't really think there's any need to shorten a SWB MJ at all. The MJ climbs better than the XJ, precisely because of that extra wheelbease. I have seen pictures of a very nicely executed MJ that was shortened nearly a foot. It looked like it just rolled out of the factory -- it wasn't a flatbed, he shortened the frame and the stock bed and made it look original. But it's a lot of work and I question the return on investment (of effort, as well as money).

My vote goes to the idiot. Couple of years ago I refurbished a Cherokee 4.0L automatic. It's problem turned out to be a cracked flex plate. The kid from whom I bought it couldn't diagnose that, but once I got to work it was obvious that he'd had things aprt. Two or three of the bolts holding the bell housing to the block were missing, as well as the hollow locating dowel on the starboard side. Replacing a flex plate isn't a 5-minute job, but this dweeb made the task about 3.7 times more difficult than it should have been, because I found that literally EVERYTHING he had touched I had to re-do. And he had touched a lot of things. Use blue Loctite on those bolts and you should never have a problem. Good luck with the truck -- let us know when you have it running.

If they can't sell it legally, what makes you think they can give it away? You aren't allowed to install a used converter in any event (at least, not legally). I don't think they'll let you out the gate with a cat.

Agreed. Back in 1988 I bought an XJ rather than an MJ for the simple reason that the MJ didn't have an extended cab. If I had the time and a place to work I would be building a Cheromanche. The one in that ad looks reasonably well done, but for my purposes the bed is too small (no doubt because they retained the Cherokee wheelbase). I'd want to put either an MJ shortbed box on it, or maybe a shortbed box truncated to about 5 feet in length. Gotta be enough left to be useful, or why bother?

Not for most MJ 2.5Ls. The 86 - 90 used a throttle body injection. ALL the 4.0Ls were multi-port. Put on a 4.0L throttle body and you have no way to put gasoline into the engine. It won't make a lot of power running on air.

Unless you are running at least a 3" lift you will also need to shorten the drive shaft. The pinion snout on a D44 is about 3/4" longer than a D35. Just swapping in a D44 at stock height leaves you with the possibility of ramming the front yoke into the transfer case and grenading that. If you are really looking for the easiest fix, that's going to be another Dana 35 ... plus that will be easier to find. The Dana 44 is a better fix, for sure, but it's harder to find and does offer the drive shaft length issue to deal with. [EDIT]Never mind. Just looked at your signature.

Chrysler may have changed things in 1989. The following is from the original '86 MJ shop manual, and it doesn't match up with your VIN at all. First digit is country of manufacture. All MJs should be 1 = U.S. Second digit is company. All MJs should be J = Jeep Third digit is vehicle type. All MJs should be T = Truck Fourth digit is engine type. 2.5L TBI should be code H However, looking at the '94 XJ/YJ shop manual, things seem to fit a little better: First digit is country of manufacture. All MJs should be 1 = U.S. Second digit is company. All MJs should be J = Jeep Third digit is vehicle type. No MJs in '94, so the XJ FSM shows only 4, for MPV Fourth digit is gross vehicle weight. F is 4001 - 5000 pounds Fifth digit is "Line" (series). For '94 T was a 2WD Cherokee (LHD) Sixth digit was trim level. 2 was Base Seventh digit was body type. '94 doesn't show a 6 (no MJ) Eighth digit was engine. They show P for the 2.5L and S for the 4.0L, but the 2.5L in '94 was multi-port, so it may have had a different code. Ninth digit was a "check digit" -- could be anything. Tenth digit was year. '94 was R, '86 was G. They must have skipped a couple in the sequence. Eleventh digit was plant location. L = Toledo #1, P = Toledo #2 The last six digits are the actual serial number. Remember, the actual takeover by Chrysler was in the middle of the 1988 model year. Through 1988 the VINs would follow the old AMC sequence and coding. I would have thought this might still be the case for 1989, but apparently Chrysler changed the coding in the first year under their control.

Okay, it's a '95 engine but are you still running the original electrical system? If so, there's a relay in the lay bank on the right fender that operates the starter solenoid. That relay might be stuck. Carnuck and I are (I think) on the same track -- I had in mind just disconnecting the wires from the starter to see if you could then push start it, he's suggesting removing the starter entirely. Either one would confirm that the problem lies with the starter. Mine is less work, and if the result is no grinding would strongly suggest a stuck relay.

The bolt pattern on the 2.5L is much smaller than the 4.0L bell housing. I think the 2.5L bell housing is also shorter, so more likely this fits between the 2.5L bell housing and the tranny. I wonder what you have to run for a clutch? The AX-15 input shaft is larger than the AX-5, so you need a clutch disc with the larger spline ... but the bell housing doesn't seem to be large enough to take the 10" clutch used on the 4.0L engines. Anybody know if there's a special clutch disc available?

Look at it this way: Wal-Mart sells Fram. Need I say more?