yxmj

Take off your fan shroud. You should have more than enough room. As for changing the brushes just Google it the are a couple of real good write ups on Cherokee sites....step by step with pictures...that show you. Easy and no special tools needed. :thumbsup: Just as a secondary question.....how are you measuring the 11.5 volts?

Here is an easy mod to help any Jeep breath better. Having Yj’s Xj’s and now my first Mj, I have always wondered about the air box set up (used on both the 2.5 as well as the 4.0). Take a look at your air filter….it is +/- 13” x 6” or 78 inch² of breathable surface. Now take a look at the “Air intake hole it is +/- 4” x 4” or 16 inch² ( a little less that 1/5 the size of the filter)………Come on…….Lets let this thing have some air!!!!! Here is my quick mod. Years ago I worked at a plant that fabricated and assembled large farm equipment, One of the things we built was the grill that covered the rad on large tractors and earth moving equipment. This grill was made out of a thin gauge steel sheet perforated with holes, the slang name for it was 50% (I guess because half of the surface area was holes) So to make the grill we would run a sheet of this material through a “corrugator” so that it got a tight curving wave (like corrugated cardboard or roofing) The Idea being is that if you had a hole 1’ x1’ to cover and you took a piece of 50% 1’ x 2’ corrugated it down to 1’x1’ you have the protection of the steel grate but because you have equaled the surface area for all intensive purposes you have not restricted the air flow……Make sense?? Anyway enough rambling…..year ago I had picked as much of the 50% out of the scrap pile as I could and set it on the shelf hoping someday I would find a use for it…..Here it is I use K&N in all my Jeeps……Find or fabricate a perforated piece of steel as seen in my picture ( The smaller the holes the better…..and every hole is going to ad air flow.) Try scrap yards or old implement dealers?? Remove the air box and cut out as much of the side against the fender as you like (remember trying to get cool air so my thinking is that fender side is cooler than motor side) Cut and fasten your (rivet / screw /or even silicon) your mesh in place, maybe a fast shot of paint to make it look “factory” and reinstall the box. Just a cheap easy mod that you can do (in less time than it took to read this :laughin: ) it helps with the airflow, but still gives protection and a stock look. You can see in the picture…..I could go bigger yet…..but I easily doubled my available intake air. :thumbsup:

You can do it from the bottom. Just my 2 cents but around here a set of brushes is only worth $8......if the alternator is newer like you say they are easy to replace. :thumbsup:

Hard to be positive but I put the ear phones on and I would say that it really sounds like a lifter. Before you tear it down, try this (I have used this method with success on 2.5 and 4.0 motors). For about $20 more that an oil change (about $30 for the extreme way) it can add years to your motors life. Dr. YXMJ’s Oil Wash… There are 2 ways 2 do this the quick way and the extreme (right) way… Quick Way Go to your low budget auto supply store (Walmart??) and buy the cheapest motor oil and filter you can find. Also buy a high quality (I run 10W30 synthetic oil and filter) Go home and check your oil…..I would assume it is down ½ -1 quart Add (here is where different recipes come into play) your choice to top up….ATF….Sea-foam (my favorite)…..Diesel fuel…. Run the truck up to operating temp shut off and safely and carefully change the oil as usual. Change to cheap filter and add cheap oil…….(here is where some more sea-form is nice). Go for a drive or run the motor for 20 min. Shut off and safely and carefully change the oil as usual. Now add the good oil(10w30) with a new good filter……..Did that solve it? Extreme Way Go to your low budget auto supply store (Wal-mart??) and buy 2 complete changes of the cheapest motor oil and 2 filters you can find. Go home and check your oil…..I would assume it is down ½ -1 quart Add (here is where different recipes come into play) your choice to top up….ATF….Sea-foam…..Diesel fuel….(I love the sea-foam) Run the truck up to operating temp shut off and safely and carefully change the oil as usual. Change to cheap filter and add cheap oil…….(here is where some more sea-form is nice). Go for a drive or run the motor for 20 min. Shut off and safely and carefully Drain the oil Now drop the oil-pan and remove the valve cover….take both to your parts washer or a least a tub with some Varsole (you single guys can use the kitchen sink….the married ones know better) and clean both until you are willing to eat eggs out of them. (If you want now is a good time to add some fresh paint). Replace both with new gaskets or high quality RV silicon. Change to your second cheap filter and top up with NEW cheap oil. Drive down to the auto parts store and buy a high quality (I run 10W30 synthetic) oil and filter. Listen to you motor….is it getting better?? At home drain out that new cheap oil and change the filter to the good one….fill up with the synthetic I hope this Helps someone out there :thumbsup:

Just my 2 cents But I have done this a few times on Cherokee's You are better off (and Safer) if you run the fan directly to the battery through a relay (like the one's used to control fog/driving lights) then control the relay from your accessory outlet on your fuse box.

Thanks I will try to bolt it on as soon as I get home

Hello all Newb question here. ( New to MJ’s Not Jeeps) Just picked up a cherry 1987 MJ (less that 60,000) original miles on it. 2WD….2.5….Ax5…. Here is the question……Trans was unattached….pulled back and strapped to cross member when I bought it. Put in a new slave and had the dreaded job of putting something back together that II did not take apart….. Re-attached everything……or so it seemed…..at the end of the install there is a bar about 18” Threaded at one end with a hole for a bolt on the other. Could not figure out where it would go so set it aside. When we drive over rough roads the trans bumps against the dog house….I first thought the tranny mount was busted but we dropped the cross member and checked and that is not the case …so I am thinking the bar is some sort of extra brace…..can anybody tell me if this is so and if so were it is installed? PICTURE BELOW