A few questions about my new 95 YJ

jsimons1988

jsimons1988

New Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2020
Messages
2
Location
ohio
Hey everyone, meet my new baby!! 95 Rio Grande wrangler. She has 41k miles, clean frame, BLOWN motor :(
previous owner put it in 3rd while going for 5th and blew a rod then decided to wipe his hands of it..... my most glaring question is, should i put another 2.5 back in it or a 4.0 or ??????
i'm not the most mechanically inclined but can do the basics ( plugs, wires, oil change, brakes} on my own and the rest with a youtube video or someone mechanically smarter guiding me. i really don't want to have a shop do it for me if i can keep from it. if i go with the bigger engine, what else will need switched? the tranny, computer, axles???
with all that being said, can ya'll help me out pleassssssseee!!!

axle&frame 2.jpeg


front view.jpg


rail frame.jpeg


side view.jpg


back seat.jpeg


engine 1.jpg


front seat.jpg
 
Did the rod blow a hole in the block?

Goofy first question but is the cost of any concern? Do you have knowledgeable friends willing to help (in a good way)? It's a great learning experience and not impossible to learn about especially with the help of this forum.

I just rebuilt my 2.5L and AX-5 for about $1500 total for parts and machine shop work, plus some other odds and ends that were broken.

The general consensus was to ditch the 2.5L for something bigger which sounds easy but doesn't end there. There's several supporting items that are needed. If you're swapping in a used engine/trans that one thing, if you're putting in a fresh rebuild it comes with a higher cost.

Mine is a daily driver I just wanted to flip for a profit but like a stray dog that shows up you feed it and next thing is you want to keep it. :) The previous owner was quoted $7000 for a rebuild and given the number of hours put in I believe that was accurate.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
yeah the rod blew through the front end of the bottom of the oil pan. Cost is a concern to an extent. I don't really want to put more than 4k total into it if possible. The more I look for a good used motor, the more i cringe because they're all over 100k miles. been looking at a refurb but then im not sure what companies to trust and what companies will sell directly to me without a middle man. its a bit overwhelming, especially when reviews seem too good to be true at times.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
It's tough to estimate especially when others may be doing the work. I would think having your engine alone rebuilt would be the lowest cost and then you have a new engine. Even though your engine has only 41k miles on it you still need to disassemble everything to see the extent of the damage and it's one of those things where you say "While I'm in there I might as well replace these other parts" New parts are not terribly expensive until you get into aftermarket performance items.

You had one rod come through the oil pan and to me that would mean the other three came pretty close to following it and are possibly stressed damaged. Hopefully the transmission survived.

The pics look very impressive. Someone must have had that in a garage for a long time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
That looks like a very nice YJ you picked up!

If the engine is already blown, I would personally swap a 4.0 in. They have a lot more power and are an all around better engine for the most part. Of course a swap is going to be a lot easier if you have an entire donor vehicle. To be honest, I wouldn't even bother doing any engine swap unless I had the entire donor vehicle. It really does make things so much easier, and this is coming from a guy (me) who has done lots of engine swaps over the years.

The other thing I would say is that if you haven't done an engine swap before, you'll want to at least have someone there to help you who has done it before or who has very good mechanical skills and knowledge. It's very involved to say the least and would likely take even a skilled mechanic a week.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Whiplash2130
Chris said:
That looks like a very nice YJ you picked up!

If the engine is already blown, I would personally swap a 4.0 in. They have a lot more power and are an all around better engine for the most part. Of course a swap is going to be a lot easier if you have an entire donor vehicle. To be honest, I wouldn't even bother doing any engine swap unless I had the entire donor vehicle. It really does make things so much easier, and this is coming from a guy (me) who has done lots of engine swaps over the years.

The other thing I would say is that if you haven't done an engine swap before, you'll want to at least have someone there to help you who has done it before or who has very good mechanical skills and knowledge. It's very involved to say the least and would likely take even a skilled mechanic a week.
Click to expand...
Chris is right on with his advice! Get a donor and some friends that won’t drink all your beer and don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Best of luck! P.S. DO IT FOR THE LOVE OF JEEP YK’s, your not going to make a profit from doing it. But just think of the end product you’ll have!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
If you do a swap, you will need the engine electrical harness, as Chris said a donor vehicle is the best way to go about that.
As for the 2.5, I have read other forums where folks said they were going to do a swap after the 4 banger died, only to complain that it wouldn't. That engine must have been neglected to blow like that, but I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who misses shifts with that God-awful 5 speed. Give me a truck 4 speed any day.
 
Top Bottom