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bogging down

751 views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  jeffy 
#1 ·
I have a 86 xj with a 2.5L, manual 5 speed, with 4.10 gears and 32in tires no lockers. I know that the 2.5L is a guttless wonder but when I go offroad and climb hills I can do ok in 2 wheel drive but when I put it in 4x4 it boggs down real good and I have to reather the clutch a little too much. What kind of issues should I be looking at fixing so I don't have to feather the clutch and be able to run in 4x4?
 
#2 ·
Its because you have more traction and load on the motor when its in 4x4. Your tires are spinning more in 2wheel drive. Unless you have binding in your front axle or t-case, sounds to me like just a tired renix fed 4-popper. BTW are you talking like 6k rpm assaults going up sandy/dirt hill climbs or are we talking slow crawling up and over rocks?
 
#4 ·
hey, so the motor wont rev up on the hill or it just feels like theres nothing there? if the motor wont rev it sounds like a binding issue but it it just feels gutless, it sounds like you may need a lower gear ratio, how is it in other aspects (i.e. on road, mud, rock crawling).

PA-XJ2
 
#5 ·
On the road it doesn't do to bad, it's a 4 cylinder so it is a little gutless at freeway speeds. 4 wheel drive on flat road it does good. going up hill it is a little of both won't rev up and doesn't feel like I have power at all. The front drive shaft is a diffrent style then what I have seen before it is like a front axle out of a front wheel drive car and the cv boot and joint where all jacked up so I removed it to get it replaced. I don't think that had much to do with it though. I am only running 32in tires shouldn't 4.10s be good enough for them? Thanks for all the help.
 
#6 ·
Sounds like a normal 4cyl engine with no torque. This is normal. Your gearing is fine, its your motor that sucks. If theres nothing binding, which it doesn't sound like there is, its just the super craptastic 2.5L. You could try an inertia ring, but in the end yoiu still don't have the torque of a 6 or 8 cyl, which is what you want, not high RPM meager horsepower. My recommendation, save up for a new engine. Then take your current motor and buy a boat to attach to it, and go throw it in the water somewheres. Good Luck
 
#8 ·
'86 means it's probably carb'd. That means you're down some 20HP compared to the later MPFI's. If it's a new engine, are you sure it was built right? You should be able to rev it up to 4000 easily.

Gearing is really important with a small engine. 4.10/4.11's sounds low but they aren't for a 2.5L, especially with larger tires. 32's are really that big though.

If you're planning on using it as a daily driver and crawling then gearing it lower would be the best option.

Otherwise, it's probably better to just sell it and get a 4.0L. Keep it and swap in a 3.4L or a 3.8L would be doable as well. I'm not an expert when it coems to XJ's but I remember hearing something about the engine compartment being smaller in the Pre-87's.
 
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