[rustybottoms88]

This will be my third Yj I have owned. My very first vehicle was a 1995 YJ with the 2.5L it was sold before I got out of high school. When I got out of college I bought a 1988 Yj off Fleabay in Indiana because, I was bored I guess?? It had the 2.5L as well and I sold it after the tcase imploded. And now....well I wasn't really looking to buy another whole jeep but one of my friends had this heep and wanted to move it on to the next owner. So I got a smoking hot deal on it and I am the new owner. I was looking to put a full body and top on my cj and make it more streetable but I think now I will keep the cj as a dedicated trail rig. So in general I am leaning towards making this Yj a streetable, fun to drive dirtroader.....although builds do tend to spiral out of control so who knows this thing could end up racing in EMC at KOH. lol
Specs: 1987 YJ, 2.5L(not running) all bone stock except for some pimptastic 31" thornbirds. :vrolijk_1:

According to last P.O. that had it when it was running, the radiator developed a leak and then it over heated and blew a head gasket. Since then it has set in the woods for about 11 years. My good friend came into ownership about a year ago, removed the carpet,cleaned the leaves out of the tub and it set in his yard.
Plans? Well I don't really have any yet but currently I am pondering a motor swap. I do not want to put the time and effort into the 2.5L. The wiring is a mess and the rest of the drivetrain is less then ideal. 1987 was the lucky year to have the 2.5l, AX5 AND the NP207 drivetrain combo. Right now a 5.3L, 4L60-E, NP231C is looking favorable. Also have considered a 3800 series GM motor as well. I have a different idea everyday and I welcome suggestions. It will probably be a few months before I start on this rig(have to finish few things on the CJ) so I have time to weigh my options.

On to the pics.

There were four angry squirrels under the hood.....literally.

The wife didn't approve at first but she's coming around to the idea.

 

[rustybottoms88]

Engine selection

While waiting for parts to come in for the EFI project for the cj I, with help from a friend, have been researching a motor swap canadite for the yj.
Some criteria the candidate motor must meet:
1. Must be cheap!
2. Provide good fuel mileage.
3. Provide decent hp and tourqe.
4. Have decent aftermarket/ swap support so I don't have to reinvent the wheel.
Search results thus far:
Gen II GM L99 4.3L V8: yes it's a v8 not the v6. Also known as the "Baby LT1"Came out in the mid 90's caprice's. Specs: 200hp and 245lb-ft. Roughly 26 mpg. Pros: Should def fit the cheap requirement as no one wants them for anything else. Decent power compared to the 2.5L. Decent after market support as these are identical externally to the 5.7L LT1. Cons: all iron heads and block. Not the most powerful option and optispark.
Gen III GM LR4 4.8L V8: came in trucks from 99 till 2006. Specs: 285hp 295lb-ft. Roughly 17 mpg. Pros: should be easy enough to find one. LOTs of Power. Good aftermarket/swap support as these are identical to the 5.3L just smaller bore. Cons:not the best mpg of the bunch and probably be one of the more expensive.
GM LX5 DOHC 3.5L V6 "Short Star". short lived production, found in 1999 Intrigue and 2001-2002 Aurora. Specs: 215 hp 230lb-ft. 30 mpg in a 3400lb Oldsmobile. Pros: all aluminum, actual timing chains and not a belt. Best mpg of the bunch. Cons: probably the least aftermarket support.
GM L67 3.8L V6 supercharged. Found in several Pontiac's. Specs: 240 hp, 280lb-ft 28mpg in a 3600lb car. Iron block aluminum heads. Pros: would be fun powerful light motor. Decent aftermarket support. Cons: supercharger is a blessing but could add more work to the swap, like intercooler and so on.

 

[Lanery]

If you look around there are a couple builds on here that use a GM 3800 and there seems to be a good amount of info if you can go through and find what applies to your swap. I am also stuck with the 2.5 in my yj but mine is still running. I already have the s/c 3800 and a 90 degree bellhousing 700r4 my biggest hold up other than money at this time is wiring. I have the motor that is still currently in a grand prix and already has a cam and pulley swap and a few other mods and think this would make a great lightweight powerful motor and work perfect to keep my 44s alive in my jeep running 36s

 

[TexasBlake]

4.3 and 4.8 would be my choice out of what you have listed. You can even move the 4.3 in the engine compartment and this will give you better driveline angles if you keep a close to stock WB. A lot of guys I know who consider the 4.3 almost always go with the 5.7 because the price isn't that much different when it's all said and done, and the weight isn't *that* much different.

You could also find a 2.5L for next to nothing, my old 2.5L ran like a top, had under 100k miles, and was sold for only a few hundred bucks on craigslist when my old YJ was parted out. On my old YJ, I upgraded the driveline (D60/14FF, 4:1) and left the 2.5L. It was fine 95% of the time. Didn't have the power to spin the wheels when I needed it to in some big climbs, but don't rush into an engine swap and blow your $ wad when you haven't done driveline first.

The NP231 isn't as bad as most people claim. Sure, it's no NP205 or D300. But they just work. Keep a skid on it to protect the aluminum housing, build some kind of protector in case you lose a front shaft (a front shaft failure blew a hole in my NP231 housing) and it should be fine until you can upgrade later.

 

[rustybottoms88]

Last weekend I started pulling parts. I got the Tcase and transmission out.

Come to find out the Tcase is a NP231J. I think in the jeeps previous life the front output on the NP207 let go,or the ujoint did, and knocked a hole in the trans tunnel. Thus the np231j was installed and the trans tunnel has been welded back together.

I am planning to go trade the NP231J for a NP231C this weekend. The AX5 is sold to a fellow in NC and will be shipped out, if i ever get a shipping quote from Fastenal.

In the mean time the engine swap research continues. I have given a fair look at some diesel engines as well. Including but not limited to these engines: VW TDI, Cummins B3.3T, Mecerdes OM617, Kubota V3300T. Most of those are all pretty expensive except for the VW and Mecerdes. The VW is at the top of the diesel selection list right now.
I really need to give the Gm 4.3L V6 a fair look as I have not yet. Its probably more within my budget.

Oh the possibilities:

 

[rustybottoms88]

Unfortuantly this YJ's luck ran out with me. I sold it to another jeeper with big plans. I have acquired my wifes first vehicle a 1989 Commanche 2wd. I have been given the task of converting it to 4wd and making it a reliable 4WD DD for her and myself. Done and I'm on to the next one!