Jontow 88 YJ

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1988 Jeep Wrangler (YJ)

So, in 2004, I bought a 1988 Jeep Wrangler with a 4cyl, 5spd, not much lift and 31" bald mud tires. It never quite ran right
and after putting about $800 in parts into the 4cyl, I decided to drop it and swapped in a 4.2L 6cyl. It has since been a
consistantly better jeep. With this came some transmission swaps, a bunch of small work, etc.

Now, it's seen some upstate NY winter weather and the salt got to a few pieces of it (body and frame), so it got a complete
teardown and is getting a restoration of sorts.

Parts List

Driveline

Suspension

Current Modifications

  • Onboard low-output air compressor (See photo)
  • Engine swap: 2.5L 4cyl to 4.2L 6cyl
  • See custom floating-mount photo here
  • Transmission swap (repeatedly): AX5 (2.5L 4cyl) --> BA10 (4.2L 6cyl) --> AX15 (4.2L 6cyl) --> AX15 (4.2L 6cyl), pics to come.
  • Reversed front spring-shackles (this is to be redone or undone in the near future, messed them up on rocks)
  • Factory glovebox replaced with Tuffy(tm), and center-console added at the same time
  • New mud tires: BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM 31x10.50x15 on 15x10 US Wheel Daytona 84 gloss black steel rims
  • "Worlds cheapest lightbar" -- made from signpost and $40 worth of 55W foglights. Not functional until I can find a higher output alternator that is worth a damn.
  • Radio shack 40-channel CB with 7ft steel whip antenna.
  • Pioneer Premier cd player with 2*marine fenderwell speakers
  • Powertrax locker in dana 35 rear (non c-clip)

Pictures 

 (88 YJ) Side-view with studded snow tires

 (88 YJ) Front-view with foglights/snow tires

 (88 YJ) Engine-view from the front

 (88 YJ) Engine-view from the top

 (88 YJ) Interior shot, see description

 These three were taken with the front sway bar still connected:

 (88 YJ) Front Driver's side flex shot: (low res) / (high res)

 (88 YJ) Rear Passenger's side flex shot: (low res) / (high res)

 (88 YJ) Front View, flex shot: (low res) / (high res)

Notes

2008-04-07: Progress on the tear-down

Well, the jeep now occupies two garage stalls. Pictures Here.

I'd been making pretty good progress, and I convinced my wife to come out to the garage to give me a hand..
She ended up pulling the steering column while I got the gas tank out of the way, then we hooked the engine crane
to it and yanked the tub! The frame doesn't look quite as bad with the tub off it; now begins the real work, I guess.
At least it's a really good opportunity to take care of a few other things that are [now] easily accessible.

2008-04-06: More parts hanging

I had a little time after dinner, and decided to pull some body mount bolts. I broke something like 6 out of 10,
but they're all out and the parking brake is half disconnected, I didn't have enough energy left to go farther.

2006-10-16: Another Transmission Swap

  • So begins another chronicle. My clutch disk gave up in the '88 last Monday (2006-10-09) as I was getting ready to tow my new parts Jeep up a hill.
  • Got to the top, pulled the transmission out of the driver, then got the parts jeep (totalled 1992) up the hill and pulled that one too.
  • Upon inspection, the parts jeep had a ruined floating trans. mount and I had to re-use mine. It also had a different sized pilot shaft.
  • The pilot bearing pulled from my 4.2L is .825 OD (~21mm) and the inside is .529 (~15mm?).
  • The pilot bearing from the parts jeep is 1.000 OD, and the inside is .750.
  • Needless to say, that makes mighty tight sidewall clearance in the '78 4.2L block (~.025 or so, each side) and had to be custom machined.. On a saturday night.. At 8:30pm. Friends rock.
  • Given all that, and this is the short explanation... the new clutch disk I bought is not the right one, so the old one was welded and reinstalled and the transmission is now in and solid.
  • One problem I encountered: I've introduced a medium-sized exhaust leak at a joint somewhere, and its a "little loud."
  • So now, I'm running a 1988 Jeep body/frame/axles, a 1978 4.2L 258ci engine, a 1992 AX15 transmission, and a (resealed!) 1989 NP231J transfer case.


Jontow 09:50, 6 June 2008 (EDT)

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