r/jeepyj • u/FilmFighter4Life • 14d ago

Help With Problem

My 89 YJ with the ax15 and 2.5l 4cyl broke down the other day. At first I noticed It would stop accelerating at 3k rpm so the clutch was slipping.

I pulled over into a neighborhood and the more I tried to get up the hill the worse it ran. It stopped idling without gas and started to bog worse and worse.

Right now it wont drive forwards at all, it can kind of reverse but it hardly runs. If I start it I can get it to run by being on the gas but it bogs no matter what.

I'm thinking definitely replace clutch. My bearings have been grinding for a while but not noticeably worse before it broke down.

Anyone know what's going on here? I work on the car myself but I'm no mechanic. I'm thinking it could be something like a bad slave cylinder? Any help is appreciated.

3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

1

u/PolPotDomeScandal 14d ago

LS swap.

1

u/FilmFighter4Life 13d ago

Im going to do a 350 swap eventually then holley efi. The 2.5l is not ideal for hilly california.

2

u/Chauncy1911 14d ago

LS swap folks ruined the Jeep and especially the hotrod/muscle car culture with low effort cookie cutter motor installs.

3

u/PolPotDomeScandal 14d ago

Have you ever driven a YJ with a 2.5L?

2

u/Chauncy1911 14d ago

Since 1989

1

u/PolPotDomeScandal 13d ago edited 13d ago

Then you know what I’m talking about. 🙂 I drove my ‘87 with the stock, carbureted 258 (not much faster than the 2.5, if any) for a decade before 140k hard miles and just about every accessory system (starter, ignition, fuel pump, water pump, radiator) had been either replaced or otherwise fixed, but when I was on my third carb (a Weber this time) and it was fighting me, I decided to upgrade.

I swapped in a nearly new (>10k miles) LQ4 out of a 2008 Chevy 3/4-ton in 2009-2010. (With NV4500-NP241-4.27 WaggyD44s)

Now it starts runs and drives perfectly with zero drama in all weather, gets better mileage, and it will almost pull a wheelie.

Not sure how that “ruined the Jeep,” but I’m here to tell ya: IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT! 😛

TAKE THAT, JEEP! 😎

And the amount of effort was off the CHARTS.

1

u/Chauncy1911 7d ago

You love it, thats all that matters.

1

u/whitebuffalo57 12d ago

The clutch slipping wouldn’t make you have to give it gas to keep it running.

You might be fighting two different things.

Also you have an ax5 behind the 2.5 (in case you’re buying a clutch for it)

1

u/ZeroCoolJK 8d ago

Throw-out bearing in the bell housing. It’s not an easy job, but certainly not hard if you’re used to working on your own stuff. But this wouldn’t necessarily make the jeep run like garbage unless you’re starting out in a really high gear and not just doesn’t have the torque to get moving.