2.5L questions

I'm thinking about picking up a cheep 2.5L XJ. The plan is to drive it mostly stock till the winter then rip in apart and install 9" rear/44 front, 302, AOD/700r4, AII, and some 37's.
So what I need to know is how bad will the 2.5 be?
I assume the R&P is 4.10, correct?
Will it beable to handle 32's or 33's?
What are the common problems with this engine?
If there is anything else noteable?

And some questions for you!

What year 2.5L XJ? There are three different 2.5L engines. They are all the same just different fuel delivery systems. 84-85 would be carberated, 86-90 would be TBI, and 91 and up would be MPI! Assume nothing on the XJ. 2.5L come with anything from 3.55 to 4.10 and the most common I have seen has been the 3.73! I have an 84 (Carberated) with a tired engine and 31's. She pulles them fine on the trail jsut dont plan on useing fourth or fith with my ratio! If you got one with 4.10's I think it would be fine for 32's or 33's if you got a newer MPI engine rather than a tired old Ghost like mine! The only common problem I know of is the valve cover leaking. This is a very reliable engine! HTH!

Cool, its a 86, I'll have to check the ratio. Thanks for the info.

2.5

Like ghost said it is a fairly reliable engine. There is plenty of low end torque for trail riding it just takes a little longer to the trail! Go ahead and bore out your throttle body for a little better response. The biggest problems with it are cracks in the head especially around the valve seats. Tell us how the swap goes as there are alot of people waiting to do one.

Well, I picked up a 2Dr 86 2.5L MT beater for $570! The body is a bit rough but the drivetrain is stout. I'll start the swap around November and take lots of pics.

Just for reference, what will fit in a 84 xj with original 2.5 other than the 4.3 or 2.8. Looking for v8's i assume. Whats the most common swap for these besides selling it or putting in the 4.3 or 2.8?

60 deg v-60 3.1 or 3.4!

whosyourdaddy? said:

Just for reference, what will fit in a 84 xj with original 2.5 other than the 4.3 or 2.8. Looking for v8's i assume. Whats the most common swap for these besides selling it or putting in the 4.3 or 2.8?

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The 4.3 is not a common swap, and it doesn't really "fit." The 2.8, 3.1 and 3.4 are all 60-degree V-6 engines, all using the same basic block. A 60-degree block has an included angle of only 60 degrees between the two banks of pistons, making it narrower than a 90-degree V-6 (or V-8). The 4.3 is a 90-degree block, that is basically the same block as a small-block Chevy V-8 with 2 cylinders lopped off.

The 4.3 can be made to go in, but it requires the same kinds of adapters as a SBC V-8, and as much work to make everything fit. The 3.1 and 3.4 on the other hand, are the same block as the 2.8 so with some minor adaptation they are bolt-in conversions.

I had an 88 with the 2.5. I bought it from the mail lady with 145,000 mi. I drove it for years and years. The gas milage wasnt the greatest and it was rather gutless with the 30x9.50s. I finaly gave it to a kid in town when it had 280,000. It just kept going and going and ...