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89 removing 4.0 engine for rebuild

The lower bolts are hex heads - the upper bolts require an E12 external Torx socket. Once you get the bolts out, they can be replaced easily with regular 3/8"-16 bolts in whatever head pattern you care to use.

It is helpful to unbolt the transmission crossmember and lower the transmission, which gives you more clearance at the upper rear bolts to get the socket onto the bolt...

5-90
 
5-90 said:
The lower bolts are hex heads - the upper bolts require an E12 external Torx socket. Once you get the bolts out, they can be replaced easily with regular 3/8"-16 bolts in whatever head pattern you care to use.

It is helpful to unbolt the transmission crossmember and lower the transmission, which gives you more clearance at the upper rear bolts to get the socket onto the bolt...

5-90
Click to expand...


wow now i am really lost ok let me just say where i am right now me and a friend just pulled all the bolts from the flywheel and that was the end of our long day and i dont know if you are refering to the same bolts but there seams to be bolts that are pretty much impossable to get to between the firewall and engine that connects the trans to the engine ? so are we on the right page hear ? LOL
 
JeepBoy89 said:
wow now i am really lost ok let me just say where i am right now me and a friend just pulled all the bolts from the flywheel and that was the end of our long day and i dont know if you are refering to the same bolts but there seams to be bolts that are pretty much impossable to get to between the firewall and engine that connects the trans to the engine ? so are we on the right page hear ? LOL
Click to expand...

I guess you are talking 'bout the 2 bolts at the top of the bellhousing.
Indeed they are a beeeeatch to get to.
I used a 20" and a few other extensions with a universal joint up front.

The idea with droping the crossmember sounds great.
Think i'm gonna try it when i throw my engine back in.

So, yeah. I think we're on the right page.
 
JeepBoy89 said:
wow now i am really lost ok let me just say where i am right now me and a friend just pulled all the bolts from the flywheel and that was the end of our long day and i dont know if you are refering to the same bolts but there seams to be bolts that are pretty much impossable to get to between the firewall and engine that connects the trans to the engine ? so are we on the right page hear ? LOL
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think that everyone is on the same page. if you are under the Jeep looking up there are two bolts at the 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock position. If you reach and try to touch them it feels as though you are going to get your hand stuck if you can even touch them. These are reverse torx bolts. Sears is the only place I have seen the sockets at, until I pulled my tranny I didn't even know that they exsited. They are made by Lisle so go to that section at sears. Anyway, Lowering the tranny crossmember thing can be helpful, but I just used 3 or 4, 4" extensions with a universal joint. I put the universal after the first extension and that helped. Make sure you use a good universal, i.e. strong. Or else it may fail. Good luck!
 
JeepBoy89 said:
wow now i am really lost ok let me just say where i am right now me and a friend just pulled all the bolts from the flywheel and that was the end of our long day and i dont know if you are refering to the same bolts but there seams to be bolts that are pretty much impossable to get to between the firewall and engine that connects the trans to the engine ? so are we on the right page hear ? LOL
Click to expand...
How the heck did you remove the bolts from the flywheel if you haven't got the bellhousing off yet?
 
I worry about giving advice to an unknown person who doesn't even know the names of the parts. I don't want it to be my fault if I tell him to turn the frammis and he instead rotates the gilhooley because he doesn't know the difference, and serious injury results therefrom.
 
Hello everyone, I am the friend JeepBoy89 is referring to. He is still learning and has never pulled an engine before, so please bear with him. :) We did get the flexplate-to-torque converter bolts off, but we were wondering if there were any special tricks to getting those top engine-to-bellhousing bolts off - it's a tight fit, to say the least! I was able to get my hand back there to feel them, and like skierbri10 said, I just about got my hand stuck, LOL. Anyway thanks for all the info, it's greatly appreciated! BTW I too have a Cherokee, although it's vintage: a 1974 S with a 401 ;)
 
If you want the honest answer as far as getting those bolts out, the easiest way is probably drilling two big holes in the firewall :) Or, just pull the 2 nuts/2 bolts from the crossmember and drop it down a few inches. Gives precious space from the bottom, then use a long extension with a wobble/u-joint and viola!

I'm pulling the entire dash out of mine and I intend on seriously drilling holes and putting rubber plugs in them just for future ease-of-installation-and-removal.
 
Top two bolts holding tranny to back of the motor are Torx E12. You'll need a Torx E12 socket. Don't try a regular hex or 12 point. These bolts are on tight! You really need the E12 socket.

Put the lower bolts from tranny to motor back in and tighten them. These will hold the tranny to motor after you remove the uppers. Remember when all bolts are removed things can fall. You'll have to plan how the engine and transmission will each be supported after they are unbolted from each other.

Put a sizzors or hydraulic jack under the cross bar under the vehicle where the rear of the transmission attaches. Remove the drive shaft. Remove bolts at both ends of the cross bar so that the jack supports the tranny and cross bar. Careful, it's enough weight to fall on you, hurt a lot, or damage the motor/tranny.

Lower the rear of the trans with the jack. Only a couple of inches. This will expose the upper bolts and you can get them with a E12 on a swivel and a long extension. Once they are out the lower bolts (that you put back or left in - don't forget!) can be removed easily. Before doing this raise the tranny rear back up and re-bolt the cross member. This will support the back of the tranny. Block or jack or somehow chain the front of the tranny since it will fall when disconnected from the motor. The cross bar isn't enough to hold the tranny completely.

Hook the motor with your hoist, cherry picker, or whatever will ultimately lift the motor from the vehicle. This will support the motor when you unbolt.

Unbolt the lower bolts (stay outta the way of heavy things!). Now engine and tranny are free to fall if you haven't done your prep right. I'm not there. I can't see what you've done. Be sure you've done your supporting setup correctly or face an unplesant situation. There may be cables, sensors, or other things that can get stretched as you lower the tranny so lower a little, then check around to see if any wires or anything else is getting stretched, crushed, what have you.

The 'lower the tranny' trick works wonders...

Oh yeah - congrats on doing what I'm guessing is your first motor!
 
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hodgepodge1983 said:
Hello everyone, I am the friend JeepBoy89 is referring to. He is still learning and has never pulled an engine before, so please bear with him. :) We did get the flexplate-to-torque converter bolts off, but we were wondering if there were any special tricks to getting those top engine-to-bellhousing bolts off - it's a tight fit, to say the least! I was able to get my hand back there to feel them, and like skierbri10 said, I just about got my hand stuck, LOL. Anyway thanks for all the info, it's greatly appreciated! BTW I too have a Cherokee, although it's vintage: a 1974 S with a 401 ;)
Click to expand...

Was wondering though, what are you using to hoist the engine from? I cuoldn't find a place to attach the hook and making a sling was out of the question.
 
I usually do them a little different. Drop the crossmember entirely, remove tcase. Pull the engine and trans as a unit. It doesn't take that much longer and you don't have to cuss at any bolts you otherwise can't get to. When removing both as a unit I use the following chain points:

AC compressor bracket bolt, one of the long ones that holds the compressor on.
In the back I use the nut that normally holds the ground strap to the head bolt.

Works for me, but this is with a hoist and air tools. It took me an hour and 15 minutes to remove the entire powertrain last time.
 
I will try all of your guys ideas next week when i have my friend back to help me and i wanted to thank all of you for ideas and stuff i have another thing too i was thinking about once i get my engine out i was wondering if you guys think i should replace my Auto trans as well it has about 191k miles on it and i dont wana be kicking myself in the ass when i get it all back in and have to replace the trans in a month LOL but other than that i was thinking of this trans company ? anyone have any thoughts or idead of if this trans is a good or bad idea thanks :)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7977192183&fromMakeTrack=true#core
 
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I obtained two 1.5" X 5" X 1/8 thick bits of steel from Home Depot. Drilled a 1/2" (?) hole in one end of each and welded a short length of chain to each at opposite end. Attached one to A/C bolt and the other to manifold bolt at opposite end. Hooked the chain.

Taking out the engine/trans as a unit sounds like a good idea to me. I doubt my cherry picker will lift high enough though.
 
5-90 said:
The lower bolts are hex heads - the upper bolts require an E12 external Torx socket. Once you get the bolts out, they can be replaced easily with regular 3/8"-16 bolts in whatever head pattern you care to use.

It is helpful to unbolt the transmission crossmember and lower the transmission, which gives you more clearance at the upper rear bolts to get the socket onto the bolt...

5-90
Click to expand...


Ok a few questions i am just wondering what excaly do u mean lower the trans ? and how ? wont that put stress on the bolts ? i am sorry if this is a dumb question ? please be specific since this is my 1st engine i am a lil retarded haha lol so far i went to sears and got the E12 and a 20 inch entention and a ujoint adapter thing to it can be dont let me know if there is anything else i may need thanks alot guys you guys rock !


Ohh yeahh another question what do u need to remove the engine mounts ?
 
When you lower the trans you remove the the bolts from the crossmember. Which is the metal thing that runs from the drivers side to the passenger side under the front doors. It's easy to spot it is jsut about the lowest point on the XJ. It holds the tranny via a tranny mount and the transfer case. So you un bolt that, make sure you hava a jack under it, a good one, not the one that came with the XJ. And lower ther tranny down slowly, you only need to go a couple of inches. When you do this the whole engine will tilt back towards the firewall, it is okay don't worry about it. You shoule be able to reach the two bolts easy this way. When you have removed the bolts you should be able to slide the tranny back and out of the way. And you can resume extracting the engine. Hope that helps.
 
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