What's broken? Motor mounts, engine bracket?

Hey guys, I could really use some help here. I have moved and now I don't have a garage with my apartment... Former Marine here, just trying to use what I got without selling the XJ.

The condensed version of this is what could be the cause of the engine moving so far forward that the mechanical cooling fan jammed into radiator and oil filter dented from running into the bolt of motor mount?

I suppose I should explain what I was doing when something/things broke... Playing around in a muddy field, trying to go up a descent hill. I got up and over the hill finally, and couldn't see what was on the top of the hill really. Ended getting over the hill at maybe 15-20mph, and immediately stomped on fat pedal once I got up there, and ended bouncing hard over/in a good sized rut. Nasty noise the second upon impact. So I turned it off, and looked under the Jeep for carnage... Nothing... So I popped the hood, and nothing... So I got back in the Jeep, started it up, and then killed it shortly after because the noise was there again, sounded like it was fan or something. Sure enough, the fan was not freely spinning. So I found that it was rubbing on the frame rail on the passenger side of the Jeep. I bent the fan blades with a pair of pliers so I could get it to spin. But the bolts on the fan clutch were rubbing on the radiator pretty bad. I was in the middle of no cell reception, so had to get it moving, rain was coming down hard, and had the wifey with me. So I drove it to the main highway, only after stopping twice to fill the radiator with water because it was coming out where the cooling fan was rubbing on the radiator.

So now I am at my apartment, Jeep turns over, but I don't have a place to work on it, and I don't have any buddies here. So I resort to ya'll for some help here. My biggest concern is that the unibody is tweaked and I need to find another Cherokee. I hope its only a matter of new motor mounts, maybe engine bracket, radiator, fan clutch, oil filter, and a much needed alignment/steering upgrade. I was looking at the brown dog Super Kit, that comes with everything. I am tired of changing crappy autozone motor mounts every year, anyways. But I got to thinking, I might want to just bolt in the new engine bracket while I'm at it, so I don't have to worry about anything later down the road.

Specs on the Jeep.

1992 4dr 4.0L 4wd 250,000 miles
Rubicon Express Adj Trac Bar
JKS Adj Lower Control Arms
JKS Quick Disconnect Sway bars
SS Braided front brake lines
Rubicon Express 3.5" Coil Springs Front
OME 2" HD Leafs, with 1" spacer and longer shackle (forget who makes it)
Bilstein 5100 4" lift shocks front and rear
Dana 44 rear with 4.56 and grizzly locker ('89 Cherokee Donor)
Dana 30 front with 4.56 and open carrier
265/75R16 Duratracs with Moab wheels.

I think thats all you need to know, I can take some pictures if need be.

Thanks gents.


After doing some more research, some say it could be tranny mount, which I don't think I've ever changed. But the motor mounts, appear to be in good condition.. The rubber isn't torn around the bolt, but that probably doesn't mean they are good.

Sounds like motor mounts. Did the same on mine. Change the trans mount while you're at it

Did you verify that the bracket the motor mount attaches to on the block is still attached to the block? Those bolts can break and it'll still look like the motor mount is ok if you haven't paid much attention to it before.

Get quality pictures of interference, top and bottom of motor mounts and engine mounts and post them..

It's hard to see under there with all the damn mud and whatnot. I swear I've changed motor mounts probably 5 or 6 times since I've had this XJ. Usually the rubber around bolt cracks or rots away. I am pretty sure that the Tranny mount is definitely broken, new or good ones don't look anything like whats under my jeep. So the list so far is, Brown Dog Motor Mounts, OEM/Rubber Tranny Mount, Electric Fan conversion, CSF 2 Row Radiator, Upper radiator hose, and Rusty's HD steering with SkyJacker M95 Stabilizer... That would do it for the first part, who know's what else is broken..

May want to add brown dog's block brackets to the list...

Last time I saw a collapsed tranny mount, our was because the motor mount bracket let go first

Edit: Broken pictures link.

Ordered the Daystar Poly mount from Quadratec about 3 weeks ago, long story of backordered, and then they put my old address on the package... etc.. Whatever, didn't care, just wanted my part. Got it in, and on the freaking box it says 98-01 XJ 2&4wd 4.0L Only. Part number KJ01010BK, which if you look up on daystar's website says it fits 84-01 XJ with 4.0. So... Probably daystar's fault on that big time. Any Quadratec, because I'm assuming they are either drop shipping from Daystar factory or something else, because I talked to a sales rep over the phone and told him the year of my Cherokee (1992) and this is what they sent me. So pretty disappointed in Daystar and Quadratec, also, this is not the first time I've been disappointed with Daystar and their bullshit part numbers and model years. Ordered bumpstops from 4wheel parts and they got it all messed up too. Me thinks daystar has a poor system. Anyways, But what do you guys think about the old motor mounts? Is the the sole cause of the fan clutch diving into the radiator or is there more to it than this? I'm thinking Brown Dog Motor mounts now too. But I mean, I've changed those before, usually the rubber gets cracked around the metal sleve and then you have lots of play and metal to metal contact going on. I can visually see that the rubber is in fact, intact around the bolt... so I don't suspect that to be the problem. But I'm just thinking the motor mount bracket might be junk now... But I don't know what I'm looking for down there.

those are pics of the tranny mount

Yes sir they are pictures of tranny mount. Just didn't think the mount looked too thrashed, not bad enough to make the entire motor move forward into the radiator and have the oilfilter run into the motor mounts... Come to find more and more research has lead me to this: http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/help-motor-mount-bolts-sheared-off-85910/

This guy is explaining exactly what's happening to mine. Looks like I will be buying Brown Dog Super Kit that comes with brackets and motor mounts. I gotta get a second look at it (its parked at a friend's house right now). But I have a feeling That's what is going to be wrong with it. I've kind of eliminated it... Motor mounts look fine, tranny mount looks beat up but not completely broken, its gotta be something with the brackets or the perch that the motor mounts are on, but it sounds like its probably the bolts have either sheared off or the bracket has cracked. Also noticed on a cold start to move it to friends house I heard a hell of an exhaust leak. Might as well save up some more money and get a stronger header/manifold while I'm at it.

With better mounts you can use a stock header. The motor won't be twisting and cracking the header now. You'll find out that a couple of the old bolt holes will be trashed. Don't worry about, i haven't had any trouble with mine, I lost a couple too.

Love my brown dogs after they broke in, took a week or so

Also now you know how to pull the tranny mount, should be able to buy another at the dealer. Less than $20 IIRC