Christopher Bonnie

A crack, my engine has a crack! a water jacket leak out the side of the block. It doesn't stop there it leaks oil everywhere and has sludge and it starting to show its 252k miles. Time to get another one, but I have an issue. The local pull a part doesn't allow Jacks so I'm having a problem. Every how to on removing the engine involves lowering the transmission to get to the star bolts. Can I separate the engine and transmission without dropping the tranny down. Can I try pulling the entire assembly as a single unit and separate it out of the cherokee. Any other ideas?

PatHenry

Even the self-pull JY's around here will pull engines and transmissions. Have you called the JY and asked?

You can get the engine without dropping the tranny in theory, you'd just have to cut a lot of access holes and all in all seems way more difficult than the standard approach.

It seems like the JY's around here will pull the engine and transmissions on vehicles they determine are worth selling and leave in the rest. Or maybe they'll pull it for you upon request... I've never gotten a JY engine or tranny myself.

PatHenry

Another option is to check the local craigslist postings and see if there is parts XJ for sale that works for you. The downside of this is there's no warranty, but the upside is that you might find a donor with a good, recently or even currently running engine and get the engine and a bunch of extra parts for about the price of the JY engine. It may be more work though as you'd be pulling the engine out (in addition to removing the bad engine in your XJ) and then putting it in, whereas the JY may have an engine that you can just install.

MonacaYankee

Drop the engine down from the mounts. There will be room to reach from the top after.
Also if you remove the trans mount crossbar everything will twist towards the ground.

Geek

I would have them pull it. Even if you drop the trans out, how would you pull the engine out.

Christopher Bonnie

They can pull both I just always read that you have to lower and unbolt the transmission to get the engine out, I haven't seen a tutorial on how to get both out but I would think it'll be as easy as disconnecting the wiring harnesses and the drive shafts, drop the cross members and unbolt the engine mounts, am I missing anything else. I suppose I can remove the transmission after they pull it out since I don't need it.

bad_idea

I've pulled quite a few motors at the Pick N Pull. They have rolling A frames with chain falls hanging on them. Hook that to the back of the engine, cut a seat belt out of a car for a strap. Undo the motor mounts. Come up on the chain fall and it should pull the back of the engine up. Undo the trans cross member. Lower the chain fall. Should have decent access to the trans bolts.

I have pulled motors in 10 minutes. Just remember which part you are looking for and hack everything else out of your way. Easy day.

s346k

ah so that guy is you. i wondered who would sawzall the timing cover and timing set on a 6.0 lq9 simply to remove the oil pump. kudos. it’s ok, i already have several sets of gen 3 covers...but come on, man.

and the throttle body bandit. don’t get me started on him.