po0dingles

So I got back from the dealer and he listed a bunch of things I'll need to address at some point. The list includes:

Trans and Engine Mounts - $671
Left Tie Rod, Links, and Bushings - $823 (includes alignment)

I know their labor charges are crazy - two hours was $260! So I'm thinking of doing these two things myself if it's simple enough.

The only problem is I have the tools but don't have a jack or a garage to perform any of this. I'd imagine doing this is pretty straight forward. If I get a jack can I bang this out in an hour or two in a parking lot?

I was planning on going with Ironman's 5.2L mounts as well as his heavy duty tie rods and links. Not sure about bushings.

sthon

Engine mounts can be kind of a pain. One of the bolts is put in to where you can't really pull it out. IIRC it was the passenger side. I ended up cutting the damn thing and installing a new bolt the opposite direction. You'll want a decent sized floor jack and something to put between it and the oil pan, I've found railroad ties cut to about 18" work great, but of course not everyone has those laying around... Also the mounting brackets on the passenger side of the block have been known to have issues, the bolts bottom out in the hole before the head gets snug. Good time to inspect/replace with shorter bolts.

SoCalxJ4.0

Mommy not let you use her garage? That's sad. Man up.

po0dingles

My mom lost her garage in a freak apple picking accident. It's kind of a sore subject so please don't mention anything further.

po0dingles

Thanks. I may just find a good shop to do this work. I wish I could do the work myself but I live in a high rise and can't wrench with rent-a-cops around and I can't start/stop projects and leave stuff laying around. I was able to unbolt stuff and pull my headliner out but "got in trouble" for it as "the neighbors were complaining". Lame.

I'd go out and buy a nice jack if all I have to do is simply take out a couple bolts but if anything snags or I can't complete the job I'm going to be screwed.

In searching the forum I saw a couple people saying the bolts can shear and/or damage the threads in the block if the mounts are neglected for extended periods of time. Did you go with OEM or aftermarket?

sthon

I replaced the bolts with grade 8 bolts that were about 1/8" shorter. I don't recall what size though... They didn't tap the block far enough on some engines for the size bolts that came factory. I didn't have any issues with bolts breaking but I figured better safe than sorry.

dave1123

I just bought both engine mounts for my WJ 4.0 from Rockauto for $108 and was going to install them myself. I took one look from underneath and decided to have my friend's shop do it. He only charges $65/hr. It took him 3 1/2 hours with a lot of swearing, and that was with a lift and a trans jack.

The problem with the bolts is not that they are too long, it's that they didn't tap the holes deep enough. They are tapped by machine and they set the tap depth so as to not bottom in the holes and break the taps. If you can figure out what thread size they are, you can buy, beg, borrow, or steal a tap and tap them to the bottom by hand. When doing a head job, it's always a good idea to clear the threads with a tap to be sure you get clean threads so your torque settings are right. Be sure to lube the tap with engine oil or tapping oil so it won't seize.

This comes from an experienced toolmaker and engine re-builder. Me.

andrewjohnson24

I did them in my 95 5.2 jeep all I did was take a 2x4 and place it under the oil pan then jacked it up so the front end of the vehicle starts to move then took a blow torch and heated th bolts up the took them out but only do one side at a time because the engine will slightly move, but get back on track take the bolts on the side of the engine out then use a pry bar you can get the long bolt out that bolts the engine to the frame out but you will have to wiggle the mount to get them out, then remove the mount by tapping it out with a hammer with a long piece of metal it should slide right out then tap the other one in place, then move to other side to do the same thing, it work better if you do the work under the jeep its a tight spot and you may want a pair of jack stands to place under the front differential tube housings then jack the motor up. Good luck it can be done at home it can take 2-5 hrs to do depending on your skill level