redlion

I have a 86¤ with 115k miles it has the 2.8v6 the transmission went bad. You guys think its worth it to fix it? There seems to be no other problems with it other then the transmission, but idk if its worth it to fix, should I just look for another jeep? I'm going to have some money soon, should I fix it or what? This will be used as a DD and a camping rig light off road use only thank you

BuckH

Youll be preserving a peice of history. lol

Jeepineasy

Swap in a 4.3 chevy

redlion

So you think it's worth my money to fix it?

emptypockets

I'd either rebuild the trans yourself or see what a trans shop would charge you. Either way, you already know what you have with this xj vs. buying something you know nothing about. Plus, there aren't a lot of the 1984-86 Cherokees around and it would be a shame to kill another one. So fix 'er up or you can just give me yours

redlion

I found a re built one for $500 then I need fluid and trans mount and other stuff so I'm guessing $700 I like the jeep but I've read so many bad things about the 2.8 just don't want to put the money into a pit and regret it.

emptypockets

We're lucky and have the "better" 2.8L with the large journal block. The 2.8L isn't a performance engine by any stretch of the imagination, but it's been pretty reliable for me. I overheated the thing on the highway and drove to a friends house with the temp gauge pegged (rad cap off) in bumper to bumper traffic for 10 miles. When I got there I forced cooled it with a hose, replaced the heater hose that popped, refilled it, and continued on my hour and a half drive. Never had a problem with the head gaskets after the fact. I offroad my junk and haven't had any real issues with the engine itself. Probably the greatest flaw with it is the 2se carb. The first time I went out with the 2.8L guys made fun of me. The second time? They had nothing to say about it. Guys call it a turd (I call it a rocket turd) but I doubt many have ever owned one and just repeat what they heard. But hey, everything on the interwebz is true, right?

redlion

Wow, that is impressive! So this should be my jeep then. I will fix the transmission and go from there, thank you for the advice,
Do you plan on replacing the carb? Have you had any transmission problems? Should I replace the clutch? Now that the trans is out? Any other advice you have or things you recommend

emptypockets

For a time, I was planning on replacing the 2SE with a 4bbl carb. Edelbrock made, not sure if the still do, an intake and 4 bbl riser setup for the 2.8L. You have to use a smaller cfm carb though, like a 390, or it'll be too much carb for the motor. I had one, but it looked like you'd have to run a cowl to use this setup, so I sold it. Weber also makes a 2bbl carb for the 2.8L, you can find them on ebay. I don't have any experience with them, but from what I read a lot of guys like 'em. I ended up buying a rebuilt 2SE from a guy selling off a closed dealerships inventory for super cheap. I kept my old one in case I ever needed parts.

I have the TF904 (auto) and never had a problem with it. I'm looking into doing a low gear conversion on it in the near future for a better final drive. For yours, I'd definitely do a clutch kit and not just replace the clutch disk. You have it out and so no point in having to pull it again to do a clutch job in the not so distant future.

About the best advice I can give you is to just take care of your Jeep. Like I said before, there aren't that many 84-86 XJs floating around anymore. Don't slack on the maintenance and enjoy it all you can.

Outlaw Star

I have an 85 that now had an IH stroker in it. Edlebrock still makes an aluminum intake manifold for the 2.8 and a plate where you can mount a different carb. A 4bbl is overkill for that motor but a simple 350 2bbl Holley is more than enough. As for transmissions, good news is with it being a Chevy motor, you can pull a 700R4 outta a S10 or Blazer and have OD an adapter plate is available from Novak or Advance Adapters. A lot of people will tell you its a junk motor but most are little kids who are more concerned with high HP rather than a good running engine. The 904 transmissions are good units that are cheap and easily rebuildable. Plus you can upgrade them with shift kits and extra capacity pans for cooler tempatures. Good luck