I'm buying a '94 YJ. General questions...

[Sine Deviance]

Hi all, this is my first post here. I have had a couple Cherokees and a Wagoneer, all had the 4.0L I6/automatic combo. So, this isn't my first trip to the Jeep rodeo... however I don't know anything about Wranglers; this will be my first. This is where you guys come in

Tuesday I am probably going to buy a '94 YJ with the 2.4L 4cyl/5speed combo. It's 4WD. It has 188,000 miles and besides the mileage it is practically in pristine condition. The dealership that is selling it just spent $900 and had the oil changed and all the hoses, belts and filters replaced. They also did a full tuneup (plugs, wires, etc.) It does not burn or leak oil so all the seals and gaskets are apparently good. I have seen pictures of the Jeep and it doesnt have any rust, not even on the underbody. It does have a little rust on the front and rear diff but I can take care of that with some sandpaper and a can of underbody coating

It's not totally stock. It has aftermarket chrome front and rear bumpers, a front brush guard, a lightbar on top with lights, a 2" or 4" body lift (I'm not sure) and it has mag wheels and 33" Dunlop tires. My question is, is there anything I should specifically be checking for when I go to do the test drive? And after buying it, any maintenance that the dealership didn't do already that should be done?

Also, anything I should know about the 2.4L/5spd combo? What kind of horsepower and MPG would I be looking at?

Any help would be awesome! Thanks alot!

 

[schwagoo]

You are looking at NOT much power and NOT good mileage. I had a '94 YJ and it was a great running machine. I had the 4L with 5sp.

It really depends what gears are running as to how much mileage and power it will have.
Look around online at similar mileage/condition YJs...and also print out the KBB and NADA values from online. Bring those to the dealer. Keep in mind that the 4cyl jeeps typically have far less resale value than the 4L I-6 motors. If you don't mind the lack of power, that could be a fine running machine for many years to come if you treat it right.

good luck-

 

[xt master]

With the right gears and a little engine work the 4 banger will hold its own.

 

[Sine Deviance]

You are looking at NOT much power and NOT good mileage. I had a '94 YJ and it was a great running machine. I had the 4L with 5sp.

It really depends what gears are running as to how much mileage and power it will have.

Okay. I figured as much but it's okay. Wranglers have the aerodynamic efficiency of a brick so I kinda expected bad gas mileage But I am concerned about power. From what I've read, 19mpg is about right. That's really not bad. I have a '91 Eclipse GSX right now and it gets about 15mpg on a good day.

Look around online at similar mileage/condition YJs...and also print out the KBB and NADA values from online. Bring those to the dealer. Keep in mind that the 4cyl jeeps typically have far less resale value than the 4L I-6 motors. If you don't mind the lack of power, that could be a fine running machine for many years to come if you treat it right.

good luck-

Yeah, I did look it up on KBB. With the engine, transmission, and options, plus the mods and minus the mileage, it books for $5,275 in excellent condition. The dealer is selling it for $4,800, so it's really not a bad deal.

With the right gears and a little engine work the 4 banger will hold its own.

What kind of engine work exactly? Bolt on or internal?

 

[xt master]

Bolt on..High flow air cleaner bigger throttle body.Change the fan to an electric fan.If you start to do internal,the money you would spend you may as well buy an I6.

 

[jfrabat]

Having one of these myself, I can tell you a couple of things:

First off, it is not a 2.4L but a 2.5L (unless the engine was changed). Also, if take care of, that little engine will last forever without problems (most have a noise valvetrain, but that's ussual).

Now, to turn 33" tires, having 4.88 gears is best. Otherwise, you can forget about 5th gear (when I bought mine, it came with 31" tires and 4.10 gears, and a headwind or the slightest inclination meant 4th gear to maintain highway speeds). Other than gears (which I strongly recommend), there are things you can do to make the 4 angry squirreles give up soe more power:

1. Electric Fan conversion. I bought a Ford fan from a Taurus (look online for thousands of writeups on this) from my locak U-Pick for $28. You can run it (a) from a relay (on/off), (b) from a themal sensing device, or (c) from a Delta Current Control fan controller (I have a combination of a and c, with c being used every day and a being a backup). Using an e-fan will free up some ponies.

2. Improve your ignition system. In my experience, a Performance Distributor kit (screaming Demon Coil, Live Wire plug wires, rotor, cap and plugs gapped at .065) will give you a bit more power

3. Mustang 19# injectors; they ad a bit more fuel to the mixture, but still the stock ECU is able to control them for the right mixture

4. Get more air in; step one is to use a 4.0L Throttle Body (mine is bored to 62mm for a bit more air flow). Some will also recommend a spacer (I got one, although I cannot feel that much difference from it). Step two can be a Cold Air intake (personally, the snorkel is more functional for me).

5. Get all that extra air and fuel out; this means header, high flow cat, and cat back. I run a CarSound by Magnaflow cat with Gibson cat back on stock headers (be careful with the headers; some are more focussed on horsepower, but you want low end torque!).

6. I have read that the FlowKool water pump frees up some ponies, but got no experience on this myself; I dont recommend this pump with radiators that have the plastic reservoirs...

7. Now you can start on the performance stuff; roller rockers (I bought some Yella Terra ones), cam (I got myself a Mopar Performance cam, but those are hard to find now; Hesco still sells high performance cams, though) and springs, .060" overbore with new pistons, etc...

8. You can go way over the top, and ad either a turbo or a supercharger... I dont plan to go here myself, but it is still an option.

My point is, dont put down the 4-banger too quickly; there are many of us with that little engine under the hood, and we can keep our own out there. If you gear propperly, there is no reason why you cannot run any size tire with this engine. I currently run 31 with soon to come 33's (I already regeared to 4.88), and Bouhty Hunter I know rolls on 35's (or was it 37's? I can never remember... He did change his axles to run lower gears, though).

Now, if you wnat an I6, it is better to buy one from the get-go, but I have the 4 banger, and I am happy with it. To see some ideas about what can be done with the 4-popper, head over to www.4bangerjp.com and you will see many different builds, and the obstacles they have overcome (including the Cliff's, Bad Lands, Moab, etc.).

Best advice, take it out for a spin and see how you feel about it. If you feel you need more power, look for an I6. If not, go with it. I do warn you that swaping in an I6 is just as difficult as swaping in a V6 or V8, so that will not be a realistic option. Besides, the transmission will not hold up to a bigger eninge than the I4 (it holds up to the I4 just fine if you put the right fluid in). But if you do plan to swap the engine anyway (say to a V8), then the 4-Banger again becomes a good choice because of the lower price...

Hope this helps! Happy wheeling!

Felipe

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

19-21mpg ONLY with stock height tires, or oversize tires and lower axle gearing. 33" tires and stock gearing your mileage will suffer. You also won't be able to use 5th gear with 33" tires and stock gears. Just don't get your hopes up and everything will be fine.

Having said that, I've had my '95 YJ 2.5L for years and I love it, even after having a v8 YJ previously. With the right mods they can be a lot of fun to drive.

My main concern on that jeep would be checking to see how smooth the transmission shifted from gear to gear, this will indicate the condition of the syncrhonizers. Also try to use 5th gear just to make sure it works, not that you can maintain speed in 5th but that it is operational.

First thing after buying it, change the transmission gear oil to Redline MT90. I don't care if they just changed it, many of the gear oils on today's market are harmful to the soft brass synchronizers in that type transmission. The Redline MT90 is a full synthetic that will allow that transmission to last as long as possible. Get mine from Summit Racing.

Also check out 4BangerJP.com - Index for some other squirrel addicts.

 

[Sine Deviance]

Well, I guess I'll go Tuesday and give her a spin. As far as I know the engine is stock but it's quite possible there might be some mods under the hood. Earlier I talked to the guy that runs the dealership where this YJ is and I asked him about what kind of power it has. He said that despite having the I4 it has craploads of power and that when he drove it down to the inspection station it pleasantly surprised him. He also said that it does indeed have a 2.5L and the listing has a typo.

If it IS stock and he's just pulling my chain to move a unit... hmm... so no 5th gear on the 'state. That could be a problem, I do a lot of interstate driving. This YJ was going to replace my Eclipse as my daily driver because the Eclipse is getting to the point where it's just falling apart from age and a good bit of mountain/track driving and the only real option to get it perfect again is to rebuild the entire car from the engine back. Dunno if you guys have ever had DSM's but NOTHING is cheap for them.

You guys have been very helpful. Thanks a ton! I'll let you guys know and I'll post pics if I buy it.

Protip: Learn from my mistake - Don't ever buy a DSM; the maintenance will cost you a fortune even if you only use it as a daily driver and the parts are nearly impossible to find except from the stealership. Spend the extra money and buy a Subie STi if you want a fast AWD. You'll save yourself huge long-term cash

 

[Saddle Tramp]

I have had both a stock I4 & I6 1994 Wranglers. Both jeeps if stock will get between 16 & 17 mpg. The reason for this is the I4 Wranglers comes with lower (4.10) gears to compensate for the smaller motor.

With both motors, particularly the high mileage ones, check the air cleaner and air cleaner box for signs of oil. When the rings start to go you get blow by and the extra pressure inside the engine will force oil out of the PVC valve into the hose that connects to the intake air system. The oil then drops into the air cleaner box and can even run out of the box and cover the underside of the jeep. I point this out to you because if you find this condition you will need to rebuild the motor at some not too distant time.

In my area, $4,800 for a 94 I4 Wrangler sound a little high unless it comes with both tops and the soft top is in very good condition.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

With both motors, particularly the high mileage ones, check the air cleaner and air cleaner box for signs of oil. When the rings start to go you get blow by and the extra pressure inside the engine will force oil out of the PVC valve into the hose that connects to the intake air system. The oil then drops into the air cleaner box and can even run out of the box and cover the underside of the jeep. I point this out to you because if you find this condition you will need to rebuild the motor at some not too distant time.

This could also be as simple as a clogged CCV line, which will cause the CCV system to run in reverse and blow oil into the airbox as it vents crankcase pressure. Simply removing the obstruction from the CCV orifice will often fix this and it's a cheap fix.

 

[Sine Deviance]

I have had both a stock I4 & I6 1994 Wranglers. Both jeeps if stock will get between 16 & 17 mpg. The reason for this is the I4 Wranglers comes with lower (4.10) gears to compensate for the smaller motor.

With both motors, particularly the high mileage ones, check the air cleaner and air cleaner box for signs of oil. When the rings start to go you get blow by and the extra pressure inside the engine will force oil out of the PVC valve into the hose that connects to the intake air system. The oil then drops into the air cleaner box and can even run out of the box and cover the underside of the jeep. I point this out to you because if you find this condition you will need to rebuild the motor at some not too distant time.

Yeah I'll definitely be checking that, one of my Cherokees started doing that around 200,000 miles. Thanks.

In my area, $4,800 for a 94 I4 Wrangler sound a little high unless it comes with both tops and the soft top is in very good condition.

It only comes with the soft top. But the included soft top is in excellent condition. Also, to me, the reason for the high price is that I'm also getting about $2500 worth of lift kit, light bar, brush guard, lights, chrome, wheels and tires along with it. When you consider that, $4,800 is pretty cheap.

EDIT: Also, does anyone know the volumetric efficiency of the intake/cylinders/exhaust on a stock 2.5L? I'm wondering if it's worth doing a port and polish?

 

[jfrabat]

By the way, if you can maintain highway speeds on 5th gear, it is most likely that the axles have been regeared.

 

[SteelHeadz]

If you have the parameter for the engine speed or revolutions per minute, mass air flow rate from the mass air flow sensor and intake air temperature, you can do the calculations to solve for the volumetric efficiency.

 

[Sine Deviance]

I bought a Jeep today. I didn't get the one I originally looked at. I ended up getting a '95 Rio Grande w/ 156,000 miles. 4-cyl/5-speed. It has a 4" lift, black mags, 33" BFG A/T's. It's metallic green with tan interior/soft top. It has a light bar with 4 PIAA lights. Everything works except for the engine temp guage, which I assume is a dead temp sensor? It doesn't have A/C (which is okay.) It also doesn't leak oil and it doesn't seem to burn any. I'll have pics tomorrow. I paid $4400.

I'm so happy