This project started off like many others. "What if we could raise the engine a inch to gain some clearance and help out driveshaft angles?" Well, as it turned out it was easier said then done. The only one inch lift engine mounts on the market are for 4.0L YJ's and TJ's. We learned from our fellow staff member, Paul Nasvik, that it was possible to use the 4.0L engine lift on a 2.5L TJ. So we figured since the 4.0L YJ and TJ were covered along with the 2.5L TJ, then shouldn't the 2.5L YJ also be covered? Sounds logical doesn't it? Well, with a quick phone call to JKS we ordered a pair of their 1 inch engine mounts. Turns out these are the same mounts that Currie sells. We talked to the guy's at Currie Enterprise and asked them if anyone had been able to use their kit with a 2.5L YJ. To our surprise they said no. To add to that, they said it was not possible. Some companies said the reason they didn't make a kit for the 2.5L YJ was because they changed the engine mounts often. Well with the parts on hand we weren't going to let this stop us now.
With a quick visual check the mounts look like they would work. Turns out we located a problem that had stumped us before. There was a clanging noise when the Jeep hit a hard bump or turned sharply. It turns out our passenger side engine mount was busted. Well not exactly. The mount on the passenger side sits on a one inch riser for some reason. This allowed the engine to rock on the drivetrain's axis and drop on the frame mount. The riser bracket was stamped out of some thin steel and had broken in two places leaving some metal tabs and two studs as the only sign it had existed. So we went ahead and ordered a new bracket from our local Jeep Dealership.
Once we had our hands on all the parts we were ready to dive in and see what would have to be customized. Before starting, we sprayed everything with some Hammerite Hammered Black paint to protect them from the elements. With that done we started dissembling the driver side engine mount and took some rough measurements. The bushing and inner sleeve would have to be cut down about a quarter inch. For some reason the 2.5L YJ uses a narrower bushing on the driver side then the 4.0L Jeeps. You can use a band saw to cut the bushing down some or try your hand at using a hand saw. On the other side was yet another bag of problems but it would be easier to work with. The passenger side engine bushing was just the opposite of the other side. It would need some spacers to take up about a half a inch gap.
The new engine mounts have slotted holes so the new mount can be adjusted some to account for any other differences you may come upon. To remove the passenger side engine mount requires a little more work then just unbolting from the engine. The bolt is very long and is threaded in from the front. This forced us to unbolt the alternator to be able to pull the bolt out. There are two bolts holding the alternator in. One on the top and one down at the bottom. The tension adjuster is on the power steering pump. Instead of loosening those bolts and adding more steps then needed, we used a pry-bar to put tension on the alternator so the bottom bolt could be removed. This is also how we'll reinstall the alternator without having to worry about squealing belts.
Care must be taken when supporting the engine with a jack. Do not use the oil pan as a jack point. If anything, lift from the bellhousing or use something long like a pipe and jack front below the engine mount tabs off the block. Because one of out engine mounts was already broken we were able to move the engine around with little effort. Be careful not to have the engine fall off the jack. We jacked the engine up from the engine mount tabs and used a jack-stand under the bellhousing to be on the safe side.
Installing the new mounts was pretty straight forward. With the passenger side, the new mount was bolted to the riser plate and then bolted to the frame. We used some large washers and the quarter inch sleeve that was removed from the other side to act as a bushing. The driver side needed a little help to line up straight. Some screwdrivers work well for this. With all the mounts bolted down and the engine lined up all that is needed is to put everything else back together. Two people make lining up the bolt for the alternator possible. Otherwise, we would have to loosen the tension bolt on the power steering pump.
