If anyone out there is unhappy with the performance of their 2.5L AMC Jeep motor (87rwh), and has been considering a motor swap, think turbo! I've been running a Garrett 60/48 turbocharger on my 1999 TJ now for about 5 years. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about adding a turbo to the AMC 2.5L/ 4cyl. Check the Gallery for pictures of this setup!
Awesome install! How is it's driveability off-road? Just curious if the peakiness of the turbo changes anything.
Dave Tekampe
Director SDAC National
VP SDAC-Chicago
85 GLH-Turbo (DC intercooled)
86 GLHS #107
87 GLHS #148
87 CSX #161, #608, #674
88 CSX-T #529, #541
89 Shadow Competition Package and lots more...
I'll tell you I'm dissapointed in my winter ride, 90 Wrangler w/ the AMC 4.2. It's now actually a 4.5 or so after a .060 overbore, and the thing is still a DOG! Maybe I should turbo that and we'll go and run 'em!
Either way, I think your Jeep is pretty awesome. Cool stuff there and way to be different.
Aaron Miller
Its a great site. Too bad I didnt get a better look at it during SDAC-15... stupid daytona was giving me hell!
Frank Katzenberger
Squirrel Performance - Home of the best turbo calc!!!
http://www.squirrelpf.com
91 Daytona Shelby - It is getting there
87 Shelby CSX #418 - Near stock is a good thing!
94 Bronco 302 XLT - Shorty Headers, 3" exhaust, cold air intake, & Soft top
"... to get the best out of it, you have to go beyond the line. Where bravery becomes insanity. Shall I turn into this hairpin bend at a 100mph? Why not!"
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Dave,Originally Posted by Turbodave
Of road maners diden't change much. When your using 4wheel low range, you rarely put enough load on the motor to get much boost. But when I go to the sand dunes the added power really comes in handy. It's nice to be able to spin all 4 33" tires up a 300' tall 45 degree sand dune and not bog down!
Aaron,
If you turbo'd that strait six, I wouldn't stand a chance against you! lol
I have a friend out in Yuma, AZ who has a turbo on his 4.0L (actually it has been bored and stroked to a 4.6L) he's putting down 750 hp to the rear wheels at 20psi! He's running a 4,500 rpm stall speed converter and red line is 7,500! I attached a few pics for you. Nothing like being able to put daylight under the front wheels in all 3 gears, in the dirt!
Frank, it sucked about your car at SDAC15, but SDAC16 is fast approaching... Now that I'm a member there WILL BE a blue Jeep out there in the staging lanes this year... should be quite the site! lol
That Jeep is sweet! Yeh if I go, I will be flying out.
Frank
Squirrel Performance - Home of the best turbo calc!!!
http://www.squirrelpf.com
91 Daytona Shelby - It is getting there
87 Shelby CSX #418 - Near stock is a good thing!
94 Bronco 302 XLT - Shorty Headers, 3" exhaust, cold air intake, & Soft top
"... to get the best out of it, you have to go beyond the line. Where bravery becomes insanity. Shall I turn into this hairpin bend at a 100mph? Why not!"
Visit the new Knowledge Center today!
Check out the one and only Shelby Dodge Registry!
Dang, ive been wanting to turbo my 93 Cherokee 4.0HO , does your friend have a aftermarket engine managment system or something different. Id be interested in any information about turbocharging a 4.0. I like how he put the turbo on the other side, at first it didnt make sense to me but the more i thought about it, the more it MADE sense.
Wow, that's intense. I wonder how it's so rev happy, this thing gets pissy if I try to take it over 3K rpms trying to get up to speed on the freeway!
I should take my old 50 trim and throw it on there real quick.
WAIT! On the 4.0 is the exhaust manifold on the passenger side of the engine bay? I don't think so... am I wrong here? Then how..... why..... weird.
Aaron Miller
Aaron, you're right. The 4.0L does not have a cross flow head, none of the Jeep in-lines did, 4 or 6's. There is just a nice amount of room on the passenger side of the motor for the turbo. So you mount it there and plumb the exhaust to it! The 750 hp stroker is running a high dollar Hesco (aluminum) head, and yes he does have a stand alone controler running the fuel and electronics. I can find out more about his setup or you can check out their web site at www.104racingteam.com If you check out the video section, look for video's with the name Felix in them. He's the guy with the turbo Wrangler! That Jeep can accelorate faster in the dirt than most cars can on pavement! lol
Ill check out his website, thanks for the link.
that is nice man
Hey Trrbo Jeep I have a few 2.5AMC questions, my 1998 Dakota has the same 2.5 Jeep engine, Its looks to be a nice HD 4 banger. I was thinking about getting a T2/T3 exh flange welded to the exh manifold and mounting a T2 turbo to it, run some tubing for an intercooler, plumb up the oil/water lines. Install and FPR from a turbo dodge car and set my G-valve at about 8psi. Will the pistons handle some boost if I don't go crazy?
How much do the injectors flow? What will happen when the MAP sensor sees pressure instead of vacum??
I like the way you mounted your turbo on the right side of the engine but I want to keep my AC, plus there seems to be plenty of room on the left side off the exh manifold. Let me know what you think..
Also will all or most parts for the 4.0 six work on the 2.5? I thought about getting some better ratio rocker arms.
Thanks
Derek Price
GLHS 502
'02 Dakota QC 4.7 HO CAMMED
'98 Dakota RC 2.5--its red..
Hey there Derek,
Sorry for the long delay in responding. To answer your questions... yes the stock pistons will take some boost without going south on you. 8psi is probably about the most I'd try to run on the stockers. The stock injectors are rated at 22lbs/hr and not up to the task of fueling a turbo. You'll have to get some bigger ones. I'd recommend 36's. As far as the MAP sensor goes mine lasted for 4-5 years seeing boost but eventually failed. Do yourself a favor and install a small one way check valve between the sensor and the throttle body and you'll save yourself an $80 tab on a new sensor down the road. Yes, the rocker assemblies are identical between the 4.0L's and the 2.5L's. Just remember, increasing the ratio of the rocker will also increase the valve overlap, which for a turbo application is not a good thing.
To help out with detonation, slot the bolt holes in the crank sensor mounted on the transmission bellhousing, and rotate it slightly. I have found that it can be moved enough to take initial timing from 12 degrees of advance (stock setting) to around 8 degrees.
Good luck. On the Jeeps, we don't have the room you Dakota guys do on the exhaust side of the motor.Otherwise I'd have probably mounted mine on the manifold as well.
Thanks for the reply...
Joel I want to see your Jeep real badly this year. It's a shame we left too early last year. Bring it to the Host Hotel. I promise I'll give yeh some good burnouts in the parking lot.
Bryan,
I most likely will not be there this year.
It is a 12 hr drive for me, and I don't have the time right now to commit. I will just have to view all the pics when it's over.
I've been entertaining the idea of selling the Jeep this summer? I love it, and it is a real head turner, but it takes up a lot of my time & $$$, that I would rather spend with my family right now. My son is 6 and my daughter is 3. They need a lot of Dad time and guidence at that age, so my turbo addiction will have to be put on hold for a while.I'm OK with that.
BTW, congrats on breaking into the 13's with the Spirit.
Joel
My brother had an '88 Wrangler with the 4.2 (total dog) we installed the 4.0 head on. I did some port work on it (nothing radical like I'm doing lately), 0.030" overbore, added a fuel injection system from an '89 Cherokee, a Comp Cams (can't remember the specs) set-up, a '93 exhaust manifold, and a 2.5" complete exhaust. Even with the mudders on it it kicked total butt!
The 4.0 head has raised intake ports, larger valves, and larger ports when compared with the 4.2 head. There are a couple of coolant passages that need welded/plugged shut, then the head gets milled. Use the 4.0 valve train and push rods, but with a 4.2 head gasket. If keeping the carb intake, there are some dowl pin holes that need to be redrilled lower on the manifold to mate up properly with the head, but like I said, we went EFI.
Mike
Is a 90' still carbureted? If so you have some options for more pep. First change over to an HEI or TFI style ignition with atleast 8mm plug wires and set your gap to .045 on the plugs. I picked up about 10-15 HP, when you only have 110 to begin with 10 HP is a large difference. Next focus on the exhaust, headers and a single 2.25 or 2.5'' exhuast makes a huge difference. After that the stock BBD junk carb needs swapped, there a couple options. One of the best is the motorcraft 2150 swap, there's a guy on ebay that has them on all the time. It's a complete swap, custom adapter, custom brackets, and rebuilt carb to whatever specs you tell him all for $260. Or you can go with an offenhauser 4 barrel intake and an edelbrock 500 would be a good choice.
All of those mods and you would be closer to around 140-150 HP and a good bit more torque too.
I have an 87' AMC eagle with the 4.2. So far I have the HEI ignition, 8mm wires, and straight through 2'' exhaust (with the stock manifold). Swapping out the cat for a glass pack made just as much difference as the HEI ignition, now acceleration is tolerable. Next is the carb though, it studders too much and gets very annoying.
dude, i tottaly want to tubo my 1995 jeep wrangler 2.5l 4cyl. i got an idea of what i need but want to make sure i got all the facts. im about to purchase a stock tubo that came off of a srt-4 neon. it comes with the manifold, but theres no way itll jus bolt up to the jeep. so question 1.) am i going to have to custom make a manifold, because i havent seen on on the internet. 2.) will i need a stand alone fuel system? 3.) what should i use to connect the turbo to the intake? thanks a bunchIf anyone out there is unhappy with the performance of their 2.5L AMC Jeep motor (87rwh), and has been considering a motor swap, think turbo! I've been running a Garrett 60/48 turbocharger on my 1999 TJ now for about 5 years. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about adding a turbo to the AMC 2.5L/ 4cyl. Check the Gallery for pictures of this setup!
Welcome to the site. You are coming in with some style bringing this thread back from nowhere for sure.
There was someone else on here who had a turbo wrangler with the 2.5 in it. IIRC he was spraying alky and running a SMEC or SBEC if memory serves correctly. I don't know what he was doing for an intake though.
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