Alright, heres the deal. I have an 86 Trooper II that had a 2.3 engine in it. The engine blew about six years ago. I kinda just put it off to the side as a project that would get done over time. Well i'm getting ready to move I have to get this done. Over the past six years I haven't been able to find another 2.3 reasonably priced (i guess i really wasn't all that diligent about it either). I did however, find a 2.6 out of an 88 Trooper. As i'm sure most of you know the 2.6 is (or i guess was) fuel injected. I couldn't find a computer for it so I just swapped the intake from the 2.3 to the 2.6. The 2.6 bolts up to the tranny just fine other than one problem. The bracket that bolts beside the block on the bell housing to support the clutch cable won't bolt up. So i'm stuck with a dilema. I thought about having a bracket fabricated that would either bolt to the block or the fender well, but I didn't think it would work all that well considering the amount of pressure required to engage/disengage the clutch. I figured the bracket would probably either break easily or pull threw the fender well. So yesterday I pulled the tranny out of both the 86 and the 88. Now I have the 2.6 engine and tranny from the 88 sittin in the 86. Of course I would have to drill a hole in the firewall for the clutch master cylinder and add all the other hydraulic clutch componets, but now i've ran into another problem. The tranny from the 88 is longer than the tranny from the 86. So the enging is sitting to far foward and not on the mounts. I guess i'm just looking for a little advice of what I should do. I could get the drive shaft chopped or I could get a bracket made. I have also considered trying to find an Automatic tranny out of an 88 so I don't have to worry about the hydraulics for the clutch. Does anybody know what other vehicles had an automatic tranny that will bolt up to the 2.6 out of the 88 Trooper? Or what other vehicles had the 2.3 identical to the 2.3 in the 86 Trooper?

Sorry to make this post so long but I need to resolve this issue ASAP and any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thankx, Brad

I had the same issue. The 2.3 clutch bracket won't bolt up because the 2.6 oil pan lip impedes it. I swapped out the 2.6 oil pan for the 2.3 and it bolted right up. I don't know the year of my 2.6...that may make a difference.

Do I need to swap out both the upper and lower oil pans or just one of them?

both

Knowing that my 2.3 was toast. I took a hack saw and a grinder to the backet that supports the clutch cable and made it fit. I think it took me a hour or so...

Not to add more work, but do a search for aw4 transmissions out of jeeps (and others??). ok.. I did the search.. ceck these out.

http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showf...;oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post538360

http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showf...;oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post488754

IIRC they bolt up directly. You would likely have to alter/replace your drive shafts though and who knows about computer issues.. It has been/is being done by some on the board.. Good luck

JD