YJ pedal assembly swap

[urchinhead]

Pictured from left:
1981 CJ non-power brake T4 pedal assembly
1987 YJ manual pedal assembly
1995 YJ manual pedal assembly

I have not performed this swap, and inadvertently ended up with both 87 and 95 pedals. The 87 looks the same as the CJ but with lighter spring for the hydraulic clutch and and extra brace for the shaft. Besides drilling two holes, and swapping the brake light sensor brackets, is there anything else to think about? I know there was a small rod also used as a brace some or all years YJ - looks like where the upper left tab is on the YJ assemblies.

Maybe it’s better to make an additional brace out of sheet metal or plate steel.

I’m using the complete 87 power bracket/booster and master power brake cylinder from a CJ (to avoid changing brake line location). Any advice?

 

[Chamba]

I used the 93 YJ assembly. I cut the brace which goes to the clutch master and welded it back together to match the size of the CJ/ early YJ clutch master. I like having the brace in there and by making it narrower I was able to use the same holes which are in the firewall.

I used the YJ brake light switch and soldered the CJ plug onto it. I like the YJ switch better and it seems more robust. Also it screws into the factory mount perfectly.

 

[urchinhead]

Chamba, thanks for the help. Am I correct in thinking the brace for the clutch master is # 4 in the diagram? I need to drill out for the hydraulic master and am performing sheet metal replacement and rust repair right now anyway.

 

[Chamba]

Yes, that's it. In 91 or 92 they changed the clutch master. It had much more widely spaced mounting studs. Before that it was the same as the CJ. I just cut it and welded it to match the CJ pattern.

Your holes are already in the firewall for the 4 cyl CJ. You just need to drill them out. I'll put up a photo of mine later today.

 

[Chamba]

And the fire wall. Mine was a 258, so I had to cut the holes out myself.

 

[Ron84cj]

I used an early YJ Pedal assembly in mine. I tried it without the support rod at first (it was missing in that particular YJ I got it from), but later added one. Made a huge difference with pedal feel. It drastically cuts down on how much the firewall flexes. It's been a long time since I did this, but I think I remember an actual bearing for the clutch pedal in the CJ pedal vs just a bushing in the YJ pedal. I wonder if the bushing is the same size as the bearing and you could just swap it over? I consider it worth looking into. I have a small amount of play in my bushing and it absolutely drives me nuts. I would rather have the bearing.

 

[ag4ever]

I started going thru this issue with my build.

‘82 Restofication

I don’t recall if I ever bought the right pedal assembly, but I think I did. The CJ tub has impressions for the early YJ / CJ clutch brace. My Jeep was originally a 4 cyl, so those holes were factory drilled.

 

[wm69]

What's the point of a YJ assembly?

 

[ag4ever]

What's the point of a YJ assembly?

I am assuming the original poster is moving from a mechanical clutch (258 engines) to a hydraulic clutch.

The hydraulic clutch setup uses a pushrod through the firewall between the bolt holes of the reinforcing bracket. The mechanical pushes down on a rod that goes to the bell crank mounted low on the firewall.

 

[urchinhead]

There are two things to be gained with the YJ swap:
(1) Power brakes which my Scrambler never had
(2) Hydraulic clutch.

I went YJ because the assemblies are easy to find and fairly cheap. I just found a brake switch with bolt and bushings online, as it seems the ‘87 to ‘90 uses the old full size Jeep switch.

I welded and ground the worn out mechanical linkage back to round and operational when I got the Jeep driveable, but now it’s on to restoration and upgrades. Almost done welding in the rod hole in the firewall:

 

[urchinhead]

I used an early YJ Pedal assembly in mine. I tried it without the support rod at first (it was missing in that particular YJ I got it from), but later added one. Made a huge difference with pedal feel. It drastically cuts down on how much the firewall flexes. It's been a long time since I did this, but I think I remember an actual bearing for the clutch pedal in the CJ pedal vs just a bushing in the YJ pedal. I wonder if the bushing is the same size as the bearing and you could just swap it over? I consider it worth looking into. I have a small amount of play in my bushing and it absolutely drives me nuts. I would rather have the bearing.

It looks like the bearings are available as Omix re-boxed Torrington. I ordered the brass bushings, but I might opt for the bearings. Hoping to pull the CJ and YJ assemblies apart this afternoon to compare what is in there.

I took a look at the later YJ pedal assembly, and it’s obvious how much wider (taller) the bracket with bolts for the clutch master are when looked at from a side profile.

Lastly, I cannot find a picture or diagram of the rod brace that I don’t have. Does it attach to the dash from the left top of the pedal bracket? I’ll likely just make something from steel scrap.

 

[urchinhead]

I ended up buying the brace, as I’m running out of time to get the Jeep back on the road for summer. Does anyone have a measurement and/or picture they can provide? Just about everything else is in place and getting painted soon.

 

[ag4ever]

Which brace are you looking for? I don’t recognize the rod in your photo.

 

[urchinhead]

Here is another photo with the assembly mocked up, and the rod haphazardly stuck inside the opening for the fuse block. My best guess is up high, but I really am just taking a guess.

 

[ag4ever]

I don’t ever recall seeing a rod brace the pedal assembly like that. The only brace I recall was the sheet metal one that straddles the hydraulic master cylinder for the clutch.

 

[Ron84cj]

It looks like you have it in the right spot on the pedal assembly bracket thingy. It's hard to get a pic from within the vehicle, but here is a pic of me pointing to where it comes through the firewall. There is a nut and washer on the inside and there is a nut and washer on the engine bay side. Hope this helps.

 

[urchinhead]

That’s a huge help! I was looking all over YJ threads and builds, etc. I need to re-attach the support plate in the engine bay, so it’s good to figure that out now and drill my holes before paint.

 

[ag4ever]

I have some kind of rubber grommet in that hole. But, that could have been put there to plug the hole when converted from 4 cyl / hydraulic to 6 cyl / mechanical.

 

[urchinhead]

It looks like the hole for the windshield washer fluid hose was used for the YJ clutch rod in the photo from Ron. I have a factory knockout that sat under the stiffening plate, next to the rectangle for the fuse block, so I’ll probably drill that out on the plate. You can see the studs from the clutch pedal brace sticking out in the photo. I’ll post more when it’s all complete.