HELP!!! My 98 wrangler stumbles in reverse

#1
Need some help. I have a 98 TJ with a 4.0 for about a week now it was been stumbling in reverse a little so today I pulled the plugs and checked them. I re-gaped them and re-installed. Now the stumble is a lot worse. Stumble is mainly in reverse, sometimes I will feel a slight stumble in drive while at a light but it doesn’t do it when the RPMs are up going down the road. Any ideas where to start looking?
 
#5
Clean the throttle body, IAC, and check your dist. cap/rotor.
CPS or CKP can also cause a stumble.
Are you using non-ethanol fuel, or a fuel stabilizer?
 
#6
I had a similar stumble when my TPS was going bad. It finally bit the dust and wouldn't idle at all. Mine was throwing a code at times though. If you have access to a good scanner you should be able to monitor those sensors just mentioned and make sure they are in line.

Mine would idle surge at a stop light bad at times. Sometimes it would be fine. Seemed to do it worse in Drive.
 
#8
Clean the throttle body, IAC, and check your dist. cap/rotor.
CPS or CKP can also cause a stumble.
Are you using non-ethanol fuel, or a fuel stabilizer?
Will check sensors as advised. dist. cap rotor done. i,m sure the gas i'm using has ethanol but i'm not using stabilizer. this is my DD the gas does not stay in it long enough to go bad unless it was bad when i bought it. By the way i know what the IAC is, and on the CPS do you mean the Crankshaft or the Cam position sensor? but what is the CKP where do i find it? Thanks
 
#9
I had a similar stumble when my TPS was going bad. It finally bit the dust and wouldn't idle at all. Mine was throwing a code at times though. If you have access to a good scanner you should be able to monitor those sensors just mentioned and make sure they are in line.

Mine would idle surge at a stop light bad at times. Sometimes it would be fine. Seemed to do it worse in Drive.
This may be heading in the right direction, when i was checking plugs i moved the TPS cable around the trans. dip tube. i may have done something then. i will check all. Thanks
 
#11
I'll check the FSM about the CPS. I know your CKP is in the trans. bell housing just behind the head, passenger side.
TPS is a good start though. They do tend to fail without throwing a code!
 
#13
Ok heres what i did and the results. I cleaned the IAC and I have a FSM so I used it and checked the TPS, MAS, and any and all conections that I could find. When I restarted it I had a CEL so I unpluged the batt. and let it set. When I reconected the batt. the CEL was off. Took it for a drive and noticed the stumble was still there but not as bad. Ran by Advanced Auto and had them check the codes and to my suprise there was none. As I was backing it in to the shop at home it started the stumble again as bad as the frist time. So with my wife at the wheel and me under the hood I had her shift into reverse and when she did I heard the stumble and at the same time saw a nice blue spark jump from the # 1 cyl. wire to the motor block. Now the wires have been checked and rechecked, the stumble would not happen in netural or drive only reverse. So i'm looking for plug wires now and hopefuly that will sove this ((opportunity)) So thanks to all who pointer me in the right direction. The next thing yall might be able to educate me on is I have a rattle in the 4x4 shifter linkage. When I am at a light it rattles like crap but when I move it a little is stops the after a few bumps its back. There is a bushing or something that it worn or something, do any of you know what I’m talking about or how to repair it?
Thanks
 
#14
Ok heres what i did and the results. I cleaned the IAC and I have a FSM so I used it and checked the TPS, MAS, and any and all conections that I could find. When I restarted it I had a CEL so I unpluged the batt. and let it set. When I reconected the batt. the CEL was off. Took it for a drive and noticed the stumble was still there but not as bad. Ran by Advanced Auto and had them check the codes and to my suprise there was none. As I was backing it in to the shop at home it started the stumble again as bad as the frist time. So with my wife at the wheel and me under the hood I had her shift into reverse and when she did I heard the stumble and at the same time saw a nice blue spark jump from the # 1 cyl. wire to the motor block. Now the wires have been checked and rechecked, the stumble would not happen in netural or drive only reverse. So i'm looking for plug wires now and hopefuly that will sove this ((opportunity)) So thanks to all who pointer me in the right direction. The next thing yall might be able to educate me on is I have a rattle in the 4x4 shifter linkage. When I am at a light it rattles like crap but when I move it a little is stops the after a few bumps its back. There is a bushing or something that it worn or something, do any of you know what I’m talking about or how to repair it?
Thanks
there is a bushing that the shifter pops into, sounds like its worn out. this is the bushing, you can probably get it local. I think clemson 4wheel center stocks them.

http://www.jeep4x4center.com/transfer-case-shifter-grommet-3575333.html?utm_source=cj
 
#16
Ok, I think I found the source of the rattle in the 4x4 shifter linkage. There is a small bearing that is a brass ball mounted in a sheet metal housing that mounts to the transfer case tunnel of the body. If you are sitting in the jeep it will be located on the right side of you right calf behind the sheet metal of course and accessible from under the Jeep, you can see it easy if you drop the skid plate. Anyway that’s where it is on my TJ. This brass bearing ball is loose in the metal housing allowing it to rattle. I saw the other plastic bushings and they all looked good to me so this is the part I’m starting with. If anyone knows where to find one please let me know.
Thanks
 
#17
Ok, I think I found the source of the rattle in the 4x4 shifter linkage. There is a small bearing that is a brass ball mounted in a sheet metal housing that mounts to the transfer case tunnel of the body. If you are sitting in the jeep it will be located on the right side of you right calf behind the sheet metal of course and accessible from under the Jeep, you can see it easy if you drop the skid plate. Anyway that’s where it is on my TJ. This brass bearing ball is loose in the metal housing allowing it to rattle. I saw the other plastic bushings and they all looked good to me so this is the part I’m starting with. If anyone knows where to find one please let me know.
Thanks
http://www.quadratec.com/products/52207_0007.htm
 
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