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New Member With Many Questions


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Greetings,

 

I've owned a Comanche for just about twenty years. I've kept it going, but it has some issues which I'm hoping you guys can help me resolve.

 

First, let me share some details about my Comanche. (I tried to post some pictures, but the app kept locking up. Not sure what's going on there.)

 

- 1986 "X"

- 161,000 original miles

- 2.8 Liter V6 (I really don't like this engine and would like to drop in something else)

- 3-speed automatic

- Long Bed

- 4X4

- Cruise Control

- A/C

- Tilt Wheel

- Sliding rear window

- Tow mirrors

- Bench seat

- Aluminum wheels

 

My truck likely has other options, but I'm not familiar enough with these trucks to know. I'm mostly a Ford Mustang guy (currently restoring a 1970 Mach 1), but I also like Jeep. Mrs. Klutch drove a 1997 Cherokee for many years. I recently totaled my daily driver. So, I'm driving the Comanche until I can find another vehicle. I'm thinking about picking up a 2000 or 2001 Cherokee as a replacement.

 

Issues my truck has, of which I'm sure you're very familiar:

- Side mirrors won't stay in position. I'm trying to order replacements, but haven't heard back from the local parts store.

- Courtesy lights don't work in any position.

- Alternator light sometimes comes on, "4WD" lights works only sometimes when the truck is in 4WD. The battery stays charged fine.

- Doors are starting to rust on the bottom. Not sure if I should weld in new metal or install replacement doors. Will Cherokee doors work?

 

I don't know what type of rear differential I have. It does not have a rubber plug. It has a threaded hex plug at the front, left side. I don't know what gears I have and would like to know if there's a tag somewhere for this.

 

Thanks!

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Unless you have chrome mirrors, you can go to just about any JY and get the mirrors from a 1996 or earlier XJ.  I don't know if the 97 - 01 mirrors will fit.

 

The courtesy light is a common problem.  Especially since your truck is 29 yrs old.  Search on CC for a thread about the lights.  Try ebay.  I got a set several years ago from ebay.  I think the name was Eurotech, or something like that.

 

You could get doors from a 96 and earlier 4 dr XJ.  The 2 dr will not fit.  The 97+ doors will fit, but will require some modifications.  Also, the contor shape is different.

 

The front diff is probably a Dana 30.  The rear could be an AMC 20 (desirable) or a Dana 35 (not so desirable.)

 

Welcome to the addiction.

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Thanks for the info, Tim!

 

I do in fact have the optional, chrome, "Towing Mirrors". Apparently, these were not a common option. I checked dozens of Cherokees in my local salvage yards and none of them had the towing mirrors. It's not that they were missing, there were no holes in the doors which indicates they did not have the towing mirrors from the factory.

 

I could easily get the small mirrors from a salvaged Cherokee, but then I'd have four big holes in each of my doors. If I end up replacing the doors, I will go with the small mirrors, but right now, I need new towing mirrors.

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You're probably right about Cherokees not having towing mirrors. I thought I had seen at least one, but the owner probably added them. I checked parts stores and they offer the same mirrors which must be ordered.

 

I also found a listing for used towing mirrors online, but I'm afraid they'd be worn out just like mine.

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I think I've seen a couple people replacing their towing mirrors with ones off a Bronco or other older truck.

 

As said, courtesy lights are a common problem. You might be able to clean them up a bit and get them working (and if you want them to work with the doors and get them working with the doors, don't EVER touch them again!). Here's a potentially useful thread I found while trying to find the exact name of the ebay lights... I gave up on that, though. If it's just that they don't come on when the doors are open, the door switch itself might be a problem.

 

Alternator light could simply be corroded connections. It's a pretty common issue on just about any vehicle. What do your battery cables look like? 4x4 light again could be wiring stuff, or possibly a vacuum problem with the CAD. (See below)

 

96 and down 4-door XJ doors will be identical to your doors.

 

The rear axle options in '86, as was stated, are the Dana 35 and AMC 20. The Dana 35 has a kind of oval shaped diff cover, but the AMC 20's cover is perfectly circular. There's a chance though that something else may have been swapped in.

As for your front axle, the only option was a Dana 30. There are a couple different Dana 30s, though, the difference being a central axle disconnect (CAD) in the passenger side axle shaft. The CAD engages and disengages the two pieces of the axle, in a bid to save fuel by reducing rotating mass... it's not a noticeable difference. The CAD is vacuum controlled, and problematic, and if it fails you'll loose your 4x4. Most people end up permanently engaging it. Not all MJ's came with a CAD, but it's more often the rule than the exception. 86 was a bit of a weird year, though.

 

Posting pictures to the site requires a third-party host. See here and here. Both threads are pinned in the "Testing" forum.

A word on searching the site; the search feature does work, but can be a bit frustrating sometimes. If you do a perfectly normal google search, but include the search term site:comancheclub.com , it'll only pull up results from this website.

 

Welcome to the madness. I'm a relatively new member (relative to some... I have been here a few years) but this site is a HUGE wealth of info. If these guys can't figure out your problems, then they might only exist in your head!

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In regards to your courtesy lights, the connections rust very easily on these things since they are made of copper. Carefully take the lights out (try not to crack the plastic retaining clips) and take a small piece of sandpaper and sand the metal as well as the part that rotates. I had this problem and at first I thought it was the bulb, so I bought new bulbs, but they still didn't work. After some fine sanding, the lights worked and it turned out the old bulbs were still good!

 

That GM V6 2.8L you have is not the best engine out there and not known for its reliability. But I do know someone who put over 200,000 mi on theirs because they took care of it (they also happened to work on the GM plant that built these engines...)

 

For your gear ratio, I would think you'd have 3.55 gears, but I'm not 100% on that. If it's not gone/destroyed by now, you can check on your differential cover on the left side there will be a strip of metal held down by two diff cover bolts, it will say the gear ratio on it.

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In my area I can buy used doors for $60.00 each. If you have rusted doors and if you like the small mirrors you could replace the complete doors from a cherokee. This would fix your rust, the 4 holes in the door and get you mirrors that are easier to find. In my area that $60.00 gets a complete door mirrors and all. Not sure what the prices will be in your area.

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Thanks so much for all the info, everyone.

 

I did try posting pictures from Photobucket. When I paste in the link information and click OK, nothing happens. The page just locks up. (??)

 

I will try to clean the connections on my courtesy lights. If that doesn't work, I will check out those lights from Euramtec.

 

If I swap my doors, I'll have to paint. I can do this, but not during a Colorado winter. So, I would like to just replace the mirrors for now. If I can't get the mirrors I'm trying to order, I will look into Ford truck mirrors. 

 

When I bought my Comanche, the engine had a spun main bearing. I installed a remanufactured engine before I knew how anemic the 2.8 liter engines are. Here at high altitude, it's especially anemic and drinks gasoline to boot. I'd be happy if it had power and drank gasoline or if it was good on gas with little power. But the worst of both worlds in just a bummer. 

I really like the Jeep 4.0 HO inline 6. I read somewhere this engine will not fit a 1986 MJ or XJ; not sure why. If it involves cutting the trans tunnel, I can do that. I also thought about modifying the V6. However, a friend of mine told me he tried this by milling the heads, installing a performance street cam, aluminum intake and 4 barrel carb. He said it made some difference, but not much. 

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Klutch: 

 

Welcome to the group.  Just a caution about the towing mirrors and replacement doors.  These large mirrors came from the factory with an in the door "reenforcing plate" for the lower mirror support that was mounted inside the factory door.  When you replace the factory original doors with doors from a salvage yard, you need to remove the "reenforcing plate" from the old doors and put it in your new doors.

 

Thanks so much for all the info, everyone.

 

I did try posting pictures from Photobucket. When I paste in the link information and click OK, nothing happens. The page just locks up. (??)

 

I will try to clean the connections on my courtesy lights. If that doesn't work, I will check out those lights from Euramtec.

 

If I swap my doors, I'll have to paint. I can do this, but not during a Colorado winter. So, I would like to just replace the mirrors for now. If I can't get the mirrors I'm trying to order, I will look into Ford truck mirrors. 

 

When I bought my Comanche, the engine had a spun main bearing. I installed a remanufactured engine before I knew how anemic the 2.8 liter engines are. Here at high altitude, it's especially anemic and drinks gasoline to boot. I'd be happy if it had power and drank gasoline or if it was good on gas with little power. But the worst of both worlds in just a bummer. 

I really like the Jeep 4.0 HO inline 6. I read somewhere this engine will not fit a 1986 MJ or XJ; not sure why. If it involves cutting the trans tunnel, I can do that. I also thought about modifying the V6. However, a friend of mine told me he tried this by milling the heads, installing a performance street cam, aluminum intake and 4 barrel carb. He said it made some difference, but not much. 

 

Search is your friend. But it is some what of a pain.  As I recall reading, a big hammer applied to the fire wall is needed to fit the 4.0 into an 86.  My truck is a 91, so I have not done this.  Again, search is your friend.  The "easy upgrade path" for the 2.8 V6 is the 3.4 V6.  My suggestion is do not spend any more $$ on the 2.8, go directly to the 3.4 upgrade.  You have a running 2.8 now, so use it while you build a 3.4 replacement.  There are several very recent discussions with great links:

http://comancheclub.com/topic/45707-help-me-decide-28-to-34-or-40/

 

http://comancheclub....ns-for-25-4cyl/

 

Again, welcome to the club.

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OK, I think I got this picture post thing going on now. I had to click the little square in the upper left of the toolbar. Apparently, it

disables all the toolbar stuff and allows me to paste.

 

Anyway, that's my Comanche. Sorry the pics are a little grainy. They were taken at dusk.

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Nice to see another 86. Your grill is upside down, just so you know.

 

What are your plans for it?

 

Doh! Thanks for letting me know about the grill. That's the way it was when I got it. Wow, now I feel pretty silly...

 

Since I've had the truck I've used it as an occasional daily driver and a weekend truck. I never take it off-roading because I don't think the engine would run well, if at all, in the mountains of Colorado. 

 

As it's getting older, I'd like to start to fixing it up so I can keep it and use it a while longer. 

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