Eagle

If the later heads are the same, why do they have different part numbers?

Be advised that MJs and XJs with the factory tow mirrors had a reinforcing plate inside the door to beef up the skin. If you're going to install any mirror of this general type, it would probably be a good idea to back up the upper and lower mounting points with some heavy-gauge sheet metal.

I edited my post while you were typing. See above.

Those are intended for larger trucks. To mount those with the mirror head at the right height, you'd be mounting almost to the bottom of the door. They're 27-1/2 inches high -- that's 2 feet 3-1/2 inches. Take a tape measure out to your truck and lay that out on the door. There's a more compact version that would be more suitable for an MJ, if you like that style of mirror. https://www.amazon.com/CIPA-45500-Style-Lowmount-Full-Chrome/dp/B00029WSYK?keywords=truck+mirrors&qid=1539134678&s=Automotive&sr=1-8&ref=sr_1_8 This is closer to what the factory tow mirror option was: https://www.amazon.com/CIPA-41000-Universal-Chrome-Replacment/dp/B00029WSXG?keywords=truck+mirrors&pd_rd_i=B00029WSXG&pd_rd_r=c9602175-79da-4ded-b253-7de7b34a32c4&pd_rd_w=Q0fdy&pd_rd_wg=0sTkO&pf_rd_i=truck%2Bmirrors&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=be4e4b33-ff1d-476e-a827-fb55b7c4763f&pf_rd_r=0F1P3TDZ795RJEDF25DB&pf_rd_s=loom-desktop-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&qid=1539134757&s=Automotive&ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvpv2

Curiously, my parts manuals don't include the '84 and '85 XJ, which had a carburetted version of the 2.5L engine. The 86-90 parts manual shows the head part numbers as 8350 2487 for injected, and 8350 2488 for carburetted. The 91-93 parts manual shows me 33000 7115 for the injected head, and 5302 0183 for carburetted. So there was a change in the head from '90 to '91. The head bolts remained the same in the 86-90 parts manual and the 91-93 parts manual.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the 150 CU.IN. AMC Rambler," but if you are referring to the engine used in the Eagle SX-4, I'm pretty sure that was a Pontiac Iron Duke. The 2.5L enngine used in the XJs and MJs was a new design, introduced in the 1984 Cherokee XJ. It has nothing in common with any previous AMC engine. I'm not aware of any changes between 86 and 90 that will affect you. You are aware that in model year 1991 they changed from the throttle body injection to multi-port injection, right? So the 91 intake manifold won't the the same as yours.

My first '88 XJ (with the BA 10/5) is at somewhere north of 287,000 miles on the original tranny. Don't drive it like Don Garlits and that tranny will outlive you and your kids.

Not on a Jeep forum ...

When I need axle U-bolts I get them made up on the spot at a local spring shop. They come with double-thick washers and double length nuts. I can get 9/16" from them, but I've settled on doing 1/2" for both XJs and MJs. A 1/2" U-bolt is slightly larger than the stock 12mm for an XJ, and IMHO a 1/2" that's brand new is probably better than a rusty 14mm that's been torqued and possibly retorqued.

Everything I have read or heard is that the factory clutch is a Luks. The sticky wicket is finding a decent master and slave cylinder to go with the clutch.

Then why can't I remember what I had for breakfast this morning. Wait ... did I have breakfast this morning?

Okay, but I currently own two '88 MJs and one '87 MJ. The u-bolts in all are 14mm, and I'm about 98% certain that the '87 and at least one of the '88s is all original. XJs were 12mm, MJs were 14mm.

Not so odd. Marchal is a French brand, and in the 1980s Jeep was partially owned by Renault. But driving lights are a narrow, pencil beam for seeing far down the road in front of you. Fog lights are a wide beam with a very sharp vertical cutoff. Off-road lights are essentially flood lights, which is why many states don't allow them on the roads unless covered. I doubt there's a market for real off-road lights in Europe, so it's not surprising that Jeep (or Jeep dealers) would turn to American vendors for an accessory that few vehicles were ordered with. I've often thought that the best option for roll-bar mounted off-road lights today might be a set of plow lights. http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?urlRequestType=Base&catalogId=10002&categoryId=13092&productId=51231&errorViewName=ProductDisplayErrorView&urlLangId=-1&langId=-1&top_category=15554&parent_category_rn=13089&storeId=10001

I have to admit that, yes, I did. I don't know exactly what that says about me ...

The factory lights were KC HiLiTES, but a large, rectangular model that they no longer make.

14 mm, actually. They are metric. 9/16" is the nearest equivalent in imperial units.

The Ford sockets I used to buy from the HELP! rack at Auto Zone were all metal. They have have discontinued them -- I haven't looked for several years.

Chrome looks shiny. It will not stave off rust for long unless you are willing to clean and wax the wheels fairly frequently. Brake dust+moisture ==> acid. Brake dust is death on wheels. That depends on the wheel backspacing. What is known: on factory 15x7 rims with 5-1/4" backspacing, 31x10.50 tires will clear the body work but rub slightly on the lower control arms at full steering lock. (This can be fixed by using lower control arms from a WJ Grand Cherokee.) So if a 7" rim has 5-1/4" backspacing, that puts the centerline of the tire and rim 1-3/4" behind (inboard of) the wheel mounting surface. And a 31x10.50 tire is typically not 31" in diameter, but closer to 30.5". So to satisfy your criteria, you want a tire that's no wider than 10.5" and no larger than 30.5", and a rim that's going to position the centerline 1.75" inboard of the wheel mounting surface. Pick any combination of tire size and aspect ratio that will meet these parameters.

IMHO, neither way is correct. If you don't have a tool for packing the bearings, put on your blue nitrile rubber gloves, hold the bearing in your left hand (if you're right handed), pick up a glob of grease with the right hand, and force it into all the internal voids in the bearing. It's better to grab small globs, and refill as necessary, rather than picking up a fist full of grease and getting it everywhere except where it belongs -- which is inside the bearing assembly. Also, FYI, good wheel bearing grease is long-fiber grease, which is different from the stuff that comes in tubes for use in grease guns. The grease gun stuff is better than nothing, but if you use that you'll need to service the bearings a lot more frequently, Bearing packer: https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-65250-Bearing-Packer/dp/B0002NYDYY/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1538893455&sr=1-5&keywords=bearing+packer+tool If you use the packing tool with a Zerk fitting, then you have to use standard grease. The long-fiber bearing grease won't go through a gun or the fitting. Bearing grease: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/carquest-grease-and-lube-hi-temp-disc-brake-wheel-bearing-grease-16-oz-814-16/7070071-P?navigationPath=L1*14924|L2*15038|L3*16167

Since the lowest reading on the gauge is +9 volts, I doubt very much it's in the negative. The red zone runs from +9 to +11. What number is it reading? If you put a voltmeter across the battery terminals, what does it read with the engine off, and what does it read with the engine running?

That's the way it's supposed to work. Just for yuks, I pulled out the FSM for my old 1966 Rambler American. It had the same front wheel setup (except it had drums rather than rotors). The procedure in 1966 was: Torque to 20 ft-lbs while rotating wheel Install lock retainer on the nut so that tabs cover the cotter pin hole Back off nut and retainer to the slot, and install cotter pin While you're waiting for your parts to arrive, read up on how to properly pack wheel bearings with grease.

There are no stronger cotter pins, and you don't need a stronger cotter pin. The cotter pin on the 2WD spindle does the same job as the cotter pin on a tie rod end -- it's only purpose is to lock the nut and keep it from turning itself loose. After you torque the nut the second time, there's a retainer that fits over it with the ears that engage the cotter pin. You may have to loosen or tighten the nut slightly to get the gaps in the retainer to align with the hole in the spindle. Go whichever way means less turning. Personally, I always back it off to line up with the hole. In the old days, even on the race car, we didn't torque the nut, we snugged it down (using a wrench) while turning the wheel, until there was no play when wiggling the tire when grabbed at the top and bottom. Then we backed off just enough to get the retainer to align with the hole in the spindle. Those old-style hubs use two tapered roller bearings, one inner and one outer, and they don't need (or want) a lot of preload. They just want to be tight enough that they stay in place.

The throttle cable on the '88s doesn't run from the peddle to the throttle body. The cable connects to a lever (I believe the correct term is "bellcrank") on the lower driver's side frame "ear," down beneath the master cylinder. The other arm of the bellcrank pushes a lever that, in turn, activates the throttle body. The bellcrank rotates on a hinge/knuckle joint. That can get rusty and/or cruddy. Find it, and spray it down with PB Blaster and see if that helps.

Re-read what Pete wrote. The key is "backspacing." Most of the factory Jeep rims for the XJ and MJ are 15x7. The backspacing is 5-1/4". Read this: http://www.wheelpros.com/page/offset-explained/9 As far as I know, there are NO aftermarket 15x7 or 15x8 rims that have more than 4-3/4" backspacing, and most have less than that. So that means even a 15x7 aftermarket rim is going to sit at least a half inch farther outboard than a factory wheel, and if the aftermarket rim is 15x8 the entire extra inch of width is going to be toward the outside, in addition to the extra half inch or more caused by the difference in backspacing. What size are the wheels you have, and what size tires are on them?

Yeah ... I thought about that after I posted. That'll work, too.