Eagle

Another Olde Pharte checking in to confirm. In January of 2017 I was in a hotel room in Las Vegas (I was there for the annual SHOT Show, not to gamble). Got up to walk across the room for a glass of water to take my evening heart meds and both heard and felt a tremendous "POP" from my hip. By the time I made it home after the show, I could hardly walk. I've been through 16 weeks of physical therapy, two months of walking with a cane, and three cortisone injections. A year and a half later, I'm finally more or less able to move normally with excessive pain. How did it start? It started in 2014, doing cardio rehab after my heart surgery. I overdid it on a recumbent bicycle machine and over-stressed the right hip. For awhile I almost couldn't drive at all. Couldn't move my right foot from the gas peddle to the brake, so I was limited to driving my wife's XJ, which is automatic. I had to learn left foot braking. They tell me getting old beats the alternative, but there are days when I question that. Hang in there, Keyav8r. You'll drive the MJ again.

There's a reason most gear makers don't offer 5.13s for the D30 -- the pinion gear gets so small that it's very weak and prone to breakage. Since the reason for going to 5.13s is BIG tires, it makes for a very bad combination. If you really need 5.13s, IMHO you're far better off going to a Wrangler Rubicon "D44" even if it is low pinion.

Since this place was created, it has grown and matured a lot, the forum software has been updated and changed, and the place has come to look and act a lot like ... well, a lot like a real Internet forum. And we have attracted a lot of members since the place was created. I recently had a discussion with one of our member by private message, and I discovered that apparently some members (one, at least) aren't aware that we owe this whole thing to one person: Pete M. I had to check, because I couldn't remember just when Pete started this place. It was actually 13 years ago -- 2005. How time flies when you're having fun (or just busy living life). I can hardly believe that it's been so long, but it has. I wanted to mention this because, without Pete's initiative, this site wouldn't exist. We should all be grateful to Pete for starting this place, and now we also owe thanks to the volunteers who help him out with the technical issues of keeping the doors open and the lights on. I guess because I knew it from early on I more or less assumed that everyone knew the Comanche Club was Pete's creation. One should never assume. So, for those who didn't know it ... now you do. Pete ... thanks.

I don't know of any way to remove that plate/baffle/shelf (whatever it's called) from an old tank and install it in a new tank. The new tank I bought for my '87 SWB had the baffle, but I don't remember where I got it so that's not much help.

Then go for it. But not for $1,000. Back in 2000 (or so) I bought a 1988 4.0L 5-speed MJ that was running. I drove it home from where I found it. I paid $500. Back then, Connecticut still had safety inspections to register vehicles more than ten years old. I spent another $2,500 (so total $3,000) just to get it registered -- that didn't even begin to address the fix-up stuff that I felt it needed. The next summer I stumbled into a routine check point for seat belts. I always wear a seat belt, so no problem there -- except that one of the cops spotted something and handed me a warning for defective equipment. That cost me another $500. So I was into it for $3,500 just to make it a driver, and only after that could I start fixing it up. I would love to see you get it and restore it, because if you don't take it, it will probably rot behind that barn. But go into it with your eyes open.

So use the cross member and tranny/transfer case mount out of the '93.

Why are you looking at Cherokee hoses for a Comanche? They aren't the same.

There shouldn't be any differences. The factory didn't make any changes to the XJ unibody from '84 thru '96 -- they stiffened it when they updated to the '97 body, and even then I don't think there were any dimensional changes, they just used a different forming method (hydroforming), and possibly some thicker sheet metal.

No, it isn't. The cross members are the same length and can be swapped from an XJ to an MJ. What is different is that different transmissions and transfer cases use different rear mounts for the tranny or transfer case, and there are two sets of mounting holes in the frame rails, to position the cross member either farther forward or farther back. Be sure you're using the cross member and mount that correspond to your "new" engine and drive train, and check to see if you need to use the other set of mounting holes.

Congratulations.

The switch is the LAST thing I would look at. When the dash tirn indicator glows or lights up at inappropriate times, it's a sign that you have a bad ground path at the lights, and something, somewhere, is seeking a ground by backfeeding the turn indicator circuit. That's not a switch issue, it's a socket or ground issue.

Since the Renix speedometer is mechanical, there are no printed circuit connections to it. So it should be possible to mount the HO police speedometer without any butchery of the cluster. So then the issue is making it read. On the transfer case end, the electronic sender mounts the same way the mechanical quill mounts for the cable speedometers, so that's not an issue. I don't know where my '94 FSM is at the moment, so I can't look up a wiring diagram to see if it feeds through the ECU. If that's the case -- wouldn't it be possible to mount an HO ECU somewhere, give it a power and ground connection, and then just use the pins that are associated with the speedo?

Not to pick nits, but Windows Calculator Plus says 180 kilometers is 111.8468146027201145311381531854 miles. So now you can properly calibrate your speedometers.

At the time, the word from the folks at the dealership was that Chrysler killed off the MJ because it was cutting into Dakota sales ... they didn't want Jeep trucks competing with Dodge trucks in the same price range and market segment. Let's face it -- if they had offered an extended cab with the MJ, they would have tripled or quadruples their sales, easily. The lack of an extended cab was why my first "modern" (at the time) Jeep was a Cherokee rather than a Comanche.

When the dash turn indicators light up as soon as you turn on the headlights or parking lights, that's a sure sign that you have bad grounds in the front end wiring, and possibly bad parking light sockets, as well. Start by cleaning up the ground connections, then clean up the sockets -- or just replace the sockets. You can find replacement sockets that fit in the HELP! line at the parts chains. I don't have the number, but I believe the ones that fit are for a Ford. I don't know about replacing a broken tab in the fuse panel. My guess is that it would be easier overall just to replace the fuse panel.

That's fine for under a desk ... except that the first night after you install it the cleaning person is going to tell everyone else on the team that you have a gun safe under your desk, and at least one of them is going to mention it to someone at home, and now your gun safe is a known target. Where ya gonna mount that in your MJ?

I've done it, too. Bought a 1949 Hudson off post when I was stationed in the Army and drove it home to Connecticut through a snow storm. Battery (6 volt!) wouldn't hold a charge, so any time I stopped I had to park on an incline so I could roll it and pop the clutch. Except that doesn't work so well in snow, as I found out. Then I stalled it in line for a toll booth on the New Jersey Turnpike. A sympathetic trucker took pity on a serviceman in need, got on his CB to have other truckers create an open "pocket" in front of me, and then he nudged me enough to pop the clutch and get it going. I've also bought vehicles that had been sitting for too long to be trusted, and brought them home on a transporter. I paid $500 for the red '88 MJ. By the time it was fixed enough to pass inspection for a new registration (back when Connecticut still required inspections for registration), i was into it for about $3,500. I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but I do want the OP to go into this (if he proceeds) with his eyes open. I think $1,000 is too much for that particular MJ but, if he has the money and wants that truck, that's fine. The truck will be going to a good home, and I'm all in favor of that. But we don't know how much money he has to throw at it. IMHO he has to figure on all (or at least most) of the things we've been suggesting if he wants to use it as a daily driver, and those things aren't cheap. He''s looking at $500 to $1,000 just in routine replacement of consumables, assuming there's nothing seriously wrong. If he has that kind of money and has the knowledge to do the work, that's great. Even so, I think planning to drive it home is a mistake. Rent or borrow a truck and car hauler, and bring it home on a trailer. Yeah, many of us have done such things. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't.

Agreed. But the MOST they should produce is a 1" lift in an 4.0L MJ. His MJ is 29 years old, so he may be starting from a settled ride height, too. They won't produce 2 inches in the best of circumstances. Add a pair of 1-inch (which I think are really 3/4-inch) lift spacers and he'll be in the ballpark. Of course, he could just use 2-inch spacers, but with the ZJ V8 coils he'll have a higher spring rate for a former ride, and should end up at about the same height.

What does the 19.5" dimension refer to, the free length of the springs, or the measurement from your axle centerline to the wheel flare with the springs installed? As I posted previously in this thread, ZJ V8 springs are the same springs used in the late-model Cherokee 4.0L with the Up Country suspension option, which rides 1" higher than the standard suspension. How do I know this? I own two 2000 XJs. The front springs in my '87 MJ are tired, so I wanted to buy new springs and I thought the Up Country springs would be a good choice. So I crawled under the first of the 2000 XJs when it was new, read the number off the tag on the spring, and called my dealership parts guru to order a pair. And his immediate response was, "Why are you ordering Grand Cherokee springs for a Comanche?" So ... ZJ V8 springs should lift a 4.0L Comanche 1 inch higher than stock. You don't need to change the shocks or the sway bar links to use those springs.

You fill it to the half-full mark when it's cold, then you start it up and "burp" it. Leave the cap loose, start it, and let it run until it gets hot enough to start boiling. As soon as you see bubbles ... shut it off. Remove the cap (carefully, using long pliers or something). Watch until the coolant starts to suck down, then add slowly, to keep the level at the half-full mark. Once it stops sucking, start it up and repeat until no more air bubbles come out. Usually a couple or three cycles will get it driveable. After that, just check it before every cold start for a couple of days until you don't need to add any more. Sounds like you pretty much got it figured out.

I would suspect that you are losing clutch fluid. Check the clutch master cylinder. If it's down, the problem could be the master cylinder, could be the slave cylinder, or it could be the connection between them.

You're talking the price of a new loaf of bread compared to the price of a new loaf of bread. My first new car cost $2,500 out the door. A comparable new car today would cost around $30,000. That's what's irrelevant. What is relevant is that a 32-year old vehicle that's not running isn't a $1,000 vehicle unless it's something that has achieved collector status. As much as I like Comanches, they haven't gotten there yet. If they had, people wouldn't be buying old MJs, lifting them, and dropping small-block Chevy engines in them -- they'd be restoring them (which is what I wish they'd do with all MJs, but that's another story). If you go to an on-line inflation calculator, that $500 I paid fifteen years ago is worth $682 today. But ... the truck isn't. Fifteen years ago, a 1988 MJ was a fifteen year old vehicle. Today, a 1986 MJ is a 32-year old vehicle. How much would you pay for a loaf of 15- or 32-year old bread? There are some old cars you can buy, put $20,000 into restoring, and sell for $40,000 or $50,000 or more. If you put $20,000 into restoring an MJ, unless you got VERY lucky you could never sell it for that. What I did fifteen years ago is relevant, because it illustrates the problems that can be encountered. That 4-banger I bought for $500 fifteen years ago was about 125 miles from home. It made it 100 miles on the trip home when the clutch slave cylinder ruptured. I drove it the last 25 miles with no clutch. You can't count on doing that for 1,000 miles. If KatahGii does buy this MJ, he should figure on renting a U-Haul truck and a car trailer, and hauling it home that way. He should then figure on going through it, front to back, before considering it a daily driver. Radiator, water pump, thermostat, tires, brakes, probably all brake lines, fuel pump, new fuel injector, battery, u-joints, exhaust. It adds up quickly. Of course the seller's attitude affects what the seller is willing to take for the vehicle, but that doesn't affect what the vehicle is worth. You have to approach all such deals with your limit in mind. If the seller insists on a price that's double what the right price should be, you just have to be prepared to walk away from the deal. I'm not sure what his goal is, but at any price a 32-year old MJ that has been sitting for a number of years because the owner didn't feel like repairing known issues is not a daily driver. It's a project. He can't assume, or even hope, that he'll throw a battery and a radiator into it and have a reliable vehicle he can drive every day, anywhere, any time.

First thing I would do is to turn on the hazard flashers and walk around the truck, checking to be sure that all the bulbs on all four corners are working. Remember that the taillights have two bulbs in each, and they should both blink. If you find a bulb that's not working, there's your problem. If it isn't a burned out bulb, stop in at your favorite auto parts chain store and buy a new blinker module. The factory ones are load-sensitive -- if one bulb burns out, they're supposed to change the blink rate to warn you that a bulb is out. That doesn't work if you tow, though, because the added load of the trailer lights makes them blink too fast. So they make heavy-duty flashers that always blink at the same rate. Plug one of those in and see if it cures the problem. (Just be sure you plug the new one into the socket for the turns, not the hazard flasher.)

Again, see my signature. I agree with you that it would be a shame to see what appears to be a complete, original, and fairly solid truck just rot away from misuse. I'd love to see you get it and, preserve it, and restore it. That doesn't mean I want you to get robbed. If the owner is the original owner, the truck doesn't owe him anything. He didn't want to spend the money to fix the overheating problem or buy new tires, but someone has to fix those things to drive it. In terms of what it's worth, don't go by what people are asking for Comanches on Craig's list or Auto Broker. Look at average selling prices for other 32-year old mini-pickups with high mileage, and not in running condition. If the owner is a fair and honest person, he should recognize that if he gave it to you, you'd be doing him a favor by getting it out of his yard. IMHO, if the underside isn't completely rusted out that's a $500 truck, at best. In fact, about 15 years ago I bought an '88 4-cylinder Comanche and drove it home from Rhode Island to Connecticut. I paid ... $500 for it, that was fifteen years ago, and the one you're looking at is two years older. The one I bought was rough but solid, and it's a base model. The one you're looking at is a higher trim level, as shown by the 3-spoke steering wheel and the wheel trim rings. So let's say it could be worth $1,000 in good, running condition. Right now, it's not running. At a guess, just to put it on the road it needs a radiator, a water pump, and the brake drums and rotors are probably rusted so badly they're beyond hope. The rear drums might have enough material left to be turned but, at 175,000 miles, I doubt it. The front rotors aren't worth trying to turn, so they'll need to be replaced. So you're into it for a radiator, a water pump, a brake job, and who knows what else. The cost of those things has to be factored against what a fair price would be if it ran well and reliably. And that's just to get it running and driving so you can find out what else is wrong with it. I would love to see you buy it and bring it back from the dead, and we're here to help you, but go into it with your eyes (and your checkbook) open. It's 32 years old -- it's going to need a lot of TLC. Don't for a minute think you're just going to fill up the tank and have a daily driver. If the owner is married to the mother of a friend, I would be very disappointed if he holds out for $1,000 for that truck. That's just not a reasonable price.