Eagle

That 2001 XJ probably has a cracked head, coolant in the oil, and trashed cam bearings....... I thought Jeep had fixed that head problem by 2001. Not so?

I think it's a great idea. Back in 1988 I chose to buy an XJ rather than an MJ solely because Jeep didn't have an extended cab version. If they had offered one, I would have bought it in a heartbeat. Sure it would be a lot of work, but you'd be the only kid on the block to have one.

It's almost gone now, so I'll say I hope y'all had a Happy Thanksgiving.

The '98 is a different animal. Starting in 1997, I believe, Jeep changed the transfer case output. On our MJs and older XJs, the front yoke slides into the tailshaft housing and the seal rides on the machined surface of the yoke. The newer style transfer case is sealed and the yoke just has a dust boot around it. Looks like you're trying to mix apples and oranges.

Wow! My experience has been the opposite. I have Sensa-Tracks (not the Load Leveler variety, just the shocks) on my '88 XJ. I can't even remember when I installed them, but it had to have been more than ten years ago, probably closer to twelve. They easily have over 100,000 miles on them. Still good.

"They" are wrong. As Shelbyluv posted, only the '86 engine room is different, because it was designed for the 2.8L Vs rather than the 4.0L I6. And it's really not even true for all '86 MJs, because toward the end of the '86 model run they started using the new firewall design. You have an '89, so that's not an issue for you.

Not if you're willing to do some work. What I have always done is take the block, crank and head to a shop and have them boil everything out, do the necessary machine work, and install the cam bearings. Then I bring it home and do all the assembly. It saves money, plus I have much more confidence in my own work than I do in anyone else's work.

If you have spark, you have power. Please try to be more specific about what the problem is.

I have a set of springs just like those in the photos. I also have a pair without the wear grooves. It seems Jeep made a change somewhere along the way (surprise!). The rebound clip design is basically the same for both sets, but where one leaves the spacer tube in intimate contact with the top surface of the main leaf, the other has taller vertical legs and leaves what appears to be enough space to add an additional leaf. The spacer tube seems to be there as a spacer, but the retainer straps are pretty heavy material. A suggestion to avoid further wear on those grooves might be to omit the spacer tube, and use nylock nuts on the cross bolts. That should leave enough clearance that there won't be additional rubbing.

Yes, the AutoZone listings ran from $115 to $150.

http://www.autozone.com/fuel-delivery/fuel-injector/jeep/comanche-4wd/1988/4-cylinders-h-2-5l-tbi

The manual remote mirrors ((joy stick) were available on MJs not just XJs. Yes, but both my '87 Pioneer and my '88 Chief have the dual side mirrors that don't have the joysticks. Both types are what can be characterized as "manual" mirrors, so the question had to be asked. The type without the joystick was never used in the XJ (AFAIK), so that's why I referred to them as XJ and MJ types.

Did you buy the XJ manual mirors with the joy stick controllers, or the MJ manual mirrors with the blank interior plate that requires opening the window and reaching outside to adjust?

Some of us are perhaps more sensitive about some of this stuff than others. Late this afternoon I had a phone call from a friend. I'm not sure how it came up (I guess something about Veterans' Day), but he reminded me that I went on a rant over a bulk e-mail his company sent out to clients just before Memorial Day, thanking veterans for their sacrifices. I wrote to him immediately to remind him that Memorial Day is to honor those who gave their lives, and that we veterans who survived have our own day, in November. What we agreed on is that our schools today are woefully negligent (intentionally so, unfortunately) in teaching kids today what the meaning of these holidays is, and teaching respect for the flag and for the Constitution. Yeah, I do get a bit preachy about that stuff sometimes. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain in the corner.

It's a good thing we all speak the same language, isn't it? Just think how confusing things could be if we didn't ... :)

The heater blower controls use a pack of resistors to control fab speed. There are three different resistors, each for one of the intermediate speeds, and then a circuit route with no resistance for high speed. I wonder if your resistor pack burned out and a previous owner just wired in an external resistor rather than replace the resistor pack. When the fan runs, how many speeds do you have?

Easy to say. What's the best fuel mileage you ever heard of from a 4.0L XJ or MJ? Low 20s -- maybe? I got 28 MPG on a road trip in my '88 XJ 5-speed when it was fairly new -- ONCE. Must have been a helluva tailwind, because I never got mileage like that again. Go back 20 years. I had a 1966 Rambler American, 3-speed, no overdrive. No fuel injection, just an old-fashioned 1-barrel carburetor. I routinely logged 28 MPG for highway mileage in that car. And a Rambler American wasn't any more aerodynamic than an XJ.

First, to mount a transfer case to a 2WD transmission you'll need a different tailshaft and tailshaft housing, which effectively means buying a 4WD transmission anyway. Also, the AX-15 will work, but the 2000 XJ didn't use the AX-15, the correct tranny is the NVG 3550.

Yes, they did. And the carb was widely regarded as a piece of [bleep]. If I go ahead with a carb conversion, I may seek out an '84-'85 intake manifold, but that's one carburetor that's not under consideration.

The vehicle is a 1988 2.5L MJ, with the throttle body injection. If anyone has priced that injector, it's crazy what they cost. I'm starting to consider a backwards conversion, to a carburetor instead of TBI. Not sure, but I think I can leave all the injection wiring intact and unused, and continue running the factory Renix ignition setup. Does anyone know anything about sizing carburetors? My numbers indicate that at 5,000 RPM a 2.5L engine nominally flows 220 CFM. I'm accustomed to 4-barrel carbs on V8s, running in the 550 to 750 CFM range. I'm guessing for normal street driving and economy, I should be looking for a carb in the 250 to 300 CFM range. Does that sound about right? One barrel, or two barrels? Does anyone offer a small 2-barrel carb that's set up like half a 4-barrel, with a small primary venturi for economy and a larger secondary that opens when the engine needs more air?

That does not sound like factory equipment. I've never seen an external fuse or relay for the blower motor. Can you post a photo of it?

The brushes inside are worn out, which is why it won't run -- and the bushings are dried out, which explains the squealing. Basically, you need a new blower motor. You can try one from a junkyard, and hope it'll last for a year or two, or you can spend a few $$$ more and get a new motor from Auto Zone or similar places.

I did remember to check. Hole spacing is 6-1/4" for both front and rear, as well as for the higher-end front "hockey stick" armrests. But the rear armrests are a bit shorter than the base level front armrests. I suspect if they were used, nobody would ever notice the difference, but it is there.

"Know thyself." I know me. That's a hint for you to remind me.

^^^ What he said.