Eagle

Not sure, but I don't think you can buy sliders for a longbed MJ pre-made. Certainly not those for a Cherokee. All Cherokees have the same wheelbase, whether it's a 2-door or a 4-door, and the Cherokee wheelbase is shorter than the shortbed Comanche. Also, the Cherokee "frame" uder the rear part of the passenger compartment is different from the Comanche because the Comanche has a Cherokee-like unibody for the cab but morphs to a conventional frame for the bed.

The down pipe goes into the catalytic converter. It uses a 4-bolt flange and it requires a gasket. The catalytic converter then connects to the muffler, using a conventional male/female slip joint and muffler clamp. The exhaust pipe fits into the muffler outlet, again using a conventional muffler clamp. See post #5.

It can happen, but I believe Oyaji's concern is that doing so may damage the block to such extent as to leave it unusable as a base for a rebuild. The problem is, I suppose, if it's not your vehicle or your engine, how can you know whether or not a used engine will be suitable before you invest a bunch of cash into buying it and starting the work on it.

Obviously, your career must not have been with AMC. ;) "Back in the day," at one time (around 1981 or '82) I stumbled into possession of a $50 1968 Javelin with the 232 c.i.d. version of the 4.0L's predecessor. I don't remember where I bought it, or why I bought it, but I did ... and it didn't run. I pulled the head, reamed the carbon ridge off the top of each cylinder, honed them with the engine in the car, and slapped the head back on. I went all out and even used a NEW head gasket. Ran like a top. Those engines are as close to indestructible as you'll ever find.

Woooo-weeee! A 5.9L Limited. You are one lucky dog. Those are sweeeeeeet! However, I hope you're prepared to feed it. One thing they are NOT famous for is fuel economy.

Having at one time been the owner of a Javelin that had been overheated severely enough to take the temper out of the rings, IMHO once that happens you don't drive the vehicle enough to start damaging the block. With rings that have lost their temper, there is VERY low compression, so the engine kind of chugs along and doesn't make any power. It "runs," but not well enough to be useful. In any case, it's easily checked with an inside micrometer to measure for out of round, and scoring is visible.

The 4" lift that was on my '88 MJ when I bought it used a single, short AAL on each side to generate 4 inches of lift. Rode like a ... truck. But it can be done. With a couple of longer leaves from something like an older S-10 or Dakota, maybe even YJ Wrangler (anything that's spring-under), it should be easy, and would have to ride better than a single, stiff, short AAL.

The Renix-era engines are not prone to overheating. The problem is that owners of Renix-era XJs and MJs do not understand the "closed" system. They let the radiator get clogged, or they don't understand that the plastic bottle on the firewall is a pressure vessel and that, if it's leaking, the cooling system isn't working. The engines themselves are no more prone to overheating than any other generation of the AMC I-6.

the way the haynes manual says, gravity bled, and the way my dad used to do it when he way a kid, so purdy much everyway possible, Redwolf I don't have a Haynes manual, so that tells me nothing. And I have no idea how your father used to do it when he was a kid. There are many wrong ways to do it, and only one correct way. Since you started out being able to shift into the higher gears and ended up not being able to get ANY gear, obviously you went backwards and did something to make it worse. We can't tell you if what you did was right or wrong if you don't tell us what you did.

If it isn't a tilt column, then there is no play "in" the steering column. Check the attachment of the column to the dashboard.

It's a closed system -- if there's air in it, it leaks. There are three components where it can leak -- the master cylinder, the slave cylinder, and the hose/line that connects the first two. How did you bleed the clutch system?

For starters, you can replace the head gasket and you can replace the rod bearings. That would take care of the head gasket, and should eliminate any rapping. I'm confused, though, as to how it is that you think an engine that needs a head gasket, raps, and makes ticking noises "runs well."

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Good catch. I remembered the name (and the engine, since I owned a Rambler American with the 199 engine), but I either forgot or didn't know that Navarro was the owner/builder, not the driver.

Correct -- and I know I intended to type "automatic" when I wrote that post, but it didn't make it to the screen. But you'll find that a majority of XJs and MJs with 4.0L engines are automatics anyway, so D30s with 3.55 gears aren't difficult to find. If you already have a 4WD and the gearing matches between the front and the rear, there's no need or reason to change the front axle. 3.55s are good for light off-roading with up to 30" tires, and not horrible with 31s.

The "early" tach was used from '84 through '87. The newer style, with the single digits, "fat" lines, and ticks only at the 250 marks, was introduced with the 1988 model year. I don't have a clue what that "leftover" part is.

Minor year-to-year differences aside, the 4.0L and the AMC engines on which it's based are incredibly "robust." Not many people remember that one of the AMC predecessors was used for several years in Indy cars by a second-tier driver named Barney Navarro. I don't think there are many other street engines that can make that claim. The conventional wisdom is that you can generally go to .060" over with no problems, and often to .090" over. Beyond that, the block should be checked for core shift to be sure you don't break through the cylinder walls. Whether or not a particular block will need to be bored as part of a rebuild depends on too many factors to have a valid answer. Primary, of course, is how many miles are on the engine. Considering that I have one that's currently at 287,000 miles and still runs well and doesn't use oil, my guess is that barring abuse anything with 150,000 or less can "probably" be rebuilt without boring. Maybe even up to 200,000. The only way to know, obviously, will be to mike the cylinder bores and check for out-of-round.

What's in the front now? All 4WD XJs and MJs came with Dana 30s, and all the 4.0L XJs and MJs came with 3.55 gearing. Why make life difficult for yourself? An XJ or MJ D30 is a good match for the Ford 8.8.

We need someone with a '96 XJ FSM. The '88 vintage XJs and MJs didn't use a fuse for the headlights -- the headlight switch has a circuit breaker built into it. I have the FSM for the 2000 XJ, and that DOES use a fuse (actually two fuses) for the headlights. The question is: when did they make the change?

The other problem is that the O2 sensor won't work. Several years ago on a NAXJA-NAC trail ride, one of the guys had a header tube crack. Just a crack -- but the air leak screwed up the O2 sensor readings, made it think the mix was lean, so it basically maxed out the injector cycle to the point he was pouring raw gasoline into the exhaust manifold. Turned it cherry red within a couple of minutes. One of the other vehicles pulled him out on a strap. DON'T DRIVE IT.

Jeep stopped using the front axle disconnect around 1992 or 1993, so ALL XJs from then up to the last one built in 2001 didn't have it -- and XJs with the Selec-Trac transfer case didn't have it. In theory, yes, it probably costs a bit in fuel economy. But you're not driving a sleek, aerodynamic SST, you're driving a brick on wheels. In the real world, you'll never notice the difference.

If he doesn't have one, he should. They aren't expensive. Lowe's and Home Depot both stock them, with or without a button to test GFI function. If there's a Harbor Freight store nearby, they also carry them.

1. Vacuum leak. 2. If there's a vacuum leak, the axle shift motor may not be fully engaging, and under power the connector collar may be slipping. 3. Please don't use funky colors behind your text. It's dang near impossible to read.

How old is the system? Is there an outlet on the same circuit that you can plug a wiring fault indicator into?

For those considering either spacers or rims with less backspacing, stop to consider that you would be simply trading one problem for another. With 31x10.50s on factory rims, the tires fit inside the stock wheel wells and tuck up inside the fenders when the suspension is compressed. The ONLY place you have rubbing is the rear inside shoulder of the tire on the LCA at full steering lock. That's easily cured with the WJ LCAs. Push the tires farther outboard with spacers or aftermarket rims, and now the tires WON'T tuck up inside the fenders when the suspension compresses, and very likely the rear outer shoulder of the tires will hit the lower corner of the flares when the steering is approaching full lock. The WJ arms are by far the cleanest, simplest, most elegant solution.