Eagle

You can re-use the original perches. The welds are only along the outside, and easy to grind off.

This is the problem with starting new threads to discuss old problems. What is the problem? I know -- no start. No turn over? No fuel? No spark? I can't find the original discussion.

You have to move the perches. The center-to-center distance for the XJ is different from the MJ.

Not stock. That's an aftermarket cat. And you can clearly see where the pipes were cut ahead of and behind the cat and the new cat was welded in. Sorry.

The OEM cat had a flanged input that connects to the exhaust pipe (the "down" pipe or "crossover" pipe) with four bolts and a flange gasket, and is supported by the crossmember and transmission mount. The cat is a 2-1/2" ID, that necks down to 2-1/4 between the cat and the muffler inlet. The muffler used standard muffler clamps on both the inlet and the outlet. [EDIT]Just noticed you have a 2.5L. Pipe size on the 2.5s changed from year to year. Yours may be a 2" tailpipe, and if so I don't know if your cat was 2-1/2 x 2-1/4, or 2-1/2 x 2, or 2-1/4 x 2. But I'm reasonably sure the factory would not have welded the pipes on the 4-banger when they were clamping them of the 6-cylinder models.

The bottom line is, if you're going from 3.07s (or 3.08 or 3.09) to 4.11s, you are crossing the carrier break and you WILL be buying a carrier. With that established, you might want to sharpen your pencil and see if it makes sense to buy a new open carrier and a lunchbox locker, or how much more it would cost to buy a "real" locker such as a Detroit.

The locker IS a carrier. You will still need new bearings and new seals to do the job right. Unless you mean a "lunchbox" locker, such as a Lock-Rite. That uses the stock carrier, but it can't correct for having the wrong stock carrier. If your new gears are on the other side of the carrier break and you want to add a lunchbox locker, you'll still need the new carrier.

What manual is that diagram from? Remember the ballast resistor and related by-pass circuit was introduced in the 1988 model year. (And as a TSB update for the 1987s.) I wonder if the 'F' terminal on yours powers the fuel pump, perhaps on the bypass mode? The diagram in the book may not have taken the ballast resistor circuit into account.

I have the remains of an '86 2.8L automatic (XJ) that has 3.73 gears under it.

An XJ with the carbureted 2.5L may have 4.56s, or it may have 4.10s.

The actual switch is on the base of the steering column. The key lock connects to the switch with a rod.

Starter relay? Ignition switch?

Are you certain you got the correct water pump? And, since you apparently removed the stock mechanical fan, how did you route the serpentine belt? Something most parts houses don't know is that the 4.0L block is the same as the older 4.2L block, and they can accept the same water pumps on either block. But, compared to older vehicles on which all accessories rotate the same direction as the crankshaft, due to the serpentine belt the water pump on the 4.0L rotates "backwards." It should be marked on the impeller 'R' or "REV." If you got a 4.2L water pump, it'll bolt on and it'll turn, but the vanes are facing the wrong way so it won't move much coolant.

You had death wobble. Doesn't matter exactly what caused it (or, more accurately, allowed it to occur) ... you had death wobble. For what it's worth, a small amount of lateral play at the pitman shaft is probably normal. If the box isn't leaking fluid around the bushing and seal, I don't think the box needs anything. That small amount of movement could not POSSIBLY be the cause of the death wobble -- and, BTW, it also doesn't have any effect whatsoever on the alignment, so telling you it was "useless" to align it was just trying to sell you a steering box you don't need. Alignment deals with caster angle, camber angle (which is not adjustable in the MJ), and toe-in. None of these are affected by play in the steering box. Did he even check your alignment, or did he immediately proceed to "inspecting" the front end to see how many unnecessary parts he could sell you? I hate shops like that. My brother used to be a BMW service manager, and he was always complaining about some of his techs who were so busy trying to find work they could "upsell" the customer that he practically had to beat them with a baseball bat to get them to actually look at what the vehicle was brought into the shop for. Let me give another example of how easy it can be to "upsell": Many years ago, my brother was the assistant manager of a Firestone store ... which was right across the street from the areas largest Ford dealership. It wasn't that unusual for Ford buyers to take delivery of a new car, and bring it directly across to Firestone for a new, aftermarket tire & wheel package. According to the "specs" put out by Firestone, these new Fords with less than 10 miles on the clock ALL needed new tie rod ends and new ball joints.

Let's back up a step farther. If you only want to run 31" tires, which you can do on an MJ with NO lift ... what established the criterion for a 3" lift? Could you live with a 2" lift, which would cost a lot less and probably not be borderline in need of new control arms and an adjustable track bar? Personally, I was happier with my '88 on 31s after I put it back to stock height than I ever was with the 4" lift that was in it when I bought it.

Well, the '94 had an electronic speedometer, so it didn't use any cable. Try a different store, with a smarter computer.

No. Different (inferior) transmission.

The boiling point of water at sea level is 212 degrees F. That's about where the Jeep engines run. The boiling point for 50/50 glycol mix is up around 250 or 260 degrees. Plus, plain water in the engine will start things rusting inside your block before you can blink. Save your coolant when you drain it, strain it through cheesecloth, and re-use it.

There is no difference between the 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder speedometers. There IS, however, a difference between the early (thru 86, and maybe part-way into '87) speedo and the '87 thru '90 speedo. The early type has a metal end on the cable that attaches to the speedo head with a screw. The later type has a white nylon end on the cable and it just snaps over the fitting on the speedo head.

You need a subscription to read what this TSB is. But ... although it is titled "Recall - Replace catalytic converter" it is listed as a TSB and the number is NOT an NHTSA recall number, so I am still of the opinion that this is a TSB rather than a recall.

In my view, if it isn't listed on the government's official recall site, it isn't a recall. It may be a TSB, bt the difference between a TSB and a recall is that recalls are mandatory -- they HAVE to do them, and the manufacturer pays. TSBs are recommended but optional, and YOU get to pay if you have them done.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/ I tried a search, for both 1989 and 1990 Comanches, and I didn't come up with anything for the catalytic converter. And the number you gave is not in the right format for an official recall. http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsearch.cfm Are you sure it was a recall, and not a TSB (technical service bulletin)?

That's good news. As Colonel Hannibal Smith liked to say, "I love it when a plan comes together."

So what happened in court?

If the neutral safety switch were bad, (a) it wouldn't crank at all, and (B) you wouldn't have spark.