Eagle

Photos?

Yes, you can overfill a cooling system. The OP has an '89, according to his signature. The '89 has the closed cooling system. The coolant bottle on the firewall is an expansion tank. It is supposed to be filled halfway when cold -- there a tab sticking up in the middle of it that's the full indicator. Coolant expands as it heats up. With the closed system, you need the air space in that bottle to allow for expansion. If you overfill it, the pressure of expansion will cause something to let go. Usually that's the cap on the bottle, but I suppose if could be a hose. Good call by yxmj, too. It's very possible that your new water pump doesn't have the correct impeller.

Maybe the 97+ XJ taillights. I can't recall ever seeing '84-'96 XJ taillights adapted to an MJ, and I can't imagine how it would even be possible (other than as a complete, total hack job).

How badly broken is yours? I wouldn't view this as a permanent solution, but to avoid another ticket? Hell, yeah. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPZ8HF2?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FS887A?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

So which terminal on the gauge goes where?

The sensor isn't on the engine, so there's no pressure. How are you getting it to read 40 psi? Looking at your setup, shouldn't it be reading 0?

You're right -- my bad. The above is copyrighted. Please do not reproduce.

XJs are spring over, so the springs are arched so they sit basically flat at curb weight. MJ springs gave more arch. Rancho lists the same AAL kit for both the XJ and the MJ. IIRC, they claim it provides a 2-1/2" lift for both. I figured that was impossible so one day I called Rancho and managed to get through to a product engineer. I explained what I thought was wrong with their listing. The gal listened, put me on hold for about five minutes, then came back and told me I was right -- she said in an MJ the AAL kit should be good for about 1" to 1-1/2" of lift. So there's your basis for comparison. In an XJ, another XJ main lift is good for 1-1/4" to 1-1/2". My guess is that another #2 leaf would give you maybe 1". I think an MJ main or #2 leaf would probably be good for 2" to 3".

Yeah, that's not an MJ, that's a "Cheromanche" -- an XJ with a bobbed roof. Like this bad boy:

Yeah, use the complete pack, with the eyes cut off the main leaves, and it will fix the sag problem.

Bastard pack is the way to go. Which leaf broke, #2? Here's the deal -- using a main leaf from another XJ, with the eyes cut off as an add-a-leaf generates 1-1/4" to 1/1-2" lift -- with new springs. On the 2001 XJ that I bought for my daughter, the #2 leaf on the right side was broken. I had a pair of springs from a '92 or '93 that a guy gave me as my reward for helping him install his lift. So I cut the eyes off, dropped all the original leaves out of the '01, and put the complete '92 spring packs in along with leaving my original main leaves in place. I ended up with a ride height 3/4" taller than stock, and I evened that out with 3/4" lift spacers on the front coils. Ride was very comfortable. Nobody would ever complain that it was "too harsh." The guy who bought it when I sold it loved it.

My late wife was from Chile. I used to see a LOT of XJs and a fair number of MJs in and around Santiago.

Pins? On a CPS? What pins?

What year is your cluster out of?

Yes, just swap the axles. Down the road, though, remember that you will have to buy front brake parts for a '92 rather than for a '90.

Does the starter relay click when you turn the key to START? Turn on the headlights -- when you turn the key to START, do the lights dim at all or do they stay bright?

Yes -- PS155. It says right under it that it's for use with gauge. If your engine didn't even have a sensor for the oil pressure, how do you know the original wiring doesn't work? have you located the pigtail in the harness that's supposed to attach to the sensor? The quick and dirty test of the gauge doesn't even need the sensor. With the ignition on and the pigtail disconnected, the oil pressure gauge should read 80. Touch the pigtail to a good ground and the gauge should read zero.

The description says that's a switch, for use with a light. You don't need a switch, you need a sensor. https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/standard-ignition-5753/lighting---electrical-16777/sensors-16480/engine-sensors-25049/oil-pressure-sensor-switch-12875/9a4df8f34742/standard-ignition-1-terminal-oil-pressure-switch/ps155/5815758/1986/jeep/comanche?pos=1

The sensor is a variable resistor, rated from 0 to 88 ohms. It should have a single contact. Power goes through the gauge, then grounds through the sensor. Oil doesn't touch the contact -- there's a diaphragm of some kind inside.

Here's an insider tip from an olde pharte who remembers what steering was like in the days before everyone had power steering. For reference, the steering box ratio for the XJ and MJ (with power) is 14:1. In the old days of AMC, the standard manual steering ratio for the Javelin and AMX was 20:1, the optional QRM (Quick Ratio Manual) was 16:1, and the power steering was a variable ratio that went from 17:1 to ... something. (It was horrible). The thing was that, with manual steering, even the slower 20:1 ratio (which gave more advantage to the driver), you could not turn the front wheels unless the car was rolling. It didn't have to be rolling fast, but it had to be rolling. Now, with power steering, it's easy to just crank the wheels lock to lock while the vehicle sits still. Well, guess what? That puts a TREMENDOUS strain on the entire steering linkage -- the steering box itself, the tie rod ends, the drag link, the steering column u-joint, even the ball joints. So, if you want to keep your steering tight as long as possible, DON'T crank the steering wheel unless your vehicle is rolling. The original track bar in my '88 XJ lasted something like 200,000 miles -- and the '88 didn't have a grease fitting. By contrast, the track bar in my late wife's 2000 XJ lasted about 80,000 miles. But my wife was from the "crank it before you move it" school of driving. Take it for what it's worth. The '88 XJ is now approaching 300,000 miles (if I ever get to replace the leaking injectors). It has a replacement track bar, but the tie rods ends and ball joints are all still original.

Great Falls was on my list. What's wrong with Great Falls?

First up is track bar, then tie rod ends, then drag link, then steering box adjustment ... and sliding in for last place is ball joints. Control arms for wandering steering? Nope.

I would love to move to a free state, but preferably not in the hurricane zone or tornado alley. States I've been considering include Tennessee, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, and Nevada. I'm not a city guy. I'd like to be near fire roads and places where I can shoot handguns and rifles.

Off all the things that might cause loose, wandering steering, control arms is among the things that I would not even put on the list. You need a different shop.

That doesn't look like the right cable for an '86. You need the one that attaches to the speedo head with a metal clip and a screw.