Eagle

Dang, the cap alone is worth $300. What model is it supposed to be? I never saw one with bucket seats, sport steering wheel, "hockey stick" armrests ... and idiot lights. Great deal!

Guys, the same company that made the system in my '87 seems to still be in business. http://www.facair.com/search.cfm?drill= ... yearz=1988 Cheaper than the other place, and I believe this system uses the stock ducts and outlets. It's worth a phone call to see what their systems include

Kludge

We need to know the year. Things changed.

Pete -- the rims in ALL FOUR of your pics are 15x7. The ONLY 6" steel wheel used on the XJ and MJ was the one with nine rectangular slots around the outer portion of the web. Take a close look at the rims, right by the valve stem. The size should be stamped into the steel.

It depends. In stock trim, assuming the springs haven't sagged, both the XJ and the MJ have some forward rake built in. The MJ has more, since it's designed to carry more weight. If you park on a level surface, make certain that all four tires are the same size and same pressure, and measure from the floor to the rocker panel, you should find that the front is lower than the rear. I think a 3/4" spacer in the front will just bring it closer to level.

Hey, Brent -- you work in a dealer parts department. The parts room at my dealership used to have an "official" factory list of all the recommended fluids. I haven't seen a recent update. Can you check to confirm whether or not the factory is now calling for motor oil in the AX-15 (and AX-5?) tranny? Last I knew the factory was still calling for 80W90 GL5 for the BA10/5 -- is that still current also? And what about the NV3550 that's in the new TJs and XJs? I think that tranny can use the new Pennzoil "Synchormesh" gear juice. Pennzoil told me that's the tranny it was developed for. True?

There's PLENTY of clearance in the back to run up to 31x10.50R15 tires with no lift at all. Actually, you can in the front, too, but it looks a bit cramped. I wouldn't even bother to lift the back. Front coil spacers basically come in 3/4" and 1-3/4" heights (often rounded up to 1" and 2"). I've seen the 3/4" spacers for as low as $18/pair. Personally, I'd leave the rear alone and just thriw a set of 3/4" spacers in the front. Run 30x9.50s on a set of rims with a bit less backspacing than stock and you'll have the "aggressive" look without fear of altitude sickness.

Yeah. Like THAT'll happen. Don't hold your breath ...

The compressor is the same -- it's the brackets and pulleys that might be different. You don't really WANT to mount the compressor where it "should" go on an early 2.5L. I'm not sure where it belongs on the TBI models, but on the '84 XJ the a/c compressor was mounted along the side of the engine so that the only way (and I ain't kiddin') to replace the #1 spark plug was to unbolt the compressor and swing it out of the way.

Bolt? Speedo cable? What year MJ are we talking about? I don't recall any bolts holding the speedo cable to the cluster.

Oh, yeah. We've all been there. At least a radiator is external. In my racing days I had just finished a new engine for my hillclimb and autocrosser. AMC V8. Buttoned everything up, had it all in the car, fired it up for the first time ... and heard about the most God-awful sreeching I think I've ever heard. Followed in short order by coolant peeing all over the garage floor. Took me awhile to figure out what I had done (or NOT done). I forgot to torque down the bolt in the end of the cam that holds the drive gear on. So when I installed the front cover (which in an AMC V8 houses the oil pump and is also the back of the water pump), the bolt head was out far enough that it cracked the aluminum housing and drove it forward so it was an interference fit with the water pump impeller. That one was both costly AND embarrassing. The episode with the Cherokee was only embarrassing. I was fixing up an '88 XJ for my ex-girlfriend. Goy one cheap because the previous owner's father was certain it had a blown engine. What it actually had was a cracked flex plate. Simple fix -- if you're not a bonehead. My Jeep pal Erich was up helping me the night I was putting everything back together. We got it all buttoned up. It was up in the air on four jackstands, so I fired it up and the engine started right away. That's always a good sign. I blipped the throttle a couple of times and it felt REALLY peppy. Super throttle response, which I didn't expect from a Renix engine with 165,000 miles on it. Then I put it in gear to see if the 4-wheel drive worked. Hmmm ... no wheels turning. Tried again, figured maybe we didn't get the tranny linkage quite right. No joy. Much muttering and scratching of heads. Finally, a small light bulb lit in the dim recesses of my reptilean brain: "Hey, Erich -- you bolted the torque converter to the flex plate before we mounted the bellhousing to the block, right?" "No, I thought you did that." Oops.

Owner's Manual? Factory Service Manual?

I'm still curious about how you got a 2.8L in a shortbed. What year does the title say it is? Welcome, BTW

There is no way you can avoid taking out the dashboard. The evaporator goes in the same box as the heater core and the dash has to come out to access that. Once you're there, it would be foolish NOT to replace the heater core at the same time. With the dash out, it's also fairly straightforward to install an HVAC control unit out of an XJ that had air, so you can control the system. I see no advantage at all to buying this kit as opposed to getting a system from a junkyard XJ.

I'll guess August 25, 2008. 20:55 hours, EDT

Did it ever run properly? If not, don't discount the possibility that some previous "technician" may have had the distributor out, and reinstalled it a tooth or more out of position. Also, be sure the catalytic converter isn't clogged.

DaimlerChrysler reverted to an external slave cylinder for the XJ in 1994. But the slave is under the floor and, for the MJ, inside the bell housing. There's no way the slave cylinder can leak into the cab. You must be talking about the master cylinder.

What small vents? I didn't see any vents at all, just a replacement heater core. I saw NOTHING that even hinted at air distribution or system controls. There has to be more in the "complete kit" than what's shown in the parts listing, but I don't see any detail or breakdown.

Nowhere on their web site do I see any indication of any air distribution ducts for the interior. Before plunking down nearly a tousand dollars, I think you need more specifics of just what the "complete kit" includes, and what it's going to look like. The old "Factory Air" (aftermarket brand name) kits for the Grand Wagoneers and full-size Cherokees were very functional, but they hung below the dash and took away all the knee space, had NO provision for bringing in outdoor air (100% recirculated, all the time), and were just plain ugly. My '87 Comanche has an aftermarket setup that was apparently dealer-installed at the time the truck was bought new. It uses the original ductwork, but somehow mates it to the original heater controls (IIRC) to run the A/C. I can't comment on how well it worked, as it has not worked since I bought the truck.

Hey, CW -- Where were those shots taken? That trail looks a bit like a trail I've been on toward the nothern part of CT near Sturbridge. MA. Didn't know it was still open. Is that the place, or do you have some other place to wheel?

Summit Racing has it. Moroso part number 63650 for the cheaper one with the stamped filler neck, or 63651 for the one with the machined billet filler neck. It needs a couple of elbows from a plumbing supply house and it's good to go. Uses a standard radiator cap. I'm using a STANT brand with a lever, but the lever is optional.

That's why I advocate just replacing the plastic surge tank with a Moroso surge tank, and keeping the original style radiator. Everything else works as it always did, plus you even gain a bit of coolant capacity.

The original rear bumper on my '88 XJ lasted 18 years. The replacement is barely two years old, hasn't seen anywhere near as much snow and salt, and is already rusted through the "chrome" plating on the top surface.

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