Eagle

Just change the fluid. The "filter" in an AW4 isn't really a filter, it's just a screen. It screens out coarse stuff, but not fine particles. A couple of years ago an ex-girlfriend wanted a used Cherokee. We found her an '89 with 165,000 miles on it. It was pretty obvious that it had just been driven, without much maintenance. The tranny pan had never been off. Like a good boy scout, I bought a new filter and dropped the pan. First lesson -- the lower half of the tranny dipstick is an integral part of the pan. And you will NOT get it off the upper half without destroying the upper half. I had to hit three dealers before I found one in stock. The reason? Because they always have to replace it when they drop the pan. Once that was resolved, it was time to reassemble. Hmmm ... "Hey, Erich -- which of these screens is the new one?" "Ummm, I don't know. That one, I think." The old one, with 165,000 miles on it, was virtually indistinguishable from the new one. Since I had the new one I put it in, but in retrospect it was a waste of time, effort and money. The old one was fine.

I picked up an '89 MJ lasy year with steel rims. All four were pretty badly rusted onto the drums/rotors/hubs. I was able to get three of them off by putting a 2x4 against the tire and beating it with a sledge hammer. The right front, however, was not cooperating. I eventually gave up on the 2x4 and tried whacking the tire directly. No better. Then I looked at the numbers of alloy rims I have, and the number of steel rims that I'll probably never use or be able to give away ... and attacked the rim with the sledge hammer. I got it off, but there isn't much left of the rim.

Just clean it out as well as possible and keep on truckin'. What causes it is water. Brake fluid is hygroscopic -- it attracts and retails water. The brake fluid itself isn't corrosive, but when it gets contaminated with water, the water will attack the metal parts of the brake system. This is why you should bleed and fluch the system annually. It is also why I use silicone brake fluid. Silicone is NOT hygroscopic. (Unfortunately, it IS expensive. Everything in life is a trade-off.)

Ah. Now we're getting somewhere. You hadn't previously said what engine is in your MJ. Since you have a 2.8L, the logical swap for you is a GM 3.4L (must come from a rear-wheel drive vehicle such as a Camaro). The block is the same as the 2.8L, so you don't need motor mount adapters, you can use your existing bell housing and transmissions, etc. YMMV but if I were in your situation I would sell the 4.3L and buy a 3.4L.

I understand that you have the V6. My point is that the 4.3L GM V6 is a wide, 90-degree engine that is basically a Chevy small block V8 with two cylinders chopped off. There is nothing about it that's compatible with an XJ or MJ. By contrast, the GM 2.8L/3.1L/3.4L V6 is a smaller, narrower 60-degree engine. The 2.8L version was used in the 84 thru 86 XJ and the 86 MJ, and it's the same block as the later 3.1L and 3.4L. Being smaller, lighter, and narrower than a 4.3L, all things being equal the 3.4L is a much better choice for an MJ because you can use MJ motor mounts, transmission, transfer case, exhaust system, etc. Your original question used the expression "drop in." That suggested to me that you're looking for an easy swap. The 4.3L can be done and has been done, but it's far from being a "drop in" swap.

Is it possible to install a 4.3L into an MJ? Yes -- a guy I used to know did it in an '86 XJ some years ago. "Drop in"? Not a chance. Remember, the 4.3L is a shortened small block V8 -- it's very wide compared to the 60-degree 2.8L and 3.4L engines. It also doesn't use the same bell housing pattern as the 2.8L and 3.4L, nor the same as a Jeep 4.0L, so you either have to use a Chevy tranny and transfer case or buy adapters, which are the same as you'd need to use a small block V8. I asked the guy near me if he would do it again and he said "Hell no!" Basically, it's all the work of putting in a small block V8, with a less satisfactory result. If you already have the engine and feel it's worth the effort you can make it work, but IMHO there are better solutions to repowering an MJ.

His original post specified that he was asking about the '91. That has a conventional radiator cap, which he said has been replaced. How badly does it overheat? There is one last-ditch thing to consider, and that's an incorrect water pump. The 4.0L and the 4.2L engines use the same bolt pattern on the front of the engine for the water pump mounting. The old 4.2L engines with conventional vee belts rotated one direction, the 4.0L engines with the serpentine belt have the water pump rotating in the opposite direction. This requires that the vanes on the impeller be reversed, and if you look at a 4.0L water pump out of the vehicle, most will have a big 'R' stamped on the impeller. Dunno who installed the new water pump or where it came from, but if all else fails to resolve this, I would suggest removing the water pump to confirm that you have the correct one for a 4.0L engine.

:???: You just wrote that flushing didn't help it.

I'll go out on a limb and say you need a radiator. They don't last forever, you know. A 91 is now 16 years old. I had to replace the radiator in my '88 Cherokee in 1999, which was only 11 years. The replacement was a GDI 3-core. That one lasted until this Spring, and had to be replaced again. Flushing after 16 years doesn't accomplish much.

x2 what he said ^^^. There's a single bolt through the two halves, and IIRC the bolt is removed from the engine compartment side of the firewall.

I have unwittingly become the regional distribution point for a friend who is putting out a calendar. I need a way to track orders and "inventory." This isn't going to be a business so I'm not looking for a mega-bucks "point-of-sale" application, but I'd like something a little better than just making up a table in Excel. I have Access and Alpha Five, so I can probably come up with something, but database isn't really my "thing." Is there any inexpensive program out there that might be suitable? Maybe something from the "My ____" software people? I'd prefer to spend a couple of bucks rather than expend several hours reinventing the wheel (and not doing it as well as a $15 program could do it). Suggestions?

Then you should hook up with the North Atlantic Chapter of NAXJA. Paragon is closed, but as far as I know NAXJA-NAC still does runs at Rausch Creek, which is right down the road from you (so to speak).

Most likely the ballast resistor for the fuel pump is bad. The start circuit by-passes it, which is why the truck will start when you turn the key but not run when you let the key back to the RUN position. The ballast resistor is that white-ish ceramic block on the inside of the driver's fender, next to the air cleaner box. It has two wires coming off it. As a test, just jumper those two wires together and see what happens. (Note: it is safe to run it with the wires jumpered. The resistor was not used at all in 1987. It's there to slow the fuel pump down to reduce noise.)

When you reassemble it, put anti-sieze around the center of the hub where the hole in the brake drum fits over it. That's usually where they freeze on, and the anti-sieze will make future service much easier.

Correction: The 4.2L is the old AMC 258 CID, which began as a 232 CID (3.8L, although it wasn't referred to that way until many years later) in 1964. The 6-cylinder version of the engine preceded the 2.5L 4-cylinder by 20 years. I don't know why the urban legend persists that the 4.0L was based on the 2.5L -- the opposite is the fact.

STOP! "CommandTrac" is only a name, it could refer to a couple of different transfer cases. Assuming that we're talking about a Comanche, though, what they have in common is that when the rear drive shaft is removed, there is nothing to keep fluid in the transfer case. Mechanically it will run in 4WD with just a front drive shaft. But to actually drive it like that you need to put something over the back end of the tailshaft to catch and retain the ATF that's going to want to pour out while you drive. What is sometimes done as a trail expedient is to cut the bottom off a plastic Coke bottle and use a hose clamp to attach that around the end of the tailshaft housing. If you don't do something it'll pee ATF all over the ground for a short distance ... after which the transfer case will be running dry and will self-destruct.

What he said ^^^ You have to define "fit." The YJ axle is the correct width, but you would have to relocate the spring perches.

Yes, the Jeep door post switch is in the grounded side of the circuit, and completes the ground when the door is opened. There are actually two -- the passenger door should have a single contact, the driver's door should have two contacts.

You don't really need relays. All you need is a couple or three toggle switches. One of the guys on the old Strokers e-group (Carnuck will remember him) has an AW4 in an old Rambler station wagon. He controls it with a 5 or 6-position rotary switch. Just click-click-click up through the gears, and another click if he wants to lock the converter. Then rotate in the opposite direction for downshifting. I would prefer to be able to run it as an automatic or manual control, but the manual control can be rather rudimentary.

Well, yes -- that would be a clue ...

What? I thought you were Norwegian. EXIT STAGE LEFT

Take any stock XJ, MJ, or Jeep or GM vehicle. Turn the steering wheel all the way to lock and hold it. You'll hear a change in sound, which may manifest as a groaning noise or may sound more like a WHOOSH. That's the pump trying to push fluid that's not going anywhere. It WILL destroy the steering pump if you make a practice of it.

I have an '88 2.5L 2WD 4-speed (manual) that I would really like to convert to automatic so my wife can drive it, but I would like to use an AW4 to get the overdrive. I wasn't able to get out to Harry's in pursuit of that one. I have access to a couple of AW4 trannies, what I need is the bell housing. So anyone who can provide specifics regarding other vehicles that would have a bellhousing that works, please post it. I'm sure I am not the only person who would like to hang an AW4 behind a 2.5L.

Aha! Je comprends. It is possible to use an external, electric fuel pump. I think it needs to produce 40 psi, though, so you can't buy an older pump that would be used with a carburetor, because those only put out about 7 psi. What do you have? Is that photo of what appears to be a 4.0L Cherokee fuel tank the tank out of your 4.0L donor vehicle? Does the fuel pump function?

Jessica wasn't apologizing. She meant she was sorry that you "feel" the information is incorrect. In other words, she was being condescending and saying "You idiot, I can't help it if you don't know what's in your vehicle. I ran it through my computer so I KNOW this is what you have. If you don't like it, tough cookies."