Eagle

I don't have first-hand experience, but a couple of the guys in my NAXJA chapter have used them. Range is very limited. I bought one at a Wal-Mart a few years ago (don't recall the brand), took it out to the parking lot, which is about 200 yards from I-95, and fired it up for a radio check. NO RESPONSE. I turned right around, went back inside and got a refund. I use a compact size regular CB. It fits nicely in the ashtray indentation. I run it with a magnetic mount antenna and a plug to the cigarette lighter, so it's easily removeable when I don't want/need it. And it's FAR better than a hand-held.

Because I either haven't seen them, or couldn't afford to buy them.

Rausch Creek is just a couple of exits farther south off I-81, but it's a smaller park and doesn't have developed campgrounds anywhere nearby. Paragon was also close enough to Hazleton that there were some motels not too far away -- I don't know what's near Rausch Creek. Nonetheless, it looks like Rausch Creek is going to be the default location for wheeling in that area..

The local Wal-Marts around here are selling a couple of models of Toshiba. I haven't bought a new one for awhile but I have always had good luck with Toshibas and lousy luck with Dells. I just had a visit from a Greek friend who is an IT guy -- his new notebook was a Toshiba that looked suspiciously like the ones I saw in Wal-Mart. He said the only difference was hard drive capacity (his was the next increment larger).

I cannot understand Jeepers' fascination with "high flow" exhaust systems. Headers, high flow cats, 2-1/2" cat back exhausts -- that sort of modification is beneficial in a race vehicle, where you routinely operate the engine at and above 6,000 RPM. The torque peak on the Jeep 4.0L engine is (depending on year) between 2,000 and 3,500 RPM. Highway cruise in my '88 with 5-speed is between 1600 and 1750 RPM. When I ran a 2-1/2" turbo muffler cat back on my XJ I LOST low end torque, which means driveability was worse and gas mileage was worse. I was very happy when it rusted out and I had an excuse to go back to OEM replacement 2-1/4" components. If there's a premium attached to somebody's so-called "high flow" catalytic converter, it isn't worth it unless you run a race truck. It will NOT benefit you on the street.

Not on an '88. The Renix system uses a dedicated sensor in the back corner of the head for the temp gauge, and a separate sensor down on the left (driver's) side of the block to feed the ECU.

Scott -- What about the firewall? Did you have to modify (as in hammer) that at all?

Just about any cat you can buy will be a "high flow." They all have a 2-1/2" core and neck down to 2-1/4" after they exit. No, they aren't louder -- the muffler is what controls the noise.

Hey, it ain't ridin' on the overload leaf, so how bad can it be? Don't toss the old springs when they come out. Somebody, some day, will be looking to do a home-brew AAL. In fact, I was given a pair of MJ springs in which one had a broken leaf. If nobody else speaks for your old ones, I might be interested. Putting the two sets together might yield something usable.

Silicone-based paint? Never heard of it. I have heard of using graphite-containing paint on springs and I think it's a great idea. But I have no idea where to find it. I'd use several coats of brush-on Rustoleum. If you can get the teflon pads, go for it. They make the ride smoother and help the springs live longer. (I don't know about prospering, though.)

Throttle position sensor (TPS) and/or idle air controller (IAC) dirty. Cleaning might do it, but replacement may be in your future.

Keep an eye on it. It could also be an intermittent gremlin. A couple of years ago my wife bought a new (used) car. It had a taillight problem. She took it to her favorite mechanic to fix (let me note that this was not in the U.S., we were visiting her native country). He fixed it, pronounced it good to go ... and as I followed her back across town in her friend's car the same taillight was blinking on and off. The mechanic had changed the bulb and it worked for him, but the problem was a bad socket and, when the vehicle hit a bump, it would interrupt the contact. A new socket took care of the problem.

First, of course, you'll need bucket seats. Second, I believe you'll need to extend the length of the rod from the brake handle to the "splitter" where the two rear cables attach. I don't remember if you'll also have to modify the bracket that the rod passes through ahead of the splitter.

1/2 x 20

Fuel pump. The ballast resistor would cut power to the pump as soon as you release the key from the START position. The engine will run for a few seconds to maybe a minute on the residual pressure in the lines, but it won't run for 10 minutes with no power to the fuel pump.

Are you comparing an '87 6-cylinder to an '88 6-cylinder, or are you comparing one 4-cylinder to another 6-cylinder? The 6-cylinder radiator is significantly wider than the 4-cylinder radiator, and the mounts are completely different.

The swap to an open system makes sense only IF you know the radiator needs to be replaced anyway, AND you are prepared to deal with the fact the new radiator probably won't have a place to screw in the sensor for the auxiliary fan. I prefer replacing the plastic coolant bottle with a Moroso surge tank. It's all aluminum and uses a standard radiator cap, so you get all the benefots of the "open" system and none of the headaches associated with converting.

What was your experience ragarding clearance at the firewall? I've seen some people say they had to do a "little bit" of reshaping with a hammer, others have said they had to cut out and reform the firewall ... and then there are those (mostly who have apparently never compared the two years) who steadfastly maintain that the early and late firewalls are identical. Did yours need any "gentle persuasion"?

If the 4-banger is 1987 or newer, it's a bolt-in swap, albeit an ambitious one. The '84 thru '86 XJs and '86 MJ engine compartment was different, the entire front clip around the radiator and the radiator supports was different, and it is widely reported that the firewall is also different. If the MJ is '87 or newer, it's all set up to accept an in-line 6. But you have to swap everything including the complete engine room wiring harness. And if the XJ isn't the same generation as the 4-banger, you may have to swap the dashboard (gauges) and do some interior rewiring as well. (The '87 thru '90 were the AMC "Renix" injection system, from '91 on they used a Chrysler system. Even the polarity on the gauses (and sensors) changed in 1991.

The Cherokee uses single-contact bulbs for the turn signals (the amber portion of the housing) and double terminal bulbs for the brake & tail lights (the red portion of the housing). The brake-tail lights on the MJ are all double terminal. You should be able to use the brake light sockets from an XJ, or you can buy brand new replacement sockets from a parts place for about 5 bucks.

I do pretty much the same. My original contemporary (sort of) Jeep was the '88 XJ. I ran that on dinosaur juice for the first 175,000 miles of its life and changed the oil and filter every 2500 miles. When I finally changed to synth, my brother (who was at that time a service manager at a BMW dealership) told me the new BMWs were coming from the factory with synth, and a 15,000 mile oil change interval. I figured if they could go 15,000 ... I could go 5000. I don't do the 2500 mile filter swap, though. I just do the oil and filter at 5000 miles.

Those should fit.

They are 4x6 plates. Yes they are 4X6 plates. But what Eagle is saying is the 4X6 he has is not really a "speaker" size. Its mearly a smaller round speaker put on a plate for fill a 4X6 opening and CALLED a 4x6 speaker... CW Yep, that's what I was trying to say. Dunno why they did that, but it had to be more expensive than an off-the-shelf 4x6 speaker so I's guess there is a spatial constraint involved. Probably affects only purists like me who hate to cut metal in a vehicle.

Yeah, but your truck is lifted. Not 100% sure, but I think the lift allows the "up" wheel to swing farther in because of the arc before it gets to where flares and sheet metal are in the path of travel. I don't have the 31s on any more but I really doubt that at stock height they would have cleared with the rims pushing them 1-1/2" farther outboard than stock rims. The reduced backspacing is a blessing in the rear, though. On the Jeep rims, a 31x10.50 sidewall rides frighteningly close to the leaf springs.

The rear speakers for an MJ aren't really 4x6. I had one somewhere that I can't find at the moment. It's an odd critter. It's actually a round speaker mounted off-center on a rectangular plate. The plate itself may actually measure 4x6 but the speaker is, IIRC, either a 3-1/2" or 4" round cone. Dunno if a standard, oblong 4x6 would go in there or not. I'm inclined to think probably not, or else Jeep would have used standard speakers instead of this odd-ball thingie. Of course, once you're willing to start cutting you can pretty much make anything "fit." I'm not so hooked on big sound in a vehicle that I'm willing to cut metal just to fit a larger speaker.