GonzoTheGreat

I think that’s the vacuum actuator near your right knee when you’re in the driver seat, that opens the middle vents. I was able to get the arm back onto the actuator in the girlfriends XJ without pulling the dash. I think I pulled the lower dash though, for visibility. I remember it was quite unpleasant to access, but easier than pulling the whole dash.

Also, pro tip, let the engine cool before you open anything.

I second the ratchet strap. I trust the factory cable only so much. Stuff whatever size tire you can fit under there, but use a ratchet strap for cheap security. for the floors, it won’t really affect the interior either way. XJ floors can be made to work, but don’t perfectly match the stiffeners in the “frame” underneath. I used the old key parts pans and had to modify slightly. They now have their MJ specific ones, and I haven’t tried them, but they look like a good fit.

Does this mean that you removed the little pink plastic hose from the valve? because that is the vacuum line that operates the heater valve. That is what allows the flow of coolant to the heater core. You need that. I don’t remember off-hand if the valve is closed WITH or WITHOUT vacuum. I’m away from my trucks at the moment. Maybe someone else can jump in with that info. you could also have someone force the valve to change positions and see if the heater blows hot.

Contact cleaner is still readily available at most hardware stores and should be used on any connector that doesn’t look new inside. also, did you verify that all those bolts on the bottom of the exhaust manifold are tight? Or just that they exist?

I always do a thin layer of RTV as well. Not so much that it squishes out inside and pieces break off, but just enough so that the gasket is not dry. It might work just fine dry, to be fair, I’ve never tried. I would make sure it’s a good brand name gasket though, and pay close attention to torque specs. Hell, now I’m curious. Maybe I’ll try it dry next time I do one, just to see.

Those decals are sick!!! this sounds like the start of a really great build. I’m looking forward to seeing it all come together!

I found this one basically in the dead center of the island. I was not expecting to find an MJ anywhere here, but there was no missing those turbines as I was passing by. I tried to get the VIN but it was completely illegible through the windshield. I didn’t want to start checking the door sticker and core support, since I was pretty blantantly trespassing already, which I generally try to minimize in a foreign country. I’ll be here a few more weeks though, so I’m gonna try to leave a note and see if I can get the owner on here. It’s well optioned, rust free, but needs a lot of work. There are a lot of RHD TJs around here, but this is the only unibody Jeep I’ve seen, so I would imagine getting certain parts is nearly impossible. Hope to have an update for the registry soon.

That sounds like the clip slipped off. It’s a little tricky getting your fingers in there without taking everything apart. I’ve had the best luck clipping it back on the collar wherever I can, and then pushing the clip with a flat head to adjust the position.

It sounds like there might be a problem with the turn signal switch itself. The stalk doesn’t really do much. The switch is fairly cheap to replace, and you can even replace just the canceling springs if that’s all that’s wrong with it. you have to pull the steering wheel and take a few things apart to get to it. It’s a bit of a pain. Then you can do a visual inspection. One of the canceling springs was fatigued in mine, so it didn’t always click in going left, but a new pair of springs sorted that out.

Did you have a donut?

This is the majority of the vacuum harness. And it sounds like a vacuum leak might be your problem. Give a good, thorough inspection to all of those plastic and rubber hoses. And make sure all the ends are still securely attached. If you find a leak, the doorman-brand replacement parts are 46003 and 46004, for the two halves of the harness, but some of the generic elbows and little tubes can be found at parts stores.

Buy the 74amp, swap the pulley (and spacers), and if I recall, you’ll have to clock the case halves 60 degrees to make the rear mounting bolt line up.

If memory serves, it’s a no. It has to with how it’s held into the column. The early cylinder uses a bolt to retain it, while the later cylinder uses a spring tab, which is not present on the early cylinder. I was able to make a 91+ cylinder fit into an ‘89 column by grinding a notch into the cylinder where the retainer bolt goes, and removing the spring tab. But I don’t think you could add the spring tab to the early cylinder to go the other way. You can see the slot on the far right of the Chrysler cylinder, that’s where the tab was.

I had good luck with parts-store LED bulbs. They make a huge difference. but I also started with clean connections and lenses like gogmorgo said. That alone made a difference with the old incandescents. Cleaning up the ground point behind the driver’s side taillight is pretty important. Even from the factory there was paint under the terminal. Add 35 years of rust and road grime, and it’s struggling on a good day.

Yooooo! What part of Massachusetts?!

I think my insurance values my MJ at like $800. I would be thrilled if I got $10k in a crash, after spending way more than that on restoration, etc. That being said, I don’t pay a premium that would merit $10k in a crash. also, all this being said, just to say: “I like hagerty.” They gave me free swag once at a boat show because I had a full handlebar mustache. probably not enough to justify allegiance, but I put a lot of work into that mustache…

Ok, just to clarify: Is the motor slow to turn over? Does it feel like it turns very slow and heavily? Almost doesn’t want to crank at all? Or does it crank and turn over, but it keeps cranking for too long before ignition kicks in? if it’s the latter, it’s more likely a sensor or connection issue. It sounds like you might already be off to a good start tracking that down.

A slow crank will typically only be caused by the battery, starter, or connections. starters typically either work or don’t work. Slow cranking is a possible symptom, but not likely. If the battery is around 4 years old or more, I wouldn’t trust it. Yes, many batteries last longer than 4 years, but parts-store quality batteries are not expected to. There should be a sticker on it somewhere with a build year/month. You can load test it to confirm, but if it’s over 4 years old, replacement is a safe bet. As @Eagle_SX4 said, metering it during cranking is a good idea. If it dips below 10v on a cold start that’s not a good sign. if the battery is good, check the condition of the cables, and the connections. The engine-chassis ground is a common failure point, like @89 MJ said. But all the cables can be suspect after 30+ years on the road.

Hahah I’m not surprised. Napoli is an absolutely madhouse. I’ve never seen a dirtier, more chaotic city. And Catania is a close second! and yeah, the pricing on parts here is absolutely wild. I had a super hard time finding lights. To be fair, the price of a crown export taillight in the states is almost $100, but then people wanted the same money for basically any used part here. You really gotta know what you want. On that note, I have a pair of oem export tails on their way to the states now. Don’t know what I’m gonna do with them when they get there, but they felt like they were made of gold here, so why not keep ‘em. you’re totally right. Though maybe pizza portafoglio would have been a better choice of words. 2 beers and a folded pizza for €7.50–Best investment of my life. Ok. So I’m not saying anything, but I’ve sailed with an Australian captain who said I could keep an XJ at his house if I ever find one there.. Haha, we’ll see. If it means I have to store it somewhere again, I’m really gonna have to think on it. There’s a significant level of anxiety that comes with parking a collectible vehicle in a foreign country for several months.

Hell yeah! Glad to see the collection growing!

The only big issue we had was with the rearmost driveshaft U-joint. I somehow missed this until a few hours before the trip started, at which point I had eliminated enough shimmies and wobbles to notice a driveline vibration. Apparently at some point the PO broke a retaining tab off the rear pinion yoke. His solution was to tack a washer on in its place. Long story short, the tack weld cracked, the caps spread out a little and the u-joint beat itself up. Through some extreme good fortune, I had a u-bolt kit I had bought years ago and never used. I had thrown it in my bag before this trip thinking "I'll never need this, but why not bring it?" The old u-joint looked pretty shiny, so I'm wondering if an old one recently broke while driving, and that's what tore off the retaining tab. The PO seems to be a bit of a meat-head, so that's the theory I'm going with. We got the new u-joint installed, with u-bolts, and a little JB weld where the tab is supposed to be. That did the job. In other news, we got back to the north, and spent a little time in the lower alps. It was good to get a little dirt (and snow) under the tires. As some of you may also know, Turin is the "Detroit of Italy," due to the founding and production of FIAT. So of course I had to visit a former factory-turned-shopping center downtown that still maintains the original FIAT test track... on the roof of the factory! The site is now a garden/sculpture park with a cafe and a small museum. Some benches in the garden had slogans that may or may not be intended to poke fun at FIAT. And finally, @eaglescout526, as a fellow eagle scout, this really stood out to me. In southern Sicily, in some no-name beach town, there is a plaza/parking lot dedicated to Baden Powell. Totally random. I didn't expect to see that, but I think you might appreciate it as well. And that's a wrap (or a panini?) in Italy. At some point in the next couple months, I'll be back to Costa Rica to pick up the pickup, and continue on with that venture.

Ok. Time for another update. 5k km and about 5 weeks of travel, and I've probably gained 5kg from all the food here. We drove from Turin to Palermo in a zig-zaggy path, stopping for major tourist locales, and local cuisine. We also made a quick stop in the towns where my great-grandparents were from, and I randomly met a distant cousin. That was pretty cool. In the end we took a ferry from Palermo to Genoa (22hrs) to return home. Fuel is super pricey, and the highway tolls are insane, so it was actually cheaper to take the ferry. Plus I don't love the sounds coming from the trac lok in the dana 35 lately, so I think it was best not to risk all those highway miles. I'm 6'2" so in hindsight if I do this again, it's going to be in a 2-door, or at least with 2-door front seats. we bought an Ikea futon mattress that fit perfectly in the back, but I would have fit a lot better if the front seats folded forward.

I bought a crown one. It was narrower in the middle than at the ends, so the bolt holes only lined up when I flexed the plastic. It had a kind of reusable seal cast into it, but I also used RTV. It stayed dry for about a week before it started leaking. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who wants a clean engine bay. It weeps very slowly, with no noticeable oil loss, so I’ve chosen to just live with the free rust prevention. The plastic on the original valve cover was much higher quality, but it had unfortunately been broken by a PO. You should be able to just reseal your original VC and call it a day.

I think there's potential for a lot of interest on here. This is one of those parts that's getting harder and harder to find. Price, quality, and shipping to the other side of the world are big factors, but I think there are quite a few people who would be happy to join in. Keep us posted on how the meeting goes.