Akula69

I have a clean AM/FM/Cassette. PM me if interested.

Yessss... I would

I think its his .02 cents, as he said. But still, I agree with most of it. I understood the Canyons (GM) we gonna stop production in 2016/17 due to low sales, but the Nissan folks are balls to the wall with their "full" size offerings. And I see the folks pulling doubled-up Tacos down towards Mexico all the time... :doh: The market is ripe for a mid to small offering, but as CC members are fully aware - its must have some curb appeal as well as off-road muscle. The question is: where do you stop the comfort and start the ability? I just don't want to see the concept die in birth because the Ram (read Dakota) boys can't leave well enough alone.

Thought about that. But the purpose for the post was to point out the glaring comparison between what happened in 1991/2 (when they decided to kill the Comanche truck in favor of what eventually became the Dakota) and what the Ram concept boss has been quoted in this article. I suspect the Ram developers are worried a Gladiator-concept vehicle would somehow diminish the 'value' of their mid-size offering, and they are already considering how to upstage it.

Isn't this what happened the last time?... apparently, the Ram boys just can't stay in their own sandbox. http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/new-york/we-hear-fca-sees-potential-for-two-midsize-pickups/ar-BBqVtII?li=BBnb4R5

We have also had problems with noise from the cab vents and found the little rubber flaps are getting stiff from age (sounds like a bunch of leaves in there at 50+ MPH). I took some foil tape and cut it in a strip about 1/2 wide and long enough to adhere to all 4 of the rubber flaps - sticking it right down the outside center vertically. Don't know how long it will last, but it seems to cut the individual movement down considerably while still allowing the air to vent when closing doors. Ultimately I'll probably take some nitrile rubber sheet and make new, more pliable flaps.

Could not have said it better.

Now the M715 is kinda neat....

Congrats!

OK - I'm a dumb aszzz (Where's Cruiser when you need him to remind you your a dumb aszzz?) I installed the pre-97 flex plate on the engine during the rebuild. Lesson learned: when everything else is right.....look for what you did wrong. However, I had my personal best 5 hours in pulling the engine, changing the plate and re-installing it. Electrical and fluids tonight and we'll see if it runs. Further, the float on the gas gauge works when manually operated...so it seems to be hanging up inside the tank somehow...more later.

Correct. You'd do well by stripping an entire system out of a MJ (or XJ of similar age range) out of the yard, replacing the evaporator,heater core and accumulator. The hoses alone are getting harder and harder to find intact. Of course, you can drop some serious coin on new ones....

If only I could be so lucky......

Update: Almost all the work has been done to get him back on the road save for bleeding the brake system (had to get new soft lines for the front) and adapting the MJ tail lights to the XJ bulb plugs. Unfortunately, we have redux II on the start.......just like with my son's conversion, Junior is not cooperating with the idea he actually has to earn his keep. Despite going through every step we went through with the other MJ, he will crank but stubbornly refuses to run. Currently getting ready to tow him to the shop and put an oscilloscope on his @$$ to find out why his timing is correct (in all aspects) but he still fires on the exhaust stroke. He is throwing no codes whatsoever, and before its said, this has been accomplished so far: New MOPAR CKP New MOPAR CMP New Fuel sending unit CMP aligned as per DRB tool Correct timing chain position confirmed visually (2x) All grounds checked, cleaned and verified Harness continuity checked from PCM to harness plugs for CKP and CMP Coil rail checked for good spark at all plugs Compression checked at all cylinders Fuel pressure confirmed at rail ASD relay swapped and checked The only weirdness he has been showing is the gas gauge shows empty (and the low gas light illuminates) when cranking. Other forums have had threads where the CKP can cause this error, and unplugging it resolves the problem (also proving the CKP is faulty). Unfortunately, unplugging the CKP does not solve the problem, so I believe its a faulty gauge. Because it has been a consistent behavior despite all the efforts, just for grins and giggles I'm gonna set TDC on #1 to the exhaust stroke and see if it fires off. If the computer is determined to fire on the exhaust stroke when its set for the intake, shouldn't it work the other way around? :brows:

Not for combat, more like a base taxi. :thumbsup: I think you hit the nail on the head. In WWII, the Willys was a great platform for just about all facets, but fragile in the extreme. This JK concept wouldn't stand a ice cube's chance in h3ll against a 105MM IED....but would work in the far-to-the-rear roles.

Had a similar problem with Ryan's after rebuild. After trying everything we could think of we finally hooked it up to an oscilloscope to check the wave pattern. When cold the pattern was fine, but when warmed up the timing went 30 degrees out....and the only thing that solved the problem was a CPS from the dealership - original OEM part. It solved the problem because the aftermarket CPS would read the tone wheel (flexplate) erratically when it got warm.

Huh? 27-spline yokes as used on the AW4, AX-15, etc. are used on everything, especially GM stuff, and are available everywhere. Tons of aftermarket yokes too in any snout length you need. There's no need to use a "stock" Jeep yoke. Too bad you had to cut the bed hole Jake. Bet you hated to do that. But it does make it easy to change the pump out. :yes: Yeah...cutting the hole does suck. Should be barely noticeable when I get done with the cover. But its up closer to the bed front than what I originally expected. so if a in-bed tool box is in my future it will be well hidden! The ease of access for the sender is also showing it's worth...tried to start it and no fuel pressure to the rail (even though the pump runs). I had replaced the in-tank filter socks...so out it comes to ensure I hooked everything up correctly...

Cut the bed yesterday and raised the tank into the hole. Now the driveshaft clearance (from the tank) is 3 inches by the differential and 1.5 ~ 2 inches in the front. I most likely get a new driveshaft anyway (however Tom Woods stated they would not make a stock shafts anymore because "the stock yokes are hard to come by and they don't make money off them..." ) probably from a local shop. I will make a template for the sending unit cover and weld it up in 18g steel...probably an inverted square with 45 degree sloped sides. More later

For those who ever wondered....I found this video and it is simplicity at its best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKYfnkQMxv0

Don't have the braces - destroyed mine when I took them out. I do have both fuel lines from a short bed (I believe they are the same for both short and long beds. PM me but depending on where you live it might be a difficult package to ship (bending).

When I rebuilt mine I went to hobby lobby and used a foam sheet that had adhesive backing on it. It's similar to this but better quality: http://www.walmart.com/ip/28600364?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227019075960&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40944797072&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78886470752&veh=sem the 6mm thickness works well with all the moving parts, and it is also mold-proof as a bonus. I re-used my blower motor-to-firewall seal and the heater core/Evap core seals as I could not find them in this area, but Amazon has a product which I have seen used for those two: http://www.amazon.com/Fastcap-Kaizen-Foam-57mm-Black/dp/B007J2JJYK/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1455023742&sr=1-1&keywords=kaizen+foam See what you think. The project is much easier then most folks believe.

Got blue, gray and tan.....no black. If you decide you wanna try and paint one let me know.

I'm going to call Tom Woods tomorrow, but from what I'm seeing, it may be a combination of raising the tank (through the bed) and a smaller driveshaft.

Correct, but when the tank needs longer then stock straps....you have to make your own.

Don't know if it's a rubber sheathed one, but did a little more detective work: Circumference is ~ 13", so 13/3.14 = 4.14 diameter (if my math is correct). In my rough measurement for length I came up with 52" from center of U-joint to center of U-joint. Tom Wood's Web page states this: Tube Diameter Max Driveshaft length 1.250" 35" 2.000" 45" 2.500" 50" 2.750" 55" 3.000" 60" 3.500" 70" So that would mean a shaft diameter of 2.75 to 3.0, si? In the comparison, 4.14 diameter drive shaft reduced to a 3.0 only gives 1.0 inches of clearance. Here are the shots looking towards the rear from the transmission: I'm thinking I'd need more then 1 inch...yes?

Well - the first major setback. The gas tank will not fit blocked down due to drive shaft diameter. Front strap / tank clearance Back strap / tank clearance Another view of back strap clearance. The way I see it, the tank cannot be blocked down that far on a short bed because of the driveshaft angle. On Ryan's (my son) long bed we blocked it down the same distance (using the Dakota tank and XJ sender) without problems. I guess two extra feet does make a difference. So far I've thought of three options: 1) Smaller diameter driveshaft...but the length is a problem. At 50+ inches it would probably twist at RPM. 2) Fuel cell in bed, either integrated with a tool box or stand alone (like Alexia's). 3) Cut a 6" diameter hole in the bed and cover it with a dome made of 18G steel bead rolled to resemble the existing bed pattern. This would allow the tank to rise up into it's original position. Personally I'm leaning towards # 3. What do you guys think?