armyofchuckness

So, should I just save myself the time and shoot myself now? :ack: I really love my truck, and it's in really nice shape other than the electrical. Just a bummer that it's such a colossal nightmare. No wonder it was so cheap.

Whoa. I seem to have tapped into some rage here. This does not bode well for my AMC era MJ. I dunno, maybe it's just my mechanics. Although, even the electrical pro (and he is very good) balked at doing electrical for the MJ, and I've given him significantly tougher jobs (I thought) than this one. Glad to know there's some people out there that don't loathe MJs. Sounds like I just found three guys that don't like 'em.

I'm a semi-mechanically minded chap. I'm restoring a '64 Valiant in my spare time, and I'm blessed to be gainfully employed enough to have a mechanic handle the more annoying repairs on my daily drivers so I can focus my time working on the Valiant instead. One of the things that appealed to me with the MJ is they seemed to be based off a simple, common platform and have a vast array of parts available (at least for the drivetrain). I've been dismayed to discover that my regular mechanic, back up mechanic, and electrical guy all HATE this Jeep, even flat-out refusing to work on it sometimes. There's no mods to the truck, and the parts are as cheap and ready to come by as I thought they'd be, yet they all gripe and moan any time I call them about working on it. I never got this from my other cars I've had, and some of them were way more complex and cramped ('03 Neon) or unusual and obscure ('82 Cressida) to work on. So why the MJ hate? Am I the only one that's experienced this? I have a feeling I'll have answered my own question when I get around to swapping out the fuse box (refused job because the money wasn't "worth the effort") and heater valve (another refused job, for unknown reasons other than "You can replace that yourself while doing the fuse box.")

Ooh. An excuse to buy new tools! I like it. :cheers: Thanks for the tip on putting the screws back. I'll do my best not to roll her. :D

That's encouraging. How did you get those screws out? I have a 90 degree angle screwdriver that's got a 3/4" profile. I think that may be my best bet. It's going to be tricky given that this is my daily driver, so I have to get it all done in a weekend. Nice to know the dash disassembly will be quick. I think I'll pull the seat and manual console at the same time. Easy access, and I can put the new floor mat in at the same time. Thanks again for the advice!

Thank you, sir. Much obliged. Looks like I got my work cut out for me.

Hey, guys. I've got a few projects I was going to undertake on my MJ that I think I can take care of at once. 1. Replace fuse box under the dashboard. 2. Replace the idiot cluster with a full cluster. 3. Change out the heater valve. All of these other than the heater valve kind of involve some serious dash work, so I was thinking for accessibility, I'd just pop the dashboard out. Maybe pull the seat too for easier access. Does anyone have advice on dash removal and/or fuse box replacement? I'm planning on doing it the painful way, swapping out plug for plug with the replacement fuse box from another MJ. (Thanks again, Jim.) Any ideas you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Yikes. I'm about to undertake the same thing. I like what Jim says about swapping his out that way. (Thanks again for the box, Jim!) I'd like to do a wire for wire swap now that I've seen what it looks like. Anyone have any other recommendations for accessing the panel? Do you have to take the whole dash apart? I have an 86, and I've been told the early ones weren't as easy to disassemble. My friend and I are trying this and we're both pretty inexperienced with Jeeps. Thanks!

Were you able to fix this problem? I had the same thing happen on my 86 Comanche. I've got a replacement, but it looks like it's gonna be a major pain to replace. Any insight from someone else who's done it this way would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to keep mine factory looking as well.

Much obliged, Jim. I'll PM you to wrap this up.

Thanks, Jim!

I really don't. Mine is an '86, so I'd imagine any of the AMC generations would swap right in. This is my only Jeep product so far, so I'm pretty painfully unschooled in the MJ way. If you've got one from around that time you want to sell, I'd be interested. I was very pleased with the cluster you sent my way. Thanks again for that.

They are, but if I have an automatic, I know there wasn't a clutch master to leak break fluid onto it. ;) I'd take one out of a standard if I knew for a fact it was clean and had not been leaked on, but it seems less risky to look for one out of an automatic.

Hey, everyone. The steady brake fluid leak from the clutch master that the previous owner ignored has finally gotten the better of my fuse box. I've lost turn signals altogether, and now my headlights and distress flashers are starting to cut in and out. If anyone has a spare fuse box with some leads still on it from an automatic that they'd like to sell, please let me know. Thanks!

Helped a buddy living in a more scenic part of the county work on his roof. Snapped this as I was about to leave.

Great. Like I need another reason to order from RockAuto. Congrats to our fellow member.

Then this is definitely no Iron Duke. :laughin: Actually, this truck is a lot torquier than I thought it would be. I wish it were a five speed, because the gearing really does feel arbitrary, like it was meant for another engine (which it probably was), but it still accelerates into traffic okay. Of course, what do I know about power? My other cars have been a Slant 6 Valiant, a Neon, a Cressida, an '84 Reliant wagon, and a '65 Beetle. If it makes more than 110 horsepower, I feel like Richard Petty.

I did that. I showed him the article. He still said they're the same. He's a stubborn SOB. :doh:

Reminds me of when I agreed to help my brother change out the fluid in his Jeep Patriot. All you have to do is find the drain plug, right? WRONG! The entire front facia has to come off, because it forms an inaccesible box around the drain release screw. I know they did that on purpose.

Thanks, guys. I really feel like I hit the jackpot on this one for the money. I'm sad that I don't have a garage to keep it in, but I'm trying hard to keep it washed and waxed to protect it. I believe it's the Renix 2.5. It has the Renix blue instrument cluster. My mechanic friend swears it's an Iron Duke 4. I said that's crazy, but he insists it's the same engine. Any thoughts on that? Everything I've read says it's an AMC derived motor, but I wouldn't be surprised if it stole a lot from GM.

Engine pics!

Whoops, that's my fault. :nuts: I didn't realize tere was a dark blue crank. I would need a light blue crank. Thanks for offering though.

Sounds like a plan! Got the tail light today, Steve. Thanks! The hunt for the bull bar and window crank continues.

Trade pending! :eek:

Thanks, Neohic! Tempting offer on the seats and console. :) I actually don't mind the bench seat that much. If kind of suits the truck. Of course, that's easy to say after owning it for all of two months. I'm sure I'll be hating it after the first road trip. I am going to add some taxi driver beads to the seat so there's some ventilation. No matter how much the air chills the cab, my back always gets sweaty. :ack: