Pete M

Ok, so the lady never called him back and know we have to wait 'til Monday. :headpop: Essentially it'd look like this: A low profile ball cap with a version of this stitched on the front: And I'm thinking of "ComancheClub.com" stitched in an arc across the back. There's a half-dozen different choices for back strap, but we'll be going with the cloth one. There are still 2 choices for clasps. And my hope is that I can get everyone the color they want. If I have to get 48 hats all the same color, then I'm not buying from them.

Yeah and you'll have to do it without me there to prod everyone to get in the picture. :D

It's a baseball cap and yes, the back strap is adjustable. The guy didn't know why the model numbers didn't match up so he was going to call the supplier and I'm going back today to learn what he found out.

I don't know if there's a difference between 2wd and 4wd, but say 4wd just in case. :D It's several inches longer than the stock MJ piece.

Um, so I'm lying there under my half-J waiting for the oil to drain and it dawns on me that I haven't a clue what I'm looking for after I get the pan off. Is the crank clearly marked somewhere with a serial number? Or do I have to rotate the crank to measure the stroke? (which might be rough as I don't have help at the moment).

The new batch of magnets are in! And initial tests are proving that this new supplier makes them water proof! I also had some business cards made up. Same logo as the magnets but in black-n-white and they are printed with some sort of raised-up ink which gives it a textured feel. Didn't ask for it, they just came that way. :dunno: These are totally free to whoever wants some. Just PM me an address and I'll send you a few of each for use as handouts to MJ owners you meet (or to hold your kids artwork to the fridge or whatever). Anyone that has received stickers from me in the past just needs to let me know. On to the hats. I found a very nice ball cap with embroidered lettering/logos (and it fits my big head) for $16 each (price of set-up included). There's a minimum order of 48. I've thought about the cheaper hats and I've decided that it's worth it to me to pay a few extra bucks for something nice (and these caps are made in the USA). But I need it to be worth it to at least 47 more people to make it viable. We're talking about way too much money for me to just order like the stickers and wait for people to buy them. But there's a slight glitch in that the model number he gave me didn't match up to anything from the company's website, so I have to go back tomorrow and see what's up. I'll report back when I can show you pics and colors. The website has some slightly cheaper varieties that'd I'd like to see in person too. I was thinking of simplifying the logo to just the image of the truck body with the "ComancheClub" (minus the ".com") and then we could get comancheclub.com stitched across the back strap. :brows: Also, I was thinking of having some can/bottle cozies made up (the foam insulating dealies that keeps your frosty beverages cold). The minimum order is 50 and the not-the-cheapes ones would be $3.50 each (setup charge included). The cheapest ones had a minimum order of 250 and I'm not prepared for that kind of investment. If everyone wanted a hat and a cozie, the total with shipping/boxes would be $23-25. This isn't a fund raiser so it'll be whatever the actual cost is. And before anyone asks, I don't really want to deal with shirts at this point in time. Maybe in the fall.

The XJ had stock axles, Dana 30 and 8.25. I think they were original to the Jeep so it'd be 3.55 gears.

Tomorrow I'll dig into the engine and follow up with the phone calls. Today was spent driving all around town buying, selling and trading axles. :driving: It's practically like work and it has to be done. Tomorrow all I have to do is box up a 242 and get everyone's stickers in the mail. As a side note, tomorrow is supposed to be in the mid-70s with only 40% humidity. WooHoo!!! :banana:

I'm not ready to tear into Chris just yet. There's 3 different companies that were involved with this engine. There's always the chance someone lied to him and took his money. I'm going to see where my phone calls get me and I could always drop the pan and check the crank for myself (not today though, it's supposed to be above 90* again).

Pics of what? The distributor that doesn't rotate? :D Dad took the good camera with him on his trip so anything you see comes from my phone. :roll:

Yeah, the effects were phenomenal!

Well, I loosened up the locking tab's bolt and the dist doesn't spin freely around, just wiggles.

I'll go look at the dist right now. But even if the injectors are different, that doesn't mean anything unto itself. You can perk up a regular 4.0 with better injectors (and apparently kiss your mpg goodbye).

Got the AC bracket off and called the numbers in to the builder. He says they only do stock engines there, but he'd look into finding the original stuff and get back with me. I'm slightly worried, but there's still a chance it was either a special build or that the intermediate speed shop did some extra work to it. One step at a time... :(

No, that's Eagle. I'm Pete. :D

The AX-5 will for sure (it's the most common 5speed found behind 2.5 and 2.8L engines), but the AX-15 (and Peugeot) found behind the 4.0Ls won't bolt up. Although the AX-15 is technically possible with either the aftermarket adapter or some creativity with a certain Dakota bellhousing.

I used a compression fitting from the hardware store to adapt my old MJ line to the new TJ line. Has worked beautifully for years in the 88 so I did the same for my 90 and it blew apart on me the first time I applied pressure. So I redid it with a new fitting and tightened it more and so far so good. There's definitely a reason why you aren't supposed to use that style fitting on brake lines. :eek:

80s Broncos will have the TTB front axle. Nothing good there. :(

It is both easier and harder than it sounds. http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/stroker.html http://www.jeep4.0performance.4mg.com/stroker.html

3.55s and 4.10s seem to be the common ratios. Try to get as much of the axle's extras as you can, but keep in mine that if you go with a 30 year old axle, most of it will need replacing anyways. Budget for that too. Also, ask yourself if you really truely need a front 60. They are wicked heavy and huge. And you can probably build a nice HP Dana 44 with alloy crap in it for cheaper.

78-79 are my favorites. Mostly because they are old, cheap, and I am the most certain that the F-350 of those years will have the right axles. In the 80s and newer Ford experimented with the Dana 50 or funky wheel patterns and all sorts of craziness with their big trucks. Make absolute certain that you know what to look for when you find a truck that looks tempting.

It keeps getting put off. But someday... :(

Would you feel safer in your sexuality if it wasn't pink in color? :roll: I didn't make the dang thing. Get someone to change the color and I'll upload it, just for you. :teehee: :cheers: But back to the topic at hand, the Exploder axles are all over the place. Just go find one. Or email me and I'll sell you one and ship it to your door. :thumbsup:

The carbed 4.2L died with the 90 YJ. In 91 they got the MPI H.O. 4.0L like the MJ/XJ. :D

Orrrr you could just go buy an Explorer rear axle and have disks and strength and the right bolt pattern and without any hunting around for matching parts. :dunno: :teehee: