USAFAGumby

Bear with me as I update all the pictures on this thread. I am slowly converting them all to imgur, stupid photobucket :fs1: In the mean time I finally got around to installing some parts! Closed to open cooling system conversion accomplished. Most of the parts were compiled from these two threads. I now have room for a new project and the rest of the parts that are sitting on my couch, updates to follow! https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f46/89-cherokee-close-open-cooling-conversion-200594/ http://comancheclub.com/topic/44535-closed-to-open-cooling-diy/ It's a bummer photobucket crapped out on us. Lets keep this page and the tech articles alive though! I have learned nearly everything I know about mechanics from this site alone and couldn't be more grateful.

4hrs later.... I have a pile of parts in my living room waiting to be installed as well so stand by for an update on the next project!

Had a great time at Eglin today, perhaps too great of a time.... Ignore our pathetic attempt at ratcheting my truck out Dave from Emerald Coast Jeepers came out and saved the day! Can't thank him and the club here enough. Drove it home and ready for another trip!

Did the euramtec light swap. Very easy, just need a file to open up the slot for the light to fit. Now I need a new door switch so they will activate on the drivers door. Also swapped in ZJ parking brake cables to comply with the Ford 8.8 swap I had done earlier. I ordered both driver and passenger ZJ cables and both fit in either driver or passenger side of the truck. Keep in mind my truck is a SWB. I would recommend getting which ever cable is the longer one as the bends prevented it from rubbing on the frame. I still need to adjust the internal mechanism for the Ebrake as pressing the pedal all the way down wouldn't hold the truck's weight on a hill.

Hello. I'm looking to buy a parking brake handle for my Comanche. Preferably the whole assembly that mounts just under the dash by the left drivers knee. When I bought the truck the whole assembly had been removed and a zip tie was around the latch to release the brake. Thanks!

Thanks! Also, got the bushwackers on this weekend. Over all the process was rather simple. The rears are usable like Bob said in his thread "The building of Bucky" however, I did a rather terrible job and my fenders in the rear are rather rusty. I'm not exactly sure how he got his to look so good, but he certainly has much more patience than I :laughin: Although, I'd recommend if you were going to use these flares be very very specific about the fitment of the holes and alignment, it will make the final product look much nicer than mine. Not sure if I have any plans to repair the rear fender well rust or just POR15 it and hope for the best, not sure if I have plans to try and fix the gaps in the rear either, but for now I think it turned out alright.

Got new AR767 rims and BFG A/T KO2 for the truck! Size 31x10.5 R15 no lift. They do rub pretty bad near the rear of the front fender when turning but I have some flat fender flares on the way that will cut the clearance needed. Truck is sitting with 1.25" wheel spacers in case anyone was curious. I'm not sure the back spacing on the rims however. Also moved down to Pensacola FL for my first training assignment! Anyone in the area let me know, I go out with Emerald Coast Jeepers every now and then.

Got the truck back from the mechanic and my external slave cylinder is installed! Shifts great and most importantly no more leaking fluid. Once again, it was the expensive and labor intensive way to go but hopefully I won't have to mess with my clutch system again any time soon. Braided steel line follows with new fittings to the master cylinder.

Awesome! I'm from Asheville and home on vacation every now and then. If you ever see the blue one give me a wave :waving:

So while I'm waiting to drop the truck off for the external slave swap I've started cruiser's tips and have been trying to diagnose the low idle/stalling problems I've been having. I've been reading on all the threads with this issue and sounds like there could be about 50 different problems so I'm not sure where to go from here. The ground from the battery to the block had rubbed through the insulator and had about 2 inches of wire showing near the vacuum canister. I covered it in electrical tape. Also, the vacuum line from the vacuum motor to the rear of the air box was off so I plugged it back in. Still no change in my idle problem. I have recently replaced the IAC, MAP, O2, and TPS. I do have a 60mm throttle body on from strokedjeep.com, and I did the neon injector upgrade. I also have refreshed all the grounds and electrical connections like cruiser suggested. (all other history on my truck is in the thread) Any ideas? Thanks everyone!

Repainted the front grill, headlight bezels, and clip. Clip was plastidipped in case I ever want the blue back. I like it! Gonna plastidip the roof next I think. Also, parts from Advanced Adapters came in today. This is for the internal to external slave swap on an AX15. I bought everything from them which was rather expensive but it saved me the time from having to track down or pull parts. I can post the list of part numbers if anyone is interested but if you have the time just pull them yourself. External slave bellhousing, retainer plate, pitch fork, throwout bearing, external slave cylinder, new hosing kit with fittings for master cylinder and pilot bushing.

So, throwout bearing started grinding, 1 week later the internal slave had quit (it was less than two years old). An external slave swap is in the future for certain. New slave and Luk clutch kit and I'm back on the road. Then, offroading a slight noise comes from the rear end. After a few bumps it turns into a violent grinding. Pulled the cover off to find this. 3 teeth there 4 teeth there. All of them were sitting in the bottom of the housing and one must have bounced up and got lodged somewhere, explaining the noise. The carrier also had about 1/2" of side to side play. Time to kill the D35. I am leaving Colorado to drive back to NC in a week and there are no replacement MJ 35s around. I called up Josh with SFF Customs in Parker, CO. Two days later he has a solution and fixed my problem. Ford 8.8 out of an Explorer! Came with the stock limited slip, and 3.55 gearing. Josh also regeared the front from the stock 3.07 to match. He used stock 8.8 ubolts and perches. We decided zip tying the load proportioning valve was the best way to go for now. It will be removed later, but the zip tie allows for adjustment for now. Also I have disk brakes now! Super excited about this swap overall. The truck runs much smoother and quieter. I have yet to fully test the limited slip but I'm excited. Overall, excellent job by SFF Customs and would recommend them for anyone!

Agreed. I hit at about 35mph and the bumper took the majority of the load. Frame, radiator, body, all relatively unharmed for how hard I hit. Highly recommend the protection. (Although making one yourself would certainly be cheaper) I bought this one because I knew I couldn't make a bumper that looked that nice so I was willing to front the cash.

So I went ice racing at Georgetown, CO with OurGang Ice Racing. Had a great time and my buddy actually won his category after beating 4 other cars! Sadly on the way home I rear ended him. $8,900 worth of damage later and his car is repaired. Insurance covered all of it but I still felt really bad about it. $600 later and my truck is back good as new. I got at new WP front bumper and basically bent the front clip back in place. The hood was jammed shut and the clip has a crack in it but other than that no horrible damage. I highly recommend getting a burly bumper with the mounting plates! Saved my truck!

Installed 1.25" wheel spacers this weekend. Mounted up great and the rythmic scrapping I had with the black wheels is gone. I really like the look in the front on the stock steelies but the rear could use another half inch or so I think. Also, finally installed my D-ring shackles. Then took it all and promptly went shooting with my buddies. I used Loctite 242 on the studs from the spacer to the wheel.

After some sliding around in the parking lot during all the snow we got my clutch is making a whoosh sound when depressed while moving. It stops when not depressed but there is a new almost grinding noise. I got a new internal slave a year ago and rebuilt the new ax-15 in it. Any thoughts?? It hasn't been loosing clutch fluid either

We are well into the build for S1.6 Here are some pics of the frame and where it sits now. Near rolling chassis status and should be finished by the end of Feb.

Seriously agree there. This years team is basically a first year team as we have never had a running car at competition. Goals were lightweight and reliable. Looking to finish build in mid Feb. Then test, break, test, break over and over until competition.

Yup 350lbs weight goal, Kaisers are spot on. Spherical bearing with spacers on upright ends and threaded rod end with spacers on the inboard side. Steel tube a arms yup. Direct actuation was cool but the only shocks long enough are fox shocks and the valving is terrible for fsae applications. The motion ratios are also kinda terrible. And yeah ltr450 stock still. Should be about 40hp. Hoping for potential bore stroke and turbo applications next year

Disappointing news I actually lost torque and horsepower after the 703 injectors and the 60mm throttle body. It now idles at about 150rpm and will stall when the clutch is let in while moving or coasting to a stop. Sometimes it will "think" and correct the idle back up to a normal 700rpm but then it goes straight back to 150 so I think it may be a grounding issue. I had the TPS professionally adjusted when we reinstalled it and still little change in performance. Next plan of attack is all of the cruiser tips, (which should have been done long ago) Any thoughts?

Should be this year yup! As long as the build and everything goes on schedule.

Finally finished the design for the 2016 formula car. Lot's of parts look the same as 2015 but this one was completely redesigned. We have a much stronger team this year and it looks like we will make it to competition in May!

I still haven't hit longwater or hackett. It seems like those are both a bit harder so I've been waiting to go with a group that has been down them before.

Had a great trip up to metberry gulch this weekend! Buddy brought his lifted 4runner which did a great job. Weather was perfect, trail was a bit washed out, but other than that, great trip! Here is metberry rock getting back out. Also, finished the performance upgrades for my final project by swapping the injectors the other day. Put the upgraded 4hole "703" injectors in. Not sure if noticable difference in performance but the dyno will tell! Idle is still pretty terrible, really low, around 200rpm.

Here is the resultant tractive force diagram from the dyno pull. We had to create one using some basic force calculations for a homework project. Rolling resistance and air resistance (again very basic calculations) were added to plot total drag force and you can see the top speed is theoretically in 3rd gear at 103mph (online says '89 cherokees top out at 111mph). Optimum shift points turn out to be: 23.5mph, 43mph, 70mph, and 100mph. Sound about right?