teamsmith

Thanks guys. That will be my plan.

I should have clarified that I have a '98 to simplify the discussion. I have no provision for the sensor in the head so I'm stuck using the thermostat housing. I'll check out getting a threaded bushing to increase the size of the renix Sensor

I'm losing my mind at this point and am nearly ready to load it up on a trailer and take it to someone who knows what they're doing. The current status is as follows: New clutch hydraulic line (old one blew in the middle of the hose) New slave Fairly new master (installed less than a thousand miles ago) Good stiff pedal feel- I have bled the thing until the cows came home (literally... the cows just came back to the barn). By using a borescope (fiber optic camera) I can confirm that the slave is pushing the throwout bearing which is pushing in the 'teeth' of the clutch cover Clutch will still not disengage. There is no perceptible difference in the engine sound or in difficulty to try to put transmission into gear when I push on the stiff clutch pedal. -I have not yet bothered to connect the t-case shift linkage and do not know what gear it is currently in. Could being in 4L, for instance, have any impact on my clutches ability to disengage? I don't see how. -Is it at all possible that, although I have a good firm pedal feel, there is still air in the slave which is keeping the throwout bearing from pushing against the clutch enough to disengage? When I watch the slave extend and push on the clutch cover, it doesn't look like it's moving it very far. -I do not see how it would be possible to install the clutch disc backwards due to the hat part not allowing the disc to sit flush on the flywheel but I'm beginning to think that may be the only answer.

thanks eagle. Yes, I'm still on renix wiring. I'll try fiddling with the two posts after I get my clutch issue solved.

I'm trying to figure out how to tap into the HO sensor that is threaded into the thermostat housing on my HO motor using the renix wire. The renix wire is for only one post while the HO sensor that is threaded into the thermostat housing has two posts on it. Can I use the HO sensor or do I need to get something else to thread into the housing? Thanks! Tim

Quick update. After more bleeding and an even heavier clutch pedal, something loud popped inside the housing and drained the clutch fluid. Presumably a connection blew at the slave cylinder that was likely clogged to begin with. Looks like I'm pulling the tranny back out. `sigh` At least it's the hottest time of the year to be working outside

I have read something about o-rings on the hydraulic line going to the slave. I did not see any orings when I connected the old line to the new slave and just screwed it tight. Are there orings and could they be running afoul? My current bleeding experience is as follows: Open cap from master My dad puts the pedal all the way to the floor I crawl under and momentarily crack the bleeder; fluid and air explode from the bleeder, like there's a charge behind the fluid I immediately tighten the bleeder. This repeated about 20 times and it never really got any better. I know I'm supposed to bleed with a hose and a bottle with fluid in it, but lets focus on the charged fluid for a second. Is it possible that I've fouled an oring which is causing the pressure to build up at the bleeder screw? Or possibly something got in the line which is lodged in the path keeping fluid from going to the slave(such as a torn oring)? I have no leaks in the line so I would think if I had messed up an oring I would know it. I'm just spitballing here. Thanks

I am just wrapping up same project. I used 89 intake, ho exhaust and I bought an ho down pipe for $44 off Amazon. It lined up perfectly with the header and the tail pipe. It also mated to the bracket that goes into the vibration isolator. I plugged the egr pipe hole on the intake with a bmw oil plug. I bought a couple extra if you need one. The oxygen sensor will screw into down pipe instead of the headers but the wire will still reach. Let me know if you have any more questions; I've learned about every way that you can do it wrong. Actually, my truck, which is still down until I figure out the clutch, is not far from you. Just across the river in Dayton, TN.

Honestly I can't remember if it was marked (I put it in several weekends ago when the engine was out) but I feel pretty confident that I matched the installation of the old disc. It would make me feel better to know that I couldn't put it on backward to rule that out as a cause.I'll be able to get a borescope this week and will hopefully be able to see that the straps are still in tact and that I just need to keep working on the pedal and maybe it will break loose.I can't think of anything else that could be in the way of the throw out bearing.

Thanks for the input. I'm going to borrow one of those fiber optic cameras and see if I can run it through the starter hole to get a look at the slave. At this point I'm leaning more towards pushing it off a cliff before I take it apart again. Do you if it's possible to install the clutch backward? I'm certain I followed the directions for installation but now I'm questioning everything. I don't think the clutch would sit on the flywheel with the spring stack in the way.

Yes, I can shift through all gears easily with engine off

All, I finally got the replacement engine put in and it purrs like a kitten. I also replaced the clutch, pressure plate, and internal slave while I was in there. The transmission is still the ba10/5. during the install, I left the two straps connected to the throwout bearing/slave as per the instructions which stated that the straps would break on first use. since I'm doing the less common Ba10/5 to a '98 4.0, I had to use a pilot bushing instead of a bearing which I got from Advance Adapters. I did not check whether the bushing spun freely on the input shaft of the tranny before beating it into the engine but the clutch adjustment tool fit fine. I cannot get the clutch to disengage; meaning that I cannot shift into gear. I have bled the thing 20 times per the FSM instructions and the clutch pedal is as stiff as a big dumptruck-Way stiffer than it was with the old clutch and stiffer than I have ever felt in a car; you really have to stand on it. Is it possible that the straps still have not broken on the slave and the pressure on the clutch pedal is so high because the slave is not moving? Would I hear the straps break? I would think that I would have heard them. Any suggestions/ recommendations are appreciated. This truck has been sitting for months and I'm so close to getting it back on the road.

Thanks for the pic teamsmith. Now that I see them on an MJ, I agree with you. Happy to contribute. I remember this truck was up for sale on craigslist last year and others chimed in on how bad those wheels looked. They do look pretty terrible on this all black truck, but they may look better on yours with all the chrome and fancy bits.

From a purely cosmetic standpoint, my opinion is that they look too modern for a Comanche.

There's an '89 on ebay right now and there is a pic of some integrated storage shelves behind the seat. They look like they could be made for the Comanche. Has anyone seen something like this? here's a link to the auction http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jeep-Comanche-Sport-Truck-/251958088445?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3aa9df52fd&item=251958088445

That's for the whole shebang including slave, disc, alignment tool, and the plate. I actually went with the $75 Valeo because it was on wholesaler clearance, normally $166 on RockAuto and over $200 everywhere else. The LUK may be great as well but I figure I'm comparing a $166 clutch kit to a $100 kit, something might be better.

Thanks for the advice guys.

My dad and I spent 10 hours Saturday trying to perfectly align the engine and transmission using straps and 3 different jacks to raise and lower the transmission and engine, convinced it was just slightly off. We didn't realize the clutch could slide around inside the backing plate. When we pulled it back out and looked in the hole, we thought the bushing hole was drilled off center; it didn't occur to us that the clutch was misaligned. In the struggle we buggered up the slave so now I'm just gonna get a whole new clutch, which comes with the alignment tool.

I'm not arguing whether I should get the $10 tool; of course I will. It sounds stupid now, but I had no idea such a thing existed or was needed; one of the million things I'm learning as I go here. Thanks again for the advice.

I see several choices and price points on Rockauto. Anyone have any input? Valeo $75 M-Pact $92 LUK $100 AMS $121 Sachs $127 AC Delco $166 Unless someone tells me otherwise, I'll be getting either the $100 LUK because it has a heart by it on RA.

question on clutches: I see there is a different clutch for the ax-15 vs. the ba10. If I get a new clutch for my ba10 but swap to an ax-15 later, can I reuse the clutch? I assume the slave and pilot bearing would be different but the clutch should be the same, right? Thanks

I just googled "clutch alignment tool." Yes, that would have come in handy.

So, after spending 3 weeks of prepping the engine and replacing this/that, setting timing, etc., we've spent the last two saturdays trying to get this engine to engage with the tranny (it would engage the splines but wouldn't slide the last 1" into the bellhousing. We pulled it back out yesterday and saw that the clutch was shifted off center which prevented the transmission shaft from going into the bushing. With the pilot bushing ID being the exact same as the transmission OD, it seems we have to have the engine line up exactly with the tranny before it will go on. I don't see how that is possible. So now we're going to do what we should have done in the first place: drop the transmission, mount it outside, and install. I was trying to be lazy by not wanting to remove the condenser to get the front end off. I have a question/problem: During all the installation struggles, something happened that dumped all the clutch fluid from the slave area inside the bellhousing. I can't see any breaks in the line or that anything is broken. Could it be that the slave overextended somehow and pushed the fluid out? The big question is, do I need a new slave now? I am kind of losing my mind over this project. the truck is an hour away from my house so every time I want to work on it I have to load up all my tools and spend a day out in the sun. We've sunk so much money into it but I'm nearing the point of cutting bait just so I can have my life back.

The only reference I can find is within the specs of a newer Dodge Ram which lists the GAWR of the 8.25 at 3600 pounds, 100 more than the stated rating of the D44. However, a newer Ram 8.25 may not be the same as a late 90's 8.25

Thank you for all the helpful comments. After reading the GAWR of the axle, I knew that the payload rating of the truck was the max the axle could handle. I should have googled before posting up. I had thought that perhaps part of what gave it the payload rating was the heavier springs to keep the load from bottoming out but, again, I understand now that the axle can't handle any more than the 1400 pounds factory rating. I needed motivation to hunt after an 8.8 swap. Interestingly, the 8.8 has a higher load rating than the D44 (3800 vs. 3500)