mythreesons

Enough of the parental explanations (as my user name suggests, I AM one of THEM)................... check pitbull4X4's sig line. Prove him wrong! I dare you! I double-dog dare you!!! :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: Scott P.S. You never know when or where you might use parts of your education. Physics has a little more limited direct application to the career thing, but indirect application's are numerous throughout our lives. In rebuilding a MJ, I bet you use a LOT of physics, geometry, etc. Probably expand your language as well, then again maybe learning how to cuss in new ways don't count. :D

I found this on the KC listing. http://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/1452582202.html "Rare" does not begin to describe that paint job. Scott

I'm not seeing a "must be" either/or situation here. The donor XJ pic shows a big round trailer wiring hook-up. It is not unreasonable to assume, if the hitch looks like it has been used, that the XJ pulled a trailer big enough to use such a hook-up. This "might" explain the smell of the tranny fluid. In that case, you might want to find another tranny & T/C for your truck. To my way of thinking, the junkyard option is more of an unknown. 30 day warranty is only good if you do a lot of driving on it after you get it put into your truck. Plus your going to need extra parts that do not come with the JY option. What about doing both? Buy the donor XJ, put your truck on hold for a little bit. Put in the fuel pump and a new sock. (at least the pump for that vehicle is readily available at most parts houses) If it runs, then decide to sell it whole or part the sucker out. At this point, if you sell it whole, use the excess toward the parts for your truck. If you part it out, it will take a little longer but it is possible to get a little more cash for your truck build. Additionally, if you part it out, you've got some good parts to decide to keep for yourself or sell. (tilt steering, full guages, front doors and forward body parts, etc. ) Not necessarily a bad position to be in. A good XJ can bring in some fast cash real easy. In my area a good XJ can be sold for $600 any day of the week. They are just a little hard to find. A good XJ can bring in LOTS of good parts that don't really take up a lot of room in the corner. A good XJ can provide some parts for others to use on their trucks and make a little more cash for your truck build. Looks like more fun time for you! Scott

Now that it's ALIVE................ :needpics: Scott :D :D :D

i ain't going if Correy is bringing this stuff. That's just scarey!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

I understand about the money issue, same for me here. I haven't made it to Camdenton in a while. I'll holler sometime and we'll set something up. Scott

Here is something for you to play with while your waiting for the ground to dry out. :D http://loz.craigslist.org/cto/1444357004.html If I had time today, I would come down there and get you. We could go look it over and I would let you pontificate on it. Alas, I don't have enough free time to even chase my tail today. :fs1: Scott Just trying to help Update: Just found something else to keep you off the street corners. (as if you had streets where you are) http://kansascity.craigslist.org/pts/1433639959.html If you had this, all your trucks wouldn't be in WI. ;)

So if someone in another state had a decent MJ with no title, I could register it for them in my name then send them a bill of sale with the registration and then they should be able to register it? Know one has asked me to do this, I was just thinking :hmm: I'm thinking your on to something there. Perhaps RI has a limit on buying and selling of cars for personal use? Too many and they might want you to get a dealer license? Nothing seems illegal or immoral, but those two are not necessarily the same. Scott

I second that!!!!! I have yet to find pictures of Eagle or his MJ(s). CW, well let's just say that he is NOT picture shy, but I wish I could weld like he does. :yes: Scott

I thought Eagle headed up that group. Isn't that where you start taking the MJ back to stock? :D Scott

Yes, it does have the 2.8 in it. But it is now out of my mind. Son #3 will find something else. I did see an ad for a MJ, but it is down in Arkansas. I'll post the link for that over in classified CL thread when I find it again. Scott

Ok it is time for you to get this mess cleaned up, straightened up and done right. I have seen your picture that you posted, those two girls are cute for someone your age, but they ain't gonna ride with you if your truck don't work right AND their Daddy is gonna put a load of buckshot in your tail if your truck leaks crap all over his driveway when you come to visit. (Yes, I am old and occasionally grouchy, though not as old as some around here!) I am going to type this like I'm talking to one of my sons and you probably already know all this, but pay attention. :D Steps as I have done on an 88 MJ w/4.0L. 1. go to Jeep dealership parts and get a 195 degree Jeep thermostat. It will come with a new gasket, make sure you get that as well. First thing you will notice is that it has a hole with a BB in a carrier on the flat housing. This is to be installed at the 12 o'clock position. It is important, especially for the closed system that you have. 2. Loosen, NOT REMOVE, the 3 or 4 bolts holding the power steering assy. in locked position (I think there are two in the back, you will become some kind of contortionist to get them), THEN back the adjustment bolt out to give slack in the serp. belt. DON'T take it all the way out, just enough to get the belt off the top pulleys and drop it out of the way. 3. Remove hoses without tearing them up and unbolt the thermostat housing. Clean up all that crap you have spread around making sure that you don't get any in the engine. 4. IF you just have to use RTV, put it on the housing side and place the gasket on it. It doesn't have to be but just a little. I will sometimes take a Q-Tip and remove the cotton and use the end to spread RTV in places. 5. Place the new stat into place on the engine then put the housing in place and start the top bolt. When it is started, without jiggling the housing, start the bottom bolt. You did remember to put the stat in with the little hole at the top, didn't you? (This is A LOT easier without the belt in the way and there is less chance of misalignment issues or cracked housing from trying to do it the hard way.) 6. Snug the bolts up like they should be and replace hoses. 7. Put your serp. belt back in place and snug up the power steering assy. Adjust to proper belt tension. (My opinion is when properly tensioned, you get 1/2" deflection when you push on it with your finger. That is because I don't have a measuring tool. I'm sure they are not that expensive.) 8. Jack up the rear end of the truck so that the back of the engine is higher than the front. 9. Reach way back there and unplug your wire connection to your temp sensor. (look up pictures on this site for where that is, I don't have any.) Unscrew the sensor so that it is loose enough to turn with your fingers. 10. Now for the really good part. While filling the system with new coolant, loosen the temp sensor to allow air to escape. When coolant seeps out around the sensor, screw it back in good and snug. Continue filling until you have 1" of coolant in the bottom of that little pressure bottle. 11. Put the cap back on the pressure bottle. Now you can start it and let it get warm. After it reaches operating temp, adjust your interior heater selector to warm so that part of the system is filled as well. If you find that it needs coolant, add it but only enough to the bottom third of the pressure bottle. Coolant expands as it gets warm. You should be good to go now, you might want to clean up a little bit before you take the girls for a ride. If others who read this have clarifications or corrections, please add and add loudly. I've stated before, I've got thick skin. As for you, young fella, take this with a grain of salt from someone who had to learn the hard and expensive way about the closed system. I hate doing things twice because I didn't listen to the experience of others. :mad: Scott

So I finally got the owner of the shop on the phone. He says "Yes, the 76XXX on the odometer is right. It had been sitting unlicensed since 04, they had to work with it to get the the 4WD stuff to work, but it's good to go now." My response......"what about every rubber bushing in the steering system, change any of those?" Shop owner....."No, they are fine. $1600 and you can drive it home." :huh???: I looked at the steering system. Every rubber bushing that I could see was dry-rotted, cracked, parts missing, etc. In other words, original most likely. Me ...... "Thanks Dan for the info. Click" It may be a Jeep and it IS a Jeep Thing, but I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday. We'll keep looking. Thanks to all for your opinions and suggestions, Scott

I have several extra kittens right now. They have been catching small squirrels so they should do fine for mice. I'll just box'em up and mail them to you :D :eek: Seriously, put a black snake in the XJ for a couple of days. When your ready to move the snake, just let the engine idle and turn the heat on. It'll wake up and come out so you can move it to the other XJ. That and a couple of cats outside and you'll be good to go. Scott

Correy, I had Son #2 take a look at it on his way to KC today. He says that it is an 86 cherokee by the VIN number and stickers. (Whatever happened to putting the year model in the taillight lens mold?) It's up in Garden City which is about 30 minutes north on Hwy. 7 from Clinton (North of Clinton Hwy. 7 goes to 4 lane, divided, 70 MPH :D ). They are closed today I guess because of the holiday. I'll catch the owner of the shop later this week to find out what he is asking then go from there. In all this mess, Son #2 might have found a XJ to use as a DD and leave the MJ down here to play with on weekends AND I might, just might, change out my wife's beast Suburban if I could find a decent XJ with a 5 speed. All kinda depends on money situation. On another note, just how ARE you going to get all your Jeeps down here? :D Scott

OK, so far everyone seems to imply (or outright state) to move on to a newer model which can usually be gotten fairly cheap. I'm OK with that, but we'll see what Son #3 thinks. At this point, he is NOT interested in building up a rock/mud/trail vehicle, just would like to have something that he can do more with than the old 4 door cutlass that he owns right now. About the only mod that has been talked about is pulling the carpet out of the back and rolling/spraying bedliner in so that he can throw a deer in when gun season opens. (Deer hunting is VERY important) Thanks for your replies. Scott P.S. Correy -- Yeah the tail light lens said 83 XJ, but I didn't check the VIN. We are just up the road from your new home in Clinton.

Here is the situation: Son #3 has been looking for a different vehicle. Wouldn't mind a Comanche like Son #2, but they are a little tough to find right now in our area. So he expanded his search ideas to include XJ's. (I think that for his purposes an XJ would serve him better anyway, but that is just Dad's opinion.) On the way home from church today, we spot a XJ in a repair shop sales lot. Here is what I know from the quick look-and-see we did: tail light says 83 XJ hatch lettering says Selec-Trac center console shows the 2WD-4WD slide lever, it had the H-N-L(?) pull lever (includes warning to engage 4WD before going to Low) and Transmission selector with 3 forward speeds Full gauges with big fuel gauge (no tach of course) Rear Dif. looked like a Dana 35 Transfer case was present (big aluminum thing under the drivers behind) Fair body without any big dents Under carriage looked like what I would expect for a Missouri truck from that time period Now, before you ask, I was in my good church clothes so no I didn't just roll under to wipe/scrape/rub any labels to find out what parts were really there. I have been searching and reading posts about older model jeep stuff till my eyes are blurry. I am not as old as some people around here, but getting there. :D Here are the questions: 1) IF the TC is a 228, IF things are ok inside the TC and rest of drive line, it would be fine for rural country gravel road with occasional out in the woods, RIGHT? 2) IF I have read the search results right, the tranny is known as a TF904, RIGHT? 3) What was a general consensus about that tranny? Good, Decent, Bad, Worth slightly more than a D35 read end but not by much? 4) Given that the odometer showed 079000, mileage could be just that, or who knows what. This mechanic I know and have spent a lot of money with him over the last ten years (I currently own 6 vehicles so upkeep is a constant thing) so I think I can get whatever history he knows, but what things should I be looking at when I am under there with my pocket knife and a clean rag? So what words of wisdom can you share? Scott

Link did not work for me. That paper is NOT known for their internet friendly version. Try this link: http://www.demo-mo.com/100/story/6067.html

Signature Line For Sale!!!!! :rotf: How many times have we all said this about ourselves. I'll bid one pkg of double-stuff oreo's payable when Correy's kid is big enough to enjoy them. Who's next? Correy, good for you. Now go have some fun, you deserve a break. Scott

Oh I see how it really is. If WE want to talk about MJs it going to be spotty and sporadic.......but if YOU want to talk about a BBQ grill, your ALL OVER IT, ANYTIME. :hmm: I warn you, if you keep thinking about your stomach first, you'll end up not being able to see your toes, like me. :rotf: Have Fun!!!! Be Safe! Scott P.S. If you see my Aunt Sharon at the hospital cause you ate yourself sick testing the machine out, tell her to call me. Her phone system blocks all new numbers and I can't call her to tell her I have a new number. :doh:

His location says KCK... if its the KCK I know... they would steal the caps off your valve stems if they could.... I had a POS rental Hyundai stolen not once but twice while working there... It is. Your right. They do. Scott

:hijack: This is a good time to straighten me out on this subject. Can a new pump only be purchased at say NAPA, Orielly's, Autozone and a new sock so that an assembly be fixed(rebuilt) or are we talking about something(place) entirely different? Don't have this problem, yet. Just trying to understand so that it's not an emergency question later when everyone is off wrenching, wheeling, sleeping, or whatever. Scott

Well, that's a relief. I was beginning to wonder about my eye's. I even pulled the pic and ran it through some other photo software but just couldn't clean it up enough to tell for sure. Eagle, don't be too sure about the "younger eye's" unless your older than I am guessing. I pegged you for about 38 - 42 but without pictures of you or your trucks (hint!) it's just a guess. :waving: Edit: just found other hints about your age, Eagle. Never mind, your probably a little past me. (But still young at heart, Right?) Scott Holding tight to 45, cause getting older is NOT fun anymore.

Missing a tooth or two? Do I need glasses? (Answer: Yes, I'm getting older and can't solder surface mount parts anymore with magnification. :oops: ) Scott

1 hour south of KC, 1 hour heavy from Camdenton, 1.5 hours from Springfield, 2 hours from Jeff City. In other words, Clinton, MO :wavey: Scott