dreaminbohemian

I t-boned a mini van yesterday and totalled my COMANCHE in the front. no apparent damage behind the a pillar as of yet (havent gotten it from the yard) 1990 SWB 4.0L 2wd I also own a 1989 SWB 2.5L 2wd that is rusted so bad there is a 20 inch seam opening around the front knuckle of the driver side leaf spring (started its life in Iowa) I will be pulling parts from the 90 to make the 89 a little safer (both of the leaf springs have cracked and are u bolted back together) How do I put my ax-15 behind the 2.5? Should I take the gears out of my 4.0 rearend? easier to swap rear ends if I am taking off the springs? All of this will be done in a gravel driveway, YAY What else should I consider taking off of the 4.0? I don't think I am ready to preform a swap but have been considering storing the 4.0. Problem is I already have a 350 on my engine stand that I need to get rid of

Did this ever get picked up?

so I need to drain the lucas 75w-90 that I just put in it? I have a mechanic friend in town willing to do clutch pressure plate throw out ect but today is his only day. I think we are just gonna pull the trigger and head to my local rent-a-lift and replace all sacrificial parts. I am trying not to drive the 2.5 because it is rusted to the point of being a death trap. No rear breaks, both the main leaves on the springs have snapped and have $#!&ty home depot u bolts holding them together. The thing leans to the drivers side and get a prohibitively heavy vibration at 55mph. Both you Ujoints on the drive shaft have a LOT of play, ect, ect.

But if there are three slaves for every clutch then I want to convert to external

I understand that it is easier to service I am asking how quickly they wear, if they wear at a similar rate to the clutch I can just replace the slave every time I replace the clutch since I have to drop the tranny for that anyway

Thinking about it, is my slave cylinder likely to go out before my clutch when replace them together? If they are going to wear at similar rates then I don't see a great advantage in converting my ax15 to external slave cylinder

Sounds like if I can hobble till a grab a lever and bellhousing from a pick and pull I should do the conversion. I should just replace my clutch while I am in there (depending on wear but I am guessing it is bad) Do I rebuild the master and slave or should I just buy new ones? Go ahead and buy the throwout bearing or pick and pull that as well?

Just bought my second manche three weeks ago to replace the rusted out death trap that was my first. When I bought it I had one symptom of transmission issues. After using reverse I would shift into first and apparently would not seat entirely because as I began to let the clutch out there would be a jarring thud and the trans would kick out of gear. As I have been driving it a few more symptoms have appeared. The first gear thud became increasingly more frequent, it would grind a LOT trying to get it into reverse. I bought and filled up the trans with 75w-90 lucas oil, it took a bottle and change. I don't seem any change for the better. Now sometimes (I believe after highway driving) it is very difficult if not impossible to get into gears. You can hold it half way into gear and try to rpm match but it would still require a fair amount of pressure, though there is no grinding when it does engage. I just pulled into the lot for my office, had to stop on the very steep incline up to the lot, struggled to get it into gear, pulled over the hump, had to two point it into a space and after coming to a stop after the first point could not get it into any gear, reverse or otherwise. I bought fluid for the clutch a few days ago but turns out it was full and when you remove the lid and pump the clutch there are no bubbles (as someone suggested in a different jeep forum) What is recommended? I don't have a lot of money right now and the 5 speed in my 2.5l works great. sould I just swap them till I can get a new trans? is it something simple and stupid I am overlooking? if I do drop the tranny to fix or replace the internal slave cylinder is there a conversion to external slave? I have been reading a lot but I am in dire straights now Thanks guys 90' pioneer 4.0 with the ax-15 internal slave '88 2.5l with the aw-5? donnor truck

I expected to have to go to Dallas or Ft. Worth. Lewisville is close!

There is a DIY garage down the street from me so I can have use of the whole toolbox including the press for $15/hr

and then there is this http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/4672060970.html Anybody in my area want to let me buy hem a beer or seven in exchange for some sage advice. Denton Tx Also good shops around here

The leaf is broken right in front of the axel, there is a ubolt ad steel plate sandwiching it down to the support leaf like a crappy spring clip. There was one of these behind the axel o translate the front load through the plate of the back of the spring? The truck started its life in Iowa, so I will probably need to replace the u bolts. The threads look round due to build up. The bumper has rusted all the way through. My plan before finding out what all was wrong was: v8 zj front coils and sway bar DIY the rear swaybar http://comancheclub.com/topic/42029-comanche-rear-sway-bar-short-box/ the chevy drop shakles or GM fullsize pickup shackles eventually MT leafs and a dana 44 Jeep Driver I didn't mean the 35 with lockers b a 2.5l in front of a 44 wi lockers. BLM roads are far enough for me I don't need to go up any high clearance 4x4 roads. Locker would help get me out of mud. I do three events a year that are out in a fields and forests that aways get rained on. Not talking about wheeling mud. I have owned the tranny mount since day one, I haven' been able to get the bolts off (tranny plate to crossmember or crossmember to body) I just had the thought if either truck in the yard is a 44 then unbolt at either end of the leafs and take everything from their down, axel, perches bolts springs ect. If its a 35 and the yard will give me all of it for $200 might do that as well What is a decent cost of an engine swap if I have both vehicles sitting there Ok so list of things I know are wrong No reverse lights No AC incomplete vacum system lots of metalic rubbing/grinding and clicking sounds No rear breaks Spongey suspension snapped front sway bar Rust: driver side floor board rusted through (kinda repaired) rear bumper is all but gone panel under gas cap is gone from the trim down and follows up over the fender flare both doors are bad on the bottom, passenger is missing 3 inch section in the corner both the chasis rails appear to be filled with great stuff, all of the rust issues were backed with great stuff and bodo/painted I've even considered making a run up to meet Jim and see if I could get a better truck from him.

Had the wheels balanced and rachet strapped the tranny to the crossmember because the mount was shot (and felt like that is where the shake was coming from and my impact wouldn't bust the nuts loose) and have happily put several thousand miles on it. I have been trying to upload pictures but I am failing.

So I bought a $700 Comanche as my first truck not knowing anything about this jeep model line. Couldn't go over 55 due to a violent shake for the 4 hr drive after trying to get money back. So glad he wouldn't take it back, I love this rattling rust bucket!!! So I finally crawled under it to get more acquainted and take off the pipe clamps he had on the leaf springs and discovered that the main leaf is snapped through. I have been reading about lifts and the like and now know I can't do any bastard packs. The local yard has TWO 'manches and am headed over on monday. Almost to my question. This thing is rusted out all over and has been "repaired" by a previous owner with Great STUFF expanding foam and bondo. The engine however was rebuilt just a few thousand miles ago (tech college project passed with flying colors) and anyone that pokes their head under the hood says they are impressed at how well it runs. I have started a DIY wildernest build made for the truck and want to own one forever. SO TO MY QUESTION I am driving to california for 4 to 6 months of work on Oct 20th. Do I 1) buy one of the donnors at the yard and pay a shop to do an engine swap (I don't have the time to do it and fix it and I don't have the expertise to do it right first shot) 2) Take the leaves off one of the donors (grind the rusted studs off mine and hope there is 15k worth of life in the mounts) 3) Take whatever MJ one of you lovely people want to sell me ;) / hobble till I find one I can afford I do live music and stage work and enjoy the great outdoors. I want a light truck DD that can occasionally take 1000lbs of equipment to a job, expects to see some snowy mountains once a year, and can get 500lbs of equipment off the lower field when the spring monsoon hits at the music festival. I hear that a 2.5L 2wd with a locker can take me most anywhere you'd like to camp and still get 20+mpg on the open road. If I could get all that I wouldn't need another vehicle till my lifestyle changed 89' Pioneer 2.5L Dana 35, covered in rust. TL;DR I bought a $700 truck expecting to get $700 in work out of it and accidentally fell in love.