dkmcgowan

I actually didn't redo the stripes, those were there when I got the truck. I just added back the Eliminator. The kit I ordered did come with stripes though. I got them off eBay. They are not perfect, but pretty close. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1988-92-MJ-JEEP-COMANCHE-PICKUP-ELIMINATOR-CHEROKEE-XJ-SIDE-STRIPE-DECAL-KIT-/161765018701?hash=item25a9f24c4d:g:YEEAAOxyeR9TGfvg&vxp=mtr

Yep, had to drill some new holes for washer bottle and used some self taping screws, you don't have to move it much

I'm still looking for this wheel, anyone got one?

Next I plant to head to friends shop and try to torch it, heat it up, and use a bigger vice and a bigger hammer and hope for the best

I have read a bunch on here and on naxja about separating this shifter. I just want to replace the two rubber boots, they are not in good shape. I tried the hammer in hack saw blades, they just bend and don't even try to go down the sides. I was able to get a screw driver down one side, but then the other sides are so tight, as I tried to hammer something into them, I started to chip away at the metal and make no progress. I tried soaking it in PB blaster and then putting it into the vice and using a wrench and a fork and a big hammer to force it off, just started to dent the end of the shifter and didn't budge. This is a terrible design seeing as they knew these boots would wear out... Anyone have any other tips? Currently I just ruined two new shift boots just to get them on, enlarged both holes so they fit over from the top, not really the best protection but better than what I had... This should be easy, replacing a shift boot and all...

Glad to here it happens to others... The wires were new, from 2 months ago when I did a tune up, I can already see cracking on them and they don't seat well, they were whatever was in stock at the advance auto, so probably cheap... I ordered up some higher quality factory wires from amazon

I talked to my friend who put it in and recommended the machine shop, they both will fix it free of charge, but I still lose the car for a few days, have to double check everything, make sure all the wires are run correctly away from manifold, heat cycle and re-torque manifold/intake bolts, blah blah... and it's my daily driver I really think that the machine shop might not have tapped it in far enough and the new freeze plug just needs one more tap... I'm considering trying tomorrow using a 36mm socket and trying the crow bar method to see if I can leverage the firewall and get it to push it just a little bit more. With my luck though I will push it sideways and then have to tow the car to the shop to get it fixed.

The head was rebuilt by a good shop, so not sure how they messed it up, it's a new plug in there. I assume they either didn't clean the surface well enough, didn't press it in far enough, or pressed it in too far... I just got it all running well after a huge job, one part of which was the rebuilt head. I might try the pry bar idea, or just pull the head out. I see these "expansion plugs" that would work, but those don't seem like they would last very long. I might try to hoist the head up with the intake/exhaust still attached and that will save those new gaskets that are nice and tight after multiple heat cycles and re-torqueing.

So I was an idiot today... I had the vehicle running and heard a slight miss and saw a plug wire that was not all the way pressed on. So I went and grabbed the rubber portion of the plug and went to push it on. It gave me a good shock. I know after the coil it's in the thousands of volts, so it somewhat scared me. This was a firs to me. First, the plugs were somewhat new, this year, but there is already some cracking on the wires, I plan to get a new set, should you still get shocked if the rubber is in good shape? How dangerous was the shock I just got? Could have have hurt me badly, like stopped my heart or anything? I assume if i feel fine tonight all is well.

So it's the rear freeze plug on the head... It must have been messed up when rebuilt. I've read you can remove the transmission/transfer case and replace it by tilting the engine, therefore making you not have to redo the head gasket, valve cover gasket, etc... Thoughts?

I rebuilt the head gasket and got everything installed and working. I recently noticed a slight coolant leak coming down right at the bell housing, some location if you had a rear main seal oil leak. I finally found it... It's coming from the circle that is pressed into the rear of the head itself, not the head gasket. I found a picture to help show what I'm talking about. Is that from the rebuild and they didn't get a good fit when they pressed it in? I assume there is no way to fix this without pulling the head again?

I bought the redline mt 90 for ax15 and I got mopar atf+4, which supercedes the mopar plus 7176 stuff the fsm called for for np231

I did some research, looks like the 1996 Grand Cherokee booster is what I have in there, and the rod is a decent amount shorter on that one. I'm going to get the 1996 Cherokee brake booster, should solve my height problem. Also, the master cylinders are exactly the same on both, so I don't have to bleed again, change lines, etc... I will just push the master cylinder out of the way and replace the booster. Glad I figured it all out, thanks!

I ordered some of that redline mt 90 for transmission, read a lot of good things about it. I will drain transfer case and add some dexron ii Thanks

Anything special? Just ATF3? I know with gear oil all the GL3 vs GL5, etc... on gear oil. nothing special with ATF3?

So I did a swap to manual and my friend that did it for me put the same fluid in the NP231 as the AX15. He says he always thought you match the transfer case to the transmission fluid. But I've read you always put Dexron III in an NP231? It's working, it shifts a little hard. I hope it didn't hurt anything, only been 2 weeks running this way... What fluid should be in an NP231 that is attached to an AX15?

So I decided I want the pedal all the way back up. If I just purchase a 95 XJ reman brake booster, will the master cylinder I have fit right onto the new booster if this unit is from a YJ/ZJ?

I talked to my friend and told him I think he put on a YJ shifter, he searched around the shop and he says he thinks this is the XJ original one. Does this look like the correct height?

Can I switch it with an XJ/MJ one? Do you have to unbolt from transmission or can you push down and rotate and switch shifter? You're correct. No unbolting is necessary. There's a spring loaded 'bushing cap' that holds the lever in place. You just push down and, I think, rotate counterclockwise and the shifter will come off. It'll take you both thumbs to compress the spring to rotate. Use mechanic gloves because you can cut yourself doing it. I keep reading that some say the shifter from an xj won't work, they are different, one is shorter than the other or something, not sure if that is just the yj and not the tj though. Yes you can...there's a YouTube vid on how to remove the shifter like sloride mentioned above... I switched my shifter assembly over when I did the ax15 swap from my ax5 ..... It's crazy how easily they removed the top part of the shifter from the bottom piece. I have read that is really hard to remove sometimes. If it's that easy, I'm betting the shifter might just be from a YJ, but it shifts so smooth I bet the part inside the transmission is from the original XJ, also why it doesn't hit the dash and is just tall. If it was all YJ parts, I've read 5th gear would be pushing against the dash. That looks like it will be easy to replace once I can find the proper shifter. I will just separate the top part and slide on the new shifter and be done.

It's installed correct I believe. I pulled the cross member myself from a mid 90's AX15 cherokee and it bolted right up factory with no modifications. Also, all the linkage fit, as well as the clutch lines routed perfectly, so I think it's correct... I was at the pull-a-part this weekend looking for an XJ shifter, no luck, but I did see a couple of XJ's and the 4wd shifters on some of the older models does stick up a bunch, so I think that's fine. I called my buddy and he is positive the AX15 and NP231 are from his personal 1994 XJ, but he couldn't find the original XJ shifter, so he used a YJ shifter. So I think I just need a new shifter and I should be good to go. I wonder if I can get just the shifter like in the video, or if I have to get the whole piece on top of transmission because I read somewhere the XJ and YJ units have to be taken together, they are slightly different as a whole unit.

Thanks! I just bought a new one and will track down a good lock smith.

I have an 89 Comanche and the drivers side lock doesn't work right now. When I got the car, the lock was busted. I tried to have a lock smith fix it, and it worked for a few months, but it broke again this weekend. My question is if I order a new lock cylinder, it won't match my glove box and passenger side right or do they set the first time you push the key in them, or will I have to get it re-keyed? Or I might try the lock smith again and give them a second chance

Can I switch it with an XJ/MJ one? Do you have to unbolt from transmission or can you push down and rotate and switch shifter? You're correct. No unbolting is necessary. There's a spring loaded 'bushing cap' that holds the lever in place. You just push down and, I think, rotate counterclockwise and the shifter will come off. It'll take you both thumbs to compress the spring to rotate. Use mechanic gloves because you can cut yourself doing it. I keep reading that some say the shifter from an xj won't work, they are different, one is shorter than the other or something, not sure if that is just the yj and not the tj though.

Here is the 4wd selector. It also seems like it's higher up than I see in some pictures, but it came from an XJ, the plate came with it and fits perfect in the console. It's not the newer one with the red stripe and the colors on the face plate, but the older more plane face plate with the full black handle. Maybe that one sat higher?

Can I switch it with an XJ/MJ one? Do you have to unbolt from transmission or can you push down and rotate and switch shifter?