JACKED88

My son has a 99 Grand Cherokee with a 4.0 that has a water in oil issue. We bought a used motor for it about a month ago out of a wrecked Jeep Wrangler. Although tha front of that Jeep was totaled, I didnt think the motor would have been damaged. We did hear it run for a short time before in was removed. Since being installed it has never overheated. With that said, we went ahead and replaced tha head gasket but its still gittin water in tha oil. While the head was off I inspected it as best I could but didnt see any obvious cracks or problem areas. Other than the obvious of pulling tha head again and this time gittin it checked at a machine shop, is there any other way water can git in the oil? Yes, we put sealer on #11 head bolt. Surely tha wreck couldnt have damaged tha block? Admittingly tha doner Jeep took a hard enough frontal hit to have cracked the harmonic balancer and cracked one of the motor mount bolt castings that stick off tha side of tha block on the driver side. (In the doner Jeep that hole was used but in this Grand Cherokee its not) Any ideas??? Thanks in advance. Robert

Although a couple of my boys have had XJ's in recent years, I havent owned one for about 5 years and couldnt remember what did or didnt light up on tha dash when in 4 wheel drive. I thought there was more than one but admittingly I've been wrong ONCE before. :roll: LOL!!! Thanks for tha help. Robert

Thanks for tha reply and info. However .......... I'm a little confused on your reply of "just install a bulb". I understand the instalation part but won't there be at least 3 bulbs for a Select-Trac? (one for each 4x4 option) (Part time, Full time and 4-Low) http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cherokee/9 ... begin1.jpg http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g241/ ... C00729.jpg Also, if there are muliple bulbs, what sends the signal to each bulb pending which 4x4 option you've selected? Thanks. Robert

Thanks!!! The only part of the interior that I know of thats has been replaced is tha headliner. To my knowledge the rest is original. As much as I hate the idea of tearing it apart, I'm gonna take the advise I 've read here on CC.com and pull up tha carpet enough to check for floor boards rust. I don't think I'm gonna find any but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Thanks again. Robert

Thanks for tha reply Bob. Tell me, how hard is it to pull the in-dash 4x4 display and install it in my 2x4 MJ? (although there's a place for it, I assume my 2x4 dash doesnt have tha display or tha wiring for it) Thanks again. Robert

Gotta do an automatic trans 4x4 conversion on my 1988 auto trans 2x4 MJ. Need to know what Jeep models and year ranges I need to be lookin for as a doner. (In case it makes a difference, my truck has bucket seats and center console) Thanks in advance. Robert

..............or read. Took a quick glance at your "Mistress Moneypit" thread. Nice truck. Thanks for tha link. I'll go through it and see what all I can pick up on when I have more time. Ya got any spare front end parts for a 6" lift? Like everything??? :roll:

I would have if I coulda figured out how. :dunno: Reckon I better learn. Thanks for postin tha pic. :thumbsup: Aint she purdy??? I'm pretty proud of it. Now I just need to git it mechanicly sound by gittin a proper front lift installed correctly and a 4x4 tranny in it. Robert

You wanted pics? You got um. What ya think??? Those pics really don't do the interior justice. Other than a little seat and carpet cleaning, you'd have a hard time finding a nicer interior in an unrestored 21 year old truck. First on tha list of things to do is getting the front end set up right. I'm lookin for all tha parts needed for a 5 inch lift. (at least I think 5" is right) Took a few measurement and I'm pretty sure 5" will work. One measurement was from tha center of tha hub to the bottom edge of tha fender flare. It measured 23 1/2" with worn 33" tires. Read someplace that 17 1/2 was stock. Taking away for tha bigger tires, I think that puts it lifted about 4 1/2". The other measurement was from the top of tha front axle to tha frame. It measured 12 1/2". By that method, I read 7 3/4" was stock. That would make it havin a 4 3/4" lift. don't think it'll hurt me to go up another 1/4"-1/2". Lookin at tha truck from tha side, I think tha front needs to come up just a hair anyway. Gonna post a "parts needed" in tha classifieds. Hopefully I'll git some responces. More later. Robert

Yeah, yeah I know ...... :needpics: Damn, I musta done a pretty good job on discribing this thing for its status to have gone up tha scale to PRISTINE already. LOL!!! Pristine may be a little extream considering its faided paint. I'll give her a bath and git some pics posted tomorrow. Parts shouldnt be too hard to find. I live just outside of Houston where there's more than plenty of j/y's. (across town :roll: ) Maybe you can help me out by giving me an idea what a good price would be for a working auto tranny and t/c? L8R!!! Robert

First let me say hello to all tha members of CC.com and fellow MJ owners. :waving: Here's a little about myself. My name is Robert. I live in Katy, Texas and have done so all my life. (52 years) That aughta do for now, Lets talk COMANCHE!!! I reckon tha best place to start would be at the beginning of my Jeep history. (if you can call it that) Throughout tha past 15 or so years my family has owned about 6-7 Cherokee's and grand Cherokee's at one time or another. Most were 4x4 and all were bone stock. With that said, my recent purchase of a 88 Comanche Eliminator wasnt by accident considering I've been wanting one for a long time. Two weeks ago a local man put one up on craigslist and I couldnt pass it up. Tha truck has a near perfect body having NO rust what so ever. I went over evey inch. Notta!!! Although tha paint is faided you'd have a hard time finding anything wrong with tha trucks body. (including the inside of tha bed) The interior is in what I considerd exceptional condition although it could use a good cleaning. It has NO rips, tears or worn spots. There's no crack in tha dash and door panels are in perfect condition. Basicly its a nice truck that wouldnt require any body work to be repainted and look new again. Oh, it has 156,xxx miles on it. I'll post some pics of it in tha next couple of days. Now for tha running gear. This is where it will some work. Tha truck started out as a 2x4 until recently when the previous second owner decided to convert it to a 4x4. He installed front and rear dana difs out of a 88 4x4 Cherokee under it. Now consider tha Cherokee's spring pads are on top of tha axle unlike tha Comanche he attempted to lift it by putting tha rear dif under tha springs on tha original Cherokee pads. I'm not sure he didnt put some different shackles under it as well. It sits up pretty high. When I got tha truck he was driving it without any rear shocks due to tha shock mounts on an XJ being staggered front and rear again unlike tha MJ's rearward mounts. I've already cut and rewelded the right mount to except the shocks he had for it. With that being done and tha shock mounted, its not so much tha rear of tha truck I'm so concerned about right now. This is where he screwed up and where I'll need to ask for some of yalls advice on how to correct it. He had bought some 3 inch springs but claimed they didnt lift tha front enough to level tha truck consider what he had done to tha rear. So ....... he had some guy put a piar of F-250 4x4 truck springs under it along with a couple of solid steal 1 inch spacers on each side. Yeah, it rides rough. Other than tha springs, he didnt replace any other front end parts. If I had to guess I'd say its lifted about 6 inches. Needless to say I'm looking for some springs and all tha parts required to correct tha lift. to be honest, i don't know what all I'll need. I've looked at lift kits and what they come with but again to be honest I can't afford to buy a complete kit. Unfortuneately I'll have to pc it togather or find somebodies take off's. (anybody ???) As if thats not enough he also never installed tha 4x4 auto trans or t/c. It's currently runnin on the original 2x4 tranny. I'm looking for an auto tranny and t/c including the t/c shifter and linkage for a bucket seat w/console setup. I reckon thats it. Yeah, I've got my work cut out for me but in tha end this is gonna be a nice truck. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. More later. Robert

Thanks everybody for tha friendly welcome. Lookin foreward to meeting more MJ owners. don't guess this is tha right place to start a thread about my MJ so I'm gonna move to tha projects page. See ya there. Robert

NOT!!! Thats a 35. Take a better look at tha dif pics. The top three and bottom three bolts are in a streight line on a 8.25.

I'm new to Comanche Club so first let me start with a little about myself. My name is Robert. I'm 52 years old and have lived in Katy, Texas all my life. I'm game for just about anything outdoors. 4-wheeling, hunting, trapping, fishing and boat racing to name a few. Now about my MJ. Although we (my family) have owned numerous Cherokee's, the 1988 MJ Eliminator I bought last week is my first of its kind. I've wanted one for a long time and couldnt pass this one up. As above its a 1988 Eliminator that started out as a 2x4. The previous owner started a 4x4 conversion however didnt finish it. It has most of the running gear out of a doner 88 Cherokee other than the auto trans and t/c. Needless to say I'm lookin for a doner to pull not only an auto tranny and t/c out of but tha t/c shifter and linkage as well. (anybody) I've got another issue I'll need some advice on but I'll save it for later. (Hint --- the previous owners pathetic attempt on about a 6" lift using Ford's Super Duty truck springs) :dunno: What was he thinkin??? Anyway, I think I'm realy gonna enjoy this site. I obviously havent been on it long enough to know anybody but I'm sure that'll change. I'd be interested to know how many MJ's are in tha Houston area or at least Texas. More L8R. Robert