cruiser54

Index your distributor and have a muffler shop remove the "D" crush in your downpipe while rereouting it. Use NGK plugs, Taylor wires, Napa Premium cap and rotor. The ones with brass contacts.

Who's making side plates? http://comancheclub.com/topic/47686-hitch-plates/ Great quality. Great deal! Is there a website or contact info I could link to my website?

So you attached to the underside of the MJ frame rails rather than to the sides? About how much did you have to stretch the hitch? Yes, and 6".

What color spark?

Nice!!!

93 Grand cherokee aftermarket hitch. The GC's rear bumper brackets supply 2 of the 3 nuts for a nut strip, with some cutting involved. One of the 2 holes is off a bit so I had to drill a new hole on each side. The GC's side brackets where they bolt up to the frame are the same as xJs if that helps. I needed to extend each side as the MJ's frame rails are further apart. Used 2.5 heavy square tubing (2.5" ID) to sleeve it together.

There's a ground from the battery to the block but that's it. Block to a bunch of sensors. That's why I wrote Tip 1. Part numbers included for readily available upgraded and additional cables from Napa. If guys would just do that tip thoroughly right off the bat, they would have way fewer problems down the road. Renix Ground Refreshing The Renix era XJs and MJs were built with an under-engineered grounding system for the engine/transmission electronics. One problem in particular involves the multiple ground connection at the engine dipstick tube stud. A poor ground here can cause a multitude of driveabililty issues, wasted time, failed emission tests, and wasted money replacing components unnecessarily. The components grounding at the dipstick tube stud are: Distributor Sync Sensor, TCU main ground, TCU “Shift Point Logic”, Ignition control Module, Injectors, ECU main ground which other engine sensors ground through, Oxygen sensor, Knock Sensor, Cruise Control, and Transmission Sync signal. All extremely important stuff. The factory was aware of the issues with this ground point and addressed it by suggesting the following: Remove the nut holding the wire terminals to the stud. Verify that the stud is indeed tightened securely into the block. Scrape any and all paint from the stud’s mounting surface where the wires will attach. Must be clean, shiny and free of any oil, grease, or paint. Inspect the wire terminals. Check to see that none of the terminals are crimped over wire insulation instead of bare wire. Be sure the crimps are tight. It wouldn’t hurt to re-crimp them just as a matter of course. Sand and polish the wire terminals until clean and shiny on both sides. Reinstall all the wires to the stud and tighten the nut down securely. While you’re in that general area, locate the battery negative cable which is fastened to the engine block just forward of the dipstick stud. Remove the bolt, scrape the block to bare metal, clean and polish the cable terminal, and reattach securely. Another area where the grounding system on Renix era Jeeps was lacking is the engine to chassis ground. There is a braided cable from the back of the cylinder head that also attaches to the driver’s side of the firewall. This cable is undersized for it’s intended use and subject to corrosion and poor connections at each end. First off, remove the cable end from the firewall using a 15mm wrench or socket. Scrape the paint off down to bare metal and clean the wire terminal. Reattach securely. Remove the other end of the cable from the rear of the head using a 3’4” socket. Clean all the oil, paint and crud from the stud. Clean the wire terminal of the cable and reattach securely. A suggestion regarding the braided cable: I prefer to add a #4 Gauge cable from the firewall to a bolt on the rear of the intake manifold, either to a heat shield bolt or fuel rail bolt. A cable about 18” long with a 3/8” lug on each end works great and you can get one at any parts store already made up. Napa has them as part number 781116. A further improvement to the grounding system can be made using a #4 cable, about 10” long with 3/8” terminals at each end. Attach one end of this cable to the negative battery bolt and the other end under the closest 10mm headed bolt on the radiator support just forward of the battery. Napa part number 781115. For those of us with Comanches, it’s very important to remove the driver’s side taillamp assembly to access the ground for the fuel pump. Remove the screw holding the black ground wire. Scrape the paint from the body and corrosion from the wire terminal. Reattach securely. If you want to upgrade your grounds and battery cables in general, contact Jon at www.kelleyswip.com. He makes an incredible cable upgrade for a very reasonable price. Revised 03-04-2013

Not simple, but I had 2 of them around.

All is well! After countless hours of working on this issue, a simple bolt into the block of the engine attaching the ground strap pictured above and BOOM! Truck is running like a dream. I have no idea why anyone would have ever removed it and will never know. Just glad my Jeep is running again. Thank to all who helped along the way. Wow!! Tip #1 had it for ya. Glad you got it fixed!!

You need more fuel pressure.

Yowza.

How about this?

I'm with you on this. Get a harness from a junkyard.

On the ones that are still running?

Here's all you need: Cruiser’s HO into Renix Swap This swap is easier than some will lead you to believe, generally those who have never done it. Those of us who have done it, like myself, will share with you the things that need to be done for a successful swap. Just think of it as swapping in a long block. The HO and Renix have some differences but none that can’t be overcome very easily. Any HO engine from an XJ or ZJ through 1999 can be used. One running change was that the rear of the head was no longer drilled and tapped for the temperature gauge sender beginning in the 96 model year. The sender can be relocated to the threaded hole in the thermostat housing taken from the HO engine. You’ll have to extend the wire to that location. Some brave souls even drill and tap the HO head for the sender. You will be using the intake and exhaust manifolds from your Renix, along with all your sensors and wiring. Since the intake ports of the HO are slightly different, you use the Renix gasket. Exhaust ports are identical. You will need to use your Renix distributor as it is different than the HO because they use different fuel management systems. The flywheel or flexplate from the Renix must be used so your CPS gets the correct signals. The valve cover from the Renix allows you to keep your CCV system intact and requires no modifications. The HO block will have a plug in the coolant galley on the driver’s side of the block, closest to the front, which needs to be removed so your Coolant Temp Sensor can be installed in it’s place just as it is on the Renix. It requires a 5/16” square drive or a modified 3/8” drive that has been ground down to fit. Do this before installing the engine. As for the knock sensor, which is located just above the oil pan on the driver’s side of the engine about mid way, all the blocks I’ve seen are threaded for it. If not, I’ve heard they may be drilled but not tapped. Tap the hole if that’s the case. Revised 03/28/13

Check the distributor indexing. Tip 13.

Thanks. I was hoping we could come up with a real life test....

Not always.............

Look for bad fusible links at the starter relay.

I'm thinking that nowadays a refurbished factory part is way better than a new POS part.

Knucklehead and Impulse, thanks for your support. You are both exactly right!!!!!!

scars are just tattoos with better stories.

A bad connector. Imagine that!!! LOL. Remember to adjust the tPS on the Engine side.