bruceb

I have the 2.8L V6 in my '86, and my current project is building up a 3.4L V6 for when the 2.8L gives up the ghost. A good website for the swap is: https://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/Project_XJ/Project_XJ.htm I have also taken the next step to increase HP with 3400 heads and intake, which I am in the middle of doing. The aluminum heads and intake are from a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT. A good background article on this swap: https://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4706 Since the '86 came with the V6, I decided to stick with a V6 (vs a LS V8) but with a low $$ power build to pump up the HP. So it is not your normal route, but cool for me to have something reliable and different.

Painting is complete, looking at different race livery designs for the next stage of this long running project

Attended the Desert Rat, this past Saturday May 13th. It is held each 2nd Saturday each month event in Tempe, AZ. My '86 MJ looks so small in the crowd!

Started back on the body work after a very long covid-19 pause.

Here is a interesting article to get more power from a 3.4 with head swap from Pontiac 3400. http://www.ls1.com/forums/f68/some-insight-into-3-4l-ohv-motor-4706/

The progress is going slow so far, as my auto body painter has other jobs in front of of my Comanche. I do have a new cyl head, cam, headers to install once I do get it back. So my recent focus has been on my other Comanche for more camping and 4x4 trails:

When I changed the rear diff fluid, I found the filler stripped and leaking. The front was also the same, so I held off changing that until I could replace the diff cover front and back. Check the local pull & save yard and the XJ's there were missing the axles, so no luck with used Dana 30 and Dana 35 covers. Hunted on the internet for covers on sales for the holidays and found a B&M Dana 30 mark down from $128 to $52 and a no name Dana 30 cover from $95 to $50. This past week swapped the covers and replaced the fluid in the front. Happy to get this done and no more diff drips in the garage and driveway. Needed a small modification on the rear brake load leveler linkage to fit around the aluminum diff fins.

Started my fluid changes, starting in the rear with the rear axle diff. The heavy oil in it really smelled bad, was very dark, and super thick. The diff also was low on oil, as the refill plug was leaking, so the whole rear diff was oily mess. The job to clean up the diff cover was very messy. About 1 liter of oil drained out. The new oil I purchased was Mag1 SYNTHETIC 75W-90. It is made by the same company (Warren) that makes all the Costco Kirkland Synthetic Motor Oils. Refilled with 1.7 liter. Then I found out the fill plug as stripped, that was why it was leaking. I did not know this until I had it all back together and refilled it. So, I have ordered a new diff cover and will have to drain and swap the cover out this week.

My water pump has started dripping, so order a new pump, hoses, and belt to swap it out. Received my covid-19 booster shot on Friday, so took a relaxed Saturday by attending a 4x4 parking lot event at Desert Rats in Tempe, AZ. I was able to park next to a new Jeep Gladiator pickup. Wow, did my Comanche look small. Time to get my 2.5" lift kit installed and add some to the height.

Exhaust system replacement was in order, for this weekend. When I did my maiden run in Box Canyon, near Wickenburg, AZ, last month the rusted exhaust system didn't last and all the hanger brackets broke off the tail pipe and a small crack was developing in the back of the muffler. I was able to still find a 7 foot bed 2 1/4 inch tail pipe on eBay for $54 and free shipping, which is an upgrade from the 2 inch system that was on the truck. Once the old pipe was cut in front of the muffler, replace was very straight forward. I did need a 2" to 2 1/4" adapter in front of the muffler.

The new tailgate decals arrived. Great price on etsy (https://www.etsy.com/listing/963428131/86-92-jeep-mj-comanche-pick-up-sportruck) $16.91 and are real 3M decals. So I washed the whole truck and prepared the tailgate per youtube instructions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCMcKKN5NpY) Happy with the results. This weekend will install the new radio and antenna, fix broken muffler hanger, and A904 kick down linkage.

Great Build Story!

Where are you based? N. Phoenix?

The original welded muffler mounts broke, so that the was the rattling noise. So I will need to weld them back to the exhaust pipe, if not too rusty. Also the transmission now is stuck in 2nd, so the kickdown VT linkage is the first thing to investigate.

Sunday decided to take the Comanche out for it's for 4WD maiden trip. Headed to Wickenburg, AZ and an easy trail in through the Box Canyon. All was going well with the trip, until 2 miles into the trail when the engine died. I could smell gasoline and it would not start. I let it sit for 10 minutes and it restarted. It is like the engine flooded from the carb. It stalled out two more times, but started right back up, same gasoline smell. Also on the last major bump, high rattling noise from under the rear bed. I thought it was the spare tire and mount, but that was firm in place. The exhaust was intact, so I will have to sort that out next week end. No issues on the trip back home.

Finished the winch install this weekend, by cutting and refitting the bumper. Happy with results. Also adjusted the transmission linkage and it will now start in park and neutral. The radio mount was loose and it broken when trying to tighten, so will have to order a replacement, so no radio for now.

We are having nice cooler weekends, now here in Phoenix. So I am able to tackle more items on my MJ. So the past three weekends, I have found my cause for the recent dead battery issue, the glove box light staying on. Fixed the windshield washer motor, just lightly tapped it and it started pumping again, but one hose was off the driver sprayer head, because the sprayer head was broken. Replace that sprayer head with a salvage yard version and add new wiper blades. Bolted in the new winch mount and new winch. I need to still cut the part the bumper top to fit it back on, a project for next weekend. I like the clean look of this winch mount on my MJ and it also reinforces the frame for the power steering mount.

My 1986 AZ Overland

Door Rattles and speaker upgrade was the Saturday project today. The power window motor mount in the drivers door had a big rattle and a small rattle in the passenger side. So I drill a hole next to the factory aluminum rivet and added a steel pop-rivet. The old speaker was upgraded to a new two-way and next is the radio, was that does not work. Cut the old connector off the speaker and soldered/heat shrink'ed in new speaker leads.

My system says 2 lbs of R12, so that is 32 oz x 85% for R134a or 27 oz of R134a. So I added two 12 oz r143a cans and 3/4 of the 4 oz r134a oil can.

My other update project this past week was to replace the battery terminals clamps and add a new ground from the battery to radiator mount and in rear from the brake lights ground behind the rear tail light to the frame.

Updated my A/C from R12 to R134a. First was to replace a high pressure hose that had a hole worn through it. I first searched online, but could not find a replacement hose. What I did find were two local Phoenix, AZ A/C hose repair shops. I dropped my worn hose at AAPAK and 3 hours later, they had the repair done, the cost was $63. Then I add a vacuum pump and made sure it would hold a vacuum in the system for 40 minutes. After that added 24 oz of R134a and 4 oz of A/C system oil. The system now chills down the interior very nicely and I should be able to survive the 105 degree AZ temps this week!

Thanks, I will drop the hose off tomorrow to be repaired.

Started my A/C repair this week to find why the A/C is not operational and then covert to R134a. I do have a system leak, which after I performed a vacuum check, It would not hold a vacuum. Injected some green leak detection fluid and found the leak in the receiver to evaporator hose. Searched the internet for a replacement A/C hose for my '86. but none to be found. Does anyone out there have a source for these hoses? There are also two A/C hose repair shops here in the Phoenix, AZ area, which if I can not find a replace hose, is my next step. Thanks.

There is an expandable removal ladder that attaches to the side. Here is a photo when it was mounted on my SUV camping in New Mexico last month.