All around mj

It is ultimately up to you, but if it is in the budget I vote... stroke it.

This is as close as I am willing to go and it still give the occasional squeak on start up. No signs of rubbing yet, but makes me nervous. I also have a new pigtail coming for the temp sensor.

Thanks @Pete M

So 1971 was not the last year for the 454 but it was the first year that the SS package was more of a looks package than a true performance package. 1970 was the last year that Chevrolet made a production model SS with the higher powered LS6 454. I need to refresh my brain. I work nights and between work and working on the Comanche, I think I got a total of 10 hours of sleep last week.

@RustyRodderNow that I think about it, I believe you are right and I have been mistaken. I wish I knew how to change the topic title now. I’m pretty sure my phone autocorrected “Chevelle” into “Chevrolet” also. I do believe it is a 71’ SS. I plan on going to inspect the condition of the engine within the next week or two. If memory serves me correct, I think 71’ was the last year for the 454 also but I’m not 100% positive on that.

It has been parked for about twenty years but last I remember from when I was little it was a tire burning rocket. About a month ago I went to look at the body a little closer and when rolling down the driver’s side quarter window it fell off the track so I know it will need some work I left it alone after that. I’m hoping to get started on it soon.

I have found that the later year belts are a bit big when it comes to clearance between the belt and the little part that sticks out at the timing marks on the timing cover. I have a ordered a tad smaller belt and will report back on that. The start up squeal is driving me nuts. I will try to get a picture of what I am talking about tomorrow.

4.10 posi rear and 4 speed manual

This and the wheels are not SS wheels is why I want to find the build sheet for sure. I’ve bought some literature for restoration purposes also.

I’ve been bugging my dad for several years to get this beauty out of the garage and start working on it together. It’s got tags dated from the early 90’s if that tells around how long it’s been parked. He was moving last year and called me out of the blue and said since I’ve been pretty persistent about wanting to get it going again and he never has time to work on it. How would I like to have it. I wasn’t going to say no. I will have to see if I can find the build sheet in one of the many interior hiding places the factory puts them, if it’s still their, to see if it is a true SS or a clone. I’ve been researching and have found that there are a few things that don’t belong on an SS. If it is a true SS and numbers are matching it will be a restoration project, if not then it will be a restomod project. Funny thing is my wife has always given me crap for having owned Chevy vehicles in the past, she’s a Ford girl, but when I sent her pictures of the Chevrolet and told her it was a Chevy she replied,”Well I like old cars.” She also doesn’t like driving standards. We will see if she changes her mind after I get it going again.

I also had something else fall into my lap late last year that I haven’t gotten started on yet. I will have to add it to the member’s other projects area hopefully soon. That would be my dad in that picture.

I had no intention on writing a novel. I decided to document my work finally and just been trying to get things typed up from memory. There should be pictures included from now on I believe. And yes this thread is worthless without them I do agree with you there.

I will have to find some of my pictures from when I first got the MJ if I can. I’ve had several phones since then. When I got the truck I was an android user. I hope my photos aren’t blowing out your screens I don’t have a functioning computer or digital camera at the moment.

https://youtube.com/shorts/1Ta8qsiRiXQ a sloppy sound clip of my new exhaust.

Got some parts from one of the self service junk yards an hour away from me. I still need to get my new to me used slider installed.

Striker and hinge tearing away and a shot of my crappy flux cored welds which are still holding.

Shots of the truck outside and a sneak peek at future plans

Stopped parts Cherokee full of renix parts and leftovers.

Engine in

Getting front end fitted up from donor Cherokee. My brother in law helped with the welding the inner fender skirts ( part of front end repair)here because I didn’t have any welding experience at the time and he took it upon himself to push the driver side inner skirt back a quarter inch before welding it in. This detail has bugged me ever since because the hood does not sit completely square anymore and all but one top fastener has broken off my aftermarket header panel.

HO engine getting ready for transplant

There are details that I forgot to mention. When putting in the HO engine I installed poly motor mounts and later on installed a poly trans mount. And I regrettably installed poly control arm bushings which are squeaky. There is more that I will have to add...

I bought my MJ a while ago and have been messing with it ever since. I’m finally getting around to starting my build thread and due to recent changes I also need to get around to changing my signature. When I first got the truck it had front end damage ( looked like the driver side had hit a tree or something) that had some what been fixed by the previous owner. I’ve got to track down early photos of the truck. So what I have is a 1990 Jeep Comanche Pioneer. When I first got the truck it had front end damage, the radiator was half full with sludge, and the head was cracked. It still ran and drove, so I replaced the neutral safety switch and a park/blinker socket to get all the lights working and ended up finding out from the first inspection it didn’t have a cat on it. Don’t ask how I missed that detail, I don’t even know the answer to that. I went to a local tire shop and had a cat put and got my inspection done. The next day I went to the dmv and got the Comanche legal. I drove the truck to work for a couple months and then parked it because it was very sluggish and had really bad bump steer. I took the head off to have it rebuilt and this is when I found out that the head was cracked. The Comanche sat for a couple of years while I was in pursuit of a donor vehicle rather than just a head, so I could have a dedicated parts vehicle. I found a 1993 Jeep Cherokee country for pretty cheap and it only had rear body damage (backed down a hill into a tree). I ended up pulling the motor, transmission, and transfer case as one unit and put it into the Comanche. I decided since I had completely stripped the Comanche to do some front end repairs I would also swap in the computer, wiring harness and everything under the dash. So, I now have a 90/93 HO Comanche. Fast forward another few years, I got the throttle body bored, put in 12 hole injectors, and I forgot to mention the Spectre cowl intake I had put in while the Jeep was still a Renix. This past year I have regeared to 4.10 for my 235/75r15s, while regearing a did the one piece axle shaft swap from the parts Jeep. And just last week I did a cam swap to comp cams 68-232-4 cam with there lifters and timing set and put in Mopar Performance valve springs, 99+ intake swap and pieced together a new stainless exhaust that dumps right behind the cab. I recall the lady I bought the Cherokee from saying that the engine was a junk yard engine and it smoked a bit and burned oil. When doing my recent work, I did indeed notice that the engine was a 94 engine and the engine had been completely rebuilt, however the head gasket was seeping a bit. So my original plans of building a stroker are on hold. I have also welded on the hooligan off-road hinge supports and have so far modified the driver’s side door for quick disconnect and repaired the strike on the door frame ( do to separation of the top hinge the striker was tearing away from the body as well. I think that’s it for now if I think of anymore details I will add them along with any pictures I can track down. to be continued...

“Timken” not “Tinker” stupid autocorrect.

I have less than 1000 miles on my hubs, and while removing them, one separated on me. I was trying to remove them because the inner axle seals went bad.