lcoutback

How will I find you in the sea of Red 4 door JL's on 37's at the Safari?

This is hands-down the easiest and cheapest solution I've seen for a DIY smoke test to find vacuum leaks....

Have Faith! I'll work on the first miracle, you work on the next two... I'll see you there!

Nice! Flat Iron is beyond what my MJ will tackle, but hopefully our paths will cross...

Hey all, I'll probably get roasted for suggesting a Jeep Safari meet-up versus the Comanche Takeover, but why not both? :) I now live in central Arizona and both sons have moved to Moab, UT. Gives me a whole new outlook on making the trek. I'm taking Papa Smurf to the 2025 Jeep Safari the week of April 12 - 20. This is my first time going to any organized event and have quite a few things I want to get done on my ol' girl to keep it straight and driveable. Because my Comanche is straight and rust free, nothing over a trail rating of 4 this year. I'm looking to put a lunch box locker up front in the D30 and build sliders for protection. These sliders won't be used to actually slide on anything,(I hope!) just a little extra armor to keep the ol' girl looking clean and straight. I would welcome any feedback on the lunchbox in my daily driver? I recognize there will be a few clicks and chirps to contend with, but it doesn't make sense to spend a bunch of money on a D30 AND I'm not interested in turning this into a rock crawling beast. One of the biggest costs of a trek like this is lodging. For those of you who are die-hard overlanders or willing to camp, there is a possibility of making a small donation to the dog-rescue my youngest and his girl friend operate about 30 miles south of Moab for a decent place to stay with limited water and power available. (depends on how many people are interested?) I plan to be there all week and hope to schedule at least three trail runs. Anyone interested in making this a group showing?

I had some success buying new vacuum lines from NAPA. Maybe it was dumb luck, but I would try a couple parts stores or Rock Auto first. Chances are slim that +30 year old lines found at one of the yards would be any less crusty...

Thanks Pete... I may just repost my original diatribe for a fresh set of eyes. This thing is driving me bonkers! I'm told there is a Jeep Guru about an hour north of where I live. It pains me, but I might need to shell out few bucks for help if I can't find a new nugget from a new post...

It's been a minute, but after relocating to central Arizona and a new job I'm now back into troubleshooting this vibration issue. Question: Has anyone experienced a Harmonic balancer issue without any visible signs of rubber failure or visible signs of vibration using the ol' eye-ometer? I would love some feedback before dumping another $75 and a couple hours to replace mine...

The good news is, this will be more a 'for fun' project than a wheeler, but I'll definitely need to put some thought into structural support before getting too deep into it. Now, if I can just find time...

So... a little over a year ago I picked up a 1950 Plymouth Business Coupe. I should say I picked up the shell of what was once a '50 Plymouth Business Coupe, aptly named the 'Hoopty'. Floor is gone, like a Comanche and there isn't a straight body panel on the old girl. I've been tossing around everything from a generic S10 frame swap with an LS swap, to going more 'period' correct hotrod with 218 flathead with dual carbs, dual exhaust and convert the three-on-the-tree to a floor shifter. I know, *yawn*, how generic and boring! So you ask, why would I post this on the Comanche Club forum? I suppose because one day as I was shuffling projects, I happened to have my '89 Pioneer parked next to the Plymouth. Guess what? Same wheelbase! Maybe it's time for the 'Hoopty' to get a makeover with 31" tires wrapped around a set of crusty Jeep Turbines I have at the back of the shop? Keep the firewall and floor, and run a full MJ running gear under that sucker. THAT would be different... (and give me more leg room) Time to break out the cutting wheel and sawblades! NO!! Not what you are thinking, Papa Smurf will never go under the knife. It's too straight and rust free to even contemplate such sacrilege! However, I did just drag this beauty home... (my wife named it Rolloff) It's an '87 4x4 with a 4.0 / 5 speed. I don't think my buffer can fix this one. So now let the debate begin. I figure I can part out enough MJ specific parts (interior, drivers cab corner, rear fender flares) to buy a brick of cutoff wheels and sawz-all blades to make for a busy weekend whittling this down to just the floorboards and fire wall. From there I'll see if the 4.0 has any life life. More than likely I'll yank that out and find a wrecked Cherokee donor for a more 'fresh' drivetrain that ol' Rolloff here. If my preliminary measurements are close, Rolloff and Hoopty could produce an interesting offspring. I could tick off the puritan of the hotrod world with a first class rat rod, and 'technically' keep an MJ on the road? Or maybe, just maybe... I should ask my wife to drop me on my head once to knock some sense back into me for even considering such an undertaking!

Rolloff is a bit past crusty, BUT I have a crazy idea on how I'll keep it on the road in a new life. That is, if I can ONLY find a way to get titled. Here's what I know: 1988 Sport Truck 4.0 / 4x4 / 5 speed Black interior, bench seat Beyond that, I look forward to seeing it's birth certificate. I'll likely be parting anything not drivetrain / chassis related. Would it be sacrilege to share my future plans on this forum if it will no longer look like a Comanche? Day 1.jfif

Brand new engine and transmission mounts. No drivetrain (or exhaust) components appear to be touching the frame or body unless they are designed to. I've had that problem with an XJ past. I can't 'hear' anything specific. This is fairly predictable with RPMs at +/- 2k, mostly under load. I'm generally pretty logical in my troubleshooting, but I'm still stumped.

Thanks Cruiser. I've checked this out as well by removing and giving a full visual inspection. I also used starter fluid all around while running with no change. NOTE: I recently replaced the fuel pump (Bosch) and filter (again) with no change. Another member (can't remember who, so if you read this Thank You!) suggested that with the engine running to try and distinguish whether in park and at various ramp up RPM if I could 'feel' a harmonic vibration coming from the engine or from the frame. No luck. Newest thought... Could this be an issue coming from the transmission? I read once long ago there should be a certain amount of clearance between the torque converter and ring gear to ensure the pump is fully engaged, but I've never seen spacers or any reason to do more that bolt the two together. While there is a slight vibration in park at higher RPM, it's much more pronounced under load. I fully expect some noise and vibration from rotating assemblies with a lift and 33" tires, but this is a distinctive vibration at higher RPM than any rotating assembly. This hasn't changed with a new Torque Converter installed. Has anyone had vibration issues with an AW4? They appear to be pretty bulletproof, so I don't find a great deal of troubleshooting information. This one shift fine and holds gears fine...

Here's the scoop. When I first start up, the ECU is in OPEN loop. ST= 128, LT=125. Once the ECU switches to CLOSED Loop ST drops and hovers around 90, slowly dropping and fluctuating between 55 - 70 and jumps to 128 when I Rev the engine. LT steady at 125. Being an old 'turn the screw on the carb until it runs right' guy, I still have a lot to learn about fuel injection and electronics. Any feedback is appreciated, as I'm very much in the learning stages in this kind of troubleshooting.

I'll be intentional and write those down this afternoon and post. Thank you!

This is a long post, but I've been chasing a vibration issue in my '89 4.0 for over a year. It has 245k and otherwise runs great. I don't drive it often, but in the last year I've had to do a lot of work on my commuter Chevy so the MJ has been my back up for a 27 mile drive to work. This vibration is most pronounced while on the road under load, but I can also detect it in the driveway, with the transmission in park and stationary. Some days it's much more pronounced than others, but definitely still there. Even in the driveway it's 'almost' a 'seat of the pants' vibration from roughly 1400 RPM and up, but I feel it in the steering wheel as well. My step-son is a mechanic and can feel the same vibration, so I'm not completely nuts. (or he is humoring me... LOL) This has caused a BUNCH of mixed messages to my old brain before getting to the point of separating engine vs drivetrain. This MJ started life as a two wheel drive that I might have driven 50 miles after I bought it. When I converted it to 4x4 I used a donor AW4/NP231 from a wrecked Cherokee (rear end collision totaled it), Ford 8.8 rear end and D30 up front. I re-geared front and rear to 4:11 and installed a SYE. Spring over axle rear net roughly 6" lift, which is matched up front with 3.5" coils and 2" spacer with adjustable upper and lower control arms and adjustable pan-hard bar. Complete rebuild of both differentials (bearings, seals, carrier, ring gear, shims, rotors, ball joints, u-joints), full rebuild of both drivelines (slip yoke, u-joints) that have been balanced at two different shops. New tires that have been rotated and re-balanced at two different shops. I've driven with just the front, then just the rear driveshaft multiple times. I've run it up to speed then put both transmission and transfer case in neutral. I've put the whole truck up on jack stands and run it in gear and out of gear at various RPM. (with some scary results during one test period that I'm sure NOBODY else has every done...LMAO) Up front I've replaced the water pump, harmonic balancer (the old one all but came out the front of the truck during an early test drive of the new 4x4 in my driveway) serpentine belt, injectors (upgrade to the Volvo 245) and indexed the distributor. Should go without saying, but I've also done a full tune-up with new points, plugs and plug wires. I've been under the hood late at night with the engine running to see if I had stray spark from a plug or coil wire. I've spent a stupid amount of time staring at the front of the engine while it's running at various RPM to see if I have a pulley, idler or other rotating item out of round or wobbly. I've probably touched every bolt and nut on the darn engine ten times each to verify nothing is loose. I've tested for a vacuum leak using starter fluid while the engine is running on every surface I can reach that has a mating surface or connection that could fail. I've cleaned the throttle body and replaced the TPS. Recently I also replaced the O2 sensor to pass emissions. I now have an REM II and according both it's diagnostics and every.single.parameter listed this Renix should be happy. Yes, I've also replaced both engine mounts and the transmission mount. I've chased every surface I can get to with the engine off AND with the wife sitting at the helm revving at different speeds to eliminate exhaust pipe-to-frame and other physical causes of vibration that I can think of. In a long-shot fit of 'why not' I also replaced the Torque converter since I has re-used what came with the wrecked Cherokee that was my donor. It always starts and idles fine. It revs fine. My latest troubleshooting is now on the fuel system. I consistently have 32 psi while the engine is running and it drops to 23 'ish when I pull the vacuum off the regulator at the rail. Seems to hold a steady 32/23 at various RPM. This was both before and after replacing the fuel filter. From what I have read 39/31 psi are the optimum numbers, but my 32/23 is acceptable? Holds pressure at the rail for at least the 15 minutes I intentionally checked after shutting off the engine. I plugged the vacuum line and took it for a test drive with the regulator disabled (31 psi at idle) and still have the same vibration issue. I just bought a new Bosch fuel pump and pick up screen, as well as a new Bosch fuel filter that I plan on swapping out next weekend. Yes, I've refreshed grounds and been a faithful follower of all applicable tips and tricks that our great Cruiser54 has posted. I've put over 6,000 miles on this pickup since converting it to 4x4 and this darn vibration is driving me bonkers. What am I missing?

While not a 'miracle cure', I've found any carnuba car wax does a decent job hiding minor swirl marks and scratches. Work a liberal amount onto your disassembled lense using a conservative amount of pressure (just to be politically correct) and repeat the process. Make sure you allow the wax to fully dry so it will harden, otherwise it all wipes out of the imperfections. I had done this on a motorcycle faring that was impossible to see through when riding into the sun and now do it to all my clear dash pieces as well.

Project rust bucket has hit a snag. My $400 '89 Comanche has yielded a good running 4.0 Renix with 137k miles and a clutch that appears good. Just four rust spots in the floor that will be an easy fix, other rust is cosmetic. I was going to take it for a spin to see if the BA10 is a survivor, and my steering gave up as I pulled onto the road. Luckily I have a large yard that I could back into with the gentle sweep to the right I seem to be stuck with at the moment. The steering wheel turns about half a turn, power steering pump is quiet and full of clean fluid, and I can't find any mechanical obstruction with the front end. Thoughts?

So far the worst rust is around d the rear window. Amazingly, only a few small holes in the drivers side floor! Not sure where I'll go with this. Dropping the gas tank and fluids this weekend, then a compression. Test and see if it fires. Haven't decided if this is a flip or a keeper....

Found this on the Oregon Coast for $400 with title. '89 4.0/5 speed/4x4. Haven't dug too deep into it, but at appears intact and has what I think are all the factory skid plates.

Year / Model: 1989 Pioneer Original stats: 4.0 / AW4 / 2x4 / D35 / SWB Build Date: 9/88 Current Location: Forest Grove, Oregon Status: Just a weekend cruiser, desert explorer. Notes: I rescued Papa Smurf from central Oregon. The PO thought it was about to blow up because it leaked oil and overheated. Funny how a new oil pressure sending unit and antifreeze fixed those little issues! Since I've had it I've converted it to 4x4. Still 4.0 with about 250K miles, AW4 column shift with a fresh built stock NP231 with a SYE and a 8.8" rear differential. Geared with 4:10's running 33" tires to keep the speedometer happy. Nothing too special, but I've swapped in a full instrument cluster, Dynamat the floor, door skins, roof and behind the seat. All the interior lights work, including the lights I snagged from my wrecked XJ that light up the floor board. No Rust, very straight with a fully functioning tailgate latch! Just a clean and solid example of simple, like me... Current owner: Bob Pardee, AKA LCOutback

Krusty, I have a pretty good set of grey covers without the bolsters that I'm swapping so I can have bolsters. PM me if you would like pictures and details?

I took a different route on my first rig, which was a '70 Datsun 520 pickup. The rubber gaskets was still pliable with no rips or breaks, so I wiped them down with acetone, paying extra attention to the nooks and crannies that the glass didn't contact. Then I lightly greased both the glass and the metal frame that the glass was set into, being careful not to get any grease on my freshly cleaned rubber gasket. Using black silicone (don't remember the brand, but it was for 'weather stripping repair') I carefully coated the entire perimeter of the rubber gasket where the window/window frame would make contact with about 1/8" bead, starting with those 'nooks and crannies' mentioned above. I let the silicone set about 20 minutes, then gently closed the window WITHOUT latching it and left everything alone until the silicone was fully cured. (actually, I think I forgot about it for a couple days because I had a new girlfriend. LOL) Once the silicone had cured, I opened the window and wiped off the grease film that prevented the window/window frame and silicone from bonding, then went on my merry way. The result for me was a 'thicker' sealing surface that was somewhat formed to the window/window frame that sucked up tight when I latched the window. I drove the wheels off that little pickup for years, and never again had either a water leak or whistle from those windows. And yes, I used both windows often so that my '580' air conditioning would work, since I lived in Phoenix Arizona at the time...

After several months, I finally found a grey micro console for my column shift AW-4, '89 Pioneer. It started life as a 2 wheel drive, and now has a fresh D30 up front and 8.8" SOA in the rear. The transfer case shifter is from the '89 XJ transmission/transfer case donor, which had a full console/floor shift xmission. The two micro console screw holes don't align with the two mounting points on the shifter. Is there a different shifter required, or am I missing a bracket?

Well stated SteveW155. Thank you to ALL the admins who have kept this site what it is. There is much knowledge and opinion on this site, and I personally appreciate how both are managed. Part of what attracted me to this group is the depth of knowledge, but what keeps me here are those three rules on page one. (A.K.A. - 'The By-Laws') Let's just continue to share ideas and successes about our old sheetmetal, and leave the drama to the pundits?