AMC-MJ

They sold me the long round coil $35, i have the short square coil $75 ! Can the 2 be interchanged ? . . . Its snowing i am sure i'll have to report to work soon . . . Mike

Well the issue seems to be getting worse. After a few act ups now, its gotta be an ignition issue. I have been shutting it off when it acts up and letting it sit each time but the SOB is doing it more often and lasts longer . . . Tomorrow ill be replacing the coil, and see what's happens. Mike

That would work i bet, i'm going to use some rectangle tube, remove my bumper all together lay it down to the width of the tail gate slide it right in between the box sides like the the tail gate dose below the bed floor . . . Mike

:clapping: LONG BOX :clapping: hardly see any of them . . . Mike

LOL its a 1988 cheapo econo truck LOL Would you expect it to look any better then junk ? LOL Its a $300 truck ! Mike

Yea i don't know as i'll be all to worried about it at the current . . . I'd like to get the other things fixed up, like doors fender's ect . . . Mike

It was up on a lift when the exhaust was getting done i snooped around it all appeared sound and intact to me :D . . . But with it on the ground i can't really get any underside shot's that turn out :( 80% of the rust & dents shown can NOT be seen 3 feet away 60% of it can't really be viewed right next to it, ya gotta be looking for it to find it all, which is why i didn't notice it till i hand waxed & polished it . . . As you can tell from washed & polished photos you notice some but you don't hardly seen as much rot as my close up shots of all the spot's :brows: ;) It hides its rust well . . . 2.5, AX-4, D35, 3.73's with P215/70R15's front / ST225/70R15C's rear . . . I'd like to see a set of LT235/75R15C's on the rear ideally all 4 corner's I have 1 brand new "Sport King AT" i'd like to find another but there $120 new no body has any used . . . Mike

na i didn' really buy it for what it was, i only got cause it was a cheap back up rig for my 6.5 which did fail so now its the driver,if it can be patched up and made into a decent looking driver it'll stay around and eventually re-powered with an AMC-V8, If it's shot i'll run it till it's junk and recycle it, the likely hood of searching out another Comanche to replace it is highly unlikely . . . it'll simply get replaced with another $0-$500 beater what ever brand that might be who knows hopefully not a dodge or a car . . . Mike

Door's are rotten at the bottom, the cab corner's got hole's & rust, and the rocker panels are starting to get soft n flaky . . . check it out its shiny ! : yup its a wreck check the rust and dents: I have no idea what the longevity of this truck is . . . Can it be saved ? :dunno: ? Should it be saved ? :dunno: ? Run it as is till it puke and recycle it ? :dunno: ? i bought it was a cheap beater, not so much for what it was . . . I kinda like the little rot box now hat i have driven it for 2+ months now . . . Mike

Frame seem's to be solid at this point but not sure for how long . . . :wall: The F'in floor replacement kit was a whole floor you were to place it over old floor mark a line all the way around the new floor then remove it grind the paint away above and below the line then weld a bead right around the whole thing few inches at a time not warp it . . . all seemed well . . . :rotf: i did as instructed then after welding it a sprayed it with 1 coat of Ox-o-rust baked it, shot another coat 12 hours later baked that one on then shot a third coat 24 hours later then let the truck sit another 3 day's then scuffed it with some 400 grit and had another coat shot on it, then i protect o wrap it . . . :ack: I just noticed today it didn't fit correctly as there is a 1" gap between the old floor and the new floor top side all looks perfect from below you fit you hand between the 2 floor's :wall: Which is allowing salt snow rain water ect to run straight into the un protected top side of the framing :fs1: Now i have to i'm guessing rip it all out and build my own floor ? or Remove the "replacement" floor cut the old floor and weld some flat stock tot he top side of the frame to close it off ? or Maybe i can remove the new floor, remove the old floor and clean it all up and re-weld in the new floor right to the framing ? The direction show, and the text clearly stated to lay this floor over the top of the old one :hmm: I kinda figured it was wishful thinking, i wonder how many of these MJ's have been repaired this way the new owners know nothing about it ? Mike

I have a feeling this truck is about toast :dunno: :hmm: :dunno: :hmm: Mike

:bowdown: Power washed & polished up the MJ :cheers: Found out it's a rusty rotten POS :fs1: hanging together by good luck :rotf: :doh: . . . All well it was only a $300 truck and it run's great . . . Mike

Well it isn't Like the truck was advertised for sale. Its been parked at the farm in the weeds for like 7 years . . . I offered $300 for it, they couldn't of had gotten the keys n title any faster ! I put a floor into it drove it 3 times and I too parked it in the weeds . . . It sat a good while then my K2500's trans went on the blink then the starter smoked a few days later, so I dug it out the snow bank popped the hood engine was coated in snow I dropped in a fresh battery it fired right off drove it home did a tune up, brake job, tagged it, and tossed it on the road 2 months ago about 3 weeks after being on road i put a brand new Exhaust manifold to tail pipe exhaust system with turbo muffler no cat $240, then i noticed the start was dragging some so i replaced the starter with a new and 2 brand new 2GA cables . . . I guess you could say i "picked" it :rotf: :dunno: :thumbsup: Trucks been great love it ! Mike

:doh: oh yea i know all the troubled spots for sure :hmm: I'm woundering whats holding the F'in cab together ? :dunno: ? Hard to tell but the "YELLOWISH" stuff where the cab corner used to be ? is spray foam :fs1: the "YELLOWISH" stuff on the rocker panel is paint or primer :hmm: :idea: i'm guessing primer as i have noticed it and little speckles all over the rest of the truck . . . The interior steal is all black unless they did an Awesome and complete color re-change job :hmm: Mike

Washed & Waxed Look see how she shines: I found Plenty O'Rust and primer ?: I'll do a more in depth photo session of the rot i discovered that the routine $10 auto wash was able to hide . . . Mike

as cool as a D30/D35 combo 4WD sound's I just don't see a 4WD convert in the future . . . If i where to do such a thing i would prolly be an @ZZ have steer axle made and run a AMC-20/AMC-20 combo :yes: or a D44/D44 :clapping: If get to feeling like an over build situation i might try a D60/D60 combo . . . tho i bet a D44/D60 could be done easy enough too . . . Mike

i figured the 4.44's wold also be a plus as the truck is only towing 3-5 times a year 7 top's . . . Most of its daily life will spent within a 2 block radius running 25 & 35 mph tops . . . I feel the lower gearing would be easier on it rolling the slower speeds as well . . . Mike

The reason for moving up to the AMC-20 and adding 1 piece Moser axles, is so it'll handle an AMC-290 2bbl/TBI & 5spd that will eventually replace the AMC 2.5 TBI / 4-5spd . The 4.44's will make the 2.5er have some decent grunt with 235s. Yet allow for a 30 or 31 inch tire for the 290. Also the 2.5s OD is only a .85 as where the 290 will have a .68-.76 OD. If the 290 V-8 won't fit then i'll substitute a GM-4.3L V6 2bbl/TBI :thumbsup: Ill more then likely be running a 245/75R16 which is 30.5" x 9.75" in actual dimensions. With 1.75" front & 1" suspension kit & 1leaf helper spring kit should offer a slight rack & tires should clear awesome loaded or empty ! Netting you a snappy little driver and light duty trailer towing rig. i'm not talking towing Mack diesels around but say tossing your camping gear the bed and hitching up a trailer with an ATV or 2 possibly a Snowmobile or 2 heading out of town top's 2 units n camping gear . . . ideally 1 unit and camping gear . . . If an 82'+ Ranger's / S-10's / Ricer's with 2.0-2.9L I-4's & 2.5L-4.5L V-6's can tow 1 machine in the bed and 2 machines on a trailer behind i would think the Comanche should handle 2 machines behind & gear in bed :???: 1 machine for sure . . . Mike

My truck is 2WD :thumbsup: i aint got no front end to match up with Mike

4.44 Gears was an AMC factory offered gear for many years and can be had in New Old Stock, used, and in rare case hot off the press new by AMC vendors here n there . . . also offered is a 3.91 ratio which i'm going to in my AMX to replace the 4.44's i already have . . . If i could find an AMC-20 that fit my MJ with 3.91's I'd do a switch o change o of the gearing between the 2 axles AMX get's the 3.91's MJ gets the 4.44's and have both Vehicle's rear end's re-geared and rocking the same diff's with Moser 1 piece axle shafts . . . Mike

4.5" - 5.25" rear and 3.75"-4.5" front depending on rim width . . . Mike

The MJ don't appear any wider then the AMX . . .I could be wrong ? Mike

:dunno: you got me :dunno: I could measure my AMX when i'm over by it next ? :thumbsup: Mike

I don't really know . . . It just didn't list an MJ or XJ . . . Mike

They have a larger ring gear . . .Specs i found, Model AMC-20: Ring Gear Diameter: 8 7/8" Pinion Shaft Diameter: 1.625" Ring Gear Bolts: 8 Right Hand Threads: 7/16" x 20 Pinion Splines: 28 Cover Bolts: 12 Bolt circle: 5 x 4.5" Year range / Vehicle : 68-74 Ambassador. 68-79 AMX. 68-74 Javelin. 70-76 Gremlin. 70-77 Hornet. 72-78 Matador. 68-69 Marlin. 78-79 Pacer. 68-69 Rambler. 68-69 Rebel. 79 Spirit. 76-86 Scrambler. 80-86 Wagoneer. 80-86 J/10. 79-06 Hummer H-1 center section IFS/IRS. It appears to be all the same unit, only there is no mention of usage in the MJ's ? :dunno: ? i can't imagine there all that weak considering AMC used them behind V8's as powerful as the 390 & 401 Crossram's . . . which laid down 11-9 second 1/4 mile times. used in 2,800-3,800lb Car's. used in 4,500lb-6,000lb truck's. which ya know them truck's got loaded some what heavy and towed trailers & got wheeled rather hard with over sized tires. Mike