hillbilly51

That is a caged needle bearing (yes it's steel). It supports the inboard end of the stub shaft. The bearing is a SCE 108 and the inner seal is a SKF 15843 (or comparable)

Hey I need to do some PM on my 88 Comanche Chief 4.0L 5 speed Peugeot. Dana 30 Axle with Central Axle Disconnect. Is there a opinion on the best Crank Position Sensor? Airtex/Wells? Standard Motor Products? Dorman?...Other? Also, I need to fix a oil leak on the right front axle. I believe the needle bearing on the spindle shaft has failed, and has caused the inner seal to fail. This is on the Central Axle Disconnect system. Anyone have the part numbers for the bearing and seal? Will a Timekin SBK-1 Bearing/Seal kit fit this truck? Also, does anyone make a kit that is used to convert the closed cooling system to a open system? Any good write up's on this subject? One with a Radiator Cap that eliminates the plastic jug? Thanks a lot for any response

This is a picture of the NP231 shifter that I made for my 88 Comanche Chief. I've had in in the truck for over a year and haven't had any problems. Works perfectly . I've got detailed sketches if anyone is interested in building one. Some welding is required. Most of the parts are from the original shifter......with modification

Me too. I just installed a new thermostat on my 88 Comanche 4.0L the other day, and that is exactly what I did. I didn't have any problem at all burping the system. On the 80's models 4.0 engines, the closed loop cooling system with the pressurized expansion tank can be a real pain in the a** when trying to get air out of the cooling system. This simple modification helps a lot.

My 88 Comanche Chief 4.0L has 133K miles and is on it's third BA10/5. I've never driven this truck hard and have always maintained the gear oil. The first transmission to break was when the truck had about 90K miles. The symptom was a "click, click, click,click" when my wife started the truck and drove it down my driveway. I knew that the noise was internal to the transmission so I pulled it and took it apart for inspection. Some how, or for some reason, one of the first gear teeth on the main cluster was broken off. The inside of the transmission looked pristine. I priced a new cluster gear, but decided to simply replace the transmission. I've still got that transmission and may get around to fixing it one day. I bought a used replacement on E-***, but it was a couple of months before I installed it. I should have checked the oil when I received the gear box, but I waited until I had it installed. When I did check it, about a cup full of water and black oil came out....that was all. The transmission had several bearings that were grinding, and always made a noise until it failed. I did get about 25K miles out of it though. The transmission that I now have was bought at a local junk yard and was guaranteed to be good. It has been, and still shifts smoothly and runs quietly. This time, I replaced the clutch with a new Luk kit. That said, I will never replace it again. I will make the change to the AX-15 with the external slave cylinder if it ever needs replacing. All in all, if you don't abuse the transmission and run recommended tire sizes, the BA10 performs pretty well. hope this helps

That's a good idea, I'll give it a try. I'm also gonna inspect the Harmonic Balancer. The only problem is that I have to remove the steel belly pan on my 88 Comanche Chief to see it.

I recently replaced the serpentine belt on my 88 Comanche Chief 4.0L. I got a really good deal on a Goodyear Gator Back belt, and my old one was looking bad. Since then, I have had a problem with the belt squealing at all engine speeds. I have tightened it to what I consider excessive tightness and it still sings like a bird. I determined that the noise is coming from the water pump pulley which is driven by the back of the belt in this application. I replaced my engine thermostat yesterday (from 180 to 195 degrees F) and loosened the belt to have easy access to the bottom thermostat cover bolt. Since I've re-tightened the belt it's even louder than before. I loosened the belt so that I could spin all of the pulleys by hand and everything feels smooth. All of the bearings feel snug and rotate freely without any noise. The water pump turns freely by hand and there is no noise or movement in the shaft. The alternator is charging fine and the power steering is smooth. So is the A/C clutch bearing and the belt idler bearing. With the engine running, I sprayed some belt dressing on the belt and it immediately quieted down only to start squealing again in a minute or so. Has anyone else had a problem with this particular belt? Am I missing a potential bearing failure on the water pump or other component? This truck only has 133K miles and as far as I know, it's the original water pump and idler. I'm gonna order a new pump and idler so that I'm ready if it does fail. Any response is appreciated.

I've experienced "Death Wobble" a few times in my 88 Comanche Chief, and I know what it is like. Almost a life changing experience. It reared it's ugly head one time when I was on the freeway pulling a trailer with a yard tractor on it. 60 mph in the right lane on a long sweeping curve to the left....this with a transfer truck immediately on my left. One bump in the pavement and away it went. I thought I was a goner for sure. Luckily, there was a right side safety lane and I was able to coax the truck over into the lane and slow down until it stopped.. It's scary as he** if you're in a tight spot.

Could it be the dreaded "Death Wobble"? You need to read about it. Search this forum.

They are readily available aftermarket from various sources. Google... Fuel Line Repair Kit 83502745

My 88 Comanche with the D30 Dana front transaxle w/axle disconnect...has developed what I first assumed to be a wheel bearing noise. It's very noticeable when I turn the truck to the left and quiets down when I turn to the right. Otherwise, I hear a sound like a failed bearing all the time. It's not loud when I'm steering straight, but it's definitely still there. The noise is like a tire is going flat. I pulled both front hubs and checked the bearings. Both bearings are still snug and turn smoothly, and I don't believe that's the trouble. When I pulled the right front hub, the axle came out with it. Is that normal? or am I having a problem back at the axle disconnect. It seems like there should be something holding the axle in place...besides the wheel hub. I notice that Jeep didn't put a outboard bearing on the right side axle and that was suprising to me. I've had a small oil leak from behind the oil slinger where the axle shaft comes out of the axle housing. Should gear oil be in that area, or do I have a seal leaking inside? I thought that the axle disconnect was lubed by axle grease that's added behind the axle shift plate. Could the noise be coming from the caged needle bearing that supports the axle shaft outboard the axle disconnect? If I can't find the source, I'm going to start replacing wheel hubs, and work down from there. Any ideas? Thanks for any response. steve

The way that you describe it, it sounds like a explosion inside the oil sump. The only thing that would cause that would be gasoline in the oil . I'm just speculating because I'm not saying that's what happened or that I've ever seen it. It also could have been a backfire in the muffler, so I would check the exhaust system too. If the distributor housing is truly broken and not just the cap, something went wrong in a big way. Just curious....Have you looked under the engine to see if the oil pan is still intact?

Bosch 9454555 Fuel Injectors Volvo Part # 0 280 155 746 Plug and play...no modifications required.

Well, I finally checked my coolant temperature. I'd been driving the truck for about 20 miles and the engine was fully warmed up. Gage showed around 110 degrees. Coolant temperature with the engine running and coolant flowing thru the plastic resevoir...180 degrees. So I have a operational 180 degree thermostat in the engine. I checked the temp. sender and it was defective. Question. Will the Renix System run in closed loop at 180 degrees engine temperature or do I need to increase the temp to 195 degrees? The engine runs very well right now. Is there a way to check if the computer is running in closed loop. Oh yea.....Since I installed the Volvo fuel injectors my fuel economy has risen 9 MPG....checked it twice. The additional power is truly impressive. Feels like I'm driving a sports car. steve

That white "Teflon" is actually the white Teflon sleeve bushings that are inside the rubber boots. They guide and lubricate the caliper as it slides in and out on the guide pins. They are split down the center and have a flared end that (is supposed to) keep them in the correct position...Your's needs to be replaced. They are available as a Caliper Kit for your jeep.

There should be some interference....enough that it won't fall off. The last one I changed, I had to push and twist it to get it to bottom on the pump. As I remember, there should be a couple of small barbs in the sock collar that cut into the plastic pump and keep it from sliding back off.

Lately my temperature gage has been staying at about 120 degrees. I haven't noticed any change in performance, and the heater will still get really warm. Since it's been a long time, I plan on changing the thermostat and already have one (195 degreee) on order. I was just curious about any noticeable difference between closed and open loop in the Renix system. No noticeable change makes me believe that I've maybe been running in open loop for a while. My engine runs very well at present. steve Oh yea, before anyone asks, I'm going out this afternoon and check the actual coolant temperature with my digital thermometer.

If my engine temperature ran about 120 degrees F when warm, would the Renix system ever go into closed loop? Or would it run in open loop all of the time? steve

16 inches of Mercury is approx 8 psi .......That's too low a intake vacuum for the engine at idle. It could cause all kinds of performance problems. steve

I need some touch-up paint for my 88 Comanche Chief. The truck has apparently been re-painted in the past. I'm sure that this is a Jeep color because I've seen it on other Jeeps. Any help is appreciated steve

I was reading a post the last week or so and there was a discussion about the best injectors for the 4.0L Renix, and the consensus was that the Bosch 9454555 injectors were the best. These injectors came on late 90's model Volvo Cars and were Volvo Part #0-280-155-746. I have been have problems with engine performance on my 88 model Comanche Chief, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Hard Start, stumbling on acceleration, lack of power that I know these engine have. I bought 6 used Bosch injectors on E-*** for $36 delivered. I cleaned them and flushed them out with fuel injector cleaner. I did this by making a electrical plug for the injectors and attaching it to a 12V battery....., (2) Stacon mini-spad female connectors, 3 inches of 1/8" shrink tubing and 6' of small gage 2 conductor electrical wire (I used speaker wire). Mark the positive lead at both ends I then energized (12V) the injectors (hooked it up to a battery) up) one at a time to open it and shot a short burst on cleaner thru the injectors. I got a good atomization of the cleaner and all four ports of the injectors were spraying a good pattern. There is a (marked) positive and negative terminal on these injectors, so don't hook them up backwards when cleaning/testing. Also, don't leave the injector plugged up for too long when holding it open, you could damage it.....I did about 15 seconds per injector. I then installed the injectors, it took me about 1 hour. They are a true "plug and play" swap with no modification to the fuel rail required. That included cleaning the injector ports in the intake and putting on new O-rings (I had them from a long time ago). Be sure to loosen the mounting for the solid return fuel line that comes off the fuel pressure regulator. That will allow you to slide the connector straight out as you mash in the tabs on the quick connector. I unplugged both connectors without any damage. You're supposed to replace these connectors every time you open them but I don't see any reason if they don't leak. I must say that I was pleasantly suprised at the change of performance of the 4.0L engine. Smooth idle, no more "dead spots" on acceleration and much more power. I sure that my fuel economy will increase, but I haven't checked it yet. When I first started the engine after swapping the injectors, the engine would barely idle and blew a lot of white/blue smoke when revving. OH S***! I went back over my installation to make sure that I hadn't missed something, and finally found that I had un-plugged the 1/8" vacuum hose from the intake to the MAP Sensor. I didn't realize how much affect that little sensor has on engine performance. I plugged the hose back up and the engine settled down immediately. It's never run better since I've owned it and that's about 18 years. Oh yea, I also pulled that battery cables and held the positive and negative cable together for about 15 seconds to reset the Renix computer. It must have worked because the engine is nice and smooth. steve

OK I've got a spare NP-231 Case, so it made it a lot easier to modify the existing shifter arm that goes on the Transfer Case and check it's movement. You will notice that I swapped ends, cut and bent the Arm and then filled the created gap with weld metal. I also relocated the hole in this arm to give the hole centers a 2" cord length thru the arc as they travel from 4 Wheel high to 4 Wheel low. This is the same as the Floor shifter in the cab...2" arc length thru the travel from 4W high to 4W low. That means that the movement of the flooor shifter will give a corresponding and equal amount of travel on the transfer case arm. In plainer terms, the transfer case arm moves the same distance as the floor shifter arm as you shift thru the gears. Next was to modify the existing linkage to attach the Transfer Case Arm to the Floor Shifter Arm. Using the existing shifter linkage, I shortened the linkage and (cold) bent a new 90 degree turn. I then welded a 3" piece of 3/8" all thread rod onto the end. I used the existing adjustment block by drilling the existing hole out to 3/8" diameter, sliding the all thread thru and using 3/8" nuts to secure the rod after final adjustment. I used the existing plastic bushing that was already in the cab shifter arm. All the bushings are the same size, and can be removed without damage by heating slightly with a heat gun and then prizing out with a flat screwdriver.....You'll have a couple of spares left over. I tried to drill and counter sink the new hole in the T.C. shifter arm and install a bushing but the metal is hard, and I burned up all my 7/6" drill bits before I quit and settled for a 3/8" clearance hole for the linkage. It's a metal to metal fit, but I figure it will take me a long, long time to wear the linkage out. The Final Product: On final adjustment, I made sure that all of the slack in the linkage was adjusted outward to assure full travel into 4 wheel low. The detent springs on these NP231 Transfer cases are pretty strong, so it's not hard to feel it go into gear when shifting gears. It's a positive shift. The gear selector works well and is correct, and the dash light functions properly Hope this helps I'm posting this information to help individuals build a shifter for their own truck, and not for commercial use. Commercial use is not intended or allowed. steve

I recently built and installed a new transfer case shifter linkage in my 88 Jeep Comanche Chief. It's much more simple than the factory set up and works great. I have details if anyone wants to build one. steve

I took the easy way and broke the right vent window out. I was in a Walmart Parking lot, and probably on security camera, but what the he**, it's my truck. I have a sliding back window, but I couldn't read the door lock button, and had nothing to work with, so I broke the glass with my fist. The lock buttons on my Comanche Chief are rocker type so there's nothing to grab and pull. The inside door handles don't work when the door is locked, so it's not a matter of just pulling the release handle. I should have broken the door window because I can get a new glass cheaper for the door than the vent window. That's pricing it new on-line. There doesn't seem to be a lot of Jeep pick and pulls near me, so I haven't priced a used one yet, except on E-***. Right now it has a custom cut piece of PlexiGlas filling the hole, so it's not a problem. steve

If the shafts that you are receiving fit the clutch disc but have too large a pilot end diameter and are made of plastic, you can reduce the OD with a bench grinder. I've done it before. Slowly rotate the shaft against the side of the stone and grind it down until you have the right size. Try it in increments...a little at a time until it fits. steve