kastein

Was that preceded by "hey watch this" or "hold my beer"? :hmm:

Seat belt bolts - not sure if this is different on the MJ (haven't had to do mine yet) but on the XJ, they are tough to get out because they stick through the bottom of the floor and get covered in gunk and rust. So hit the exposed threads with a wire wheel before you start turning them, then apply a bit of your favorite penetrating oil and your personal assortment of 4-letter words and they should move easier.

Any 91-97 tranny will fit any 91-97 XJ as far as I know except maybe the wiring harness connector (clip off, crimp/splice on, done.) Any 98-up will fit any 98-up. 98-up can be made to fit 97-down using custom electronics but not vice versa. With that said, my suggestion would be to grab a 4wd AW-4 and a 231 (cheap and much more common than the 2wd AW-4 at least around here) and install it along with a 4wd rear driveshaft. Just put the transfer case in 2Hi and leave it that way. That way if you ever decide to do a 4wd conversion on it, the only things you have left are the dana 30, front driveshaft, and transfer case shift linkage and lever, i.e. the really easy parts. Should not cost you that much different from just a 2wd AW-4, either.

Same. I was going to post something like what taz did, but you know what? It's been 3 months, the police already decided it wasn't worth their time, the owner hasn't claimed it, neither has the insurance company, there were beer cans all over which means either the owner or the thief deserved what they had coming when they rolled it... go ahead and make the hulk lighter so it can be hauled off more easily when the time comes, I'm not losing any sleep over it. Just don't do anything stupid like light it on fire and pollute the place, or dump the fluids everywhere while pulling stuff, and you'll have no argument from me. I've seen a couple random junk cars out in the woods around here, but nothing that frequent and things tend to rust away quickly around here.

According to my research while working on such a project a while ago, the 4cyl and 6cyl RENIX ICMs (ignition control module + coil) are the same exact part number. I forget what it is but it starts with 3300. So you can use any ICM off an 87-90 4cyl or 6cyl.

Might have to look into that myself. I wore the "ghey @$$ pouch" till Friday, when I spent the whole day on a ropes course... last obstacle of the day, lost my footing on the Pirate's Crossing, ended up hauling myself across using only my arms while shouting obscenities (falling off a rope 40 feet in the air has a way of loosening my tongue somewhat!) and discovered on getting to the other side that the foot rope had torn the pouch right off my belt as it went flying by me. Oops... for now I just carry it in my pocket.

Sounds like my rust monster / basket case, I'm up in Worcester. Just got my fuel system, brake lines, and such squared away and freed of rust. I had to patch about 3 feet of the bottom of one of the frame rails right under the cab. I need to patch the same section on the other side too, but haven't gotten around to it... need to dig the welder out of storage as soon as I get a garage lined up. Need a replacement rear height sensing valve? I managed to pick one up, not sure if it works or not but it didn't appear to be leaking, not sure where it is in my storage unit but you're welcome to it if it gets your MJ working better.

While I'm a fan of guns, there are some things you really need a knife for. You can also carry a knife into many places where a gun is not permitted - for instance I'm carrying a Leatherman Surge and two folding utility knives right now, on company property. If this was discovered I would either be mildly reprimanded or nothing would happen, heck, I've used them to help out in the test lab before, two of my co-workers borrowed the folding knives and I used the leatherman while we were unpacking new equipment and setting it up. If I was discovered carrying a gun, or even having one in my locked vehicle in the parking lot, I would be summarily fired, walked out by security, and likely brought to court over it. I'm not saying the company is wrong at all in this, it's private property, private property rights trump the second amendment. Aside from my Leatherman I prefer cheap knives - for woods use (and knife throwing practice) I have a couple of United Cutlery UC1232s, which cost about 15 bucks each and are worth every cent. My folding utility knives have replaceable blades so I use them on anything and everything - I've been known to cut through wiring harnesses at the junkyard using them. Throw a new blade in (for a whopping 19 cents when purchased in bulk) and it's as good as new.

I'd do it. Heck, I drove a 2x4 Comanche 500 miles round trip in one day through a terrible ice/snow storm with no brakes and nearly bald tires, leaking a quart of oil every few hundred miles... made it through. It was one of those "must do this or I'm all kinds of screwed" type trips to get new parts for my daily driver which had broken down. Bring with you - tools (already covered!), spare fluids (trans, diff, coolant, oil, brake, jerry can), some extra brake line, a spare front rubber hose, spare rear rubber hose, some extra rubber hoses (transmission, fuel, coolant), some hose clamps (standard and fuel injection/full circle), spare serpentine belt, pocket torch, favorite penetrating lube (pbblaster, aerokroil, 50/50 acetone/atf, whatever you like.)

I don't know jack about Ham radio's, but took the test, and got 25 out of 35 (fail, but only by one answer). :smart: I actually missed a question somehow, but when I finally saw it (on the results page), I would've gotten that one wrong anyway. :doh: :dunno: I like the idea of having a HAM radio in your Jeep, but what good is talking to some guy in Albania, when you snap an axleshaft in the woods of Western Mass? :D Congrats! You chose well, the FT8800 is a good radio. I'm W1KAS (Extra class, wasn't too difficult as I'm an electrical/computer engineer by profession) jpnjim, dunno about Albania, but I'm usually on 146.520 simplex during my commute from Worcester to Hudson :rotf: so you might have some luck. I would actually suggest to anyone to have a ham rig in their jeep, even if unlicensed. You are not breaking any laws unless you transmit without a license, and I would rather break laws and deal with the FCC after the fact, once I'm out of the woods, than end up stuck in the woods and dead. Actually, now that I think about it, distress signals are permitted on any and all frequencies that will get your butt rescued, so I doubt they'd do anything except persuade you to become licensed. Get one, bolt it down next to the CB, set up an antenna and write down the national calling frequencies (445.000, 146.520, 52.525) till you need it.

Been through this... recently in fact. Lines - replace em, no big deal except where they go behind the gas tank. I'm a perfectionist, so I tried to follow the routing on the body as much as I could. Took me about seven hours all told, and that was including 4-5 hours with no jackstands - just lying flat as I could under the vehicle. If I did it again it would likely take about 3 hours. Rear height sensing valve - I'm one of those guys who actually likes to keep it. In fact, it saved my butt this morning... came over the brow of a hill and traffic was stopped right in front of me. No load in the bed. All four wheels locked up right before I came to a stop, I would have gone sideways into a parked car if I hadn't had either the rear height sensing valve or a manually adjusted one to replace it. Mine is entirely functional, even on my horribly rusted beater of an MJ. Guess I got lucky. Bleeders - no big deal, pull and replace the rear brake cylinders. One of mine was so badly rusted it was somewhere between triangular and ovoid, the other had already been torqued off. Cylinders run about 10-15 bucks each, you will want two grade 8 1/4-20 bolts approx 1/2" long (I bought 1" ones and cut them down to length) to mount each one (since you mention rust your originals are probably pretty bad), so get four total. You can do this entire replacement job in a single day if you are suitably motivated and have enough cold beer on hand.

I like it, but it's a concept vehicle right now and no more. Hopefully they build it :brows: Almost reminds me of the Model T with the spare tire mounted on the side and the big fenders.

You and me both... I *think* I have the original OEM bumper on it. I know I have an OEM bumper on it for sure :brows: but it's so rusty that one of the mounts is nearly falling off, the stiffener/hitch mounting tube welded into the bottom edge is completely gone, and it literally flaps in the wind as I drive. Just picked up another OEM bumper in much better shape from a fellow NAXJA member, going to be giving it a full once-over and replacing the stiffener with new tubing before I install it. My old bumper is getting some custom brackets built and is going onto another NAXJA member's XJ :rotf: I thought it was a crazy idea at first but we held it up and it actually will look pretty awesome!

Not quite. Apparently (thanks cracker!) you don't need to cut the nubs off, so I'd leave em just to preserve the paint seal and keep rust from happening. You still need to use the new sealer, the only thing the new rubber trim strip eliminates is having to fiddle around with those infernal plastic clips and strips of metal trim. Stick the rubber trim ring onto the edge of the windshield right before gluing it in with the urethane adhesive.

Got a winch in GREAT shape! Thanks fiatslug87! If you're ever in the northeast I owe ya one :cheers: :cheers:

Cheapest I could find around here was $165, an hour drive away in Keene NH. Then I realized my windshield has been leaking for so long (previous previous owner was a hack...) that a section of the top edge of the windshield frame is rusted out, and I wanted to fix it before I put a new windshield in. Not wanting to drive an hour with no windshield that means I'm doing it myself... Costs so far: $20 garrote/piano wire style windshield removal kit $30 junkyard windshield (fairly rare to see broken ones at the junkyard around here, got lucky and pulled the first one without breaking it!) $30 3M single step primer (3M 08681 or 08682, I bought mine on amazon) $30 two caulk tubes of 3M urethane windshield adhesive $12 3M 08888 glass cleaner Yeah, I know, I could have spent a lot less. Surface prep is one of those things I follow TO THE LETTER nowadays, after one failed paintjob due to me saying "whatev, how much can it really matter" I'm not willing to risk a second botched job. So I dropped the 42 bucks on aerosol glass cleaner and primer when I probably could have spent 10 at autozone and done fine - again, not worth risking it being screwed up and leaking again, having to reupholster my headliner once is one time too many.

If you trim off those stupid little nailhead peg things in the windshield frame, paint over the bare metal, and then use a rubber windshield trim ring from a 95 or later XJ it should work iirc. You may even be able to get away with leaving the pegs for the old trim in place, not sure. The OEM part number for the trim (used on production date 2/8/94 and later, metal trim was 2/7/94 and earlier) is 5523 5391AB. Any Crown dealer should be able to order one for you for ~$30-50.

Is the exhaust maybe contacting the tranny crossmember? I got a pretty ugly rattling noise out of mine when one of my exhaust hangars rusted off and the downpipe landed on the crossmember right next to the tranny mount.

Unplug the TCU and drive it, if it doesn't act up then it's electrical. You'll need to manually shift it and won't have second gear (1-2 = 1st, 3 = 3rd, D = overdrive/4th when TCU is unplugged) Divide and conquer!

X2, when I walk up with a hunk of wiring harness or a handful of bolts they just look at me funny and tell me to keep walking

Another idea if you want to do a manumatic (manually controlled automatic, baja shifter, etc) setup is you could leave the stock floor shifter installed as well as the column shifter and use one for automatic mode and the other as the manumatic shifter.

If you can find one in a local yard (many you-pull-its do not computerize their inventory so you need to go look yourself) it should run you 100-200 and you get it then and there. Not sure on the U-bolts, perches, and spring plates. Driveshaft length may change a bit, also remember if the 44 is out of an XJ or anything other than an MJ you probably will need to swap new perches on.

Don't yank the battery to test the alt, that trick went out of style with carbs. Doing that to an EFI rig with an engine computer is a great way to end up buying a new engine computer along with anything else containing electronics capable of emitting magic smoke.

If they will bolt up, I have a set of drums off an 8.25 that you can have for free, I want them off my porch. Just need the actual drums and you're all set, they include shoes/cylinders/springs/other junk. I'm in Worcester. Is the bolt pattern on a ZJ d44a different from the bolt pattern on a real d44? If it isn't, these should work. EDIT: looks like different bolt pattern :( get some disks on there for sure!

My god. Your rust is worse than mine. And your original brake lines were worse than mine. I never thought that was possible... good luck bringing your rust monster back from the grave! :clapping: