AZJeff

Yes, it does stay tacky, at least for a few months. I purchased real body shop seam sealer and I paid about $12 for a standard sized caulk tube, as a point of reference.

How about some of that asphaltic stuff that comes in caulk tubes and is used to seal asphalt shingles on roofs? It tends to stay pliable for a fairly long time....

On my XJ, I welded the last 1" of the Ebrake lever from the drum brakes to the disc parking brake lever. This allows the drum brake cables to interface to the new brakes.

I purchased a set of bushings for a Ford pickup, and am modifying them to fit the MJ. We can compare notes when I am done.

Your oil pressure sender is defective, for sure. You might want to rent/borrow a real oil pressure gauge from th parts store to confirm actual pressures as a next step.

I would LOVE a set of bushings. My tailgate rattles like hell. I cannot believe there were no bushings from the factory. The metal on metal squeaks like all get out, and is constantly rusty. Also, the "double D" shaped lug on the bed suggests that something filled the space on the flats, and I am betting its some plastic piece.

I remember this sort of discussion on the XJ forums, with the same predictable schools of thought: Those who understand the purpose of anti-sway bars keep them installed and add disconnects if they see fit. Those who are ignorant of the devices' purpose rip them off, and claim they can compensate by driving differently. This group rarely will admit their mistake when calamity strikes. As others noted, If anti-sway bars were not a benefit, AMC/Chrysler would not have made them standard on all XJ/MJ front ends. Consider that before you join the second group I cited above.

The scoring in the cylindrical area inboard of the threads is where the inner race of the outer (smaller) wheel bearing would ride. If that area is chewed up enough to no longer align the bearing to be concentric with the centerline of the spindle, you are going to see shortened wheel bearing life and/or bearing overheating. THere is also a slim possibility that this spindle might suffer a catastrophic failure in this area due to uneven stresses being imposed on the part. That would make life real exciting if you were on the highway when it happened. (Please note--I am NOT saying this failure is probable, only that is POSSIBLE.) If it was my vehicle, I would be seeking a new spindle.

Wow. This is becoming a tough crowd here. I am waiting for the OP to explain, in more detail, exactly what he means and/or what really happened. Right now, we are all just yuking it up as to possible issues.

There are companies out there that will restore your dash padding and it's vinyl cover, but you must ship them the dash to have the work done. I don't know this for a fact, but I would bet it's not an inexpensive proposition, either. I guess it depends on how close to OEM you want the dash to appear when done. Do a search for "dash panel restoration" and you will find some links to such companies. As an alternative, if you are willing to practice on your dash, they make kits of materials that can repair/restore what you have. The key to the sucess will be in the guy doing the work, which I assume would be you. Here is one source of kits: https://www.polyvance.com/Repair-Cracked-Dashboard/

So the main issue is that most of the pumps people have chosen are of marginal quality/longevity. I am familiar with the old Ford scheme of two pumps in series, and that may be a factor in why that Ford external pump works well when used the way Ford intended, but not in other applilcations. I am sure there is a pump out there somewhere, but I would bet to be reliable, they are probably expensive.

Although not direcly part of the OP's issue and solution, I am curious why you made this statement. Are you suggesting that there are no suitable remotely mounted pumps that can do the job and survive?

I prefer the Hella "E code" headlamp housings with the H4 bulb in them. They feature a reflector pattern that has a low-beam cut-off angle to keep from blinding oncoming motorists. If your state isn't too picky about what headlight you run, you can upgrade from the "normal" 60/55watt halogen bulbs to the 100/90watt halogen bulbs. This setup is noticeably better than any stock headlamp, and yet isn't too pricey. You should be able to get a pair of these with the lower wattage bulbs for under $100. (LED lights are still too pricey for me.) I had these in my XJ, and am putting them in my MJ (with the appropriate wiring upgrades others have noted.)

Synthetic 10W30. Change oil and filter every 4500 miles. I live in an even HOTTER part of AZ, near Phoenix. The synthetics tolerate heat MUCH better than conventional oils, which is the main reason I use them.

I just learned a new term--"U-Nut" I always called them "Tinnerman nuts" or "clip nuts" When I was a design engineer working for a living, we used them all the time, and we bought a lot from the Tinnerman company. I guess it's a bit like Kleenex versus "tissues"

You can purchase a sealant specifically made for automotive body seams from Amazon or a larger auto parts store.

Amen to all of this. I bought a Comanche as a "project vehicle" for my retirement. I had owned several XJ's, but I always wanted a Comanche. Because of my XJ experience, I realized that a 30 year old vehicle is going to be in need of more than "just a little work" and I was mentally prepared in advance. I paid $6k for my MJ, which had new paint, a new(er) engine, a well-done lift, bed liner, and other well-done stuff. It was a pretty nice vehicle for being a 1989 model. In spite of that, I have dumped several thousand bucks into the machine redoing the brakes, redoing some electrical stuff, fixing some lubricant leaks, etc. And I have yet to tackle the need for new seats, carpet, and headliner. Now I am kind of picky about how my vehicle looks and operates, so my costs to repair/upgrade my MJ are probably higher than most owners would see, and I willing admit that others could be happy spending less to fix some issues I have enountered. The point is that any MJ that has been sitting around unused (off the road) for any length of time will need a thorough inspection and test drive(s) before taking the plunge to accomplish a long road trip. Nothing would suck more than to be 500 miles from home, on the side of the road, with a vehicle that needs a major repair to continue the journey.

Actually, my question is more about how the spare tire winch is actually operated. I don't have an original Owner's Manual for my MJ, so I am guessing on some of this stuff. There is some sort of handle that goes into the winch to raise/lower the spare. What does it look like, and where and how is it stored on the vehicle. I am guessing it's different that what was used on an XJ, correct?

My MJ is missing the sheet metal cover that goes over the lower front part of the bellhousing on the AW-4. I assume the part is called a "flywheel cover", but I cannot find any references to it when I search the internet by that term. Am I using the correct term? (And does anyone know where I can get one of these covers?)

If you are sleeving the frame rails already, then I think you will be good to go.

Those look to be some sort of doubler used to tie to sections of the "frame" rail together. It would say having a piece in that area that performs that function is probably structurally critical. If you are worried about the area between those doublers and the bottom of the "frame" rail, you can do a few things: 1. try to etch the area between the two pieces with some sort of acid to remove any existing rust. Then THOROUGHLY neutralize the acid and allow it to dry. Then apply POR15 into the joint to allow that specialized paint to convert the remaining rust into a neutral state. 2. cut ONLY the bottom surface of the frame rail off, and clean the bottom of those doublers of any rust. Then weld on new steel of at least the same guage or heavier on the outside. You can also go in and weld those doublers to the new bottom surface of the frame rail from the inside. You might need to make some holes in those doublers before installing the new bottom of the frame rail, and then do some plug welds between the doublers and the new bottom surface. 3. remove the existing doublers from inside the "frame" rail, and clean the floor of the frame rail in the area you say cannot be reached now. Then make new doublers from appropriate guage metal, and weld them into the frame rails inside. Whatever approach you choose, don't just remove those doublers and call it a day. Those are pretty important in that area.

How large are the braces you are running from the rock rails to the "frame" rail? If they are 2" square tube or bigger, those can replace the torque boxes, provided you actually tie those braces not only to the frame rail, but to the floorpan as well. The torque boxes are intended to tie the rocker panel area of the cab to the "frame" rails. Your braces would accomplish the same thing, as long as they are big enough and located in a similar position along the length of the "Frame" rail.

What e-fan(s) do you use in your 3-fan setup? Where do you sense the 180* temp versus the 210* temp? Curious as to how you approached this, and I might try to duplicate your scheme.

The material depends on the plastic part in question. PVC is used on pieces that need to have some flexure to them for installation and removal. Door kick plates, trim around the bottom of the door, etc. Pieces that are more "permanent" in their position (such as the glove compartment door and the like) are something else, most likely a polycarbonate/ABS blend. Manufacturers tend to mark the part on the back side near the area where the part number is molded in with an abbreviation for the molding resin used. Since all the trim is out of my MJ right now, and knowing about these markings, I looked some pieces from my vehicle. to see what material markings the have. The answer was NO material markings, exceept for the ones from the dash, and those are marked PC/ABS. Unfortunately, my dash/instrument panel is from a 2000XJ, so that doesn't help tell you what was used on an original MJ dash. I would say it's a safe bet that most of the "hard" plastic in the vehicle is PC/ABS or straight ABS.

Air shocks?