89 MJ

So at what point does this go from a refurb to a full blown nut and bolt resto?

Is one of those screws a wood screw?

The method is a bit crude and you feel bad pound a socket on, but it does provide pretty good results. Crazy that you had to go down to a 10mm!

I've had good luck pounding a slightly smaller 6 point socket over the rust bolts and getting them out.

Looks great! Admittedly, I wasn't sure about the gray at first. With the slight blue hue, polished turbines, and black stripes, it all came together very nicely.

This pic right here is money! I love the iterations that this truck has gone through over the decades

October 2026 - @neohic’s 88 Eliminator Build Thread- Year/Model - 1988 Eliminator Drivetrain- 4.6L Stroker Ceramic-coated header 2.5” exhaust Match-ported everything NP242 Cooling- Open system with three core brass radiator High flow water pump Auxiliary later XJ 10 blade fan Electrical/Ignition- Stock Suspension/Steering- Stock steering NOS Archer Brothers Racing SCCA suspension Bilstein shocks Fiberglass monoleaf leafsprings Custom tubular control arms Custom track bar Interior- Mostly stock All stainless t-case shifter A pillar gauges Brakes- '94 ZJ disks/drums Proportioning valve delete Lighting- Hella 500FF driving lights Exterior- Single stage Jeep Flash Red paint Too much bed liner NOS Archer Brothers Racing SCCA front spoiler Wheel & Tires- 15" ARE wheels 235/60r15 Mastercraft Avenger GTs Misc- I have owned this little truck for over 21 years now! Previous MJOTM: November, 2010 Best MJ story- My best MJ story is a continuation from my last appearance as MJOTM. This little truck has been a part of my life for over twenty one years now. Shortly after purchasing the truck I started school and immediately started tinkering on it. I'd work on it after school in the evenings. Originally it was lifted with junkyard parts and custom made shackles to level it out. Then I bought a junk XJ as a donor and did the 4wd swap over spring break and added 31s. Almost a year after I was done with school, the project grew into an engine rebuild and some bodywork… then it sat for too long. Over the next couple years it got moved between my uncle's barn and my cousin's cold storage until I bough my first house and built my first shop. It got painted, the axles got swapped around, and overall it turned out to be a clean little truck that did truck stuff from time to time. Then I took it apart again! I love that I've never did anything completely permanent to it. Every modification I've done has always been made to be bolt in to leave the chassis side alone. This truck has been a HUGE part of my life. I’ve changed and grew up, and my truck changed and grew with me. I've moved across Minnesota and then I moved across the country but it was never left behind. My life has had a ton of unique experiences, and my truck has always been there for me. Every time I sit in my truck is brings me right back to 2005. CC is Awesome! Why? CC is awesome because, at this point, I've grown up with it. I've been poking around here for twenty years now! CC is a part of my daily life and routine. Members have come and gone, trucks have been built, modified further, changed hands, and we all love watching. We all come around here to share this common thing that unfortunately had such a short lifetime on the assembly line. I'd like to thank everyone here for keeping this forum alive! Call it a brotherhood, fellowship, society, or clique… we all call it the Comanche Club. 2005-2025: 2026:

Unfortunately, I’m not sure. I do know the high altitude CPS has 5* more timing than a regular.

Do you have a regular CPS or a high altitude CPS? Immediately after the engine swap in my truck, it started doing this and did so for probably 1500 miles or so. At that point, I switched to the high altitude CPS and have had it happen much less, it maybe happens a few times in the first hundred or two hundred miles of pulling the truck out of winter storage, then it gets itself sorted out. My other thought would be that it runs too rich with the current injectors. Do you have a REM? I'd be curious to see what it says for O2 information on deceleration.

I also picked up some shocks from one of the Vail off road guys.

Did another wheeling trip with the Vail off road group to Sonoita, AZ from Vail, AZ. Got a few more scratches on the sliders, but the Jeep did great. Also saw a neat MJ and CJ.

Click on your username in the top right, then "profile", then "see my activity" on the right side of the ribbon showing posts and days won, and then "Topics" under Forums on the left side

Definitely keep that external slave, it is definitely an upgrade. The new internal slaves seem to lack in quality.

That would be a perfect engine! As long as it isn't too difficult compared to an LS, that would definitely be the way to go. This would be neat too, especially if it isn't a daily driver. It's always been my (admittedly biased) understanding that GM swaps are typically a lot cheaper and have better parts availability, which is why I'm assuming you added the time and money to burn part.

Would you keep the Vortec FI on the SBC? Personally, I prefer an SBC to an LS because it has always felt to me that an SBC's torque peak is at a lower RPM than an LS's. That said, a Chevy 350 is old technology at this point, I don't think they've been put in a new GM vehicle since 2002, nor is it as efficient as an LS. I would guess that the work involved for a small block versus an LS would be about the same. The LS would more than likely cost more than the SBC, but I think the higher resale value more than makes up for that difference. I think an LS is the way to go on this one.