Zenobian_84

Not really sure if that's the right name for it, but I need a picture or a drawing of how it's setup from the factory on a 3 spoke setup. Preferably, how would one go about setting it up when changing from the "winged" steering wheel to a 3 spoke? On the "winged" wheel, the acutaor looks like this: And from what I gather, on a 3 spoker, it's a little cylinder shaft. I don't know whether or not it's welded or super glued, or something in there, but the last time I was at the P&P, I couldn't get the dang thing out. Is there some trick to it?

:shake: :yes: Yeah, if only...

Reattached my fogs to the front of the truck today, and decided to do some fooling around with a photo editing program on my OS. Unfortunately, this is probably somewhere above kindergarten level, but maybe not quite MS Paint level. Oh well, still not bad for just using a mouse; the only downside to having a Linux OS I suppose. :dunno: :shake: Would have turned out better if I could find the pen that goes with my drawing tablet... :fs1: but I digress. Scheme I'm leaning towards. But now that I can actually picture it on my truck, I might just have to do something about those rims. Possibly a re-paint? Who knows; and I also have some quality (Read: junkyard pick) Laredo side moldings to go onto the truck (under the stripings). Might have to pick up 2 more door ones to fit the @$$-end of the truck. Going to be needing some chrome door handles and mirrors too, to complete the setup I think. Another possible scenario I thought about was going with the "Golden Eagle" scheme. Not sure if I want a giant eagle embellished on my hood though.. :nuts: What I like about this one though, is the yellow stripe along the bottom of the body, and the dual red/orange pin-stripes. Call me a sucker, but I adore the cheese factor of 80's cars. I'd probably replace the "Golden Eagle" font with "SporTruck" or something like that (or maybe just ditch the Comanche emblems and have that added in-lieu of GE) Anybody got any 80's paint-job pics that would look good on an MJ? ...I'm 90% sure that my final goal for this truck is for it to become a mobile 80's montage. Seriously. :shake: :ack: :yes:

Awesome, awesome truck. Makes me glad seeing the 80's in all its decked out glory. That interior is wicked nice! :clapping: Also, you got a better shot of the hood? I've been looking for a good picture the '86 4x4 stripes. Will definitely be following this build. :popcorn:

Jesus, what a horrible way to go. :(

Very nice looking truck. For whatever reason, I really think it's got a "rally look" to it. :brows: Maybe it's just the 10 hole rims and paint scheme, but it's a really sweet truck. :thumbsup: :clapping:

Really liking that center console :brows: Keep up the good work man, there's always time to fix the outside. :popcorn: :thumbsup:

:oops: Didn't know they stopped the TH400 back in '79; for whatever reason, I always got the 400 and 727 mixed up. I'm 90% sure that the rear axle was a 44, as it didn't look like a model 23 to me at all. Still, I didn't know there even was such a thing as an Model 23 rear axle. 8)

Advice noted, mostly from personal experience. But then again, I wouldn't, and haven't passed on a good vehicle just because of some crude "personal touches" that people have added to their vehicles. Not trying to bust your chops, just adding my own .02.

Was helping a friend of mine move some stuff yesterday with the MJ, and I rolled through downtown Eustis (if you know where that is in central FL) and saw a black J10 that's been hanging around the main highway for a few years now that I've been eyeballing for that long too. :yes: Saw a for sale sign and went this afternoon with a buddy to check it out. :brows: Talked with the guy who owns it for about 20 mins. Found out he bought it a few years back as a serious resto. project, but lately, has been coming upon hard times, and is moving to South Carolina due to $ problems, and because he's getting dental reconstruction as well. Gotta have priorities, so the old J10 is getting the boot after many years of driving, and admiration from the people around town. He doesn't want to sell it at all, but has to unfortunately. Still pretty much bone stock with a 360/TF-727 (not TH400 as previously written) 4x4 setup. Also pretty sure it's got dual D44's. It's a shame I don't have the $ to buy this old girl. I sure would like to spend some time wrenching on this thing. :wrench: :drool: And to anyone that's interested, there's another posting of this over in the classified's with more info on it. :thumbsup:

This baby has the original AMC 360 in it, with a new Holly 4 bbl carb. that was put in within the last 200 miles. It does have 4x4, and still works like a charm from what he's told me. Gas tank leaked when he first bought it, but had it patched up. It's spent it's entire life in the south, and has the surface rust to prove it, but nothing too serious. I took it upon myself to look at the frame and rails, and they all get the thumbs up (just road dust). It does need engine work (barely idles) but the motor sounds strong for it's age and mileage (133k according to the odo.) it's also an automatic (TorqueFlite 727) and the tranny needs some adjustment (has a few second delay from when you put the shifter into gear, until you actually hear it shift into gear) Aside from that, the interior is in pretty decent shape (just needs a cleaning), and everything works as it should (except the gas gauge. The fuel sender does work though, just not the actual gauge). It also has 4 new tires on it with minimal wear, and custom front and rear bumpers that just need to be sanded and painted. Aside from that, it's a tough sounding, good looking truck. That's basically it. After chatting a while, he told me he'd like to get at least $2000 for it, due to the tires, bumper work, carb, and various other little things he's done to it. I figure I'd help him out, even if it is out of my price range. So, to whoever's reading this and may be interested, PM me for his number if you are.

The original color was black with white lines. I don't like the color of the valve cover. That's why I don't want to repaint it black; it's fine that you don't feel the same, but seriously, all I wanted to know was the color in my original post. I can do without all the rest of the comments. To put it blunt: It's my truck, and if I don't want to do what everyone else does, than that's my choice. As for my valve cover, it's leaking because of the gasket. Not because it's warped. It may be plastic, but it's been reliable so far. If I need to upgrade, I'll go get an aluminum one. Thanks Vaquaro, appreciate it. :thumbsup:

Long story short, I put on a cheap-o cork gasket for the valve cover, and it worked for a few months, but has been leaking slowly but surely. Sometime this week, I'm swapping in an all rubber gasket, and I was going to be repainting the valve cover. I have 2 reasons though. 1: To make my 2.5 look more appealing (and easier to spot oil leaks); and 2: Because I'm also going to paint the AMC logo + corresponding stripes their respective colors. :brows: Did some Googlin', and I found the color choice I want to repaint the cover. Nice 72' Javelin engine bay. :eek: Yes, I know I don't have a 360 powerplant under the hood (if only... :yes: ) but I've always like that shade of blue. Problem is, I don't know what it's called. Any of you well endowed old timers (or just very knowledgeable people) know what color that is "Technically" called (and where I could possibly buy that particular shade of engine enamel)? It's also worth noting that my cover is the original plastic one (for paint purposes). Unfortunately, I wish I had a fancy cast iron like most others around here do. But, I have to make due with what I have. :(

Ran into the same problem working at my last job ("Landscapist" they call it. :shake: ) and I couldn't figure out why. The explanation I got from another guy I worked with was that something was blocking the port the lube came out from to oil the chain. Not really sure why the chain kept jumping off the track, but the chainsaw had about 7 long years on it too... so that could probably explain it.

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catal ... ecType%3aA) That should solve your gasket issue. The above link is for an '87, but it's all the same gasket. Molded rubber goodness. :thumbsup: As for the "Vented Oil Filler Cap", I've never heard of such a thing personally. :dunno: When oil is seeping out from the filler cap, it usually means you have blowby somewhere. My only reccomendation for that is heading to the JY to find a newer style cap that fits on the aluminum valve cover. Sometimes it's just a bad cap (as was the case with my friend's 93 XJ) the only other advice I can reccomend is... Check the PVC lines and Air Inlet hose + filter again? Have you used any additives to the crankcase that clear out "gunk"? Small particles could have gotten into the lines and clogged them up. Also, if you DO have blowby, then you'll see it in the form of oil deposits (spots) on your air filter in the inlet box. If none of those are the culprit, then maybe someone else can chime in with what the issue could be.. :dunno:

Cleaned out the old threads and used anti-seize on them, and on the sensor. I could immediately tell the slight power increase and better idle. Can't believe I haven't done this sooner. :yes:

And thou would be correct. Tried the old vice grips + hammer + swearing at it for a while, but I had to change tactics. :shake:

2 Hours worth of work, covered in road grime from the rails of the frame. And for what? The satisfaction of knowing I can successfully work on my own vehicle. On a side note, not sure if this was the original O2 Sensor, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Nice job there. :popcorn: I remember the long months I used to spend at work doing the same thing. A lot more labor was needed of course, because everyone was super picky about patterns, type of stone, etc etc... :thwak:

Buddy of my old man had an S-10 once a long time ago with the 2.8. Had the same thing happen to him. I give the 2.8 more props than most people I know do. It's still a tough engine (if properly maintained) :yes:

Been enjoying driving it around. Feels good to not have to worry about what's going to break next for once. *knock on wood* :chillin: Also, Mel, that's a really nicely painted truck. :eek: Wouldn't mind having that color painted on mine TBH :D :thumbsup:

Awesome work. :cheers: Makes me think of when I first got my 87. The problems seemed never-ending, but now everything's finally going right. Biggest tip I can offer, is, swear at it all you want, and maybe hit it a few times, but don't ever give up on it. My truck hasn't ever left me stranded, not even once after everything I've ever gotten mad at and yelled at it for. :D Can't wait to see more :clapping:

For the XJ. I don't know if my particular MJ has wiring for the rear, or if I need to add my own.

Now 2 months later, time to dredge this thread up from the grave. Progress! Early January, took the truck in and got 5 new tires put on the rims I picked up back in October. I think they look pretty snazzy. Using the truck's only original rim as my spare. God, look at those dents in that fender. :eek: I spent a few hours cleaning up the thermostat housing, installing new rad. hoses, among other things. Found out the PO installed a 180 thermostat instead of the 195. 20 minutes of finagling later, a new Stant Superstat is inside, solving my temperature issues. Days later, after solving my thermostat issue, I spent a good part of the afternoon replacing my cracked, corroded, dissolved and generally oil-grimed battery cables. No pictures of that (hard to do when I'm the only person working) Along with replacing the cables, I took the liberty of cleaning up the cables leading to the... :redX: I want to say ignition computer, but I doubt that's right. Strangely, I didn't take any pictures of the cables cleaned up.. just extremely dirty and dusty. Just figuring out what wires go to what. I can only assume this is part of the non-existent AC system. :headpop: I have absolutely NO idea what this particular hose is, only that part of it cracked off in another hose behind the Charcoal Canister (hooked them back up together) If anyone could tell me, I'd appreciate it. :???: Too long have I been without the simply pleasures in life, namely, a Radio. Scrapped the idea of using the XJ Tape deck in lieu of my friend "donating" (Read: Pilfered) Sony Tape deck from his Cherokee that he had to leave behind at his parent's house when he moved out. Shame, it could have been a decent truck if someone would have taken the time to take care of it. It's memory shall live on in my Comanche. :yes: Shiny. My neighborhood buddy that strolls around occasionally. He kept me company while I was rewiring some essentials inside the cabin. Getting the buggered radio to work. It's pretty sad that I haven't gotten around to doing this sooner. Now I can blast all that heavy metal through the cab while I'm on those long road trips. And no, I didn't use those $#!& little blue thimble connectors. Those were used to get the right connections, etc. After installing the radio and generally feeling all around accomplished, I got this in the mail from Comanche87. Sweeeeeeeeeeet :chillin: :brows: The same day I rewired the radio, I decided to replace the breather inlet hose that was completely destroyed. It was a miracle the pieces didn't fall into the rockers or the lifters. $6 at my local parts store later, I rigged up a more than suitable replacement. I like my setup much better than the factory's. About a week or so ago, my clutch slave finally gave out, and so did my patience. I took it up to a mutual buddy's place to have him: Replace the non-existent clutch and other assemblies Re-finish the flywheel Install a new clutch slave Install a molded, rubber oil pan gasket and oil change :brows: Flush and change the gear oil in the AX-4. (God knows the last time this was done.. :dunno: ) Was pretty satisfied with the results, and even moreso with the price (got qoted by several shops for over $250 for just the clutch work) he only charged me $170 for everything. Here's a picture I took after I brought it home. My two other friend's and I waiting to help another buddy move to a new place with his missus. Since all the major work finally got taken care of, the truck is running better than ever. Keeping myself busy, I went over to my bud Taylor's (guy sitting in the truck) house to flush my D35. Took about 45 minutes and was easier than expected. Threw some synthetic gear oil in there to replace the muddy brown fluid. The spider gearing checked out okay, and I could definitely tell the difference after doing it. Also, it's worth mentioning that my truck had 3 fragments of the original gasket on there. :eek: Was not too happy about that. The victim of my stubbornness. After my socket slipped and I went finger first into the Dif cover. The finished product. Quite pleased at the results. ;) Fast forward to a few days ago, I went out to Daytona Beach to my local stomping grounds. Spent a while looking for Cavalier parts for a friend of mine, but soon found myself wandering over to the Chrysler emporium of junk. Decided to head to the back to see if the beauty was still back there, and sure enough, it was. Though, I hardly recognized it at first. You can imagine my face when I saw this. Honestly, I don't care what part this guy was trying to get, but he seriously didn't need to completely mangle the front clip. Very disappointed with this. Luckily the grille I stored in this thing 3 months ago was still inside, but I didn't take it. I'm sticking with the one I have. I stored the Wagg. grille inside the back, hopefully someone will come along and save it. Most of the interior was still there, and the door panels were still in excellent shape. Too bad I didn't have the money to snag them. Came across this a while later. Just your average 88. Nothing special. The inside looked like somebody threw a grenade inside. There were pieces of dash everywhere, along with chunks of the gauge cluster everywhere. Nothing of value I could find to take. The only thing were the taillights, but I don't need an extra pair. At the end of the day, I went home with a new front passenger panel, a Trans Am glove box case, some Laredo moldings for the truck, and a few Firebird badges. All in all, a pretty decent pick. Next on the list? Paint the valve cover and replace the gasket, along with installing a new O2 Sensor.

Don't know if this will help, but this is what I figured out from when I was attempting to install a 94 XJ into my 87 (ended up going aftermarket because the tape deck was shot.) 1994 XJ Radio Wiring ------------ 1987 MJ Radio Wiring Constant 12V - Pink ||| Constant 12V - Red/Gray Switched 12V -Purple/White ||| Switched 12V - Purple/Orange Ground - Black ||| Ground - Black *Illumination - Light Blue/Red ||| Illumination - Blue? *Dimmer - Orange ||| Dimmer - Orange/Black? *Antenna Trigger - Purple/Orange ||| Antenna Trigger - N/A? --Front Speakers-- Left Front (+) - Dark Green ||| Left Front (+) - Green Left Front (-) - Brown/Red ||| Left Front (-) - Black/White Right Front (+) - Purple ||| Right Front (+) - White Right Front (-) - Dark Blue/Red ||| Right Front (-) - Black --Rear Speakers-- (Not Important Since I don't have any) ----- Left Rear (+) - Brown/Yellow Left Rear (-) - Brown/Light Blue Right Rear (+) - Dark Blue/White Right Rear (-) - Dark Blue/Orange * --> Not sure if these are correctly connected (as I couldn't see any illumination in the unit when I was working on it.) ---- Hope this helps man.