scaleless

Yep! This right here: https://www.ebay.com/p/1711252884 Something to note is that my truck has a vertical oval hole, but my parts Cherokee has a horizontal oval hole that is slightly smaller. Don't know if that changed between 87 and 89 or was an automatic/manual difference.

I gotta get some sleep tonight so this will be fairly short, but here's last weekend's work: Flywheel goes on Clutch and pressure plate. Forgot to order some ARP fasteners for it so it just gets standard Grade 8 Here's the transmission on! Yep, I reused the E12 fasteners, I am ready for your rage! Of course this is when I realize the mounting hole for the starter had been horribly crossthreaded. One cheap chyna helicoil tap later, and... A properly helicoiled hole! Now the whole family is together! Nice and steady... This is actually very easy with the leveler attachment! It went in straight, with no dings or scratches to the new paint. Motor bolted in. Some people mentioned that the transmission really didn't line up in the hole nicely when they swapped the AX15 in. They probably had the crossmember in backwards, because this is perfect. I have a TJ clocked transfer case, so it's just about touching the floor. I could probably get away with it as it is, but I was worried that it would collide with the floor whenever the transmission mount flexed. So here it is marked and here comes the BFH: Now it has more than enough room. The ground clearance is much better! I have no clue why this wasn't how it was from the beginning. And here's the manifold in and the fuel rail on loose. I'm getting some genuine 746 injectors in the mail tomorrow or so, so that's next. Just need to finish up the vacuum routing and wiring and it's onto the fuel tank! Also, I managed to crack off the brake warning switch from the distribution block. Anyone know where I can source one without buying a whole new block? I tried to get a few from the junkyard, but they crack off exactly how mine did.

It's possible it could be a few things, but most likely it would be a clogged expansion valve. If debris clogs the valve, the refrigerant entering the evaporator is too hot and would not blow cold. On vehicles of this vintage, seized or clogged expansion valves are common. On Renix, it could also be a sign of a faulty thermal sensor. The one on the outside of the heater box with the long capillary tube. It switches the compressor clutch on and off depending on the temperature of the evaporator. It could also simply be a failing compressor clutch. To troubleshoot, I would look to see if the compressor clutch is engaged or disengaged when it starts running hot. If it is engaged, then it's likely the expansion valve. If it is disengaged, then I would bypass the thermal switch with a jumper. The compressor clutch would then engage unless the clutch was faulty. Edit: for some reason I completely forgot about the low pressure switch until jdog mentioned it haha. Test that the same way you would test the thermal sensor

Here's where I got mine: https://www.ebay.com/itm/283630201011

Cool, still has the dealer decal

It's a small foam seal on the cabin side of the fuse block connector. I don't think they're available new; I cut a new one out of a closed-cell foam sheet. You can also use some RTV on top of the foam if you don't ever want to remove that connector ever again lol

To a point. If you use way to much RTV, there will be free chunks that get detached on the inside and they'll be floating around in the case!

That would make sense. I've never seen one actually on a truck other than this one, only ones from part-outs.

There's another one of those full guage clusters with the styling of the idiot light clusters. Was that an option or are people just swapping the faces from later clusters or something? I mostly see the red clusters.

Started life in Georgia, it seems, and eventually found it's way to the Pull-a-Part in New Orleans, where it will rest. Unless...

DEFINITELY positive pressure. Negative pressure will draw in contaminated air and dust from small leaks in the booth. Positive pressure ensures all airflow passes through your filter. Mist the floor with water before painting, which will prevent any settled dust from becoming airborne. You really don't need much airflow - a few box fans will suffice. Just have one more on the intake than the outlet side to ensure positive pressure. I personally use Graco-Sharpe Finex sprayers. Great middle ground between price and performance. A 1.6-1.8mm HVLP is a good size for shooting primers, basecoats, and most clears. With an HVLP, just about any sized compressor is adequate, just make sure you have a regulator to ensure an accurate pressure on the gun side and a filter/dryer to eliminate moisture. I generally have a regulator on the compressor side set to 40psi and one on the gun set to my spray pressure - this will get an accurate pressure at the gun whole accounting for losses in the tube. Also definitely don't use disposable N95 masks or anything like they. They aren't rated for organic vapors that are in paint. Also if you have any appreciable amount of hair, wear a hair net like you would in a kitchen. Something like 90% of my paint imperfections are me not wearing anything on my head and I get hair in the paint lol

Here, specifically

I'm fairly confident - and someone will correct me if I'm wrong - that the connector in the radiator with the wires coming out are solely used for the engine computer's calculations, and the guage is driven by a sensor on the rear driver's side corner of the engine head.

That's the knock sensor. It would retard the engine timing if it was knocking. If your engine is otherwise fine, leaving it dangling doesn't hurt anything. It uses the same EV1 connector as the fuel injectors, so if you find a Cherokee in a junkyard you can just steal the clip. Or buy some pigtails on Ebay. They're not cheap, butbif you need one they are still available new: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=10060028&cc=1181483

Gray RTV, or any RTV that says it is rated for gear oil.

Automatic transmission?

While I wholly agree that aftermarket is a crapshoot, I have had very good and continuing success with WVE (and their parent/sister divisions NTK and NGK). One of my Cherokees has WVE sensors and they seem very accurate, which is why I personally recommended the WVE sensors.

That 5 is actually an S - 1JTHS6411HT001184 Short bed, base model, 4wd, 2.5l, AX4

1986, 2.5L, Custom, 5 Speed, 4x4

I personally recommend WVE 1T1160 for the coolant sensor and WVE 1S6563 for the oil sensor. As for the tach, jdog is right - the guage can easily get get jostled into the wrong position, especially when it's being removed the truck. To reset it all you have to do is take the face off the guage cluster and push it back to 0rpm. It should operate normally after that.

Are the fuel lines themselves rotted or just the disconnects? The repair kit will fix the latter, but if you have a problem with the rubber lines themselves, you'll have to get a little inventive. Also, if it's just the disconnects and the plastic retainer is still in good shape, you can save money by buying just the o-ring seals instead of the whole kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CIV4OQ/

Haha, that's smart. I like it!

I would love to, but Pull a Part has a policy of not selling cars.

I daily a carbureted car and you're right - if I could go back and build it with fuel injection I would in a heartbeat.

Currently debating on asking if they'll sell the entire rear half of the truck and I'll make a Crewmanche.