tbrand

Welcome! Post up some pics when you get it.

I finally ponied up for a new cat, so I could pass emissions. State of Idaho was threatening to revoke my registration. :D Of course, my MJ passed with flying colors. It didn't even cheat this time! When I bought it in AZ, it passed emissions by sending most of the exhaust through the bottom of the muffler.

Have you checked the O2 sensor? Mine idled fine, but seriously bogged under acceleration. New fuel filter, tune-up, all sorts of stuff had no effect. New O2 sensor - ran terrific.

:wavey: Welcome! There are those who know more than me, but I've been trying to pay attention and learn. Someone will step in if I'm wrong. Unless it has undergone a motor swap, the 2.8 4x4 you're looking at is an '86. That was the only year that the 2.8 was available, as it was replaced by the 4.0 in '87. The 5-speed in that truck should be an AX-5, and the auto in your truck should be an A904. According to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, both transmissions (AX-5 and A904) were available with either engine (2.5 I4 or 2.8 V6) so, in theory, you could put that 5-speed behind your 2.5L. The issue I see would be making sure that the AX-5 has the correct bellhousing to mount to your 2.5, instead of the 2.8 it's currently mated to. Someone who has more hands-on experience will have to answer that question, as I don't know. All of the 4x4 hardware should bolt up underneath your truck just fine. The one thing you can't do is put a 4.0 in front of the AX-5. If you want a 4.0 and a 5-speed, you'll want to find an AX-15 from a 1990 or later Cherokee or Comanche. I think they also came in the Wrangler, but I don't know which years. Post some pics of your trucks!

Then you'll want a D30 front. They are on every 4wd Cherokee out there. Pretty much a bolt-in swap. Rear is more personal choice. The only bolt-in upgrades are a Comanche Dana44 and a Comanche AMC-20, both of which are rare. Next choice would be either a Ford 8.8 from an Explorer, or a Chrysler 8.25 from a later Cherokee. The 8.8 has disc brakes stock from 1995 and up, but is narrower than stock, so you'd want Spidertrax spacers on the rear wheels. The 8.25 came on Cherokees (and later, the Liberty, with discs) and has a decent reputation. Get the later version with 29 splines. Either choice will involve cutting off old spring perches and welding on new ones. Your local muffler shop could do this easily. Then you'll have to reattach the leaf springs (new u-bolts!) connect/bleed the brakes, perhaps cut/stretch the driveshaft, make sure the pinion angle is correct. What did I miss, guys?

I can see the absolute hate towards the D35 here... so whats the recommendation for a front axle then? D30 and D35 are different. D35 is standard-issue rear axle for Comanches (like mine). D30 is what you'd have up front in any stock MJ/XJ. The D35 has a reputation as a boat anchor. Mine is ok so far, but when it dies, my truck will get something else. The D30 is a decent front axle. If you want to go bigger, lots of things are possible, but the beefier the axle, the more it'll test your fab skills. What are your goals for your truck?

My rust-free '89 was $1400 in Arizona. It's needed some things done, and other things I've done just because. I feel like the general opinion is find the one with the best body you can. Powertrain is reasonably easy to swap from an XJ. Body work tends to be harder to get right.

Wait till they have to tell their buddies they got sent to the doctor by a dude with one leg - priceless!

I got a Jaguar Mk2 sedan on my RockAuto Magnet.

If getting the torque right is your biggest worry, most parts stores have a tool loan program, and you could rent a torque wrench for the job. Usually you just pay for it in full, do the job, and return it for a full refund. Save you the $50 an ok t.w. would cost.

Are you thinking that the area around the pushrod has been losing metal? That chunk you showed in the original post looked bigger than any of those holes could have provided.

'89 is a crap shoot when it comes to the transmission. Hope you get luckier than I did! Also, I love that Civic Wagon - details please!

Man, that looks really clean for only $1500. Some Canadian is going to be very happy with that purchase.

It's low mileage, and being a Southern California truck, probably doesn't have much rust either. I'd say it's fair.

So, this job is in the town where your GF is, and the pay is as good as you had before, and you'd like the work? Sounds like a win-win-win to me. Congratulations!

Will it start at all? Or just crank and no start? Edit: Ha, helps if I read the post. When was the last time you had a tune-up?

Dang - we just got home from buying a car. Thanks for the offer though.

I thought two days was a small window - maybe I misunderstood. Either way, it worked out much better than hammering the joint out like I did last time.

I just rented a ball joint press from O'Reilly to replace a u-joint. It was about $120 up front, but if you return it within 48 hours you get a full refund.

Key phrase: "it has ruffly about 170,000 miles i think its been awhile sents i looked". Ask him to look. We went to look at an XJ the other day. It was the guy's DD, so when I asked him how many miles, he said about 180k. When I ran the VIN, the last entry was 130ish, but it was a little while ago, so whatever. Got in the truck, and the odo said 137000 miles. I asked him and he was all "oh, I guess I read it wrong before." :thwak:

A visual may not do it... I gave my front u-joint a pretty good shake and visual once-over when I had the shaft out the first time, and it looked fine. Just my experience.

Did you triple-check your U-joints? I had one go bad, replaced it, and then two months later the other went bad. Shook the whole truck at certain speeds, but the wheel was steady, so I figured it wasn't a suspension issue.

89 XJ could be a Peugeot tranny - they switched midyear. Be sure to double-check, if that's the route you go.

If you keep an eye out, you may find an XJ that the owner rolled and is selling for parts. Swap the drivetrain, sell off some parts, and scrap the rest - if you buy it right, you may end up coming out ahead on the deal. The problem with just buying a 4.0 longblock from eBay or wherever is that you'll need a transmission too - whatever is bolted up behind your 2.5 won't last long with all the torque from the six. Usually cheaper to find a running/driving XJ than to buy separate.

After doing the axle-side u-joint two months ago, the transmission-side u-joint gave up the ghost. This time, I borrowed a ball-joint/u-joint press from OReilly's, and it made the job much easier. Still a pain to pull the shaft though - I should have just fixed this one last time.