aris_garage_builds

Follow up showing the two mounts side by side.

Sadly no, the unibody in that section is curved so each frame mount is shaped slightly different. I had to pull one off of a 87+ for my 4.0l swap. I'll try to get a picture of each one side by side - very subtle difference, but not interchangeable.

Wanted to add that the Driver's Side Engine Frame Bracket is unique to 84-86. (It appears the passenger side is the same? Although I'll be able to confirm shortly lol). The 87+ frame bracket moved forward a few inches on the unibody to make room for the 4.0l. Here's a photo showing the difference - you can see that the 4.0l block doesn't line up with the 86 frame bracket.

Ah mine is a manual so I only have the link that connects the pedal to the throttle, not the transmission. Apologies for the false alarm.

I just stripped my 2.8l and might have an extra - let me check my parts bin today.

Hi all, I'm currently overhauling my fuel system and am attempting to install an MTS Sending Unit / Bosch Pump into an 23gal aftermarket TRQ tank. When attempting to get everything assembled I'm running into an issue where I can't seem to get the sending unit fully seated properly for the life of me. I'll include a picture below, but I need it to turn about another 1/4in counter clockwise to line up with the cutouts and I'm hitting a lot of resistance. I've heard these can be a pain to install especially with the gaskets not seating correctly, however I can't tell if this is the issue or if I'm running into clearance issues with the pan inside the tank. Has anyone here run into this issue with the MTS or stock sending units?

I've been chipping away at prep work for the 4.0l swap. Got the interior and engine bay entirely stripped. Out with the 2.8l When pulling out the interior I was expecting the worst with the floor pans. the passenger side had a very small amount of surface rust, but nothing crazy. The driver's side however was pretty interesting.... Someone has clearly replace the driver floor pan before. However only the front section is welded.... the entire back half is just attached with bondo The welds at the front are not good to put it nicely haha, and it looks like the previous owner got frustrated half way through and rage quit on welding the thin sheet metal. So I'm adding that to my list of things to address while I have the interior out. There's multiple pounds of bondo here, I've spent a few hours sanding and still haven't gotten through it all. Once this floor pan is fixed I plan to Mastercoat the floors and add sound deadening before I reinstall the interior. I'll end on a more fun note - I saw a deal that was a little too good to pass up on and made an impulse purchase. The CAD D30 and D35 are going to get replaced with an upgrade

Yeah I'm excited to install the 97+ motor, linkage, and arms. It'll be a huge upgrade!

Update - after spending way too long with a pry bar I was finally able to get them removed. Looking closer there is a small tab that looks like it is supposed to lift when you pry against it. However mine was so seized on that it started to shear the metal of the tab rather than release.

Oh I want to, that’s not the problem haha! The problem is making room for it. I’m working with a tiny garage / shop while I finish saving for a house. And unfortunately I’m about at capacity until the new 4.0 is in my MJ

I’m not built for this kind of peer pressure I reached out to the seller. Sounds like the title is currently lost but supposedly it does have one. He’s applied for a new title. Really tempting to go check it out… a dedicated Moab toy would be so fun.

I want it so badly for a crawler build, but my fiancee will kill me if I bring another non-running truck home haha

Someone pick this beauty up - I would if I had the room for another! 86' with the 2.8l and partially stripped already. Needs some rust repair, but would be a great starting point for a drivetrain swap / hardcore crawler build. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/26684136791205809/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks

Beautiful truck!

I've heard good things about USA Standard Gear's rebuild kit, although I haven't tried it myself. I believe they are available through Rock Auto and Ebay, so there might be shipping options for the EU.

Yeah this is exactly my plan! I pulled the wiper motor off a 97+ xj and also got new arms and blades, so this whole system will be getting replaced thankfully. With all the snow we get here I end up going through wiper blades pretty frequently, so wanted something that won't be a pain to replace. Ah, that's really helpful to know. I'll give this a shot! Really appreciate it.

Hmmm it's very possible these aren't factory and were put on by a previous owner. I'll try pulling on them a little harder and do my best not to break the cowl haha

Hey all, is anyone familiar with the wiper arm design on the older MJ's and know how to remove them? There's no clip / tab to lift like on the newer models and the arm itself doesn't raise very high so I'm not able to see underneath if there's kind of release mechanism. I've tried using a wiper removal tool and pry bar to just pull upwards on it, but it won't budge and I'm afraid to break it or crack the cowl. Thanks!

More progress on the rebuild. With the new valve retainers I was able to get the rest of the valve train buttoned up. Now onto accessory drive. Weather has been a bit bad for body work, but I got my key part replacement bed corners in. It should clear up soon and I'll start stripping what's on the truck to prep for welding. I'll also need to do a little fabwork in the engine bay before I begin swapping things over. I've got the pesky 86 firewall which won't quite clear the 4.0l - I know most folks just push it back a few inches with a BFH, but I wanna try to weld in a piece of an XJ panel. Planning on doing the same for the radiator support and hood support. I also managed to snag a HVAC box from a '95 XJ - My MJ did not come factory equipped with AC and I figured when I already have the dash pulled apart for the swap there's no better time to add it. The old box was pretty disgusting inside... so I scaped off all of the crusty foam, power washed and scrubbed it out with dish soap, and re-foamed it inside. This took significantly longer than I'd care to admit, but I think it will be well worth it for cold AC in the summer. Plus there's no chance I get my fiancée to ride along in the jeep without it The entire box is covered in a mix of 1in and 1/8th thick foam (I tried 1/4 at first and it was just a bit too thick to clear in certain areas. Getting some with an adhesive backing made it way easier to mount, all I had to do was trace over the old foam shapes and cut it out. New Heater Core, AC Evaporator Core, Blower Motor, and Resistor are going in the box as well.

Thank you! I'm really happy with how it came out. I used a two part Duplicolor Metalcast paint. Starts with a metallic base coat and then layers on an anodized red on top.

Lots of progress on the 4.0 rebuild. Made a trip to the junkyard to grab some XJ odds and ends that I was missing, and then got everything cleaned up and hit with a coat of paint. Once everything was ready to go, I began assembling. The bottom end came together fairly quickly. The only thing that gave my issues was getting the oil pump pressed into the pickup tube. I tried all the usual tricks but still couldn't get it in. I ended up grabbing a special tool / driver and it immediately pressed in. Best $20 I've spent so far Proform 66491 Oil Pump Pick-Up Driver Tool The top end however, I ran into a bit of an issue when installing the valve train. This block is from a '99 XJ and I didn't realize that was a transition year where the valves + retainers switched from a single groove to a triple grove. The new Melling Valves I ordered have the older single groove design while my existing retainers were the triple groove. Luckily a new set of retainers were fairly cheap, albeit backordered so they took a few weeks to arrive. Crown Automotive Valve Spring Retainer Keepers 33003521. Once they finally arrived, they fit like a glove.

To cover some stuff I missed over the break, I was able to find a few key items for the Comanche. First, after lots of hunting, I was finally able to track down a long bed topper on facebook marketplace. I appears to be a Leer topper and fits perfectly. It needs a repaint, and one of the windows repaired, but otherwise is watertight and in pretty great shape! I also ordered a hitch from Krusty here on the CC vendors section. It fits like a glove and will be great to have for small towing jobs once the truck is running again! The truck came with Wey bumper which is not compatible with the hitch (they share the same mounting holes and don't fit together) however this bumper is super dented and rusted beyond saving. So I was planning on removing it anyway. I plan on getting a JCR DIY Bumper to replace it, which I might have to fab up a custom mounting solution for to fit with hitch - I'll cross that bridge when I get there haha. The bumper was dented / missshaped enough that it made significant contact with both the bed and the tailgate. You can see where it would grind when lowering the tailgate based on where the paint has been scuffed up. I've also got some pretty massive dents on the bed corners from the bumper hitting it. However there's rust in that area that needs removed anyways, so I've ordered new bed corners from Key Parts to replace entirely with clean metal. Lots of bodywork in my future

oh interesting! Would you happen to know the part number for those or where to find them?

No, this evaporator and box is from a 95 HO XJ. However the probe for the evaporator was corroded and broke during disassembly, so I'm looking for the best option to replace it. They seem difficult to find nowadays. Just looking for advice on how to find a replacement or figuring out a plan B if I can't.

Yeah since I have the 97+ master cylinder I'm not sure yet which pedals I'll need. Which is why I took the 97+ pedals with the transmission to be safe. I've also got my current pedals I can reuse, I'll have to see which work best once I have the new master cylinder in place on the firewall.