DirtyComanche

The crossmember holes are in the same place. It's just the drop that's different. Or at least it's close enough that it should work. Mine has an AX-5 crossmember.

I'd try a new set of motor mounts. They're cheap. Just put them in loose and try to get everything lined up. Did you buy a new trans mount too? Make sure it's in the right way, and the holes do have some play so leave it loose too until you get everything started.

One of the local equipment dealers sells aircooled Ricardo diesels. I've debated it.

It kinda depends what finger it is...

If they wave I'll wave back. Unless angry grill, otherwise it doesn't matter what they're driving as long as it's a Jeep or modded 4x4. I don't really care for waving at soccer moms, but at the same time I don't really have anything to lose.

Interesting. Pictures?

Yeah, that's an airbag column and steering wheel. So parts robbed from a 96 XJ? I'd say I have concerns about the quality of the work done to the truck just from that single picture.

Great looking Comanche.

If it's from a wrecker that doesn't totally care, I'd just cut the hoses. Easier that fighting with them. Buying used hoses is like buying used underwear anyways, so most wreckers will not care at all if you snip them. If they're real seized in there you will probably round them (even with flare wrenches) before getting them out anyways. Steering shaft attaches the same way, take the clamp bolt out and spread it with a screwdriver if needed. Maybe take a pickle fork for extra mangling action on the drag link end. The pitman arm normally goes with the box when a wrecker sells it.

It's almost identical to the other crossmembers but they dropped the middle of it by about an inch.

Good point on the studs for the crossmember. I looked right at it and didn't register that it is a stud and that they were studs from the factory. Tip for OP to remove it, spin two nuts part way down on it and tighten the nuts gorilla tight to each other, but do not tighten them against the uniframe. If you have them tight enough against each other you should be able to put a wrench on one of the locked together nuts and turn the stud out. Worst case the studs will strip or break rather than coming out, and you can carefully trim the stud off with a die grinder, angle grinder, dremel, hacksaw, etc. There's a decent chance that with the studs out of the way the crossmember will more or less just go where it wants to. That other hole may have a broken bolt in it, or it might just be dirt... Worst case you do not need to put a bolt in it, as the XJ did not have them. Personally I'd fix it, but I know lots of trucks don't have them. Also good point on the 2wd shafts with the rubber isolator in them. They are throwaway and not recommended to be cut down.

Your crossmember is NOT 4-6" too far back. Currently it is about 1" too far back. With the AX-15, AW4, and NV3550 it goes in the back two sets of threaded holes in the uniframe. You can see the forward holes for the rear set of holes in this picture. My personal guess is that you have a few things not quite right and it's caused enough of a stackup of tolerances to get you here. My first bet is you have the transmission mount (the rubber part) on backwards. Yes, it goes one way, it's got a slope to it and it goes with the high part forwards. From there I bet you have the mount plate not pushed as far forwards as it should be where it bolts to the bottom of the tranny, there is some slop in these holes. Also, I believe you have the wrong crossmember, it looks like the original BA one, you can get away with using it but it isn't quite right as it pushes the transmission higher, you may have contact issues. You may need to loosen all mount related hardware, and even the motor mount bolts slightly, in order to push everything forwards a bit. The hole for the shifter was addressed before. It is in a different place and shape in that floor cover plate depending on transmission. I would look for the right one or hog the hole out. Well, honestly I'd hog the hole out, but I've got some fabrication experience. As to you front driveshaft, I have no idea what you got it from. There is a bunch of different lengths based on configuration, I forget which are longest. They also have a slip yoke so they will telescope. Using the wrong crossmember won't help this as the output is higher. What pilot bearing did you find that would fit? AFAIK there is no pilot bearing that is the correct dimensions to do what you're doing. There is a bushing, but bushing =/= bearing.

Power or steam engineer. Or industrial gas turbine maintenance. I don't think either is what you're looking for though. What else makes you happy?

This is my opinion. No normal external pump setup is reliable for a higher pressure FI vehicle. The Ford style pump that everyone uses actually came in conjunction with an in tank "lift" pump that provided it with a positive head pressure. When not used in this arrangement it is not reliable, and many people have proven this over the years by running it in a manner other than how the factory intended. The only way to make this setup reliable is to use a pump that was really meant to be run externally and actually drawn fuel from a sump, which there isn't many of and they're really expensive, or to run a lift pump, which defeats the purpose of the external pump, or to run one that is below the sump of the fuel tank using a bottom feed pickup (as in drill a hole in the bottom of the tank to feed it), which will not package well in this chassis using the stock tank and therefore isn't really viable either. All the racers that run external pumps, and actually want to finish the race, run dual pumps. Life is measured in hours rather than thousands of miles. The guys I gave a hand to with racing only ran a single pump, and it was replaced every race, and even then we still had a DNF due to a failed pump.

And?

Yuck.

There's also plenty of horror stories about the build quality of the Mishimoto (which is not in any way made in Japan, don't let the name fool you, it's made in China) radiators and their other 'performance' parts. I'd steer clear.

Thanks for that. Now my Amazon cart, it's going to replace the insanely bright blue spaceship POS that currently inhabits my dash.

^^^ Nice box, it should serve you well for a long time.

Change the hoses. They will come with new orings. If they are old enough to need orings then they are old enough to need replacement. Change the fluid at the same time. Looseness might be other things. Rule that out before changing or adjusting the box. In general good used OEM parts will be better than the hack remans out there.

Who sells ones that are worth buying? Debating building up my spare for my XJ as it doesn't really like the heavy tires.

I bought myself a Fein Slugger dry cut saw. Otherwise it's the usual, some socks and other clothes, nice shaving kit, a book, and some new towels. I'm bad for buying everything I want or need, same with the rest of my family, so meaningful/useful gifts are a struggle. I got my nephew a Thomas and friends "Super Cruiser" since I gave him the "Super Station" for his birthday. He's the only person in my entire family that's actually easy to buy gifts for.

Just screwing around with a cheap Amazon lens I bought. Damn riverboat rocked too much in the waves though!

Glad they could make you more better!

I recommend getting a copy of the factory service manuals off Cruiser's website. http://cruiser54.com/?page_id=365 They're a lot better than the Haynes or Chilton ones.