DirtyComanche

I do not consider the D300 to be strong. Stock for stock, it's on par with a wide chain NP231. Upgrade the outputs and it's maybe a bit better than a NP241, with the advantage of being able to be twin sticked. You can just throw money at a D300 all day long, and in the end you would be better off just buying an Atlas, or just rebuilding a $100 NP205. Hell, I have less in my EcoBox/NP205 setup than most guys have in a built D300... Plus guys like to flip them, because you can, then they do nothing but leak oil, and that irritates me. But that's me, this is IMHO. There is factory closed knuckle D44s that run a steering arm off the kingpin, it should not be unsafe by any reasonable measure. People get all weirded out about steering components, without realizing that factory steering components are often beyond garbage. Look at how aftermarket kingpin D60 arms are made, basically if it's like that it will be as strong as the knuckle is (if not stronger). The axle is an orphan in that it wasn't popular to begin with, was less popular with the aftermarket, and nothing comparable or compatible with it has been built in 50+ years. There is some info out there on on them if you dig for it, such as you can swap disk brakes on it if it has drums (for years people didn't think you could), and you can fit better axle shafts and hubs on them. However, it's not like pretty much any of the normal mainstream axles where you can just buy whatever you need or want and be done with it.

I don't know what to make of you having a closed knuckle axle in that year truck, it's swapped in or something. Are you intending to keep your wheel lug pattern, and what pattern is it? The axle should be full width (67"+ wide), which means the GM squarebody trucks have what you're looking for as an easy swap, and there was eleventybillion of them made, however you're either going to have to buy a D60 ($$$) or a 12bolt/D44 and aftermarket knuckles ($$$). Also, all the D50s and D60s are 8x6.5" pattern, unless you get too new, then they're the metric 8x170, which isn't going to work well if you're trying to keep your wheels either way. You should be able to put high steer arms on top of the kingpins in the closed knuckle D44... The axle is an orphan, so I don't know if anyone is actually making arms to do that, but they can be made providing that axle is set up how I think it is. I actually have a J-truck D44 front that would also be what you want, but we're not exactly geographically aligned for that to be an option. If you're having little trouble digging up driver's drop axles that are good (Ford D44, D50 solid, or D60), you could consider putting a Ford NP205 in using the GM TH-400 input gear, you might need to swap your TH-400 output to the GM style also, but I know it is very possible if you can get parts. IMHO, and only IMHO, the D300 is only good for selling to somebody that actually thinks they don't suck.

Have you used that bandsaw yet? Like it? I want to upgrade mine, it's small and cheap... No cold saw or dry cut yet? I'm thinking that will be my next purchase since I destroyed my cheap Rage3 and can't bring myself to go back to an abrasion saw.

I believe a JK truck is supposed to be in production in the next year or two. If it will be like that one or not I don't know, but Jeep has been rolling out a lot of JK based truck concepts to gauge reaction. Reaction so far has been quite positive. And to the OP, I would never sell a Jeep to replace it with a Toyota.

That's terrible. But you could probably change it to that, then change your own display preferences to not show avatars, thus shielding yourself from your own terrible avatar.

Like it says. :dunno: Is it annoying, or do you get jealous? :rotf:

Reminds me, there's one in the boneyard here. 89, black, longbox with a 4.oh. It makes me sad every time I go there. The body damage is something I could fix just working on it in the evenings over the course of a week.

I'd personally guess alternator. As said, pull the connector for the A/C clutch. If it's still there, I'd pull the connector on the alt. If it's still there, well, it ain't either of those things. :laughin:

Talking to the owner more, he said constant bubbles in the coolant, couldn't get it bled, it blew a brand new radiator apart (hard to say what happened there?). He was trying to convert it to an open system, and it didn't go very well, I could see it being hard since the radiator is lower than parts of the head and intake. He said he tried bleeding it on a steep hill too. Personally my experience with the thermal efficiency of diesel engines leads me to think that I'm still on the right track with a cracked head. Anyways, I've tentatively agreed to buy it, there's another guy that is interested, and he needs to send me a few more pictures (apparently there is a couple rust bubbles), then we'll see if I'm still going to go for it or not.

Swapping a 4.0/AX15/242 into an '86 isn't too bad. Firewall and radiator support aren't hard to change on it either. The only thing I would have done differently is cut the firewall section that needed to be clearanced, and welded a new section in from an 4.0 equipped MJ/XJ. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good grasp on welding, especially thin metal, so I just gave it the big hammer approach. Check my build, in my signature. You'll see plenty of pictures and tips. I'll check that out later tonight, but thanks for the heads up! Looked through your thread, and yeah, the swap doesn't look that bad. I think I actually have the piece of firewall that is different.

My guess is he's doing the dash/gauge cluster and the resistance for the sending units changed... I can't confirm that because I don't have a later FSM anymore. Otherwise I got nothing.

Doesn't mean it's good. Fuel filter new? Try another gauge, or another regulator.

Swapping a 4.0/AX15/242 into an '86 isn't too bad. Firewall and radiator support aren't hard to change on it either. The only thing I would have done differently is cut the firewall section that needed to be clearanced, and welded a new section in from an 4.0 equipped MJ/XJ. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good grasp on welding, especially thin metal, so I just gave it the big hammer approach. Check my build, in my signature. You'll see plenty of pictures and tips. I'll check that out later tonight, but thanks for the heads up!

Thinking more on this... 4.0L swap looks like a pain. I can get a good running (but very ugly) Chevy 4.3 truck with a 5 speed and whatever tcase they were using (241?) for like $700. That might be the solution for a transplant. I just have to clear my XJ out of my shop, which isn't too far off. Then I have to decide if I'm going to pull my mangled Dodge in and drop my J-truck cab on it, or leave that on hold. Then I could hypothetically get to this. Well, I might reno my kitchen somewhere in there too

Is the Walker stuff aluminized, or is it bare? I need a downpipe for a Renix, not a lot of options out there. I've debated buying a HO one and making it work. Or taking mine to a shop to be cloned ($$$).

That's an extremely common practice for OEMs to continue to provide support for obsolete equipment, as it is not practical for them to continue to manufacture many parts when the market is so limited. Honestly if they were NOS, you probably would not want them as the seal materials most likely would have deteriorated by now and they would not likely last long. I'd buy Fox, Bilstein, KYB, in that order (and wallet based at that) and not look back...

As it sits I personally don't feel I can be bothered with the engine at all. I suspect the head is cracked, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me otherwise. I'm thinking it was overheated and that's how it happened. If I get it, I will just stuff my extra 4.0L/AX15 and probably a 242 tcase in it. I'm going to have to look into how ugly the firewall and core support mods are.

Seems to me like this would have been easily fixed with a single piece of .500 FB, drilled to match, on each side to shim them?

That is a very clean swap. I had heard of TDIs being put in XJs before but most of them were not that clean, and lots of them were using odd parts to adapt everything. I haven't decided if I want it yet or not, checking Kijiji shows that I'm not likely to find a cleaner body, and honestly body work is what kills me in the time department. Its where I'm at with my current XJ, I wish I had just bought a cleaner one rather than using the freebie one I had, since I've now burned so much time fixing rust. I'm not sure how easy it would be for you to buy this truck either though? Importing/exporting vehicles can turn into a PITA. I'll decided in a couple days if I'm going to move forward or not, but it is listed on the bcjeepclub forum.

Has anyone done anything nifty recently? The last I was at with it is the engine bay is just too small for most options, and the things that do fit are $$$. The other thing that occurred to me while I was out smashing some sheetmetal on my XJ is that being an 86, a 4.0L won't even swap into this thing without cutting up the firewall anyways. Or at least that's how I recall it going.

There's always another way. It just doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Yes, that one. He's annoyed with it and will let it go for a good price. It's way more solid than anything I've looked at up here. Well, actually, there's a really solid 89 in the junkyard, but it's got a dismantle title, which is unfortunate.

Yeah, I'm not sure what's wrong with the cooling system, but I can't imagine it's anything too bad. I kinda think I'm on the same level with the diesel though. I don't need the fuel economy. So basically it's lackluster performance using oddball parts. I don't know that I want to buy this thing with the intention of pulling the engine, I have enough stupid projects.

I need to find an 86 or earlier FSM and read about this thing.

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it uses a Bosch VE injection pump? Basically a standard piece of equipment, can be rebuilt or exchanged. Who knows who makes the turbo, but they're 'universal'. Injectors are probably Bosch, and if it has VE pump they're not too complicated and can normally be rebuilt even if they're oddball. The rest of the fuel system shouldn't matter, you can use a tractor lift pump to make it work, or any universal filter/filter head, not sure if it's a mechanical or electric fuel shutoff but it can be rigged to work including options as low tech as a ball valve. Glow plug controls might be some archaic garbage, but there is generics and junkyard options. If the glow plugs are not a part that can be sourced it would be an issue as they fail. It doesn't SEEM that hard to at least make it run reliably. If you had to rebuild the engine I think you're dead in the water. Even doing a headgasket might not be possible at this point?