Minuit

If the 2.5 is anything like the 4.0 (don't quote me on this but I believe they use the same oil pump), I recommend against installing a HV oil pump. It's too big to fit under the pan without significant clearancing and some people say that it may pump TOO much oil and end up running itself dry. If the engine is "clattering and knocking", whatever that means, the damage has most likely been done already. Source: tried to install HV oil pump on my engine

I've had one or two people swear up and down to me that Jeep didn't make trucks...while looking at my Jeep truck! :rolleyes:

It's a red '87, so that works. The rockers look like they've had something attached to them for quite a while (i.e. the side skirts), but that may just be dirt. Either way it looks like it's in pretty good shape.

After about 1990 or so, manual steering started to disappear. All 4.0 XJ/MJs had power steering, and even then most 2.5s got power steering anyway. You're only likely to find manual steering on an early model, extremely stripped model. There was a 2.5 XJ in the JY I go to. Next time I go (if it's still there) I'll remember to look and see if it was manual or power. What are the problems you're having?

:thumbsup:

I've had the occasional success with detailing clay taking spray paint off of clear coat. Depending on how the primer was applied this may or may not work (better chance if the primer was just sprayed over the truck's paint), but it's another option you might try. It's very gentle and won't hurt the paint at all.

I've never noticed mine being loud, either. :dunno:

Never had good luck out of ANY Dorman product, to be honest. I just put a Dorman oil pan on my truck recently. It's ever so slightly too long (tight fit at the RMS area) and the oil pan gasket leaked unless excessive torque was put on the bolts. Should've just gone to the JY and found a later model pan, but I was tired of working on Jeeps by that point.

I like the Cooper Discoverer A/T3s on my truck right now. I have them in 235/75/15 but they also make them in almost any size you could want.

Here is the kit I installed. No individual part numbers are given but the part number of the kit is very similar to the Jeep part numbers. Didn't think to measure the o-rings but they fit like they belonged there. From what I recall the Dorman kit was missing at least one of the o-rings I needed, so I substituted one from a parts store that was similar but slightly too big (and made the OFA bolt extremely difficult to install). When I removed that o-ring after about 5,000 miles it was badly damaged and extremely hard: I think I read somewhere that the Dorman kit sold in parts stores fit the later ('93 on up) engines with the Torx bolt.

Quick question: does the ZJ box give the steering any degree of road feel? Coming from my other car's fancy speed-sensitive rack&pinion setup, the MJ's steering seems pretty antiquated. It's also way too easy to turn the wheel IMO.

XJs are everywhere. Even if it gets picked to the bone, you could still build it back up with donor parts (except for the engine, of course)

A user on this forum (his forum name is a1500ram) makes replacement stock-style MJ headliners. If you're looking for something like stock he's the best option I've seen.

I haven't checked this thread in a while. What a mistake that was. Love it.

Just going to take a wild guess and say that, considering the algae growth on it, it doesn't run. Fix that part before you think about lifting it. I also see what looks like a lot of very badly spread Bondo on that bed. It looks like you have a lot of work to do before even considering turning it into a "mud truck." In any case, good luck!

Just a reminder: these are the kind of people you share a road with. If mouthbreathers on CL don't care enough to spend the 5 seconds it takes to put together an at least somewhat coherent ad (or the 3 seconds it takes to photograph a vehicle properly) and use anything resembling language, I don't want to know how they treated the vehicle :soap box:

Modern cars truly are marvels of safety - the doors still line up perfectly (I don't see how it can possibly be fixable though). Bet the moron in the truck felt a lot more than you did, since his vehicle didn't absorb much of anything. Good thing you weren't hurt.

Yeah the rollbar is about the only thing of value I see there.

I'll hit you up if I come up short, for sure :thumbsup:

Might need to slightly massage the firewall to get it to fit.

@relyt: Not currently. Next time I make it to the JY I'm probably going to snag one as well as some other odds and ends. I'm hoping to make a tour of the Nashville area's junkyards either this weekend or next week. @Crash: My experience is that the parts store oil filter O-ring set only had one or two (can't remember) of the O-rings I needed. It was a long time ago so I really don't remember the details though. @everyone: Yes, I have the $$$$$ blue valve cover gasket. I let someone else install it (as we all know, I have great luck with letting other people work on my truck) and it feels like they got the bolts way too tight. In any case I'm likely going to install a late model valve cover, since the '91 valve cover seems to enjoy seeping oil from all the connections on top of it, and I'm getting quite a bit of oil in the air filter. Another 40 bucks down the tubes, but if it makes the truck happy it makes me happy. Probably a decision I should've made before buying a $40 old-style valve cover gasket :doh: Pretty sure I fixed the seepage from the front of the engine. Will update later if I did. I also forgot to mention that the driveline vibration and "road noise" that I mentioned in post #111 was caused by an improperly seated U-joint ( :doh: ) as I had feared. Taking it to someone who knew what he was doing fixed it right up.

They didn't make all that many of these trucks to begin with, and the vast majority of them got beaten on like red headed stepchildren. People who have clean low mile examples usually either 1) hold onto them or 2) ask really high prices. Values of these trucks are on the upswing and numbers are going down fast. The good news is that these trucks are well built with solid drivetrains - a well maintained truck should have plenty of life left at 196k. If you want the exact MJ you want, either be prepared to wait a LONG time and probably pay a LOT, or be prepared to build it yourself. The MJ in the OP looks like a repaint, and not a very good one at that. They put the "Comanche" badges way too low on the fender. It would only be worth 7k if it was nearly factory fresh with original paint, and even then it may be a stretch. If he was going to sell it, the least he could've done is cleaned the damned carpet.

After driving about 30 miles yesterday, I open the hood this morning to an engine absolutely COATED in oil from valve cover to oil pan (currently suspecting a valve cover gasket - if I take this valve cover off one more time it's getting replaced.) In addition there's a few drops of oil coming from the front of the oil pan gasket. Cue about 10 years worth of profanity in 30 seconds. :mad: :mad:

Yeah, sounds like fun. You still have my number, don't you?

Thanks guys :thumbsup: Count me in for a TN meetup sometime soon. Any thoughts on when? I'm pretty much clear until August.