jteckmann

Key words being "equivalent" and "not modified". They're not defined in the bill, and left open to interpretation. Say you have a truck where you've increased the exhaust up to 2.5", aftermarket muffler, and the dumpout right behind the muffler or before the axle. Even if it's noise and emissions compliant, my understanding is that it could still get you a ticket as a "modified exhaust" under this version of the bill. And if you get pulled over, and the officer doesn't happen to like your setup, how far do you think you'll get trying to argue the FSM with him? Regardless of whether I agree/disagree with the intent of the law, I think the current version they are proposing is worded very poorly. Lots of potential for misinterpretation or abuse. At the very least it should be drafted more clearly.

These are all awesome pics, guys! Great thread to browse through - makes me want to grab my camera. I know very little about photography (lighting, exposure, etc.) but I'm trying to learn. Here's a couple of my favorite shots from a recent trip to Death Valley: And this was my first attempt to do the "tilt-shift" effect in photoshop:

looks to be of interest to us jeepers and off-roaders. Sounds like the intent of the law was to go after all the ricers with the loud fart-cans (why they have to draft an entirely new law, rather than enforce existing noise ordinances, I don't know - typical :roll: ). The bill under consideration is vague and poorly worded. It states that all vehicles on the road must have an exhaust that is “installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle and is not modified; or meets specifications equivalent to the muffler installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle and is not modified.” The bill has no provision for vehicles like ours where the OEM is out of business or many parts have been discontinued. And the bill provides no clear rules or standards as to what counts as "modified", and therefore leaves it up to the individual officer's interpretation and discretion. So if you're driving down the road with headers and a Flowmaster, and you get pulled over, you could get possibly get a ticket. Here's a link to the SEMA page on the proposed law, with further details and information on how to contact Utah legislators to give them your opinion: http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=62705

Which Reverend song, and what game is it on? ... I may have to finally go buy it. :chillin: I've been through a classic rock phase, metal phase (Slayer, Pantera, Sepultura, Soulfly, etc.) a grunge/alternative phase (Soundgarden, A.I.C., Melvins, Jane's Addiction, Tool, etc.) a stoner-rock phase (Kyuss, QOTSA, Clutch, Fu Manchu, etc.) and a rockabilly phase. My record collection is a giant mish-mash of all that, with a few guilty pleasures thrown in. I have a 30GB mp3 player I keep full and carry around to listen to in the car. If I'm not listening to that, it's either sports radio or the news. Some newer stuff (well, new to me at least) I've been adding to the collection recently: Pelican: Torche: Them Crooked Vultures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SUTP6_0d1c I'm really stoked about the new Deftones album coming out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-zX9_bXGZc

1600lbs of crushed rock - not bad for a stock suspension 4-banger. (forgot to snap a pic while it was fully loaded. Bed was dragging just like freakjeep's potato-hauler above)

Not from the internet, but I snapped this pic when the wife & I were in Death Valley a few weeks ago. Seems the NPS still knows what you should be driving off-road :chillin:

Check around and see if any topper shops nearby are offering deals. The place here just quoted me a price of $450 for a new corrugated aluminum shell, $550 for smooth - that was lined, 3-piece front slider, full-length tinted slider side windows, available in either black, gray, red, or white. They take all the measurements off the truck and cut/assemble it there at the shop - so cab angle/height and fit are guaranteed to match. Just another option to consider. I know a lot of guys don't like the aluminum shells, but for me they're fine - so I'm thinking about going this route. Seems like whenever I find a used topper in decent shape, people are asking $200-$300 anyways. So IMO the extra price looks worth it to get the good fit, and to avoid the time/hassles of going through the classifieds.

For the wheels on the ramp, my guess is they used balancing weights at the top point of the resting tires. Give the wheel a nudge, the weight will fall forward, and the force of gravity is enough to "drive" the wheel the short distance up the ramp, where it nudges the next one. EDIT: I looked up the snopes.com article on the ad, and they used weights:

I'm more talking about body parts, the bed on mine is pretty rusty and the new one is in good shape. Oh, cool. Yeah - what beaterjeep said, the vast majority of body and interior parts from the cab forward will swap over, besides the difference in the hood & rad support like he mentioned. But all '86's were long beds. If the '88 is also, then the swap should be easy. If the '88 is a shortbed, I'm not sure how involved it is. They're different wheelbases.

what are the engine/tranny combos in each truck?

I've heard two versions of this: The first, like you said is that Chrysler killed it after the takeover because they already had the Dakota and didn't want another competitor. The second (and I think this is the one that Allpar mentions) is that AMC was about to pull the plug even before the buy out, because the Comanche was losing money for them. The XJ was their best-seller and practically only money-maker. Not only was the MJ slightly more to build, it was made on the same production line, so making more MJ's meant less XJ's. I'm sure, like everything, the truth lies somewhere in the middle - but either way it's a shame. IMO, the MJ is the last great compact truck this country ever produced.

I'm definitely down with any excuse to go back to the USVI 8). I've only been once - this past Thanksgiving, but it was great, and the wife and I had a blast. I haven't been to St. Croix, but if it's anything like St. Thomas or St. John, then our MJ's would actually fit right in! When I was there, seemed like 80% of all vehicles were beat-up Jeeps or older compact trucks (I saw at least 2 MJ's). The other 15% were F-250's with canopies over the beds that had been converted into Taxi's, and maybe the remaining 5% were semi-nice cars. And some interesting Euro-market rides thrown in. I actually started keeping my eyes peeled for a 2.5 diesel XJ, and if I saw one, I would've found a way to get it shipped home :D ) When we were on St. John, a higher clearance vehicle was pretty much a requirement to get to our campground - and that was on the main paved road. There were a couple places where the switchbacks were steep enough that the stock-height TJ we rented would've bottomed out if you cut the corners too close. And to make it really weird, all the cars are set up LHD, but traffic also drives on the left - talk about some white-knuckle moments if you have a lapse in concentration and slip into regular driving habits. So combine that with borderline 3rd world road conditions, and the whole laid-back beach vibe, it means the locals are much more about practicality in their vehicles than looks.

http://www.allpar.com/trucks/jeep/comanche.html

Hard to tell exactly what's going on the vid - I can't see down the TB what your fuel spray is like, and I can't make out what you're saying over the engine noise. What I got from the vid is that it starts/idles fine. Once you start applying throttle it stumbles, idles rough, and then dies. Couple of quick questions - when it stumbles, is there a heavy gas smell? i.e., does it seem like it's dying because it's getting too much fuel, or not enough? Second, if you just start the truck and let it idle, how long until the symptoms appear? Will it start stumbling after it has heated up, or will it idle fine and the stumbling starts only after you start giving it throttle? If the trouble starts only after you start giving throttle, I'd check the fuel system first. If the problems start regardless as soon as the engine warms up, then I'd check the emissions/O2/EGR. The fuel pressure test port is on the driver's side of the TB right under where the air intake clamps on. On mine it was a recessed allen head plug that I needed to remove to thread the tester gauge into. Pressure should be 15psi. On the other side of the TB (facing the valve cover) there's a bowl-shaped part hanging down - that's the pressure regulator. Inside the bowl there's a rubber diaphram and a tension spring. I finally found my Chilton's book, so I'm paraphrasing out of it: the book says the regulator is adjustable (on mine it wasn't, but that may have been because a previous owner replaced/repaired it at some point) If it's adjustable, there should be a screw underneath. Turning clockwise to increase pressure, counterclockwise to decrease. 1. If fuel pressure is considerably higher than 15psi and adjusting regulator fails to lower it, then inspect the fuel return line for blockage. 2. If fuel pressure is below 15psi and adjusting regulator fails to raise it, then do a 2nd test by momentarily pinching off the fuel return line (the one located closest to the regulator, on the side towards the valve cover) while engine is idling and check changes in pressure. a) If pressure momentarily rises, then replace pressure regulator (a rebuild kit that has the rubber diaphram, new spring, and gasket should be about a $20 part) B) If pressure does not rise, recheck the fuel supply line for blockage, the fuel filter, and the fuel pump. It's possible that even though the pump and filter are relatively new, there was debris in the tank that has clogged them, or there is a bad connection/ground, or the new pump was a lemon. If fuel pressure checks as okay, you can check the throttle position sensor (TPS) It's on the firewall side of the TB, right below where the fuel lines enter. Search this site for "TPS" and there are a couple good threads that give instructions on how to test and adjust with a multimeter, and I'd clean up the connections really well. If you want/need to swap it out for a new one, it's about a $50 part. Also check the injector itself. Remove it by carefully unsnapping the connector (+20 yr old plastic gets very brittle) and removing the screws on the retaining ring. Use a pair of pliers to grab the top collar of the injector and slowly rock it back and forth while pulling up. Careful not to twist it or you can break the locating tab. Clean it up and take to a shop to have it tested. If you need a new one, check the earlier thread about options - OEM replacements are pretty expensive ($200). A couple places sell rebuilt ones for around $80-$100. Personally, I substituted an injector from an early 90's Chevy 5.7 that I pulled from a junkyard for $10 and then had tested to make sure it worked. That worked fine for me, and I haven't had any changes in performance or economy in the +1yr I've been running it. If it turns out it's not a fuel problem, then I'd move on to emissions/control systems: - Check that all vacuum hoses are hooked up and in good shape. On an old truck, there's bound to be some leaks, and they can cause some weird gremlins. - O2 sensor - I don't know how to check this with a multimeter, hopefully someone else does. I just replaced it on mine, because I figured it couldn't hurt on a 23yr old truck. IIRC, it was about $60. - Check the EGR valve. Let it idle until it gets to normal operating temp. Disconnect the vacuum hose to the EGR valve and hook up a hand vacuum pump. If it's working right, the idle should stumble/stall when you apply vacuum. If idle stays the same, then the valve is bad. Find the EGR valve solenoid - it should be located on the passenger side fender, close to the ICU/coil. There's an input hose that runs from a manifold vacuum source, and there's an output that runs over to the EGR valve. Pull the hose from the input and check to make sure it's getting vacuum from the manifold. Then hook up your gauge to the output - with the engine idling, vacuum should be zero. If vacuum is present, the solenoid is bad. Then, disconnect the electrical connector to the solenoid and now you should get a vacuum reading. If vacuum is still zero with the solenoid disconnected, then the solenoid is bad. - The final thing I can think of is the manifold pressure (MAP) sensor, which helps control the air/fuel mix. It's mounted on the firewall, almost directly behind the valve cover, with a vacuum hose that leads from the sensor to the manifold. There's a 3-prong connector leading to it. I have hand-written notes in my manual that say "engine off, sensor connected, ignition on - check middle prong, should be 4.5-5v. Start engine, voltage should change and fluctuate with rpm. If not, replace" _________________________ That's about all I can think of. Sorry if it seems like I'm just shotgunning at it, but with a +20 year old truck it never hurts to go back and re-check everything. I tried to follow the notes and steps I took when I had similar symptoms. In my case, it turned out to be two separate problems - First was a faulty injector that made it practically undriveable. When I got that fixed, it ran but still stumbled occasionally, and that's when I discovered a fuel pump that was failing intermittently because of a bad ground. After that was fixed, the truck stopped stumbling, but it still idled/drove rough. I went back through all my sensors, cleaned up the connections, replaced all the vacuum lines, replaced my MAP and O2 sensor - and the truck operated much smoother, practically as good as new. Good luck, and I hope you can get it figured out :cheers:

The test port is on the side of the TB facing the driver's fender/brake reservoir. Just below where the intake hose clips on. It does not look like a valve stem. IIRC it's an allen head screw that you take out, then you thread your pressure gauge in. I just bought a small cheap gauge at the store that I left permanently mounted there, so I can monitor fuel psi whenever I check under the hood.

Here's a good article: http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=261532 I haven't experienced death wobble in my MJ (yet), but I had it bad in my old ZJ. Balance & alignment would temporarily fix it, but it'd always come back. Finally upgraded my track bar and that seemed to fix it for good before I sold it.

Hauled about 1600lbs of crushed rock home from the gravel pit. Didn't mean to load it down that much, but about half the loader's bucket came pouring out in one big chunk. Truck handled it like a champ, though. Bed was definitely sagging, but wasn't quite bottomed out. 20mi trip home, but I stuck to the back roads and didn't take it over 45. Steering was a little floaty from the front end being up, and had to be a tad firmer on the brakes - but acceleration and power felt the same as when it's empty. (Side note: I always get a kick out of seeing what color someone else will call my truck. I've heard white, cream, beige, tan, light brown, and today ... yellow. I need to start saving up for a paint job :D )

To the best of my memory, it was between 12-15psi (I'm searching for my manual to double-check, but can't find it at the moment) Hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong. When I was having a similar type of hard to diagnose problem, I was told that it should always be 15psi or at the high end of the range. That fluctuations or changes with rpms were a big red flag something was wrong. Maybe not the pump itself, but something in the delivery. Could be a clogged filter sock on the tank inlet, loose connection/ground, etc. You said you've already done cap/rotor/wires, and checked the ICU/coil. Based on what you described looking at the injector, I'd work my way backwards> Check the injector, the TPS, fuel lines, filter, pump, and all wiring/connections between them.

I'd check both. There's a test port on the driver's fender side of the throttle body. Fuel pressure should be 15psi. The Chilton's manual lists 12-15 as an acceptable range, but I was told anything less than 15psi or fluctuations at different rpms is a big sign the pump is going bad. See if your local shop checks injectors. I pulled the injector from mine, and the machine shop put it on their bench, took about 5mins, and was free.

I'm also pretty sure they're not available. They used to be sold new from Sears, and they're nowhere on their website any more. Craigslist or finding one in the local classifieds is probably your only shot. I looked at them a few years ago when I was shopping for my mountain bike. They were just a licensing/marketing thing. Generic made-in-China frame with cheap plastic hardware and Jeep/Monroe decals plastered on it. Not trying to talk you out of getting one. If I stumbled across one for cheap, I'd snatch it up, just to have as a collectable. But if your main concern is finding an entry-level rider, there are much better options. Get a good frame & hardware, and you can put your own decals on it.

It should clamp in fairly tight. Enough resistance to have to push on it a bit and hear the audible click of the prongs before you tighten it down with the screws. The area around the ICU and between the coil is horrible for trapping dirt/debris, and there can be a lot of corrosion if it hasn't ever been taken apart and cleaned. I'd clean it up really well, and see if you can bend the prongs back so it clamps tight. May just be a bad connection that's causing the intermittent problem.

Borderline crazy, IMO. FSJ's have definitely entered collector car territory. They're just like 60's-70's muscle cars - you can still find lots cheap beaters that serve their original purpose that you can have fun in - but when you have one that's been painstakingly restored and is show quality, then it's going to be at a premium price. The body and interior of this one look great. The beef I have is that for the "buy it now" price, I'd be expecting something more than a rebuilt stock 2bbl 360. Just like if you were buying a restored muscle car, you'd want some upgrades. There's a lot of aftermarket goodies out there for the AMC 360's - good cams, performance exhaust, and at least a 4bbl carb & intake, if not the EFI set up that Edlebrock makes for it. Without that, the buy it now price is about $8K too high, IMO.

There's some good threads on the seat swap over in the projects section, with lots of pics. Helped me a ton when I did it. Basically, when you get your XJ seats home, you'll need to drill out the rivets that hold the floor mounting brackets to the rails, then swap them out for the ones on your old MJ seats and bolt them in. One thing to remember, the MJ brackets are taller, so your driving position will wind up being a little bit higher than the old seat. If you're a taller guy, I'd avoid getting the "rocker style" buckets from an XJ because you'll wind up sitting very high, and if you don't have a tilt wheel, may even have problems fitting in the seat. General rule of thumb is that most interior parts from the front seats forward are direct swaps between similar-era MJ's and XJ's. If you're grabbing parts off the doors, they need to be from a 4dr model, since the doors on the 2dr are too long. From other Jeeps, some worthwhile swaps are the front sway bar from a V8 ZJ - beefier unit so it improves road manners. If you have/want to add power steering then possibly the steering box from a ZJ, which has a better ratio than the XJ/MJ unit. And the brake booster from a WJ is an upgrade. If you have the 2.5 TBI 4cyl, and are lucky enough to find a good donor at the junkyard, then my suggestion would be to pull some stuff like the coil, ICU, and injector - as those parts are getting harder to find/expensive at the stores, and it will be handy to have spares.

I herculined the inside of my cab. Mainly for the rust/water protection, like you said. It's nice because I can just hose things out when it gets really dirty, but it is a big increase in noise. And the amount of heat that comes in through the floor was really getting on my nerves last summer. I was thinking about going to an marine upholstery shop and getting 3 pieces of carpet made - one semi-permanent piece for the tranny hump (since that's where most of the noise/heat comes from) and then 2 for the floor boards. Have the 3 pieces made where they have some insulation and heat shielding on the bottom, and then marine carpet on top, so they'd be durable and easy to clean up. Put snaps on the floor to hold them in place, so they'd be easily removable.

One other quick thought - Double check that you have the correct bulbs. I remember when I first got my MJ, I relied on the catalog up at the parts store to pick out my new bulbs, and the info wound up being wrong (maybe it was for a XJ instead of an MJ, or maybe I just made a boneheaded mistake) But anyways, I wound up with single filament bulbs where double filament bulbs were supposed to be, and it drove me nuts trying to diagnose the problem until I discovered the error.