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landlubbers first MJ


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hello folks. discovered this site the other day and have been reading about everyone rides and helpful information all day long. :)

 

I have always been intrigued by Comanches, but never saw one nice enough to go after. but then i saw one on on craigslist the 15th of last month, i was in the guys driveway with money on the 17th and drove it home (pops did actually). Its a 1988, short box, 2wd version - the crappy peugeot 10/5. no plans for that except to fix the dern speedometer cable and replace it with an ax-15 coupled with an NP231 down the road, also looking for a 8.25 rear axle or a dana44. I"ve gotten most of the work out of the way that it needs for inspection. New Ubolts, New tie rod end, cleaned it up a lot, newish tires, new shifter knob, checked all fluids and the like. seems to have been a pretty good deal. not much rust for new england, especally for being 21 years old. Need a serpentine belt and a passanger side headlight bezel ring. I'd like to get it painted back to the original blue it was. I am looking for a higher gauge package off an xj for a swap - hate the idiot lights. so anyways, i think i got a good deal, not quite as good as most of yall on here, but not bad. Its my first truck, hopefully it'll last and do everything i want it. :)

 

my cardomain: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3338905

 

and pictures, why of course.

on the way home.

new tie rod end.

 

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thanks, glad to be here, vast wealth of knowledge, i'm 17 and still learning quite a bit about vehicles and how they works and such, i know a lot from books and just being around a farm most of my life, but doing it yourself is surely different.

 

got my signal light covers in today. now i just need a headlight bezel ring and the lights and the whole front will be all set. where can I get one of these? junkyard? i found some on ebay but they were a total ripoff.

 

 

the side that's in looks nice, everything has fit perfectly so far, now for the ugly. the drivers side floor was replace, no so for the passenger side, although it was fiberglassed forward in the cab near the door, they look pretty gnarly. the picture i took does it no justice. I can't poke a screwdriver through or anything, but its thin in some parts. need to get that taken care of pronto - herculining after sandage maybe, along with the bed. going to see if i can get to the junk yard and pick up some bucket seats and kill two birds with one stone, but that is for later. got a better picture of the tailgate latch too, and I do not have a headliner. And BTW - that was the floor After i scraped off a bunch and vacuumed it up.

 

 

Need to fix that dern speedo cable (again) too, has given me nothing but trouble, another thing on the list is a serpentine cable, anything especally recommended?

 

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We all started at the bottom of the Jeep-knowledge ladder. Just keep asking away and we'll help you with what we can. :thumbsup:

 

But Tech questions should really go in the Tech forum so more people will see it. Especially when looking for opinions, cause if nothing else, this group has lots of varying opinions. :yes:

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  • 2 weeks later...

been busy with school lately. searching up some parts.

 

pulled the diff cover today, what gross oil, milky black and smelled awfully. I think I'm going to "rinse" out the gears and housing with lighter weight oil first. got my gasket and decided to paint my cover. why not right? a few coats of primer and 2 nice coats of gloss. don't know how it'll come out yet as i just sprayed the last coat of gloss about 30 mins ago.

 

 

 

woo, took this like 20 mins ago.

 

 

and what is this?

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It's the bracket for the linkage to the HEIGHT SENSING PROPORTIONING VALVE-it varies the amount of braking action in relation to the amount of load in your truck. On my truck the linkage was gone. I just made sure the "arm" for the valve was in the "up" position to insure full braking action at all times.General consensus on this post is that those valves work so-so if at all.

When I finish my 8.8 install,that valve and all it's associated hardware will be removed.

BTW nice looking truck. Do you get to keep the 88MJ plate? I seen that plate on there in the picts of when you first got the truck.

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Ya, the valve should be tucked up in the frame on the left side,kind of to the rear of the axle. It has an arm and a linkage that attaches to that bracket.

Hope you can keep or reapply for that plate. I think it's kind of cool!

In my state the seller keeps the plates.

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Nice shiny cover.

IMHO I would spent my effort on doing something about that r/side brake line.That kind of looks like trouble to me.

When it comes to brakes,NO SHORTCUTS OR COBBLED TOGETHER STUFF ALLOWED,EVER!

That brakeline is both.

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  • 4 weeks later...

found a nice fiberglass antenna around and all the other jazz i need to get my CB all set, tested it out tonight, no idea on the receiving range is, i guess the broadcasting range is ~5 miles (4 watts + 4' antenna)

 

just need to run some wires and throw on an inline breaker and mount everything up :banana:

 

also: should be getting some parts soon in the mail, and am seeing about an 87 MJ for 4x4 conversion.

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  • 4 weeks later...

well, after diddling with the other MJ I got for quite a while, primary focus is back on this one. I got a heap of parts with the other MJ I purchased and 'nuff to finish I guess. Really would like to get 'er on the road before school starts and the apple season starts. I have near no time in the fall for anything besides school and work. :D

 

anyways, got the front clip and such all squared away as of this evening. but the problem that keeps coming back is the freaking speedometer cable. I have "fixed" it about 5 times. same story every time, works for a bout 200 feet and then stops again. pissing me off. Is there any special procedure involved in fastening the cable to the tranny? please share if you have any ideas.

 

after that just need to replace the serpentine belt and we'll be in business.

 

:banana:

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talked for quite a while in the chat to genovast. 89 elim, automan, and jeepcomj and they very much answered all my questions and cleared up the confusion i had about a lot of stuff. very encouraged now. doesn't seem too involved after I got my concerns straightened out. seems straightforward enough.

 

going to replace the rear main seal while I am back there and oil pan gasket. unbolt the tranny from the 87 and 88 and put the one from the 87 in the 88 and get the rear driveshaft chopped or w/e and shouldn't be too much more than that. far easier said that done, but I think I'm going to take a crack at it next time i have a week off from school or something. too bad most of you guys are too far off to give a hand.

 

guess I'll see if I can change the serpentine belt friday or something. should be all set after all this.

 

will post any questions. will most likely have questions. will take lots of pictures.

 

ps. do I have to change the registration from 2wd to 4x4?

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

well, I failed inspection. for a wiper arm and "excessive oil leaks"

 

pulled the pan today - what a project, was really in there. didn't get a change to do much else. I originally thought it was leaking from the RMS, but its not wet back there at all. seems to be more towards the front. what else could it be besides the gasket?

 

also, got my gauges in a long while back, but here is a picture.

 

 

got my radio flush mounted. It also doesn't work not- just blows fuses. to be addressed later. CB in this one too.

 

 

working on it today:

 

 

that is about the perfect height i have in mind for a lift also.

 

so glad i have a nice indoor space to work, it was snowing and raining all day and wicked cold.

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  • 2 months later...

Fixed my radio today - damn mice, tunes are nice whilst driving. passed inspection like a month ago, and I have a touch under 650 miles on it since then. I like it a lot, its fun.

 

 

The only other grievance I have besides the not finished 4x4, is the headliner, or the lack thereof. anyone in New England have one?

 

 

 

 

 

ps. 4AM - woots for vacation. finally have time to do nothing.

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  • 2 months later...

just about to come up to the 3000 mile mark, oil change this weekend. going to find/fix my power steering leak also.

 

got my AX15 off my porch and cleaned up and put away in the barn for whenever I can find a damn transfercase.

 

 

 

haven't had any problems outside of the fuel pump kicking the bucket. I enjoy driving it around.

 

 

:cheers:

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