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1990 Rebirth ('97 Conversion)


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Thanks man! I need to hear that encouragement.

 

My update from the other night is gone, so I guess I'll have to retype. I got the new gas tank in, but not without an issue. I'm using a Comanche tank without the slosh pan and then the Copperhead Fab adapter ring for the '97 pump and sender. When I tried to reinstall the tank, the sender/pump assembly contacted the bottom of the bed before the tank contacted the supports. To alleviate this problem, I grabbed the stock spare tire spacers from my TJ (I have a swing away carrier now) and they seem to work great. The stock straps worked OK, but the J-bolts were too short now, so I had to use the longer ones from the '97 XJ.

 

The transmission and transfer case are installed. I didn't install the transfer case skid that I got because I don't have the nutserts for it yet. I also got the radiator and condenser installed. My engine bay is short an electric fan, a couple brake lines and a couple little things here and there, but otherwise its done. I have a couple loose ends to tie up, but my goal is to get fluids in the truck and try to crank it this weekend. If I can get home before its dark tomorrow, I'll post up some pictures of the progress.

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Here's a shot of the engine bay mostly done. I still need an electric fan though.

 

I threw the front clip on to try and get an idea of how it would look. Obviously, it needs some black paint, but that can wait.

 

I'm not getting fuel to the engine (at least I think) when I try to crank it, so I'm working on that. Hopefully I can figure that out so I can finish up the wiring and then move on to getting the doors swapped.

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It lives! Sorta. I was able to get it to crank and run today, but ran into a couple problems. The first is that I still don't have a fuel level indication. It's going to take some more troubleshooting to figure that one out.

 

My other problem is that the compression fitting in my fuel line splice didn't hold and I sprayed a decent amount of gas onto my garage floor and the underside of the truck.

 

I didn't try to see if it would move with the gas going everywhere, but this is the first time I've been able to crank it since swapping everything over, so I'm pretty happy. I'm getting there, a little closer everyday.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I got the front bumper on and the fenders loosely bolted on (they'll have to come off when I swap the doors). I just wanted to see what it would look like. I'll shoot them with some black paint when the weather warms up.

I still can't figure out the gas gauge. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

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:thumbsup:

 

tried to fix my gas gauge today,

checked the pins, and grounds,

 

here's what i found

 

before

 

tail light off

 

ground

 

had to use a easy out

 

dead center :)

 

p/o when he painted didnt leave a clean surface for a ground

 

all cleaned up

 

installed

 

light back on

 

and the final result soapbox.gif what next? :hmm:

 

 

it fixed it,

you need to run the tank down to empty to reset the gauge (while driving),

then the gas gauge should work, i noticed mine started working right before i flipped my comanche :(

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The sender is in the tank and I'm trying not to have to drop the tank again. Do you know of any good way to test the sender? Someone at the auto parts store suggested bridging the pins on the connector to the gauge cluster, but I wouldn't know which pins to bridge and what to look for. I know the ground is good because as soon as I disconnect it, the truck won't start.

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when the truck is stop does the gas gage go to empty

 

try sending voltage trough the sender wire see if the needle moves

from what your describing it seems like a bad sender not a faulty wire

 

The needle is completely pegged on empty and never moves. The gas light doesn't come on either. How would I send voltage? Can I use a test probe or something?

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when the truck is stop does the gas gage go to empty

 

try sending voltage trough the sender wire see if the needle moves

from what your describing it seems like a bad sender not a faulty wire

 

The needle is completely pegged on empty and never moves. The gas light doesn't come on either. How would I send voltage? Can I use a test probe or something?

 

yeah you jump the sender wire with the fuel pump wire

(putting a loop wire in the plug )

 

then (with someone in the truck) check if the gage move

or jumping the ground

 

if it does so you have a faulty sending unit in the tank not a faulty gage and wires

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I disconnected the harness and put the key into the run position. Maybe 20% of the time (if that) I could jump the pins and get the gauge to go all the way up. It wouldn't stay but for a couple seconds and then fall back down. So, I decided to plug it back in and crank the truck. The gauge went all the way to full and then slowly came back down to E. The gas light came on (for the first time) at around 1/3 of a tank and then stayed on. I only put maybe 4 gallons in the tank (and some didn't stay when my fuel line failed) and I don't think the float is completely accurate, so I'm going to wait until the truck is drivable and then I'll fill up the tank. Hopefully then, I'll get the needle off empty. Also, now when I put the key into the run position, the gas light will come on. It didn't do that before, so I'm hopeful.

 

Now I just need to swap the doors and figure out where to buy some weather pack connectors to lengthen the tail light harnesses. The rest is a bunch of details.

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This weekend I worked on the wiring a bit more. My goal was to figure out the tail lights, but because of issues with a bad multifunction switch and flasher it took a while to figure out. As of right now, I know I've wired the running light/brake light and the turn signals correctly. I haven't got the reverse lights to come on yet, but there was only one way to wire that one, so my bulb could be bad or something. It's been a little frustrating, but putting in the new flasher tonight and having working turn signals and flashers really made me happy. It was a small victory that I needed.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The taillight wiring is done and last I checked, everything works. The only wiring I have left to figure out is the B-pillar lights. I can get them to turn on when I toggle them, but they don't come on as courtesy lights when the doors open. I've got three wires (purple, pink and yellow) and no combination makes them work with the B-pillar lights, but they work with the stock '97 dome lights. Other than that and lengthening a couple plugs, my wiring is done. So, here is my checklist on what's left:

 

-Finish small wiring details

-New brake lines from the '97 master to the '90 proportioning valve (and bleed the system)

-Rear drive shaft (need to order)

-Fab backing plates for the new door strikers and swap the doors over

-Need to find an airbag clock spring and electric fan

-Fix driver side fender flare

-Paint red front pieces black

-Fix emergency brake (even with all the adjustment, it never gets tight)

-Modify passenger seat belt (already did the driver side)

-Reassemble interior

-Exhaust (not sure what i'm doing yet - I need to connect the new header to the old tail section)

-Charge AC system

 

I can't believe that this is all I have left. I cannot wait to drive this thing again. I just hope it runs well. It cranks fine and runs in the garage without a problem, but putting it in gear and taking it down the road is a whole different story.

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Had a good day today. I got the brake lines done and I found an airbag/clock spring and the elusive 242 shifter bezel. All I have to do is bleed the brakes and I can drive the truck around in front wheel drive, doorless.

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Ok, I can cross some things off my list. I added and modified it some too.

 

-Finish small wiring details

-(DONE) New brake lines from the '97 master to the '90 proportioning valve

-Bleed the brakes

-(DONE) Rear drive shaft (used the XJ shaft)

-Fab backing plates for the new door strikers and swap the doors over

-(DONE) Need to find an airbag clock spring and electric fan (fixed my old one)

-(DONE) Fix fender flare brackets

-(DONE) Paint red front pieces black

-Fix emergency brake (even with all the adjustment, it never gets tight)

-Modify passenger seat belt (already did the driver side)

-Reassemble interior

-Exhaust (not sure what i'm doing yet - I need to connect the new header to the old tail section)

-Charge AC system

-(DONE) Swap wiper assembly

 

I also made enough room to get the XJ into the garage. Now I can take the doors off without the neighbors complaining. This is the first time I've had two vehicles in the garage since I bought the Comanche 15 months ago. I'll take some pictures of the black front end and put them up tomorrow. It won't stay black forever, but for now, it looks pretty killer.

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I took some daylight pictures, but left that camera at my parents, so the night pictures with the flash will have to do.

 

I got the XJ in the garage so I can take the doors off, but now I don't have room to open them.... I guess I'll just have to push it outside when I'm ready to pull them and then push it back in (kinda annoying to do by yourself).

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I had a stroke of luck today. By using the shorter of the two slip yokes I had available to me, the 2wd XJ rear drive shaft looks like its going to work as a rear drive shaft for the Comanche. Since its 2wd, the shaft is longer than a 4wd shaft, but the XJ wheel base is much shorter. I have an inch clearance at ride height on the slip yoke. I'd probably be a little safer with a little more room, but as a daily street driver, I'm hoping that its enough. My donor XJ had a 2wd AW4 and a rear Chrysler 8.25. The length is roughly 40.5" (I can measure again if anyone needs it. So, now all I need to do is bleed the brakes and swap the doors and it will be ready for a test drive.

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Nice work, I love to see the old MJ's updated with all the modern technology. If my MJ was more of my DD then my off road toy I would ripping out the interior instead of posting. Thanks for taking the time to document all the modifications you made to get it all to work. Will help me if I ever decide to pamper my self off road in the future LOL.

 

Great build!

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