ride172 Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Hello everyone, I've been reading up on here the last few weeks and have a few questions to ask some experienced MJ'ers. I am the happy owner of a 2001 XJ that I lifted and SYE'd on my own. I love that XJ so much I decided to quit messing around in it and breaking stuff so I started looking for a Comanche. First off my MJ is an 86 2.8l 4x4 with the Torque Flight and the np 207. I found out with knowledge gained here that I have the AMC 20 with 4.10s (open) and of course the 30 CAD (already gave it the permanent fix, also learned that here)... The truck starts and runs good, climbs steep grades fairly decent and was definitely worth the $440, waterpump, and fuel pump I have invested. Body and paint is in great shape (minor surface rust spot on tailgate the size of silver dollar) and minor-moderate rust on floors. The interior is in good shape and complete. Having had the 4.0 in my XJ I got used to the power and reliability of the fuel injection. I know that I am not going to go through the hassle of the 2.8 to 4.0 swap. I might consider the 3.4 but just seems like a pain and it would be oh so nice to have basically the same engine in my toys. So finally time for the questions. Should I keep the 2.8 and drive it till it stops and either swap in the 3.4 then or hope another mj with the 4.0 can be found? Or should I just find a nice 87+ with 4.0 to fix up and swap axles with the 86? (I've been looking and can't find a good deal) How much do you think the 86 is worth? ( I know pics would help but don't have any) I just don't know what to do and it has been consuming my mind for the last week. I don't want to put time and small parts into the 86 when it isn't really what I want. But I am in love with the clean straight body, 4.10s, and the amc 20 (don't know much about it just that it is kinda rare). Might not be to tech related, so feel free to move the thread. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :help: :help: I need help, I got the M1/J1- spotted Jeep fever... If feels fatal.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakjeep93 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 welcome to the club :cheers: if i were you id just run the 2.8 untill it dies then swap the 3.4 and by then if your more comfprtabe with swapping motors you could swap a 4.0. or you could just buy a 4.0 manche and leasve the 86 stock and modify the other one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 :agree: Just run the 2.8 until it dies.......or you find a cheap XJ for a 4.0 swap. You could leave the 4.10's in there for a little better gearing. And with that AMC 20 in the rear......you never want to loose sight of that :D You don't need another MJ to do a drive train swap, that's what all them XJ's out there are for :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ride172 Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 Thanks for the insight guys... I just don't know how I feel about all the extra work, set backs, and empty pockets a engine swap can be... Maybe I'll just keep the 86 until I find a 87+ 6cyl that fits my budget.. I just don't much about the 2.8l other than what I've read on here and my old man used to have one in an 85 cherokee... Both sources say gutless... I plan on getting rid of the AC and not doing onboard air, is just having one belt on the alternator a good idea? Should I leave the condensor as a pulley so there are two belts on it? I don't know if it takes much power from the engine... Also would I see substantial gains with an ax4 or ax5 with the 4.10 gears? When all said and done I don't think I'll have much over 32 inch tires... I don't really like the 3 speed but maybe I can learn to deal with it.. I also have questions about lifting the truck... From the 4.5 RE lift I put on my XJ I know about all the demons that show up with lift and bigger tires on the front... But my question is about the rear... I want roughly the same lift as I have on the XJ a little taller wouldn't hurt... Are there advantages to a spring under rear vs spring over? I couldn't find that on my searches... I know it's cheaper to spring over, just wanting to know what the mechanically inclined think... thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal1200r Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 If it was me, I'd leave the '86 alone, and look for a newer MJ with a 4.0, and fix that one up, that way you'll get what you want as it was from the factory, instead of monkeying around with engine/trans/axle swaps and everything else that's involved with that. Sounds like you won't be happy with the 2.8 and 3-speed automatic, so maybe you could cut your losses now and get something more along the lines of what you want? As for the SOA lift in the rear, I think you'll need a 5"-6" lift on the front to match it. And lifting it that much will involve a WHOLE lot of things. The cost for lifting it like that could probably get you a newer MJ with a 4.0, or at the very least a donor XJ with a 6-cyl for a swap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akamcbird Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 keep it! drive it till you find just the rite cherokee ,late '89 or '90 with a 4.0 and ax15. get one that runs awesome and looks like crap, pay little to nothing. swap everything that isnt under your hood. earlier than mid '89 and you get the aw4 or ba10-5, later than 90 is an ho and requires more work(probly.... I'm not familiar with hos) best plan...'95 0r so 4.0 ho ax15 external slave oh...5 seed 4.10s and 32"s would be perfect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal1200r Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 And don't forget little details like gauge cluster swap...if memory serves me right, your '86 has a cable speedo, and anything newer than a '92 or '93 will have an electronic speedo. but I suppose if you swap the wiring harness from the donor vehicle, and if it has an electronic speedo, you could get it to work...still sounds like too much work to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasbulliwagen Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 If you have a 2.8 auto, you may already have 4:56 gearing there already. That would need to be confirmed though, so switching to an AX4 or 5 with 4:10 will not help. Finding a 3.4 and just swapping all parts over will be easiest in my opinion. And buy a 4 barrel intake and holley 390cfm 4 bbl carb for the swap, and youll be in heaven! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ride172 Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 So the 2.5l with the ax4 ax5 have 4.56 gears? I know mine has 4.10 cause it's stamped C on the AMC 20 axle which by the chart I saw puts me at 4.10 open... I haven't turned the wheels and counted the driveshaft revolutions yet... Let me get this straight.. Which would a 3.4l with a neutral balanced flexplate bolt up to, an ax4,ax5,ax15,or the aw4? Just want to consider my options... I am leaning to the thought of buying another MJ to fix up and use the 86 as kinda of a parts rig... And then either sell the 86 or have two Frakenstein MJ's... My wife is already screaming her head off that I have two vehicles for the same purpose... I can't imagine what three will be like... Not to mention my single car garage with a single lane driveway... I play musical cars anytime I want the MJ out of the garage... (my wife's 09 g6 and my 01 xj sit outside in the snow while the MJ gets the garage)... I know what's gonna happen, I'm gonna end up on the show Hoarders but instead of a house full a crap it will be my lot covered in Jeeps... Thanks for the help guys... Also I live in Loveland CO any mjers around here? I know there is a gentleman on the site that I think was named OLDMAN or something close to that... He lived in Loveland and seemed to know a thing or two about engine swaps... Anyone know if he is still around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal1200r Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 ... My wife is already screaming her head off that I have two vehicles for the same purpose... I can't imagine what three will be like... Not to mention my single car garage with a single lane driveway... I play musical cars anytime I want the MJ out of the garage... When faced with a similar dilemma years ago, about whether or not to buy a particular red Moto Guzzi motorcycle that was in Oklahoma, when I had a gorgeous yellow Ducati already sitting in the garage in California, the answer came to me when I had my kids at the theater, watching Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame". There's a scene in there, where Quasimodo wasn't sure if he should go down to the street and participate in the Festival of Fools, and the gargoyles tell him, "it's better to seek forgiveness than to ask permission"...BOOM, there was the epiphany, lol! So I got the Guzzi without telling the wife, and of course she found out about it when I had it delivered to the house...slept on the sofa for about a week, and she still holds it against me to this day (close to 20 years)...just wish I still had both of those bikes, lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimoshel Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Women are so unreasonable. What in heck do we need them for anyway? Oh yeah. THAT ! :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ride172 Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Well I decided to buy another MJ... 1988 4.0l automatic 4x4 from CA... I'm paying 1200 and the guy is picking me up from the airport in the morning... And then I'm going to drive it back to CO the owner says it runs good, no rust... I'm gonna pack my wrenches so I can address anything wrong before the 1200 mile trip back home... Any tips on pre-1200 mile roadtrip inspection?? I'm gonna check the obvious u-joints and wheel bearings, all fluids... Anything else? Is there a way to tell if the tranny feels up to the job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal1200r Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Belts, hoses, fuses...I'd do a function check too (lights, signals, horn, wipers, windows, tail gate, hood, doors, etc). Ask him where he parks it, and look for any obvious fluids on the ground underneath. I'd also crawl underneath and look at the underside (diffs, shocks, oil pan, trans, exhaust, etc). While you're under there, check the diffs for fluid level too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ride172 Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Thanks for the reply... I never thought to look and see where he parks it... That's some good advice... I'm gonna take it by an autozone or something similar and have the alternator, battery and whatever they will test for me checked... I'm not gonna lie I'm pretty nervous about cruising through the middle of nowhere in a vehicle I just met.... So what about tell tale signs a tranny is weak... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comanche09 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Well I decided to buy another MJ... 1988 4.0l automatic 4x4 from CA... I'm paying 1200 and the guy is picking me up from the airport in the morning... And then I'm going to drive it back to CO the owner says it runs good, no rust... I'm gonna pack my wrenches so I can address anything wrong before the 1200 mile trip back home... That is Hardcore! :bowdown: You definately got the fever bad. :yes: Check the brakes over really good. I'd pack a 95-96 XJ Master booster combo LOL. My brakes sucked baaaad when I got mine, no power assist and no stopping power and that was on a 2wd with 205/75/15s. At least engine braking was available. Good luck and be safe! I envy you! :USAflag: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbell Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Northern Cali or sothern Cali? I ask because if it's northern and you come thru Reno and have any probs I will be around if u needed some help with anything. Just shoot me a pm and I will give u my number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streetjeep2.5 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Yea, welcome! And, if memory serves me right, a 4.0 in an 86 is tough to do cuz it was in 87 they lengthened to engine bay to accept the 4.0, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streetjeep2.5 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Oh, also, in case you have not done so, get them carpets up ASAP and see what's going on with the floor boards. :smart: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ride172 Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 Well I made it home at about 7 mountain time last night... What a beautiful drive (except for Wyoming)... The MJ did perfect... The airline left a bag of my tools in Denver so I had to wait 4 hours at the San Francisco airport to get it back... Turns out I didn't need any tools, the truck runs strong and climbed all the passes without shifting out of OD... I credit this to 205/65/15 car tires that were on it... (same as your's comanche09) The worst parts were no cruise and with the small tires I couldn't go much over 60-65 cause it would start running at 3k which I know is alright but I didn't feel safe doing it for 20 hours... Northern Cali or sothern Cali? I ask because if it's northern and you come thru Reno and have any probs I will be around if u needed some help with anything. Just shoot me a pm and I will give u my number. Thanks for the offer... I would have never known about it though cause the Comanche has no Wi Fi and I have no laptop... But I did drive through Reno... I picked the truck up from San Mateo just south of San Fran.. I wanted to take a pic of the truck at the bunny ranch but didn't know where it was at and I didn't have much time to waste... I spent the night in Elko... I made sure I slept in the parking lot of Checkers, just in case it didn't want to start... The Comanche isn't exactly roomy to sleep in... I'm 6'1" but made it work good enough to get a couple hours in.... It was cold too.... Oh, also, in case you have not done so, get them carpets up ASAP and see what's going on with the floor boards. :smart: This was the first thing I learned about the MJ (from Pete's sig)... I'm about 95% sure this truck has never left the city... When I looked under the carpet behind the seat, the paint was so fresh and new looking... There was not a speck of dust back there, the metal is in great shape all around... The paint on the exterior however is showing it's age from the sun... I haven't decided what color I want it to be yet, but I know it will be flat (matte).... So all in all it was a fun trip... The guy I bought it from couldn't believe I came all that way for his old pick-up... But the plane ticket through southwest was only $79 can't beat that... Now I plan on switching the axles from my 86 (amc-20 and 30 with 4.10s) Will the drive shaft from either truck work or will I have to lengthen/shorten one... The 86 has the 3 speed torque flight and amc 20 rearend and the 88 has the aw4 and the d 35.... I'm working on getting some pictures loaded... I don't really know how to do it... But I do know you have to upload them to the net first... Glad to be home with my new toy... Thanks again guys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-600JeepMJ Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 :cheers: welcome to the club... now go out and buy a few more MJs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJM/78 Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 You said you drove it back to CO , where do you live ? Always cool to see another CO guy ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ride172 Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share Posted February 2, 2010 You said you drove it back to CO , where do you live ? Always cool to see another CO guy ! I live up north in Loveland... Moved here without knowing where I was going... I love Colorado, don't think I'll ever leave... :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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