My 87 MJ

[comanche 88]

So it's supposed to be in the 12 o'clock position?

 

About 3 o'clock unloaded

[Matt1971]

So it's been a while since I posted, with the holidays and my sons wrestling I haven't had time for much else. But the other day I was driving back from work and about a 1/2 mile from home I hear a thunk and the altenator light kicks on the power steering is out and I think great the belt broke. So I'm thinking, I can make it home... right?

 

So I make it home and as I stop the whole front end is enveloped in water vapor, I wait for things to cool off and when I open my hood (sorry no pics :( ) I see that the idle pulley, where the air conditioner pump would go, bearing just expolded and the belt was slack and in good condition. However, the expansion tank from the radiator had sprung and leak from a crack that I can only think is from age. :fs1:

 

I get a pulley, no problem. the only issue is I have to get a 5/8" washer to put behind is so the pulley doesn't rub against the flange when mounted. Works great but as soon and any heat at all the tiny hole in the tank starts spraying coolant all over everything. I take off the tank clean it up and try to patch the hole with JB cold weld. Everything looks good, let it cure for 18 hours and as soon as it gets hot it the JB weld gets soft and the leak is as bad as ever! Yeah JB cold weld turned into silly putty as it got hot, I never would have thought it either.

 

So, I have a buddy gives me this stuff, not sure what it's called but it's like a gray clay Slim Jim but the core is darker. You knead the core and outer layer together and mold it to the shape you want and in an hour it's as hard as rock. It works great for about 2 days. Now, last night, I smelled coollant again and found that it is seeping from around the sides of the patch still.

 

So either I have to find someone that has one of these expansion tanks that I can buy (so far not anyplace can get their hands on one), or swap out the radiator to an open system :wall:

 

If anyone knows where I can get an expansion tank in good shape I would much appreciate it. ;)

[Matt1971]

OK, so I'm a dumba$$! Followed my own advice and checked out http://www.teamcherokee.com/ and of course, they had the tank and only $32.60 with shipping. These guys are awesome , now just hope it's not backordered.

[Matt1971]

btw, I adjusted the proportioning valve, with the length of the rod it's slightly higher that the 3 o'clock position, but not much. Haven't really noticed much difference :dunno: you think the valve could be bad? Or would I have no brakes if it were bad?

 

Slightly off topic, but my ebrake was not working at all, would go almost to the floor with not much effort. I tightened the adjustment and now it holds when the truck trys to roll forward, but rolling backwords it's like there is no brakes set? Any ideas on that?

[MancheKid86]

btw, I adjusted the proportioning valve, with the length of the rod it's slightly higher that the 3 o'clock position, but not much. Haven't really noticed much difference :dunno: you think the valve could be bad? Or would I have no brakes if it were bad?

 

Slightly off topic, but my ebrake was not working at all, would go almost to the floor with not much effort. I tightened the adjustment and now it holds when the truck trys to roll forward, but rolling backwords it's like there is no brakes set? Any ideas on that?

 

your brake drums inside should have this self adjusting clip at the bottom.

but when the truck gets older, it doesnt work any more,

so you have to take the drums off, turn the "clip" (don't know the proper name) which pushes the break pads further out,

do this until the drums snug on, then your parking break should be more affective :thumbsup:

[DodgeFan01]

Thats exactly how my brake was as well, would hold it going forward but not if the hill went backwards plus it went all the way to the floor. I recently put all new hardware and the adjuster thing and now they work Awesome! And I only have to push it maybe a few inches and it holds!

I would recommend replacing the brake hardware.

[Matt1971]

OK so last week she started overheating on my way home. Had the original radiator, I had replaced the overflow/fill bottle. Had recently replaced the water pump due to the bearing going bad. She was spraying antifreeze all over the engine from the overflow bottle.

 

So i figured I better replace the radiator, but I wanted to change it to a closed system. I figured since I'm changing the radiator the I'd better change the T-stat and since I'm changing the T-stat might as well change the T-stat housing just in case. Also, Since I was upgrading to the closed system I figured I better change the heater control valve since the old one was meant to be used with the open system. And of course I needed to get an overflow resevoir since.

 

Getting the old radiator out wasa piece of cake, just took the bolts out of the header, disconnected the upper and lower hose and it came right out. The rubber grommets on the bottom were still in really good shape so I reused them and the top bushing we fine too except one nut was rusted on. I had to use a hacksaw on it so I had to replace that nut with an M5 nut and washer.

 

Took off the T-stat housing and the T-stat was cracked and stuck open. It looked like it might have been the original :doh: so pulled it out and replaced it and the housing. The heater hose going from the T-stat housing and the heater control valve was swollen so I replaced that hose. Then the tricky part, how to connect hte control valve, but of course Comance Club to the rescue and I found a drawing with all the inputs labeled and picture of it connected. Thanks mkbruin http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27165&p=275052&hilit=heater+control+valve#p275052.

 

The only place I could figure to place the overflow tank was where the old pressurized bottle was. So I mounted it there but the hose that came with it was way too short. Back to the parts store, I picked up some 5/8" hose and ran it to the tank, filled the radiator with antifreeze and everything runs great now :thumbsup:

 

new tank and heater control

 

new T-stat housing

 

new radiator and cap, *shiny*

 

I'll post pictures of the old radiator when I get a chance. Too dark to take a picture now, but it was see through