89Comanche4x4 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Hey guys I am new to the site so I thought id tell you about my truck. It's a 1989 Comanche 4x4 with a 5 speed tranny in it. One day I was searching craigslist like I usually do, so I typed in Comanche (always wanted one) and one popped up very close to where I live for 500$$ in shock I emailed him and got a reply that he had someone looking at it at 530 so I called and called and he said he would be home from work at 5 so I said i would come them and he said sure. So I checked it out. No rust to be seen, it ran but had a knock in it. So I said 400$$ and it's sold. So he agreed. I went down to the licensing place and got it insured and met my dad there who was just off work We went back and my dad who's a mechanical engineer diagnosed the problem right away. The knock that the mechanic said was a rod hitting the block was actually a backfire from the exhaust valve on #1 not opening from a collapsed lifter. So we pulled the spark plug wire and drove it home. here's some pictures. sorry if the size really bugs you (tell me how to make it smaller) this is when i first bought it (still hadnt taken it home.) the guy also had another comanche sportruck but it was a 2.5L auto and not 4x4... everything i didnt want! do i got the good deal. anyways... this is when i took it home, i took the canopy off to see how it looked. here it is next to my cherokee annnnnnd the work begins!! tell me what you guys think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 pics added! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buxmj Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Nice find! Sounds like a great deal too. Can you give more info? Miles, any rust, plans, etc. Also since you already have a cherokee you probably know a lot about the quirks of these vehicles. Good luck and sounds like the mj is in good hands. Buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 Nice find! Sounds like a great deal too. Can you give more info? Miles, any rust, plans, etc. Also since you already have a cherokee you probably know a lot about the quirks of these vehicles. Good luck and sounds like the mj is in good hands.Buck. Thank you! I'm very glad I found it. It has 255ish Kms on the spedo. As for the engine the guy told me it had been rebuilt about a year or two ago by a place called Canada engine. However the warranty expired and this is when the noise appeared. So it sat and the guy I bout it from bought it and then to me. For the rust I have gone over this truck and I see nothing, well. Little bit of surface rust infer the drivers side door, and it feels like a bit of bond at the rear bottom of the bed. Other than than that none. From underneath I can't see any but I haven't pulled the carpet up yet. My plans are to fix the engine and get it on the road. Fix the minor problems, lights/interior lights, radio. Tires are cracked so they will be replaced. I think I'm going for the 31 inch tires. I forgot to mention I'm only 18 so not to much $$ and experience I've been searching around for lifts and found he rustys 4.5 SOA lift to be the best. So with time I will get that! I do have. 86 cherokee (well technically it's my dads. It went through him then my brother and now me. It's been through a lot. Has 355 km on it and still running not to mention being towed across Canada and the year it had he spedo disconnected. It's a 2.5L 4 speed as well. The Cherokee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MancheKid86 Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 nice find for $400, do i spy another Comanche in the background? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 28, 2011 Author Share Posted October 28, 2011 nice find for $400,do i spy another Comanche in the background? Thank you! I think I mentioned in the first posted that the guy I bought it off of had two!! Not really a mechanically inclined guy so couldn't fix this one that I now own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 28, 2011 Author Share Posted October 28, 2011 allright guys here's an update: first my dad and i put some spacers under the rocker so the lifter would be pushed down back onto the cam, which elimated the knock. but we decided its better to replace the cam and lifters. so basically i tore down the engine to get out the cam and the lifters pulled the head off replaced allll the lifters and the cam! put the whole thing back together, and realized no oil pressure!!! soooooo.... i took the pan off and change the oil pump we put it alllllllllll back together for a second time! and then still no oil pressure, was a major disappointment, so we dropped the pan a second time and realizer that the main bearings and crank were shot. crap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 some progress did the front u joint taking it apart took it out moved it outside for some space too work what do you guys think so far? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 here's a shot of the inside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 went to the junk yard. pulled a 98 engine out of the donor jeep swapping parts bearings and i do not have a picture yet but its all toggether and ive been driving it around!! runs like brand new Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 is anyone following this build? haha give me comments, feedback, suggestions! so i took it off roading today and the floors were soaked. i pulled the carpet there is rust but no holes. maybe i didnt pull enough of it :( damn! what do you guys think of the aluminum ranger rims? keep em or ditch em? 31" bfg all terrains too. did the rear brakes. have more pics of this later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 okay and here's pictures of today :) 2nd day of dirving it took it to the local spot downt the road. ran into another jeeper... cherokke on 35s with 6" of lift and no fender trimming.... lol buddys ranger lots of pics for you guys!!! comments? oh and i put the cherokee rims on! i think they look way better than the stock rims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knever3 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I like the ranger rims but if the other side of the BFG's are white letter turn them around. Nice job on the engine swap. Did you use the '98 intake and exhaust manifolds? Does it seem to have a lot more power? Nice progress, I will work on mine next week and hopefully drive it before the snow flies! By the way, the blonde with you wearing flip flops and a nice coat when 4 wheeling? I will never understand that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Don't run FRAM filters. They don't hold the oil in them like a quality filter will. I run WIX filters. Napa Filters are also good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 I like the ranger rims but if the other side of the BFG's are white letter turn them around. Nice job on the engine swap. Did you use the '98 intake and exhaust manifolds? Does it seem to have a lot more power? Nice progress, I will work on mine next week and hopefully drive it before the snow flies! By the way, the blonde with you wearing flip flops and a nice coat when 4 wheeling? I will never understand that. thanks! the bfgs are on the right way around i checked. as for the engine, i did not use the new intake exhaust because i didnt have all the wiring, or the knowledge :P we needed the new block for the crank and the main bearing. it was actually cheaper this way. i guess the fram filter didnt work to well when the cam lobe wore out and the metal shards ripped the bearing apart :( as for the girl, i didnt tell her what we were doing :) haha make more sense now? and for the fram filter that was on the old block, I'm not sure whats i put on the new one but i know its yellow and not a fram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 Well I've built a sub boc to go in behind the seat. 1 ten inch sub. Also I have an exhaust rattle so I'll have to fix that. More pics tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 more pics for you guys cleaning floor pan new rims with canopy rear brakes machinging and again so i broke the parking brake cable off so i made a new cheap fix!! haha and sub box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquaro Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 :waving: where abouts in B.C. are you ? Truck looks like its coming along pretty good :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hick92 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 i got my 10'' box that stretches from one side to the other side of the cab and it sounds amazing it carries for a long ways even with a single mtx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 :waving: where abouts in B.C. are you ? Truck looks like its coming along pretty good :thumbsup: Vancouver/surrey! What about you? And thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 i got my 10'' box that stretches from one side to the other side of the cab and it sounds amazing it carries for a long ways even with a single mtx I had a box that went all the way across the back with two 10s in it but I didn't have a big enough amp and I reallly like having the space back there to throw stuff as it is my daily driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 man this thing burns a lot of gas! what kind mpg are you guys getting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquaro Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 :waving: where abouts in B.C. are you ? Truck looks like its coming along pretty good :thumbsup: Vancouver/surrey! What about you? And thank you! I'm in tunnel town (Tsawwassen) about 6 blocks from Pt. Roberts , USA where gas is only $1.08 /liter :banana: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 :waving: where abouts in B.C. are you ? Truck looks like its coming along pretty good :thumbsup: Vancouver/surrey! What about you? And thank you! I'm in tunnel town (Tsawwassen) about 6 blocks from Pt. Roberts , USA where gas is only $1.08 /liter :banana: hahah dudde i live 5 mins away from the border, i literally just went down and filled up.... 80 $ and still barely full. and yeah I'm not sure how much a litre but it was 74 dollars for 72 litres :D love that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 well the sub is wired in and works awesome, also i have a new deck!! pics tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now