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Diesel Fuel Only - Factory Diesel Comanche


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wade, i really like the black touches around the tail lights. almost muscle car-ish style. very nice.

 

rob, i have nothing to say to you.....

 

 

 

 

 

lol no seriously, glad the diesel made it okay. I'm sure most couldnt care less but the diesel is something i would look over several times for sure. thats cool you had some pictures to go with it too

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Chris (Angela's bro and my room mate) was on support vehicle duties, and he just uploaded all his pics from the day, here are some hand picked shots:

 

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I don't know what it is honestly, but this truck just has this indescribable IT factor to it. Like, this is what a Jeep is all about. Something unique that you can't explain. IMO, what you've done to it has gone above and beyond the call of what ordinary people would do to something so foreign and touchy to work on. You have seriously earned my respect Rob, and that's something I don't tell a lot of folks very often. I'll be watching more of this thread with high hopes. :cheers: :bowdown:

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7332462884_0803df95de_b.jpg

 

Rob

 

LOVE this pic!

 

Totally! I saw that picture and instantly a playful voice starts singing in my head... happy little tractor... puttering off back to the farm... tra-la-la...

 

Truck looks good, Rob. You too, Wade.

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Looked like a fun day. Where was the show? Would have been fun to go.

 

Rob, I went through the whole thread and just realized that I missed the fact that your alternator is Valeo and not Paris Rhone. This could be why your tach isn't reading right. The tach is reading signals from the alt and these signals may be different on the Valeo.

 

On the pump. I'm surprised it is bad. Bosch makes an exellent pump. They are expensive but will usually last as long or outlast the engine they are put on. A bad batch of fuel can take one out though so who knows. Mine has over 260,000 and still works perfect. I had the head off at about 180,000ish and did have the injectors cleaned and checked for pop off preassure. They were just a tad low but still in spec. That was about 10 years ago and I think the cost was around $160 with new copper seals. Doing a comp test when/if you take them out is a good idea. It will give you an idea of the condition of the cylinders and how they compare to each other. It takes a special tester made for diesels and the proper insert to replace the injector. I don't have one but have a friend I can borrow one from if needed. Cylinder cranking preassure should be at about 450 lbs and all 4 should be even. Gauges will vary so up or down from the 450 mark isn't as critical as eveness between the cylinders. If you are over 400 lbs and they are close to even you should be fine. I wouldn't worry about the turbo either. There should be many many miles left in it. Under heavy load it should push the needle to over 10 lbs very quickly but if the engine isn't getting the fuel it needs the turbo boost will be down. These go hand in hand. More fuel = more combustion pressure and more heat. Combustion pressure and heat is what builds boost. Can't have one without the other.

 

These pumps are still rebuildable and as long as the internal hard parts are all OK the cost should be around what your guy quoted you. Where is gets pricey is if hard parts are bad. Bosch quit making that pump and some parts may not be available anymore.

 

If you run into problems let me know.

 

I still have this new one here.

 

 

 

 

Good Luck, Phil (opsled

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  • 2 weeks later...

Where to start...Well, let me say I am sorry for not keeping this updated while it's been in the shop, but I just really have been quite upset with it. Really upset with it. I don't regret vehicle purchases often... But this thing is testing my mettle.

 

I dropped it off early last week to get the injection pump looked at, as we had a sneaky suspicion that something went awry. The wrench pulled it for me, and sent it off to his guy. We were thinking $500-600 to get it rebuilt, assuming that all the internals were in good shape. I'd stop by in the afternoon every couple days to ask if there was any news, but he was slow to hear back.

 

Then on Thursday, I got the call. I could tell it was bad news as soon as I heard the receptionist say hello. She confirmed by bad feeling by telling me they were legit. The throttle shaft on the pump has stripped all of it's splines, so that's why I was only getting my partial throttle. The vane pump on the inside was worn, and they could only get the parts in a package, not individually. In addition, the injectors were gummed up with bad fuel, and needed to be rebuilt.

 

All total, labor, parts, and hardware, the estimate for a healthy Renault would be $2791.95.

 

smiley-sick029.gif

 

I had options though.

 

Option 1:

 

Cut losses, have the injection place ship the injection pump back in a box of parts, come with a tow truck. Only pay for the injection pump testing, the injector flow tests, and the labor to take it out. $600.

 

Option 2:

 

Take it back as is. Have the injection company put back together a broken pump as is, have the wrench put it back in and time it. $1200.

 

Option 3:

 

Bend over and take it in the @$$. $2800. Have a good running truck with a warranty, and ride off into the sunset to lady of the night myself on the corner and give rides to old women for spare change.

 

 

OPTION 1!!!!

 

After a discussion with the only other Diesel MJ owner (opsled) Phil, Pat's dad, he offered up to try out his injection pump they've had sitting on the shelf for a long time. His is still in the bracket, and wears all the factory timing marks on it from when it was new. I saw it today, it's friggen b-e-a-utiful. (Look for his last post on the thread) He offered to put his pump and injectors on to see if that would cure what ails me, and get another diesel MJ back on the road. Pat offered up his tow dolly, and I picked up the truck from the shop today. The wrench was very understanding, and told me he'd have done the same thing. We had no way of knowing that the pump would be that bad, and that's a lot of doh-ray-me. I squared up with him, loaded it onto the trailer, and set off for Phil's. Made it up there without a hitch, and dropped it off.

 

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Phil said he's going to toss the pump and injectors on, as well as see what a compression test may find since the injectors are out. He was thinking $500 for the parts, and a couple hundred for the labor. Lifesaver. I don't know if I could have pulled the trigger on the near $3000 bill.

 

All hail Phil! :bowdown:

 

Rob

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Yikes. When I saw your initial figure for the rebuild I suspected it was a little low. Not because I have experience with the pumps in the Renault's, but because anytime you mention injection pump and repair/rebuild/replace in the same sentence, you are talking at least a grand.

 

Nice to see another fellow CC'er step up to the plate and help out - thank you Phil! So, if Phil's brand new injection pump cures everything that appears to be wrong with this engine, is he gonna let you buy it off of him or are you going to scour the waayyyyyy back of every dusty parts counter shelf at every Jeep dealer in the country looking for another?

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Option 3:

 

Bend over and take it in the @$$. $2800. Have a good running truck with a warranty, and ride off into the sunset to lady of the night myself on the corner and give rides to old women for spare change.

 

You make it sound like it's a BAD option. :brows:

 

*cue the bad '70s porno music*

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Well, ran into trouble. Had the new pump and injectors in in about 3 hrs and was ready to prime and run. Couldn't get it to prime. Tried a few things and had no luck. Installed an inline electric and got fuel to the pump. Bled the injectors and it would run (like $#!&) and would die if throttle was applied. Put the inline electric back in and turned it on while it was running. Ran great!! Throttle responce was nice and it would rev real good. Checked suction and return for issues (none). Put a bulb type primer pump on suction side with a hose to a pony tank and pumped it up. Again it would run real good as long as I kept pressure to the injection pump with the primer.

 

These Bosch rotory pumps have a built in vane type pump that supplys fuel from the tank to the hi pressure side of the pump for injection. Most others will have a seperate supply pump to do that job. My assessment was that the vanes in this pump were stuck and it wasn't pumping. Choices were to take back off and in for service or do it myself. I don't like to pay for something I can do myself so I pulled the pump and tore it down. Assessment was right. The vanes were stuck in and it could not move fuel because of that. The inside of the pump was clean with no signs of wear but was varnished from sitting and was causing things that should move freely to not move at all. The varnish came right off with carb clean but it was enough to eff things up. The advance mechanisim was also sticking so it's a good thing it was done. The vane pump is the first thing to go into an empty housing when reassembling so it had to come completely apart. It's all back together now and I plan on putting it back in in the AM. Hopefully all will be good. I took some pics but can't post them now as my computer is down and I'm using my youngest's sons laptop to post this (laptops suck for us old guys). I wish I computers came to me as easy as bending a wrench. Anywho,, unless I have effed something up (I'm capable LOL) it should be running tomorrow.

 

opsled

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Awesome Phil! I was going to call you when I got off, but got distracted when I was paying bills. Not that it means much now, but the repair shop thinks the old pump would be in tomorrow. How bad was tearing down the pump?

 

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

 

Rob :cheers:

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Insert huge freaking smiley face here.

 

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I just picked up the diesel from Phil's (opsled) house and I haven't been able to stop smiling. The whole way home was a riot, plenty of power, great sound, and smooth running. Like it should be. It's a great feeling. Phil got it fixed up, running good, and made sure I was in good shape. Phil tried his alternator to get my tach working, but to no avail. Then they tried the gauge. Sure enough, the gauge was toast. It was a complete surprise to me when Pat told me to start it up this afternoon and I saw the tach come up and sit where it should. Sweet! Phil lent me his until I can find another, because his just putters around the farm. So awesome.

 

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:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: All hail Phil! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

 

I still have some electrical gremlins to work out, but it is a good running article.

 

Good enough for me for now.

Rob :cheers:

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Well, I enjoyed working on it and even learned a couple of things along the way. T'was a pleasure. Dam cool old truck. I wish I could have done a better job of appreciating mine when it was still whole. Glad to see someone that does and it does give me some enthusiasim to look for a donor to reserect old blue.

 

Pat,,, Get the donor..................,, let's build another.

 

opsled

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So far my biggest complaint about driving a diesel (picked up a VW TDI a couple weeks ago) is how the fueling station put the diesel pump right between two gas pumps with no way to squeeze in between if the two gas pumps are occupied. Although it is fun sitting next to semi's at the fuel pumps and having the truckers stare down at you and think you're an idiot for putting diesel in your gasoline automobile.

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The dead horse ain't dead no mo. Congrats! :thumbsup:

 

Thanks Don!

 

Well, I enjoyed working on it and even learned a couple of things along the way. T'was a pleasure. Dam cool old truck. I wish I could have done a better job of appreciating mine when it was still whole. Glad to see someone that does and it does give me some enthusiasim to look for a donor to reserect old blue.

 

Pat,,, Get the donor..................,, let's build another.

 

opsled

 

I can't thank you enough for doing that work for me Phil. I can't even express how happy I am to just have it going again, and trucking down the road. It's been a long time since I've had a running, driving Comanche, let alone a clean/rare one like this. I am happy I can rub off on you and rekindle a love for an old truck that's been with you for so many years. I would love to see it rise again.

 

So far my biggest complaint about driving a diesel (picked up a VW TDI a couple weeks ago) is how the fueling station put the diesel pump right between two gas pumps with no way to squeeze in between if the two gas pumps are occupied. Although it is fun sitting next to semi's at the fuel pumps and having the truckers stare down at you and think you're an idiot for putting diesel in your gasoline automobile.

 

Around here, the diesel pumps are on the end pumps and outside pumps of all stations, because they know that the majority of vehicles coming to fill off them are on the larger side. I just have to get used to driving a stick diesel. The ram I had was an auto, and I've noticed how cool it is to have the turbo - a lot less downshifting. Rather than down shifting, just a little throttle, and the boost comes right up and picks up the slack.

 

I must say too, that I am already excited about the fuel mileage. Phil told me I can expect in excess of 30 MPG, better on the highway. If I remember correct, I think he said he could get 38 on the highway. I filled up just after I got the truck on the road with a junk pump and unknown fuel, and after 220 miles with it being in and out of the shop, pump on and off... Once I did the calculations, I am already at 25 MPG. I can't wait to see what it levels out to now that the pump is fixed, and the fuel is getting fresher and fresher with every fill.

 

Rob comanche.gif

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Finally fixed something that was bothering me. Turns out the dealer still makes them, and they are only about $11.

 

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The rear wheel cylinder on the right had been leaking, and bad. Master went dry a day ago, so I figured I would just fix it already. Did a look over, and ordered up all the parts. $56, and everything should be in tomorrow.

 

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Back of the tire looks like spin art.

 

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And on a side note, I found a wasp nest under a spare tire I had outside, so out came the brake cleaner and the grill lighter.

 

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More pics tomorrow after I do the brakes.

 

Rob :cheers:

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