random255 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Hello, I'm Random255, and this is my Comanche: I've only had her for a few short months, so I don't have a good feel for her mechanically. But, in March, I'm going to have to trust her to get me from Topeka to Boston, as I am relocating. I want to make sure it's ready. I've done an oil change, bought a new headlight (it had one new light, the second one was the original one, and very dim), and replaced the air filter. Pretty standard stuff so far. The heater wasn't working, but I got that up and running again. I'm trying to make sure it's in the best shape possible before I go. What else might I do? I notice that it is very slow to start, I have to hold the keys in place for a good 3-6 seconds before the engine kicks up. However, it does start, each time, every time. Is that normal? I have the 4.0L engine, it's a 1991, and just over 200,000 miles. 2 wheel drive, Eliminator edition. 5 speed manual. Seriously, any advice would be welcome. Big things (buy new tires), small things (use some RainX), and everything in between. My budget is tight, because I'm moving without a job, just the hopes of finding one when I get there. So every dollar I have will be best used for rent, and to keep me afloat once I get there until I get a job. Still, I will consider all things. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotex Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Have you checked the plugs? You can "read" them and get a pretty good idea about the internal condition of the engine. A compression and a vacuum check is useful also. Those two checks along with reading the plugs and listening to the sounds, can pretty much tell a good mechanic a lot about the soundness of an engine. That is one beauty of a truck, and I'm thinking she will get you to your new home just fine. Are you going to have her heavily loaded? I'm about to drive mine on a 1500 mile trip also, so this post really caught my eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
random255 Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 Have you checked the plugs? You can "read" them and get a pretty good idea about the internal condition of the engine. A compression and a vacuum check is useful also. Those two checks along with reading the plugs and listening to the sounds, can pretty much tell a good mechanic a lot about the soundness of an engine. That is one beauty of a truck, and I'm thinking she will get you to your new home just fine. Are you going to have her heavily loaded? I'm about to drive mine on a 1500 mile trip also, so this post really caught my eye. I won't have much of a load at all: I'm pretty much just bringing some clothing, a cat, and a futon. So, at the very least, that part won't be a problem. Although, I LOVED the Captain's seats when I got it, but for a roadside nap on a 22 hour drive, man, a bench seat would be stellar. I have to admit, I haven't a clue how to read a spark plug in a way that tells me how things are going... I might have to Google that. Also, replacing them regardless of condition is probably a good idea, unless they're brand new. Oh, and the old air filter was a Fram (ugh), I noticed it had a tiny amount of oil on it from blow-back. Hope that's nothing major, but since it was otherwise clean I'm guessing it's fine. I really love the MJ, took me years to save for one and find one on Craigslist. Didn't expect I'd be driving across the country with it, but hey, life is full of surprises. Where is your 1500 mile trip taking you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Fluid level check and change as needed. How old are the plugs, wires, cap, rotor and fuel filter? If unknown, replace all of them. Look at the brake pads and shoes. Long crank time is normal on 87 to 90 4.0s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyav8r Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 You can probably borrow compression and vacuum testers from local auto parts stores. Advance Auto and Autozone offer free loaner tools in our area. They charge it to your credit card as a deposit and then credit it back when you return it. GOOD LOOKING TRUCK!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyav8r Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Noticed your comment about oil on the air filter. That's not uncommon for our trucks, more prevalent on the earlier models. There are some threads on the forum for eliminating/minimizing the oil in the filter by servicing and/or modifying the crankcase ventilation system (the two hoses that run from the valve cover to the air filter housing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotex Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 . Where is your 1500 mile trip taking you? Asheville, NC to Alpine, TX New to me 90 Comanche. Purchased recently, and i'm going to driver her home and neglect my other projects for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86customanche Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Thats one good lookin truck. Got any other pics? And all the suggestions that've been made so far are all good places to start and not extremely expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotex Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 One of the best things you can do on a long trip with an unknown vehicle is to drive about 30 minutes at highway speeds, then pull over and feel for hot spots. Check the differentials, transfer case, transmission, u-joints, and the tires &rims of each wheel. Compare each rim to the other one, same for the diff's. If it feels normal, then drive another hour or two and re-check. This method will give you an early warning of something amiss, and you can usually pull in to a repair shop and have them check that part over and maybe save you a more costly bill. I do this when I am towing a trailer. I can usually prevent a blowout or bearing failure way before hand. A build up of heat is a lack of lubrication, so as others have already suggested, make sure everything is topped off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Why Boston if you don't have a job set up yet? Do you have a place to rent set up? If you do, post or PM where your apartment is, I'll let you know how good/bad the area is (some areas are pretty bad). Welcome to Comanche Club & Good luck :) Jimmy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 ...Topeka to Boston, as I am relocating... Is it too hot in Topeka? Sorry... best clip from that show ever. :laughin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butchershop Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Wouldn't hurt to do Cruiser's ground refresh - cheap improvement. There's a lot of vibration seen in 1500 miles. http://comancheclub.com/topic/36311-updated-renix-grounds/page__hl__refresh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ride172 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Top- City....... Nice looking truck. Just pack some tools and enjoy the drive. If problems haven't manifested by the time you leave the truck should be fine. I lived in Manhattan for too many years while going to KSU. It's a nice area but I couldn't see myself settling down there either. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I notice that it is very slow to start, I have to hold the keys in place for a good 3-6 seconds before the engine kicks up. However, it does start, each time, every time. Is that normal? I have the 4.0L engine, it's a 1991, and just over 200,000 miles. 2 wheel drive, Eliminator edition. 5 speed manual. Long crank times are normal for a Renix engine, but not an HO engine like you have in the 91. Suggest you do the procedure below to see if you have any stored fault codes and correct them all before you start. Reading these codes should give you a clue of what is causing the long crank times. A common cause is a bad CPS (Crank Position Sensor). I recently had to replace the one on my 91. It was throwing codes 11 and 54. http://comancheclub.com/topic/28111-reading-obdi-91-and-92-mj-fault-codes/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Hornbrod is right. HOs shouldn't take that long to crank. Common reason for long starts in an HO is fuel pressure bleeding off. Try turning the key forward into the run position for 3-5 seconds to let the fuel pressure pump up, before cranking the starter. If it starts right up like that, its *probably* not maintaining fuel pressure after you shut it off. You can also get a little fuel pressure gauge that screws onto the schrader valve on the fuel rail. I forget what the spec is, but the rail is supposed to maintain a certain psi after shutdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain Dude Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Here's a guide for inspection of spark plugs...its for aircraft plugs, but the inspection criteria and causes are the same http://www.tc.gc.ca/...HR/TP11461E.PDF Inspect all your vacuum hoses and lines...they tend to get brittle and crack with age. What condition are your upper and lower rad hoses and heater hoses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
random255 Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 Wow, what a great feeling to get such a flood of helpful people! Thanks, guys! I just picked up my new license plate: ELMIN8TR, so if you see me on my journey to Boston, there won't be any mistake. :) I do have a few more pics, which I took a few months back. They don't show my fancy new license plate. :) Also, the paint is a cheap Maco job, so it looks better in photos and at a distance then it does in person. One day, perhaps, I'll sand it all down and do it myself. For now, it'll do. So, that's my truck. :) So reading over your posts, here's what I have thought: Fuel filter... That slipped my mind completely I don't suppose it's easily accessible? I had a Japanese car once that required removing the fuel tank. That's not much fun. It is not hot in Topeka, but it is getting warmer. Love that clip! I think my radiator hoses are good. They both get pretty hot. I didn't notice any cracks. I tried turning the key to the on position, then waiting a moment and starting. The first time I tried this, it started in about 3 seconds. The second time (about half an hour later), it started in closer to 6 seconds. I will snag a code reader and check for fault codes. I don't have a check-engine light or anything on, but you're right, it's good to look at and see what the Jeep wants to tell me. From Manhattan to Loveland, eh? Nice. I have a buddy in Denver, and I've been to Loveland twice with him to go snowboarding, it's a lovely area. Cruiser's ground refresh... not sure what that is yet, but I opened the link in a new tab and will look it over. You're right, 1500 miles is a long time to be bouncing around. :) When I first decided to leave Topeka, I wanted to move to either Denver, Portland, or Boston. I decided on Boston for a lot of reasons. I've been passing my resume around, but it's hard to get a job from this far away. I've decided to find a room for rent off Craigslist, probably in someplace like Somerville or Allston or something, then go to the temp agencies and such to find an IT job (I work with computers for a living). It's a bit scary moving with no job, but I have been saving for this for a year, and I have enough money to keep me going for about 3-4 months. So all I have to do is find some form of income in that time frame, and I'm golden. Thanks everyone for your help so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I will snag a code reader and check for fault codes. I don't have a check-engine light or anything on, but you're right, it's good to look at and see what the Jeep wants to tell me. Did you even read the procedure? You don't need a code reader. You don't have an OBDII truck, it's OBDI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Noticed your comment about oil on the air filter. That's not uncommon for our trucks, more prevalent on the earlier models. There are some threads on the forum for eliminating/minimizing the oil in the filter by servicing and/or modifying the crankcase ventilation system (the two hoses that run from the valve cover to the air filter housing). Cruiser’s Valve Cover Mod Most early and even later Renix 4.0s could be bothered by excessive oil in the air cleaner box. A fix from my old days as Service Manager at a Jeep dealership follows. Information was provided to me from a buddy at JeepTech during those days. I don’t believe it ever came out in a Technical Service Bulletin. Remove the valve cover and turn it over. Next, remove the fluted tubes that are now facing you by removing three screws on each. Chop 1 inch off each of them. Then, about a half inch up from the area where you just sawed them off, drill a half inch hole in the tubes so the holes will face the rear of the valve cover. Clean and de-burr/sand all rough edges nicely, clean with solvent, and reinstall. Don’t be concerned about the chintzy gaskets that will probably crumble into oblivion when you remove the fluted tubes. They can go back together without gaskets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
random255 Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Did you even read the procedure? You don't need a code reader. You don't have an OBDII truck, it's OBDI. No, I just put it on a list of things to do, I missed the reader not required part. Lots of information to take in all at once. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87mjdriver Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 5 years ago I made the trip from oregon to south carolina with 500lbs in the bed and a small 4x8 trailer for another 800. this last summer I (with new hell creek springs) made it from south carolina to minnesota with a total of 2200lbs split between the bed and a 5x9 trailer. do a full tune up rotor to plugs check everything that is rubber, wipers usually get overlooked, you already checked hoses check/ change all the fluids. throw in some basic tools plus don't forget a plug socket, couple of hose clamps and a small wiring kit ( butt connecters and wire) Flashlight and batteries too If you can get a CB radio that is a help too truckers can help you spot cops and can get you help they run on ch. 19 I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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