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My Comanche Died


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It will "work" fine but it is a hell of a lot easier to work on the front of the engine without it in the way. I always pull both. It takes maybe 10 minutes to yank the header panel off. Then you don't have to raise the engine an extra 3 feet to clear it. You also run into hood clearance issues when you leave the header panel on. I just changed the engine in my MJ twice last week and it saved me a ton of time and aggravation removing the header panel.

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It will "work" fine but it is a hell of a lot easier to work on the front of the engine without it in the way. I always pull both. It takes maybe 10 minutes to yank the header panel off. Then you don't have to raise the engine an extra 3 feet to clear it. You also run into hood clearance issues when you leave the header panel on. I just changed the engine in my MJ twice last week and it saved me a ton of time and aggravation removing the header panel.

Waste of time if you've got a good cherry picker. I've never removed more than the radiator in decades. 

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For what it's worth, (which is not much...),  I like to just rebuild what is there.  That way you know everything

fits and you should have an engine good for another 200k miles.  If you take the parts to your local automotive

machine shop, they will do all the machining and order all of the correct pieces so all you have to do is put

it back together again.  Or they may even do that for a fee.

 

You might also consider taking the trans to a local shop and have them go throught it too while it is easy

to get out.  They'll probably only have to replace the syncros.

 

Comanche pickups are on the edge of becoming collectible so there is some value in keeping them

all original if you can and are inclined.

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Well haven't pulled the motor yet, procrastinating or something, I think I'll try pulling it with the header on.

I did consider redoing the motor but with the piston in the cylinder crooked and the major coolant leak, I'm guessing no. 5 cylinder is cracked.

The transmission works OK, so I'll probably live with it, I'll take a closer look at it with the engine out.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The engine is out, next, waiting for pick n pull to have a motor to pick. 

That engine leveler was a good investment. Looks like my clutch is OK. 

 

This starting to look like putting a puzzle back together.  :hmm:

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  • 1 month later...

Well, I got the used motor put in, decided to see if it worked before putting everything back together. The engine had no oil

or coolant. I placed the heater hoses over by the battery, on the third try a big spark happened and one hose moved a bit and the engine started. I ran it for maybe 2 seconds on turned off the ignition.  I was very pleased it started. Got it on you tube.

 

 

After putting everything back together the engine would not start. I pulled a spark plug wire and saw it sparking to the engine.

So I guess I've got spark.  Unscrewed the fuel line pressure release cap and fuel came out after pressing the valve.

So I guess I've got fuel. 

I'm assuming it's getting air.

I put in a new cps.

I'm not hearing the usual fuel pump whirl up when I turn on the ignition.

I'm guessing that sparking on start up caused some damage.

I hoping someone might have some suggestions what else I could check for.

 

Thanks

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  • 3 weeks later...

After much ado, appears to be no power to the injectors.

 

Sync generator tests at dizzy is good, cranks no start

0 ohms from blue and grey wire at dizzy connector to ecu connector pins 16 and 5, cranks no start

Put a used ecu in, cranks no start

Put a used starter relay in cranks no start

Put a new cps in, cranks no start

Checked nearly all sensors, o2 sensor was a bit off, cranks no start

Fuel pressure test, 31 psi,  cranks no start

Spark plug wire sparks, cranks no start

Replaced engine ground and 4 other smaller ground wires with new soldered connectors, cranks no start

Checked relays save last test using power on relay, changed relays, cranks no start

Checked fusible links, cranks no start

Injectors all have ohms resistance, cranks no start

 

I'm thinking of going to pick and pull, rip out a wiring harness hope it solves the problem.

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Did you check for both B+ (12V) and B-(ground) on the injector connectors?

 

Well, you could unhook the connector but then you would have to supply both B+ (12V) and B-(aka ground). The injector has two wires going into it, one of which you should be able to identify easily as B+ because it will be common with all the other injectors, let's say light gray, for example. Now you know that is your 12V line. The other wire will be different for each injector and that will be the wire that is taken to ground to complete the circuit and turn on the injector by the motor electronics. You can BACKPROBE that wire at the connector with the connector in place with your PPIII and apply "ground".
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I'm at work now, can't recall the exact procedure but didn't get any readings. I have to recheck the web page I was looking at.

Would pulling the fuel rail off and cranking it over be a scary idea?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I decided to tow it to a shop and get them to look at it.

 

 

 

So $718 later they got it going. Parts they replaced were, 1 pcv emissions hose, 6 NGK spark plugs, 1 serpintine belt idler pully, 1 serpintine belt and 2 litres of antifreeze.  He said the belt tensioner was siezed, I guess I didn't put it on properly causing the serpintine belt to overheat.   So I gets'er home and next day the instrument gauges aren't working including the tach.  So I dicked around with that for a while, screw it.  I decided to fill the tank and count the k's for the next fill up.  Went to the gas station filled it up, started it up and voila, gauges and tach are working, except the speedo is bouncing around a bit. 

Good enough for me.  The engine I got has 302,000 k's on it, couple of cylinders have a compression of 60 and 65.  Runs OK, should last me for a decade I figure. :wrench:

Engine fixed 20 July 2015

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  • 2 years later...
  • 4 years later...

Here's the latest, Sep 2 2021,  the replaced engine broke, removed no. 1 cyl bent push rods, got'er up for sale (kijijii Calgary) for $600, if no sale, last drive is to pick n pull.

After owning this truck for 31 years, kind of hard to see it go.  552808 kms

P1270706a.jpg

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