onlyinajeep726 Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 As it sits I personally don't feel I can be bothered with the engine at all. I suspect the head is cracked, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me otherwise. I'm thinking it was overheated and that's how it happened. If I get it, I will just stuff my extra 4.0L/AX15 and probably a 242 tcase in it. I'm going to have to look into how ugly the firewall and core support mods are. Swapping a 4.0/AX15/242 into an '86 isn't too bad. Firewall and radiator support aren't hard to change on it either. The only thing I would have done differently is cut the firewall section that needed to be clearanced, and welded a new section in from an 4.0 equipped MJ/XJ. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good grasp on welding, especially thin metal, so I just gave it the big hammer approach. Check my build, in my signature. You'll see plenty of pictures and tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share Posted March 13, 2016 As it sits I personally don't feel I can be bothered with the engine at all. I suspect the head is cracked, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me otherwise. I'm thinking it was overheated and that's how it happened. If I get it, I will just stuff my extra 4.0L/AX15 and probably a 242 tcase in it. I'm going to have to look into how ugly the firewall and core support mods are. Swapping a 4.0/AX15/242 into an '86 isn't too bad. Firewall and radiator support aren't hard to change on it either. The only thing I would have done differently is cut the firewall section that needed to be clearanced, and welded a new section in from an 4.0 equipped MJ/XJ. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good grasp on welding, especially thin metal, so I just gave it the big hammer approach. Check my build, in my signature. You'll see plenty of pictures and tips. I'll check that out later tonight, but thanks for the heads up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share Posted March 13, 2016 As it sits I personally don't feel I can be bothered with the engine at all. I suspect the head is cracked, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me otherwise. I'm thinking it was overheated and that's how it happened. If I get it, I will just stuff my extra 4.0L/AX15 and probably a 242 tcase in it. I'm going to have to look into how ugly the firewall and core support mods are. Swapping a 4.0/AX15/242 into an '86 isn't too bad. Firewall and radiator support aren't hard to change on it either. The only thing I would have done differently is cut the firewall section that needed to be clearanced, and welded a new section in from an 4.0 equipped MJ/XJ. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good grasp on welding, especially thin metal, so I just gave it the big hammer approach. Check my build, in my signature. You'll see plenty of pictures and tips. I'll check that out later tonight, but thanks for the heads up! Looked through your thread, and yeah, the swap doesn't look that bad. I think I actually have the piece of firewall that is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyinajeep726 Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Yep, not bad. If you have any questions, feel free to message me. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Talking to the owner more, he said constant bubbles in the coolant, couldn't get it bled, it blew a brand new radiator apart (hard to say what happened there?). He was trying to convert it to an open system, and it didn't go very well, I could see it being hard since the radiator is lower than parts of the head and intake. He said he tried bleeding it on a steep hill too. Personally my experience with the thermal efficiency of diesel engines leads me to think that I'm still on the right track with a cracked head. Anyways, I've tentatively agreed to buy it, there's another guy that is interested, and he needs to send me a few more pictures (apparently there is a couple rust bubbles), then we'll see if I'm still going to go for it or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselMJ6847 Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 I also own a diesel mj its a slow build but she is finally running if anyone has any diagrams or parts etc id appreciate it 7169901156 may also consider selling for the right offer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 This is a bit related, but there's a man selling multiple diesel engines, and a bunch of odds and ends all new disassembled near me for 1400$. May be worth getting as a spare parts collection if you end up picking this up. PM me if you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 I passed on it. The body was not as clean as I was lead to believe. I also believe there is very little chance that the head was not cracked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTA Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Almost picked it up last August for $2000ish i believe, but wasn't big on the cracked head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockfrog Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I remember that add too, I looked at as a motor swap from day one. Saw no value in an old diesel you couldn't get parts for with a questionable reliability concern. Sean was at his wits end after he got it ... He was trying, and it was fighting him the whole way. Sold to someone down in Victoria a few months back. Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big66440 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Being from California with all our stupid smog laws etc... I would take that thing in a heart beat ! Because it is smog exempt!! The only diesels that need to be smoged are 1997 and up , I would yank that diesel out and stuff something else in there whether a newer diesel or a big gas engine and enjoy the crap out of it . You took the words right out of my mouth :rotf: :laughin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTA Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 $350! http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/Jeep-Comanche-21l-diesel-FOR-PARTS-NOT-RUNNING_27818293 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 Somebody buy it. The body is good enough that it is very workable. Argh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Somebody buy it. The body is good enough that it is very workable. Argh. If I had a place to park it for some time, I would buy it. How far is it from you? Any chance you could look at it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimoshel Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 JEEZ Jim. You must be getting old. Acouple years ago you'd be all over that thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Sent him an email. Lets see if I get a reply. Fingers Crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 Somebody buy it. The body is good enough that it is very workable. Argh. If I had a place to park it for some time, I would buy it. How far is it from you? Any chance you could look at it? It's about 8-10 hours of driving and a 2~ hour ferry ride and another 30-45 minutes of driving after that, assuming it's actually in Victoria. I don't live in the part of BC that anyone else does. :rotf: There's a reason I didn't make the trip to get it before. The previous owner sent me a bunch of pictures. I'd have to see if I still have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 Somebody buy it. The body is good enough that it is very workable. Argh. If I had a place to park it for some time, I would buy it. How far is it from you? Any chance you could look at it? It's about 8-10 hours of driving and a 2~ hour ferry ride and another 30-45 minutes of driving after that, assuming it's actually in Victoria. I don't live in the part of BC that anyone else does. :rotf: There's a reason I didn't make the trip to get it before. The previous owner sent me a bunch of pictures. I'd have to see if I still have them. Love to know anything about the truck you found out! My email is: johnj92131@yahoo.com Is this the same Diesel MJ that has been reported sold 3 or so different times in B.C. over the last 2 or 3 years? Got a reply from the seller and will call him Monday. Google Maps says I am 22.5 hours away from Victoria, including ferry trip from Port Angeles to Victoria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 I forwarded you the pictures the PO sent me. IMHO it will need some metal work done around the door, and I'm not sure how solid the rockers are, and it's hard to say what you would find when you pull the flares off the box. And yeah, it was bought and sold a dozen times or something. One of those things where people go "Cool, I'm going to buy that!" and then realize the engine is junk, and it's a bit of work/money to swap something else in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 I forwarded you the pictures the PO sent me. IMHO it will need some metal work done around the door, and I'm not sure how solid the rockers are, and it's hard to say what you would find when you pull the flares off the box. And yeah, it was bought and sold a dozen times or something. One of those things where people go "Cool, I'm going to buy that!" and then realize the engine is junk, and it's a bit of work/money to swap something else in... Thanks for the pictures! Went thru my old emails and I had a couple of pics from and old ad - a couple of owners back also. Anyway, I sent of the money via PayPal. Figured I had very little to loose at $350 Canadian - $279 U.S. is very close to scrap value. Somebody would be interested in just the 4.10 rear axle for close to half the cost of the truck. I will get it back home and register it in California. Then we can look at a TDI engine conversion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 19, 2016 Author Share Posted July 19, 2016 Right on, I hope it works out for you. :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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