Going to take a look see...

[13 Legion]

Going to check out an 88 4.0 4x4. Now as an 87 2.5 RWD owner what should I be looking for? I have the basics down as undercarriage,the usual rust areas and drivability but as far as the 4x4( and having not owned one)  what areas should I check? I know it’s manual but the ad I read was extremely vague. Not even sure if it’s a 4 or 5 spd. The owner I’ve texted doesn’t know much about the Jeep( other than wanting to restore it) and I may need to bring along a translator. So I guess what specifically concerning the 4 wheeldrive should I look at? Will I be able to access the ability of everything running as it should be engaging the 4 wheel?Any helpful tips much appreciated! A noob to 4x4 Jeep Comanches!

[johnj92131]

Is the seller in Quebec?

[13 Legion]

No in Chicago area.

[87MJTIM]

If you get it, be sure to turn the grill right-side up  

[DesertRat1991]

Bring a flashlight and have a good look around under the truck. Check for leaks from front and rear diffs, transfer case and transmission. Thirty years is a long time, make sure Bubba didn't do something stupid like remove the front drive shaft or something.  Make sure everything is present and accounted for. 

 

Idle the truck and shift through the XFR case modes. Verify the "Part Time" lamp in the cluster illuminates as intended when in 4H and 4L and turns off in 2WD.

 

Generally speaking engaging 4WD while driving on dry pavement is not recommended, but if you choose to perform a rolling test keep the truck in a straight line. You should be able to engage 4H smoothly on he fly. It's best to come to a dead stop before engaging 4L. Rolling a few yards in a straight line should be enough to ensure the system is engaging properly and shouldn't hurt anything. Clunks, thunks, rattles, and jams would be signs of trouble.

 

Beyond that, standard "30 year old Jeep inspection criteria" apply.

[13 Legion]

Thanks for your response! If there’s no illumination could it be something as simple as light is out? So while sitting, engine running, in nuetral(manual) I should be able to cycle through 4h 4l than correct? Thanks again. 

[87Warrior]

10 hours ago, 13 Legion said:

Thanks for your response! If there’s no illumination could it be something as simple as light is out? So while sitting, engine running, in nuetral(manual) I should be able to cycle through 4h 4l than correct? Thanks again. 

In theory yes, but the NP231 transfercase rarely just slides into different positions without some effort or vehicle movement. The Part Time light might not be coming on because of a burned out bulb, leaky vacuum lines in the CAD system or a broken transfercase switch....all of which are extremely minor issues, but a great bargaining chip  

 

Honestly, I wouldn't worry much about the 4wd system. They system is stupid simple and very few failures occur on stock rigs, let alone modified. As stated above, do a simple check and make sure there is a drive shaft installed. 

 

 

 

 

[13 Legion]

Thanks for the info guys! Like I said I don’t have a lot of experience with 4x4. Just didn’t want to miss something obvious!!! Like the missing driveshaft😀