New Comanche owner looking for info

[Amos manche]

Hey all,

 

I just bought an '86 Comanche, long bed, 2WD, 2.5L for $900. The previous owner was using it as a beater, but its in great shape. Very little rust (Earlier rust problems had been recently mitigated), under the hood looks good. The inside definitely shows its age, but the outside paint is in decent shape.

 

Can anyone catch me up to speed with any interesting info on my new toy? Are these models considered vintage? Any idea how rare they are? It seems like its restoration would be a fun project, any tips on how to get started? Any problems I should know about?

 

The only problem I can detect with it so far is the breaks let out a slight hiss every now and again when I press them. The previous owner said there was a slight leak the compressor and it wasn't anything to be too concerned over... does this sound right to anyone? Should I take it in to get looked at.

 

I don't know anything about fixing up trucks or automotives, I just know I love Comanches. Whenever I figure out how to attach pictures to this list I'll post one.

;) [/img]

[feerocknok]

The only problem I can detect with it so far is the breaks let out a slight hiss every now and again when I press them. The previous owner said there was a slight leak the compressor and it wasn't anything to be too concerned over... does this sound right to anyone? Should I take it in to get looked at.

I don't know of anything called a "compressor" in the brake system, and I'm not sure what that hissing sound is, but definitely look into it.

 

As far as info on the truck:

'86 was the first model year of the Comanche. It's based off the Cherokee platform that started in '84, with most everything in front of the transmission crossmember being the same. The front of the truck is a unibody, while the bed is set on top of an actual frame.

In '86, there were 3 engine options; there was the 2.1L Renault diesel (desirable for uniqueness), the 2.5L (what the famous 4.0L and 4.2L were designed off of. It's a 4 cylinder version of the 6), and the 2.8L GM V-6.

Only a longbed was offered in '86.

While Jeep competed in the SCCA with their trucks, and won just about everything, the 2.5L was the motor ran, so be proud of your motor.

The automatic transmission offered that year was a power robbing TF904. "If you want to experience slow, drive a four-cylinder automatic Cherokee (Off-Road Adventure)." But the manuals, AX-4 and AX-5, were great for the power of the 4-cylinder.

23,251 MJs rolled off the assembly line that year.

 

I'm still working on my restomod, and have about 10 grand into it now. It's an '86 2.5L auto 4x4. What it still needs is paint, rear suspension, a good headliner, and bumpers. Certain parts for a restoration seem almost impossible to find and are what have turned my restoration into a restomod.

[Tracker]

If you lurk and search on this forum you can learn a lot. :popcorn:

As far as rare, I guess it would depend on where you are. In California, the most popular reason for owning a Comanche is because you can't afford a Toyota. There's a lot of them and they are cheap when compared to other small trucks. The weird part is nobody seems to do anything but use them for transportation or light work. They don't know what they're missing.

In the lands of salt and rust, clean ones might be worth more. In any case, they're cool trucks. Welcome!

[Eagle]

In '86, there were 3 engine options; there was the 2.1L Renault diesel (desirable for uniqueness), the 2.5L (what the famous 4.0L and 4.2L were designed off of. It's a 4 cylinder version of the 6), and the 2.8L GM V-6.

Only a longbed was offered in '86.

Correction: The 4.2L is the old AMC 258 CID, which began as a 232 CID (3.8L, although it wasn't referred to that way until many years later) in 1964. The 6-cylinder version of the engine preceded the 2.5L 4-cylinder by 20 years. I don't know why the urban legend persists that the 4.0L was based on the 2.5L -- the opposite is the fact.

[feerocknok]

In '86, there were 3 engine options; there was the 2.1L Renault diesel (desirable for uniqueness), the 2.5L (what the famous 4.0L and 4.2L were designed off of. It's a 4 cylinder version of the 6), and the 2.8L GM V-6.

Only a longbed was offered in '86.

Correction: The 4.2L is the old AMC 258 CID, which began as a 232 CID (3.8L, although it wasn't referred to that way until many years later) in 1964. The 6-cylinder version of the engine preceded the 2.5L 4-cylinder by 20 years. I don't know why the urban legend persists that the 4.0L was based on the 2.5L -- the opposite is the fact.

I had heard that in the '60s(?), the 4 cylinder engine was produced, and then the next year or so, the 6-cylinder was produced.

I admit to not having a solid source for this info though.

[offroader461]

your hissing sound is a bad brake booster...just replace it and it will be good as new

[1bolt]

The 4.0 (242) was in fact also developed off of the 232, there also seems to be misconceptions that the 4.0 is based off of the 258, but that's a myth as well.

 

The MJ is rare to some degree... you don't see many and even some Jeeper's I've met have been surprised that my work/parts shagger MJ is a Jeep (well one guy anyway, but he only owned a ZJ and a JK so I don't know what that's worth).

 

The thing is it's an incredible truck, it has full sized truck cargo capacity, more if you get one with the Metric Ton package. Jeep 4x4, and is damn near bullet proof at least the 4.0 and AW4/AX15's are. They look tougher than just about any Mini, and they don't rust NEARLY as bad as Toyota's of the same vintage. That and they offered WAY more engine than most mini trucks of the same vintage.

[DirtyComanche]

your hissing sound is a bad brake booster...just replace it and it will be good as new

 

 

Exactly! They're cheap, and when they go bad they should be replaced.

 

 

 

And comanches had a few benefits from the factory that other trucks didn't. They zinc-plated the actual uniframe on them, which really prevents corrosion. And factory undercoating is fairly common, which keeps the whole underside totally peachy. Which is nice if you want to try a resto. There's a few parts that are bad for rust though (above the wheel wells in the bed, inside the cab at the rear corners, the whole rockers actually).

[mjeff87]

....and the entire driverside floorboard, too :roll:

 

Welcome to the club :cheers: It only gets worse from here....

 

Jeff

[DirtyComanche]

....and the entire driverside floorboard, too :roll:

 

Welcome to the club :cheers: It only gets worse from here....

 

Jeff

 

Only if you have a leak... Or, sometimes salt/dirt/water gets trapped behind the factory rubber inner fender guards and will put a nice hole into the floor there and you'll have problems in a short order as more stuff can get in.

 

Both my MJs were rock solid (my 86 had just a skiff of surface rust on the floor) but my XJ was a pile due to the inner fenders.

 

It depends what has happened in the truck's life.

[89MJComanche]

Zinc Plating??

 

On what?? The only thing that got zinc plating was the 2 external pieces of the unibody rail under the cab and up through the engine compartment.

 

Otherwise these things are RUST BUCKETS!!! XJ'S are RUST BUCKETS TOO!

 

If they were driven in any salt/cinders, or in any climate where it rains more than it snows or is dry, they rusted something fierce. As for the floor boards, AC leaks, and sure the door seals and stuff leak to, but the simply fact is that the metal was just crappy quality metal, and crappy quality finish on that metal in the cab it self.

 

A good friend of mine took his carpet out of his 1992 when it was new (worked at the dealership and saw 87's rotting out already) and he drilled about five small holes around the inside of the bed of his truck to access the back sides of the wheel well exterior panel joint. He sprayed hot grease in those holes once every year down into the pinch weld and the crud trap where the root of all MJ bed rust starts. Sure his bed sides were messy, and on 100 degree days his truck dripped some times, but it is IMMACULATE today. Best condition 1992 MJ that I have ever seen. It is a NO PACKAGE model, just a plane White 1992 MJ 4x4.

 

I convinced him this past summer to steam clean all of that grease off of everything, and apply a better rust proofing product that does not make such a mess. It was amazing how clean that truck is.... then he sprayed the grease back in there about 2 weeks ago. I guess it has worked for 15 years....

[Amos manche]

Great, thanks for all the info. Breaker booster, compressor, my lack of automotive knowledge is evident. Regardless, I do love my truck. Glad to hear such good things about it. I'll definitely be poking around the forums seeing what else I can learn.

[smithe1811]

my 86 has almost zero rust under it and its a pennsylvania truck.