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1988 Pioneer Long Bed Metric Ton Edition DD


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Purchased in 2018. Has been my daily driver for about 3 years after selling my ZJ. This has been my first Renix after owning 3 ZJ's and 3 XJ's and a WJ. I no longer drive off-road as a hobby but I still use 4WD to access work/fishing locations.

Only a few days after returning from a long trip to purchase my 91 MJ, this 1988 MJ came up on my local Craigslist for sale. I had to go take a look. Ended up trading my 84 Yota straight over for the 88 MJ. 

Here is what I've done to her so far;

- Throttle body and IAC cleaning (I always do it right away when I buy a new 4.0 jeep)

- New Renix vacuum harnesses (Cruiser's tip #22)

- Replaced and set TPS (Cruiser's tip #8)

- MAP sensor

- O2 sensor

- Cap/rotor

- Plugs and wires (8mm)

- 89 ECU upgrade / ECU connector refreshing (Cruiser's tip #9)

- Big 7 wire upgrade (Jeep Cables) / Ground refreshing (Cruiser's tip #1)

- Improved fuel pump ground (Cruiser's tip #29)

- Remanufactured 4 Port Fuel Injectors (k suspension)

- Fuel PSI regulator

- Replaced Headlight Switch

- Connector and relay/receptacle refreshing (tip #3)

- LED headlight upgrade

- LED turn signal/parking/marker lights

- LED B-pillar/added under dash courtesy/gauge

- Added Sentinel Headlamp feature (Cruiser's tip #30)

- Ignition switch (out of necessity)

- Power Steering pump (out of necessity)

- Shocks and steering dampener (KYB Gas Adjust)

- Tie-rod ends/Draglink

- Control arm bushings

- Ball joints

- Brake stuff (of course but no significant upgrades yet)

- Had trans serviced by transmission shop

- Converted to open cooling system (Cruiser's tips #33&34) (after blowing a hose in the middle of nowhere)

- Luckily it blew near the end of the hose and I was able to cut it short and use it to get home)

- Had the stereo shop install b-pillar/door speakers/deck

- Had factory bench seat reupholstered (bench was better for my dog, unfortunately he passed away from old age)

- Side and rear window tint (front has crack and can't be tinted)

- Repaired loose steering column (had a shop do it because I was busy with work)

- Cat back exhaust (Shop)

- Replace broken exhaust bolts, 4 freeze plugs, Manifold gasket (Shop)

 

 

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I'm not sure how to rotate the images. They look correct on my phone, desktop, paint 3D, photo editor, and imagur.

 

 

I plan to do the Throttle body to MAP hose upgrade (tip 31), C101 connector elimination, and Sensor ground upgrade (tip #6) very soon. I have all the parts ready to go.

The 4 hole injector upgrade and Big 7 made noticeable differences, as did the TPS adjustment. They were nothing compared to the difference of the ECU upgrade! That one has made a tremendous difference. In fact, before the ECU upgrade I was not convinced I would ever be happy with a renix jeep.

 

My goals for the future:

Headlight harness installation

Trans plug connector refreshing (tip 10) (did the one under the dash)

Improving blower motor performance (tip 28)

Improving the instrument panel ground (tip 18) 

Full gauge cluster

Renix Distributor indexing (tip 13)

97+ wiper arms

Wiper bushings

Replace antenna with more rugged one

Service differentials 

Oil Filler cap Mod (tip 26)

Get fog lights working (I don't understand why they are there but not wired)

Add cargo light

Rear defrost

New windshield

Paint job

Line-x bed (I have used herculiner and it's not for me)

Lumber rack

Maybe a modest lift

Fabricate protection / address departure angle

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1 hour ago, 89 MJ said:

Looks like a good truck. Someday I want an MT LWB to go with my regular SWB truck. 

I love the room since this is my work truck. Departure angle is frustrating though. I damn near ripped my bumper off getting to a worksite a while back.

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Completed Cruiser's tips 3 (Connector and relay/receptacle refreshing ) and 4 (Coil/ICM contacts) yesterday.


Looks like Ill be doing tips  2 - C101 connector elimination and 6 – Sensor ground upgrade today.

 

 

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No more BS C101 or sensor ground splices. Found what looked like duct tape on my fuel injector ground splice. Also found that some well meaning person at one time had eliminated the factory sensor ground splices using a big butt connector. Got it all soldered and heat shrunk now.

 

 

 

 

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Not the smoothest day of wrenching today. Got a full gauge cluster swapped in, then realized that I neglected to account for polarity when I installed LED lights in the cluster. Also realized that I kinda like being able to dim the dash lights so I'm probably going back to incandescent.

 

Plus the fuel gauge in the full cluster I installed doesn't seem to be working. This is a real bummer!

 

Also got the wrong part from NAPA for the temp sensor that going in the intake manifold. The one I got looks very similar but is a larger thread size. I know that's not one that feeds the gauges but I wanted to swap it out anyway.

 

 

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Bypassed the power comfort switch and checked the associated fuse. Only 6 of Cruisers tips remaining.

 

10 – Trans plug connector refreshing

19 – Headlight harness installation
28-Improving blower motor performance
38-Improving the wiper motor ground
29-Improving the fuel pump ground
35-Reducing cabin wind noise
38-Improving the wiper motor ground

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Checked off tip #10 today. "Trans plug connector refreshing". Made sure to also check the connector under the dash and the fuse.

 

Also did #29 "Improving the fuel pump ground". I did it slightly siferntly. Instead of exposing some copper on the existing ground wire and warping the new ground around it, I cut the original wire, twisted both cut ends together with the new wire and soldered them. After soldering I slathered it in oxgard and put a piece of heat shrink on it.  Not sure if everyone knows this but if you cut a piece of heat shrink with diagonal cutters while it is hot, it will melt the end of the tube closed.

 

I also soldered on the ring terminal insted of just crimping it. Also removed the fuel filter mount and cleaned between the mount and the frame with a wire brush, as well as the screw itself before oxgarding everything.

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I had no idea that the HVAC panel has a light. :nuts: This is my first pre-91 jeep and I just assumed that the HVAC panel was not lighted.

 

I happened to see one for sale while browsing and noticed what looked like a light bulb mounted in it. That should make things a bit easier to adjust at night.

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  • 5 months later...

Been a while since I completed one of @cruiser54 tips. Just did the wiper motor ground improvement, and changed the bushings ect. Trans plug connector refreshing and fuel pump ground upgrade are also done.

 

Tips remaining;

13 – Renix Distributor indexing
19 – Headlight harness installation
21 – Renix EGR valve test
23 – CPS timing advance mod
25 – Valve cover mod
26 – Oil Filler cap Mod
28- Improving blower motor performance
35- Reducing cabin wind noise

 

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