1989 XJ for $650 - Need Thoughts Please

I bought an 89, 2wd for $950 plus axes and tags, but it was still registered and tagged. It had a rough idle that I was sure would be an easy fix, turned out to be blown head gasket between 2 cylinders, #4 & #5, with no other signs of the head gasket problem other than the rough idle. Only had 114,000 miles on it, nice interior so I still think it was great deal. Paid 1,500 for my 87 4x4 in 2004, and spent about $3,000 in parts on it since then just to fix all the worn out oem stuff that died since I bought it. Had 224,000 miles on it when I bought it, has 250,000 now.

Some options are to sell, trade or part out the 2.8 Jeep for cash. Or fix it and drive it. Just what is the problem with it anyway????? Is there a thread I missed on it where you were troubleshoting it?

I would offer the guy like $300 to $350 for the Jeep, and keep looking for a better deal. Have you, or are you going to inspect it?

I find that CarFax reports are an excellant tool, sometimes, for avoiding problem cars so I always use it when shopping for used cars.

Adding to GB's list also check the wiring harness for brittleness, carfax can tell you if the odometer is accurate, or if it has been swapped out for a low mileage one. Listen to the engine for noises, check the exhaust. Ask why it has not been inspected and stickered.

Lastly, you could consider renting a tow vehicle for offroad trips or get an XJ friend to tow you to the events, and keep your 86 2.8!:cheers:

1986XJIan said:

Nope, it has to be 24 years old....2 more years to go.

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IIRC it is has to be 25 years old. My 73 LTD, recently sold, was exempted in 1998. 98-73 = 25

1986XJIan said:

OK...as any of you who have read my posts know, I am having issues with my '86. Well, today I stumbled across an ad for an '89 2 door for $650. I didn't think to ask what tranny was in it, but it does have the 4.0L. The interior is basically gone and driver's side door and front fender are "pretty beat up." The guy said it does run and is drivable, but it hasn't been licensed or inspected in over a year. He bought it for strickly offroad use. I haven't gone to look at it, so that's basically all the info I have.

I'm concerned that I'll end up with something else that is another project. I'm a poor college student trying to survive so money isn't in abundance. :laugh3:

What should I be looking for when I go look at this thing? The damage to the door and fender concerns me.

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Regarding your question " What should I be looking for when I go look at this thing" I would say a lot more cash!!!!!! LOL.:laugh:

Ecomike said:

Some options are to sell, trade or part out the 2.8 Jeep for cash. Or fix it and drive it. Just what is the problem with it anyway????? Is there a thread I missed on it where you were troubleshoting it?

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There really isn't a thread about the '86. As far as I can tell, most of the emissions garbage has been removed. I've replaced most of it, but I still need to get an air pipe, proportioning valve, and whatever else is missing.

Ecomike said:

Lastly, you could consider renting a tow vehicle for offroad trips or get an XJ friend to tow you to the events, and keep your 86 2.8!:cheers:

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Well, the plan was to keep the '86 anyway....I just wouldn't have to worry about fixing it anytime soon.

Thank you for your input!

Proportioning valve for emissions or brake system?

Not real sure atm. I'm basically going off what xxmidianxx told me is on his based off the pics I have showing where things are missing on mine. If that makes any sense.

OK...let's see if I can clarify. There is nothing connected to the air pump. The exhaust manifolds have no place to connect anything to them either. There is a whole in the air cleaner housing where a valve should be. There is a vacuum tree with three ports that isn't connected to anything. These are both on the pass.side of the air cleaner. From there it is going to be a matter of tracking down where the vacuum hoses really belong. I'm hoping to get some idea from xxmidianxx's '86.

1986XJIan said:

Not real sure atm. I'm basically going off what xxmidianxx told me is on his based off the pics I have showing where things are missing on mine. If that makes any sense.

OK...let's see if I can clarify. There is nothing connected to the air pump. The exhaust manifolds have no place to connect anything to them either. There is a whole in the air cleaner housing where a valve should be. There is a vacuum tree with three ports that isn't connected to anything. These are both on the pass.side of the air cleaner. From there it is going to be a matter of tracking down where the vacuum hoses really belong. I'm hoping to get some idea from xxmidianxx's '86.

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I saw one of these on Richey St., Pasadena, Tx, 2 weeks ago for $900, a 4x4 IIRC, but I passed it up and drove by with out looking at it. Got enough projects of mine own already.

Has one of you two found an FSM yet on that engine-emissions set up. PM me your email address....I just checked my Haynes book and even it has some pictures of the V-6 hoses and emissions parts in it. See page 6-4 and 6-5 for the 86, V-6. There were three different layouts for that same year, and they are all in the Haynes book of all places! All three had carburators, no fuel injection. One was for manual tranny, 2nd for auto tranny, third was Canadian.

GAHD, that thing had a HUGE bunch of hardware and hoses on it! Including a Choke TVS, air control VLV, Dual CTO, non linear VLV, Prim Vac BRK, TAC Temp sensor, TAC vac motor, VAC RSVR W/ chk valve, sol, decel valve, a spark TVS, EGR, 7 different vac hoses just on the carburator, and a few other odds and ends. And I have no bloody idea what those accronyms stand for either!:laugh3: No wonder they went to FI and computers in 87.

Page 6-10 of the Haynes book also has the air pump injection system drawing for the 86 V-6 also!!!

ROTF!!! Now you see why I was asking about the cheap '89 I found.

I really don't mind putting the time and effort into bringing the '86 back to life. Decoding those damn acronyms and finding parts is starting to be a drag though. Also, it leaves me without anything to play in until then. It does run, and is drivable. It just doesn't like to idle.

A local car lot has an '86 for sale, they want $5K for it....LOL

1986XJIan said:

ROTF!!! Now you see why I was asking about the cheap '89 I found.

I really don't mind putting the time and effort into bringing the '86 back to life. Decoding those damn acronyms and finding parts is starting to be a drag though. Also, it leaves me without anything to play in until then. It does run, and is drivable. It just doesn't like to idle.

A local car lot has an '86 for sale, they want $5K for it....LOL

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We could probably guess at some of them,

T for throttle or temperature
V for valve or vacuum
S for solenoid of sensor (not for sucks, LOL)
R has me baffled, :confused1, RSVR????

Ecomike said:

We could probably guess at some of them,

T for throttle or temperature
V for valve or vacuum
S for solenoid of sensor (not for sucks, LOL)
R has me baffled, :confused1, RSVR????

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T for thermo too
V yeah
S..sucks *snickers*....switch is one, I know that, for the spark delay switch
R uumm...reserve? relay?

Ecomike said:

Page 6-10 of the Haynes book also has the air pump injection system drawing for the 86 V-6 also!!!

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Uh.my Haynes book does not have that on any page!!!

page 0-6 has a pic of a Comanche
page 1-6 has a pic of the rear axel
page 4-7 does have a drawing of the air cleaner though...that's a step closer...LOL

1986XJIan said:

Uh.my Haynes book does not have that on any page!!!

page 0-6 has a pic of a Comanche
page 1-6 has a pic of the rear axel
page 4-7 does have a drawing of the air cleaner though...that's a step closer...LOL

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It's fig 5.6 in my book. What edition, version do you have? Mine is #50010, Jeep Cherokee, Wagonneer, & Comanche, 1984-2000, Haynes Repair manualISBN 1 56392 400 5, and it lists 7 different copyright years with 2000 as the last year.

So this begs the question, are we all holding different versions of the Haynes manual????? all with different details in them???????

Page 0-6 0f mine has engine identification number details and picture of engines. My 1-6, and 4-7 seem to be the same as yours.

Ecomike said:

It's fig 5.6 in my book. What edition, version do you have? Mine is #50010, Jeep Cherokee, Wagonneer, & Comanche, 1984-2000, Haynes Repair manualISBN 1 56392 400 5, and it lists 7 different copyright years with 2000 as the last year.

So this begs the question, are we all holding different versions of the Haynes manual????? all with different details in them???????

Page 0-6 0f mine has engine identification number details and picture of engines. My 1-6, and 4-7 seem to be the same as yours.

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Yep, mine only goes up to 1997. I still had it lying around from when I owned my '87 several years ago. But that does explain why I was probably sounding like I was too stupid to look in my Haynes or Chilton manuals. I did look the info just isn't in mine...LOL