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Little Red

87manche

87manche

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ohio
might as well do this here too.

A few months back I decided that I hated driving a Honda, and I hated working on all things FWD. I needed to be back into somehting wiht the motor the right way, and a 4.0 XJ seemed the ticket.

The universe apparently saw what was going on and said "You need another MJ"

so this thing poppeed up on facespace.

1625744_10100230689259198_993493958_n_zps7a79bce7.jpg


I didn't get past "Does it run?" and "It really doesn't have rust?" before I agreed to buy it sight unseen three states away.
 
So it was in the Nashville area. I called ShortXJDoug and said I needed a favor, a big one. He agreed to drive over there, toss it on his trailer and bring it home to look over.

I mail ordered several hundred dollars of parts to him:
IMG954788_zpslxzapvkb.jpg

he pulled the driveshaft and had it retubed, took it to discount tire and had new Falkens put on it and picked me up at a greyhound station at 5:30 in the morning. Can't say how appreciative I am for his help in making this pile mine. Greyhound was an adventure....

Slept for like 2 hours and had a wrenchfest for 10 hours. Everything on the front of the motor got touched. New balancer, PS brackets, water pump, cooling system,tune up, vacuum harness, O2, errrrything.

in the beginning:
qyrejeqa.jpg


There was some stuff I didn't mail order, fluids and a radiator.
gereqa6a.jpg


mid teardown:
4e3usevu.jpg


At least MJ's bring their own storage space:
a3ygyqy9.jpg
 
Last edited:
This was in the first sixty seconds of ever hearing it run.



Then I took it for it's first fill up.
typanu5y.jpg
 
THen I drove it home on easter sunday, in Tennessee and southern KY, with one speaker and nothing but the FM radio.
It was a long trip.

truck did great though, 20 MPG on the first tank, that included some around town driving.
23.6 and 23.7 on the next two two fillups of just highway driving. That' with the tablet GPS keeping mileage, because the speedometer is about 10% slow. It will be right after axle swap.

Speaking of axle swap. It's mid 4wd swap, it has a later model AX-15 and 231 with a foxed slip shaft. Doug picked me up a rust free D30 that was complete, and I found a factory MJ 44 locally for $75.
I've got a set of ZJ brackets, so it will get TJ 44 pads, keeping it geared 3.55 so I can use XJ junkyard axles if the need arises. I had 30's put on it so the gearing will be factory with 3.55's.
The front suspension needs attention, so WJ arms, ZJ steering all that normal upgrade crap.

After that it's going to get cleaned up, the dents fixed and painted.
I won't be cutting this one up like the last one.
 
I've already robbed these from the limited in the yard.
Really good shape, all the power base stuff still works because I powered them with a 4S LiPO in the yard so I could get at the rear seat bolts:
2014-04-10%2016.05.51_zpsnh4sdzki.jpg


2014-04-09%2016.13.02_zps6ifidfsy.jpg


had a console with a not broken latch too, score!
2014-04-09%2016.35.02_zpsawbpo1rm.jpg


Being in ohio had kilt it, I "removed" the front seat bolts with my pocket knife.
2014-04-10%2015.42.46_zpspofwrfow.jpg


Those of you in the west and south should have a new found appreciation for not dealing with rust.
 
Redheep even sent me some goodies.

2014-04-22%2011.45.00_zpssn1rjcjm.jpg


love the vent windows, and he had some nice speakers from the 91 he cut up, so I got those too.
 
Looking good Nate. Great mileage too.
 
Are vent windows that desirable? I never liked them. I'm about to chop my doors in half so I won't be needing them. I guess I should sell the vent windows instead of throwing them away.
 
Lowrange2 said:
Are vent windows that desirable? I never liked them. I'm about to chop my doors in half so I won't be needing them. I guess I should sell the vent windows instead of throwing them away.
Click to expand...

They're worth some coin. I always liked them on the trail because I got some airflow but I didn't have to eat dust through the window.
 
Lowrange2 said:
Are vent windows that desirable? I never liked them. I'm about to chop my doors in half so I won't be needing them. I guess I should sell the vent windows instead of throwing them away.
Click to expand...

I had a line on a set for like $50.
They cost about $25 for the pair at the pick n pull.

I wouldn't pay more than 50.

Free however is totally in my price range.
They're awsome in a Comanche because they work in concert with the third window fantastically well. Crack the slider and a vent window and you don't even need to run the AC most days. Just a nice breeze that you can direct.
 
sandsgg said:
I have no AC in the MJ, I need vent windows
Click to expand...

the 87 had no AC.
this one has the bits, it's still R12 and has some pressure in it, but the clutch is unplugged.

I'm gonna make it work, and then never use it:laugh:
 
Very nice!

I am twitching just looking at your "valve cover gasket" though. You are going to curse the previous owner's entire family when you have to do that job... why didn't they just get a felpro blue silicone/steel one and drop it on?
 
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