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ISO Coolant reservoir cap part number

N

nateofmt2

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Montana
I have a 1986 XJ and am looking for the cap that goes on the coolant reservoir. Mine shattered from being brittle. I have found them all over the place for 87's on but not the earlier ones. I tried Dorman and Crown's sites but no luck there either.

If you can give me a p/n for one, or a link, I would appreciate it. I have had plastic bags and rubber bands for a few years now on it and would really like to fix it right.

Thanks
 
Guessing you have a GM 2.8L POS under the hood. Fixing it "right" would be to remove that pile and install something better/more reliable. Seeing that you are in MT, emissions for something like that are probably non-existant.
Otherwise, many 87-up heeps with 4.0L are swapped to an open cooling system. Which entails one of two things; new rad with a cap, or a "tee'd" rad hose with cap.
 
Yeah, yeah the 2.8 is a pos, but I've worked mine to the bone and it kept going.
Still easy enough to upgrade with a 3.4 gm, just drop it in and add a electric fuel pump. Some have kept the firebird fuel injection by keeping the factory wiring and ecu. There's a good write up on splicing it in.


To the item in question, the reservoir cap, I'm almost certain it's junk yard only 1984-86 years only. Even with a part # it is long out of production. When I needed to find one it was junk yard only, I never found a new alternative. Before I found a XJ old enough to have the cap the closest I found was a cap off a 80s VW, I think it was a washer reservoir cap.



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Thanks for the suggestions. However I actually did the 3.4L swap a few years ago. Also put in an NP231 from an 88 XJ that had the same input as the 207, and I have a 14 bolt rear and hybrid RP Dana 44 front (Chevy/Ford combo). Sports an 8" lift. The AX5 has kept it up w/ all just dandy on account of the smallish engine.

But when this Jeep dies, most everything I have done will be able to moved to another one pretty simply. I will have to get a different long arm kit and steering setup but that is about it.

I also have an 96 XJ, but it is the eldest daughter's daily driver so not messing with it right now.

No, no emissions testing here in MT.
 
Green Mesa XJ. Thanks for the find - I read the reviews and one person stated that the one from Morris was a snap on style where as the ones in his and my XJs are a twist type. But apparently it will squeeze on and stays in place.

I will get one ordered! Thanks again.
 
With no emissions guess you can get rid of all the AIR crap. Most of the confused mess on top the engine is Air pump exhaust hoses.

Looking at the parts catalogue 33000438 is the part # , one place online still shows it.

Yeah the ax-5 is a fine transmission, IMO it got a undeserved bad reputation .
In fact I never had any problems with the ax-5, 207, or 2.8 with years of abuse. Now rear axels I broke a few, finally welded a ford 8.8 in.


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nateofmt1 said:
Green Mesa XJ. Thanks for the find - I read the reviews and one person stated that the one from Morris was a snap on style where as the ones in his and my XJs are a twist type. But apparently it will squeeze on and stays in place.

I will get one ordered! Thanks again.
Click to expand...



Please let me know how it works out. Mine had the plastic insert and snap on cap. Problem is especially for 84-86 parts catalogues are inaccurate, many aftermarket suppliers apparently have no clue the 87 up 4.0 XJ are completely different engines.
 
Green Mesa XJ said:
With no emissions guess you can get rid of all the AIR crap. Most of the confused mess on top the engine is Air pump exhaust hoses.
Click to expand...

I tore that stuff off when I put on the Edelbrock intake and Holley carb on. The only vacuum lines left goes to the Grand Cherokee brake master cylinder and the heater switch.
 
nateofmt1 said:
I tore that stuff off when I put on the Edelbrock intake and Holley carb on. The only vacuum lines left goes to the Grand Cherokee brake master cylinder and the heater switch.
Click to expand...



I am about to do the same set up except with a Weber carburetor. Rebuilt a motor to swap in and have a 231 case I'm going to upgrade to the 207 chain while I'm at it.

Oh do you happen to remember what size the vacuum adapters were ?
 
Green Mesa XJ said:
Oh do you happen to remember what size the vacuum adapters were ?
Click to expand...

I just went outside - it is just a single line and a one way valve (left over from taking everything off) from the carb's full manifold vacuum source to the heater control. The only other vacuum in use is for the distributor and that comes off of the carb, too.

And for the master cylinder it looks like it is just the stock hard metal line that went right into the Edelbrock intake.

So apparently I didn't have to use adapters. Too many years ago to remember exactly what I did w/ that Edelbrock, though.

Not much help, sorry.
 
My compliments on your rig specs. My oldest is a 1985, 4 banger, with a 1981 Nissan SD22 diesel truck (720 pick up) engine and 5 speed Nissan transmission transplant.

Had an 84 gas one for a short while but it got sold before much gone done with it, but we did get it running.
 
Thanks for the compliment. That sounds like quite the project you have! I kind of searched around to see if you had pictures/write up of it. Couldn't find it though.
 
nateofmt1 said:
I just went outside - it is just a single line and a one way valve (left over from taking everything off) from the carb's full manifold vacuum source to the heater control. The only other vacuum in use is for the distributor and that comes off of the carb, too.

And for the master cylinder it looks like it is just the stock hard metal line that went right into the Edelbrock intake.

So apparently I didn't have to use adapters. Too many years ago to remember exactly what I did w/ that Edelbrock, though.

Not much help, sorry.
Click to expand...



Thanks. I was working on it last summer, near the point of putting the new intake on the, had to really hunt around to find the correct looking water outlet (heater hose) in the front and was about to get the vacuum ports sorted when family emergencies came up and everything else was on hold for some time.

Part of the problem is jeep catalogue don't list a lot of small parts, then go to s10 side of the fence it's a little better but again no part numbers to check.
When I had to stop I was trying to figure out if the was a way to use the ports off the old engine. After leaving it alone for so long I'm trying to get back to working on it.

Oh, one weird fact, you know how gm screwed jeep and other companies they supplied engines to by selling outdated motors and keeping the best for the gm production year. (1984 XJ has a 83 engine)
This also lead to the weird 1986 2.8 block with bigger journals and mechanical fuel pump.
Big deal was about the cylinder heads, 1985 gm improved the design (used until 1995 on the 3.4) and they were supposed to be on the 85/86 jeep 2.8, even if the block was 84-85.
I knew someone with a 86 with the improved block, I had wanted the cylinder heads if they were the new design, ran the casting # they were the old gm stock and not the improved design.
Rebuild catalogues list these motor main difference as the cylinder heads, apparently gm made a few more buck by short changing the companies they supplied for.

Just a weird thing I found out about, as random as these 2.8 motors are I've no idea if the 86 I saw was the exception or the rule.
 
Buster is strong with his 2.8. I've had more problems with my Babs (my 97). I've owned buster for 20 yrs. he finally had his first breakdown since I bought him. I'm calling that a win. As for the O.P.'s problem. The reservoir cap is a gm part. Look it up for a Chevrolet Camaro or Caprice. That's what I did with mine.
 
Green Mesa XJ said:
Thanks. I was working on it last summer, near the point of putting the new intake on the, had to really hunt around to find the correct looking water outlet (heater hose) in the front and was about to get the vacuum ports sorted when family emergencies came up and everything else was on hold for some time.

Part of the problem is jeep catalogue don't list a lot of small parts, then go to s10 side of the fence it's a little better but again no part numbers to check.
When I had to stop I was trying to figure out if the was a way to use the ports off the old engine. After leaving it alone for so long I'm trying to get back to working on it.

Oh, one weird fact, you know how gm screwed jeep and other companies they supplied engines to by selling outdated motors and keeping the best for the gm production year. (1984 XJ has a 83 engine)
This also lead to the weird 1986 2.8 block with bigger journals and mechanical fuel pump.
Big deal was about the cylinder heads, 1985 gm improved the design (used until 1995 on the 3.4) and they were supposed to be on the 85/86 jeep 2.8, even if the block was 84-85.
I knew someone with a 86 with the improved block, I had wanted the cylinder heads if they were the new design, ran the casting # they were the old gm stock and not the improved design.
Rebuild catalogues list these motor main difference as the cylinder heads, apparently gm made a few more buck by short changing the companies they supplied for.

Just a weird thing I found out about, as random as these 2.8 motors are I've no idea if the 86 I saw was the exception or the rule.
Click to expand...

Mine is late production '86 (10 of '85) with the big valve heads, and one piece rear main, but...still has the external balanced crank.
 
nateofmt1 said:
Thanks for the compliment. That sounds like quite the project you have! I kind of searched around to see if you had pictures/write up of it. Couldn't find it though.
Click to expand...

Google "ecomike Nissan SD-22 1985 Jeep Al's Nissan Diesel" site and there are some threads and photos scattered here on Naxja and on Al's site. The Jeep came with a few SD-22's in Canada way back as I recall, but not in the US. I found one on Ebay that was an Air Force Jeep truck made into a tug, with god awful gearing LOL.

Mine was custom, but the PO started the swap and I finished it and kept it.

Here is the old 2006 post here:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=900819
 
Well, AMC wasn't exactly "clean" in what they did during those years, either. However, I didn't know about the GM shenanigans, either. Whoever would give the cheapest price got the deal.

I bought a rolled 88 XJ and the NP231 that was in it had the same input as the NP205 so I just did a direct swap. Didn't know that they would swap until I pulled both and counted splines. It is kind of surprising how much a person can swap around in the 84-86's if a person is willing to read and brainstorm.

BTW, I ordered up a new fan shroud and the cap after getting some price matching from one company who had both in stock. Now hopefully they should fit (they only showed compatibility w /2.5l and nothing for 2.8 and as you well pointed out above...). Should be here in a few days.
 
Last edited:
Hope the fan shroud works. It's a pain because nobody is going to have it correctly in the computer.

I had to replace it twice, one of the times it broke was because the engine & transmission mounts were worn out. Previous owner had a flex fan instead of the fan clutch. It was just the right height to skim the top out the shroud and break pieces away. After the mounts were fixed it never happened again.




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