89 XJ 4.0L Distributor noisy and strange looking
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Model: Cherokee
89 XJ 4.0L Distributor noisy and strange looking
Bought a 1989 Cherokee 4.0L lots of refurbishment and seller said rebuilt engine. Sounds and feels rebuilt, quiet and strong, good oil pressure, etc. Asked seller if the distributor had been upgraded/rebuilt, he said no.
Distributor just started making noises like a bushing or bearing was going out. Took off the cap and shaft felt and looked fairly tight, no wobble side to side. There is dust and grit inside. From photos I've seen on line of these distribs, the sensor appeared to be like a plate fit under rotor. Mine has no plate, but a kind of pear shaped metal "cup" under the rotor. The hold down clamp mounts like most American V8's with the clamp a loose fork and the "tines" holding the flange of the distrib down. "Fork" is bolted to the block. Part number stickcer on the cap reads LUCAS EF 8953007190. Googled that and got eBay page in German and pics of old used distributors. Anybody got and experience or clues?
Distributor just started making noises like a bushing or bearing was going out. Took off the cap and shaft felt and looked fairly tight, no wobble side to side. There is dust and grit inside. From photos I've seen on line of these distribs, the sensor appeared to be like a plate fit under rotor. Mine has no plate, but a kind of pear shaped metal "cup" under the rotor. The hold down clamp mounts like most American V8's with the clamp a loose fork and the "tines" holding the flange of the distrib down. "Fork" is bolted to the block. Part number stickcer on the cap reads LUCAS EF 8953007190. Googled that and got eBay page in German and pics of old used distributors. Anybody got and experience or clues?
CF Veteran
Joined: May 2012
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From: Lost in the wilds of Virginia
Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Lucas?
Lucas??? Eeeeevilllle!
More here.
Lucas??? Eeeeevilllle!
- The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."
- Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.
- Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
- Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
- The three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off.
- The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics.
- >Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices
- Lucas systems actually uses AC current; it just has a random frequency.
- "I have had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never had any trou..."
- If Lucas made guns, wars would not start.
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,489
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From: Nor-Cal Coast
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
Good stuff Mark! (love never had any trou....
Lucas, the "prince of darkness" where wiring is concerned. Actually in my 72 Jag the wires seem great! It's just that what they hook to doesn't work.
Likely we want to hear from Cruiser here. The quasi in pulse incinerator in your distributor doesn't matter much. You can just unplug those wires and it will run fine, maybe take it yet a little longer to fire is all. (Renix always registers two revs and 300 RPM before firing). All that cam sensor does is tell the puter' (ECU), weather #1 or #6 is coming up. The ECU will figure it out quickly enough without the sync pulse generator telling it where the cam is.
I would like to hear the noise....If the dizzy cap has alloy-aluminum looking electrodes, can it, and get the spendy one with brass looking electrodes, (and a new rotor). I've had some difficulty seating even a nice new cap, seemed to fight me and be a booger feeling the screws seat home. Once I boogered the threads, drilled the cap and used a larger screw. Welcome to Jeep, where the little things are the big problem. Apparently some very twisted soul engineered almost everything to be a supper pain, but once conquered it will serve forever.
On top in my sig is a link to Cruisers tips, highly recommended. Below that is a mess of stuff I found.
Lucas, the "prince of darkness" where wiring is concerned. Actually in my 72 Jag the wires seem great! It's just that what they hook to doesn't work.
Likely we want to hear from Cruiser here. The quasi in pulse incinerator in your distributor doesn't matter much. You can just unplug those wires and it will run fine, maybe take it yet a little longer to fire is all. (Renix always registers two revs and 300 RPM before firing). All that cam sensor does is tell the puter' (ECU), weather #1 or #6 is coming up. The ECU will figure it out quickly enough without the sync pulse generator telling it where the cam is.
I would like to hear the noise....If the dizzy cap has alloy-aluminum looking electrodes, can it, and get the spendy one with brass looking electrodes, (and a new rotor). I've had some difficulty seating even a nice new cap, seemed to fight me and be a booger feeling the screws seat home. Once I boogered the threads, drilled the cap and used a larger screw. Welcome to Jeep, where the little things are the big problem. Apparently some very twisted soul engineered almost everything to be a supper pain, but once conquered it will serve forever.
On top in my sig is a link to Cruisers tips, highly recommended. Below that is a mess of stuff I found.
Last edited by DFlintstone; Feb 27, 2017 at 11:13 PM.
::CF Moderator::
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 43,971
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From: Prescott, Az
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Get a replacement. Use an o-ring under it and index it per the link below.
http://cruiser54.com/?p=68
http://cruiser54.com/?p=68
CF Veteran
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 7,965
Likes: 964
From: Lost in the wilds of Virginia
Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
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