Never dead... Just Reborn... Restoring my MJ Daily Driver
05-20-2012, 08:25 PM
#1
MJ>XJ
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Griffin, G.A.
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Year: 1990
Model: Comanche
Engine: 4.0 I6
Never dead... Just Reborn... Restoring my MJ Daily Driver
I bought this sometime in the fall of 2011... Picked it up out of north AL as a backup vehicle for if my Z71 or Altima ever goes down... well ended up trading the Z71 for a 2012 WK2 overland... so the comanche became my DD and the Altima became the wifes DD... then it started... lol...
This was stock... 4.0/ax15/231/d30/d44, oem skids front to rear, oem front hooks, oem brush guard, oem fog lights, sliding rear window and bucket seats
blew the rear main seal... so the altima became my DD and the WK2 hers while i started to go through this... this is what you have to replace when the rear main seal goes out lol...
Just yank all of it out...
Then strip everything off it... im just playing around if you cant tell already... i pulled all mine out because its got 200k on all the OEM stuff so there wasnt a single seal NOT leaking... plus may as well do all the other stuff right? clutch and all...
since the tranny was out the way... may as well tackle the drivers side floor pan which my 12 fit right through...
as for the motor i did it all... decreased and pressure washed it... replace the rear main... oil pan seal as well as the oil pan because mine looks like it hit tonka truck in the middle of I75... valve cover gasket, oil pump, plugs, wires and all that stuff, after i cleaned everything i kept finding water at the back of the head on the head gasket... wouldnt allow me to paint everything... pulled the head and sure enough the head gasket busted between the water port and outside of the head... nothing in the cylinders or oil so i was good.... caught just in time... but went ahead and replaced all that as well... wire wheeled the rods and stuff too kinda getting some of that old crud off them... painted everything nice and perty and clear coated for easy cleaning later...
Also stripped my engine way as best i could... some of it ill be replacing soon with newer model parts (like brake stuff youll see in the pic thats now painted white) and painted everything white again... also clear coated to kinda help cleaning later as well... its an engine bay and it was white from the factory... i know it probly wont stay that way but oh well... lol
I also did the external bellhousing swap while it was out and a stage 2 clutch, open loop radiator system conversion, and will be upgrading to newer model brakes soon
This rear bumper was on my XJ and leans the tire into the cab... i got a cage now on it so was trying to sell it but nobody wanted to ditch there hatch so couldnt get it sold... desided to make it my tailgate/spare tire carrier on the MJ instead... rebuild the MJ rear bumper mounts in order to take the stock XJ style bumpers...
you want my tag number? then just drive up behind me on the street... that easy... stupid to block it on the net...
Also did a 8.8 4L10 rear end in it... i sold the D44 for $350 and that paid for my 8.8 and simple axle swap from ruff stuff... plus some other stuff... i have had my eyes on a dana 30 4.10 in the jy down the street for awhile and picked it up finally for $150... its a disco axle but i did the Yukon one piece conversion... at the same time i did a spring over swap on the rear and picked up a 3.5in lift for the front in a JY in atl i found... added 2in spacers and JK shocks all around... on the front i welded on shock tabs so "BPE's" basically but done right... lol... these pics also show my brand new 35x12.50r15 general grabber red lettes... they sit on the OEM wheels that i stripped with paint stripper to get rid of all the grey, polished, and clear coated... looks great!
Also since both front fenders, both doors, and the grill had damage... i found a guy 2 hours from me parting out a white 97+ XJ... he was on here and scored a extra $35 from me AFTER i met him and never sent me the part so ill be paying him a visit when i go back his direction... anyways did the 97+ swap as well as the center console... i also did the infinity ZJ door plug to make the doors easier to remove and wired up the windows to work... door locks and mirrors are to much of a pain... in fact the doors period were a pain... strikers are different and everything... made it happen though...
when i redid the floor pan i also ordered new carpet off ebay and installed it... pain in the butt as well... dont really have pics of it but just letting yall know...
here is the OEM door panels... they were faded like a lot get at the glass... so figured i would try something i did to my ole 72 chevy back in the day... turned out great here as well because of the grey and white colors on my MJ... its a textured granite like look and i clean coat the crap out of them so it lasts and looks shiney... turned out good!
That pretty much covers me up to this point... i still gotta do brake lines and i ordered the wrong ball joints so waiting on pay day so i can get new wheel bearing and ball joints... after that itll be back on the road again... couple small things but nothing major!!!
This was stock... 4.0/ax15/231/d30/d44, oem skids front to rear, oem front hooks, oem brush guard, oem fog lights, sliding rear window and bucket seats
blew the rear main seal... so the altima became my DD and the WK2 hers while i started to go through this... this is what you have to replace when the rear main seal goes out lol...
Just yank all of it out...
Then strip everything off it... im just playing around if you cant tell already... i pulled all mine out because its got 200k on all the OEM stuff so there wasnt a single seal NOT leaking... plus may as well do all the other stuff right? clutch and all...
since the tranny was out the way... may as well tackle the drivers side floor pan which my 12 fit right through...
as for the motor i did it all... decreased and pressure washed it... replace the rear main... oil pan seal as well as the oil pan because mine looks like it hit tonka truck in the middle of I75... valve cover gasket, oil pump, plugs, wires and all that stuff, after i cleaned everything i kept finding water at the back of the head on the head gasket... wouldnt allow me to paint everything... pulled the head and sure enough the head gasket busted between the water port and outside of the head... nothing in the cylinders or oil so i was good.... caught just in time... but went ahead and replaced all that as well... wire wheeled the rods and stuff too kinda getting some of that old crud off them... painted everything nice and perty and clear coated for easy cleaning later...
Also stripped my engine way as best i could... some of it ill be replacing soon with newer model parts (like brake stuff youll see in the pic thats now painted white) and painted everything white again... also clear coated to kinda help cleaning later as well... its an engine bay and it was white from the factory... i know it probly wont stay that way but oh well... lol
I also did the external bellhousing swap while it was out and a stage 2 clutch, open loop radiator system conversion, and will be upgrading to newer model brakes soon
This rear bumper was on my XJ and leans the tire into the cab... i got a cage now on it so was trying to sell it but nobody wanted to ditch there hatch so couldnt get it sold... desided to make it my tailgate/spare tire carrier on the MJ instead... rebuild the MJ rear bumper mounts in order to take the stock XJ style bumpers...
you want my tag number? then just drive up behind me on the street... that easy... stupid to block it on the net...
Also did a 8.8 4L10 rear end in it... i sold the D44 for $350 and that paid for my 8.8 and simple axle swap from ruff stuff... plus some other stuff... i have had my eyes on a dana 30 4.10 in the jy down the street for awhile and picked it up finally for $150... its a disco axle but i did the Yukon one piece conversion... at the same time i did a spring over swap on the rear and picked up a 3.5in lift for the front in a JY in atl i found... added 2in spacers and JK shocks all around... on the front i welded on shock tabs so "BPE's" basically but done right... lol... these pics also show my brand new 35x12.50r15 general grabber red lettes... they sit on the OEM wheels that i stripped with paint stripper to get rid of all the grey, polished, and clear coated... looks great!
Also since both front fenders, both doors, and the grill had damage... i found a guy 2 hours from me parting out a white 97+ XJ... he was on here and scored a extra $35 from me AFTER i met him and never sent me the part so ill be paying him a visit when i go back his direction... anyways did the 97+ swap as well as the center console... i also did the infinity ZJ door plug to make the doors easier to remove and wired up the windows to work... door locks and mirrors are to much of a pain... in fact the doors period were a pain... strikers are different and everything... made it happen though...
when i redid the floor pan i also ordered new carpet off ebay and installed it... pain in the butt as well... dont really have pics of it but just letting yall know...
here is the OEM door panels... they were faded like a lot get at the glass... so figured i would try something i did to my ole 72 chevy back in the day... turned out great here as well because of the grey and white colors on my MJ... its a textured granite like look and i clean coat the crap out of them so it lasts and looks shiney... turned out good!
That pretty much covers me up to this point... i still gotta do brake lines and i ordered the wrong ball joints so waiting on pay day so i can get new wheel bearing and ball joints... after that itll be back on the road again... couple small things but nothing major!!!
05-21-2012, 03:56 AM
#7
MJ>XJ
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Griffin, G.A.
Posts: 17,836
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Year: 1990
Model: Comanche
Engine: 4.0 I6
Originally Posted by cf1k1
About damn time! Looking good buddy. Glad you got that rear bumper tire carrier ish all figured out!
Originally Posted by colorado_96
those door panels look awesome
Originally Posted by AeroSynch
Sweet! Remember I have the 97+ washer fluid bottle for you. Just have to get it to you.
Originally Posted by LeRoy90laredo
looks good man!
Originally Posted by hankthetank
35's on turbines = badass. Everytime I see a sweet mj build, I kick my own *** for selling mine. Nice work so far.
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05-28-2012, 04:49 PM
#9
MJ>XJ
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Griffin, G.A.
Posts: 17,836
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Year: 1990
Model: Comanche
Engine: 4.0 I6
Went to the JY and got wj knuckles, wj brake booster and MC, WJ steering, WJ brakes, durango gear box, and a set of 297 axle shafts...
Went to the parts store and got WJ ball joints, 01 xj bearings, 3/16 brake lines to make custom lines from the MC to the "distribution block", all the rental tools I needed to do everything, and gear oil for the front axle...
Got the one piece swap done from yukon... Sucks boring the inside of the axle for the new seal... But its done... Also got my booster installed and some other parts painted up ready to install but none of this.is easy... made one custom line already and gotta make another... Also made a inner steering box brace thats also spaced out properly for the durango box... Heres some pics... Pics always make things look easy but ive been pulling, washing, welding measuring, painting, installing part since frickin thur... like none stop lol...
Went to the parts store and got WJ ball joints, 01 xj bearings, 3/16 brake lines to make custom lines from the MC to the "distribution block", all the rental tools I needed to do everything, and gear oil for the front axle...
Got the one piece swap done from yukon... Sucks boring the inside of the axle for the new seal... But its done... Also got my booster installed and some other parts painted up ready to install but none of this.is easy... made one custom line already and gotta make another... Also made a inner steering box brace thats also spaced out properly for the durango box... Heres some pics... Pics always make things look easy but ive been pulling, washing, welding measuring, painting, installing part since frickin thur... like none stop lol...
07-03-2012, 06:40 AM
#10
MJ>XJ
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Griffin, G.A.
Posts: 17,836
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
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3 Posts
Year: 1990
Model: Comanche
Engine: 4.0 I6
been a minute... well its on the road... heres some pics! i gotta order long arms and 6.5in springs for the front... just not sitting level like i want... lots to do though still...
this one is on a trail ride in ocala FL this past weekend... lots of pics but still gotta get them all together... comanche did great and followed the full width locked xj's everywhere... was real surprised!! need them long arms bad though... flex is horrid... LSD worked like a locker the whole trip!!
this one is on a trail ride in ocala FL this past weekend... lots of pics but still gotta get them all together... comanche did great and followed the full width locked xj's everywhere... was real surprised!! need them long arms bad though... flex is horrid... LSD worked like a locker the whole trip!!
