Recent content by bajacalal

The harmonic balancer is almost surely the problem based on what you describe. When it fails it "walks" toward the engine block and can grind a hole in your timing cover. Look for rubber squishing out from the inner and outer portions of the harmonic balancer pulley. Replace immediately if it is...

Yes, you can use the older pistons. The bore is the same but the pistons are slightly different. They are not metric like the newer pistons so the rings are not the same thickness. I think NAPA should at least be able to order singles. Try this number, just looked on the website. Piston w/ Pin...

I found that the torx bit that NAPA sells is composed of 2 pieces. There is the torx bit itself and it's pressed into whats almost like a regular hex socket. It is possible to punch the torx bit out of the socket. Then, I cut the torx bit (not at the hex end) and the socket down with a saw so...

So I'm helping my roommate swap his engine and transmission into another XJ from one he rolled. We both have/had 96'es 4wd with a 4.0 and AX-15. How much play is there supposed to be in the input shaft? We pulled the engine and transmission apart (he thinks the input shaft seal is leaking) and...

Not really. Yes, it is a "Toyota" transmission. The internal parts are similar. Dodge also used it. The AX-15 was built to Jeep specifications. From other makes, there are differences such as the shaft lengths. I would not consider it interchangeable.

I was in an XJ rollover where it kept running upside down. I reached up from the passenger seat and turned the ignition off.

Inspect the belt drive pulleys. Look at the crank pulley, if it looks like the pulley metal will rub against the engine, it is bad. There are 2 parts to this pulley. The outer ring starts to come off of the inner hub when the rubber that joins the 2 parts fails. You might notice this rubber...

A lot of topics coming up recently about the diesel engine... From what I have heard the bell housing pattern is not the same as the AMC engines. The Renault engine has something else entirely.

I guess you joined the club of us on NAXJA that have been upside down in the vehicle. Really, I'm glad that you did not get hurt. What options do you have to repair parts locally rather than buying new ones? Here I know of an electrical shop and a shop that repairs radiators and fuel tanks...

Hello Steve, I think the Renault diesel engine is the same used in other Renault cars and vans. I think it is in what is called the Douvrin engine family. Look here for a list of vehicles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douvrin_engine#2.1_Diesel Maybe parts for one of the more common Renault...

The thing is, 5-90, the house oil is not necessarily the same product. I've worked at Napa for a couple of years. Some customers claimed there is a difference of color and "texture" when they compared the house oil to the conventional Valvoline made by the same company so everybody wanted to...

Quick answer: IIRC the earlier Cherokees (from the AMC era until Chrysler changed it) do not have the same seat attachment pattern on the floor. I do think the late 80s ones had better seats though.

Thats a different 360. The Chrysler block in a Dodge truck is not the same engine as the AMC V8, just a similar displacement figure...

When I wrench on cars including other peoples cars oxygen sensors are one of the few things I go OEM on. I've had problems with Bosch sensors in the XJ, the OEM one is made by NTK they also make the NGK line of spark plugs. Maybe I'm just crazy and the sensor was a coincidental defect but I tend...

Pretty darned easily. Just to connect to an unsecured network its easy anyway. All you need is a computer thats set up for wireless networking and you just use the same software you normally use to control the wireless adapter. Tell it to look for networks and then connect to any that are not...