New '88 J20 owner

[Double V]

So I'm back into the FSJ world. My first car was an '87 Grand Wagoneer, and as my hay making business has made a full sized pick up necessary, I now am the proud owner of an '88 J20.
Right now, in order to get the thing back inspectable and road worthy I need to replace the exhaust, re-connect the dormant emissions equipment ( I know, bummer, but Northern VA has emissions testing), and put on some fresh tires.
The rims on the truck now are 16.5..is that the "stock" size for an '88 J20?
If anyone has some good pictures of an intact late model J-series or Wagoneer emissions system I'd love to see those too. All the hardware is there, its just figuring out where all the plugged up loose hoses go!
Thanks in advance everyone...I'm sure I'll be frequenting these parts...frequently.

Chris

[crispyboy]

16.5 inch tires are the factory size. I have been told these are getting tough to find. Some are going with new rims for a wider selection of tires. I believe the closest size is a 245/75/16. This would keep the speedometer reading most accurately.

[skeletor]

post the vin up, it would be interesting if it was actually built in 88 or was just a left over 87. and yes 16.5 is stock j20

[bairy]

I too am interested in the actual year. I will also confirm the 16.5" stock tire size. You can search "vacuum diagram" and there are many links on the forums.

[J4GRAND]

post the vin up, it would be interesting if it was actually built in 88 or was just a left over 87

There were some left over 87s that were produced and sold as 88s after Chrysler took over Jeep. They even have the correct letter "J" as the 10th digit in the VIN signifying the 88 model year. The exact number produced is sketchy but it is accepted as "several hundred".

[Double V]

VIN and such

I'll check the VIN this evening and let you guys know. I'm having a hell of a time keeping the thing running right now...I can get it started, but it won't idle and then eventually dies out...takes forever to get it started again, and the cycle repeats itself. I replaced the fuel filter..blew out the lines, etc. Could this be a coil going bad? My '91 Land Rover did something similar when its coil was on the way out.

Chris

[Double V]

Yup, its an '88

I checked the VIN...the 10th letter is a J, and the badge under the hood says "Meets emissions requirements for vehicles manufactured for 1988 model year"

So there you have it.

What are some symptoms of the ignition box going bad?

Chris

[J4GRAND]

What are some symptoms of the ignition box going bad?

Usually the ignition module will start acting up when the vehicle heats up; it may quit then once the vehicle cools off, it will work again. The symptoms you describe lead me to believe you have a problem with the carb or the choke on the carb. It may be worth it to have the carb rebuilt.