New here and looking at two eagles

[IowaEagle]

If a manual transmission car has been parked for a while it usually means there are hydraulic clutch issues and/or terminal rust.

[philotomy]

I'm leaning towards the 87,besides having a working 4wd its shift on the fly and the later ones usually had more options as standard equipment.

[thereverendbill]

I'd just go for the one with the best underside.  if the 4wd isn't working it's really nothing to lock the axle motor and just convert it to shift on the fly

[OverKnight]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

Looked at the ’87 Eagle Limited today.  As with any 24 year-old car, there’s the good and the bad.  The good: the body appears sound.  The engine mechanically sounded good, with no knocking or valve clatter.  It started right up and ran fairly well, with a slightly uneven idle.  Through the oil filler, I could see a good amount of oil being pumped up to the rocker arms.  The oil itself was passably clean and didn’t smell burnt.  The tires looked good.  I didn’t do a detailed undercarriage inspection (it was raining) but nothing appeared amiss.

In the neither good nor bad category, a full set of aftermarket gauges (water temp, oil pressure, amps, vacuum, tach) are installed, plus a good stereo receiver (stock speakers, though).

The “concerns”: we weren’t able to really drive it, only back and forth in a parking lot.  The transmission fluid, antifreeze and power steering fluid were all low, with the transmission about a full quart low (it barely touched the bottom of the dipstick, less than ½”).  It’s not a big deal to replenish fluids, but my question is, why are the low?  Are they leaking, or being burnt off?  Starting off from a stop, it seemed a little sluggish; possibly being one quart low in the transmission could explain this, but it’s a concern.  When I stepped on it a little harder, it took off fine.

The current owner has de-smogged this engine, with a Ford carburetor and an aftermarket air filter and vented oil filler cap installed.  However, the PCV is incorrectly installed, with no vacuum felt through the PCV valve.  I’m sure this can be corrected, but concerned about fixing someone else’s work.  When switching to 4WD, a hiss (vacuum leak) is heard, which did not go away.  There was no way to test if the 4WD was really working.  I’m not sure how the front seats adjust; would a Limited not have power seats?  If so, the power seat adjuster was missing from the driver’s seat (I don’t know if the owner has it).  Some of the power door locks don’t work.  The front carpeting is missing.

I think our next step is to go back again with a quart of transmission fluid and see if that improves the transmission’s response.  What kind of transmission fluid do these transmissions use?  I believe the seller is open to negotiation, but sometimes even “free” can be expensive.  I might be inclined to replace the carburetor with a rebuilt stock unit, so I can use the stock air filter and get the PCV correctly reinstalled.  Regarding the 4WD switch, which is obviously leaking, is this repairable?  If not, are replacements available?  Has anyone de-smogged one of these?  It may not be legal to even ask this, but can anyone provide a guide for what should and should not be removed?  Again, I’d rather start with a whole, unmolested car, but since de-smogging was started, I just want to make this one run well and get good gas mileage.  I’m a big believer in PVC systems, so I’ll definitely reinstall that.

Thank you.

[Whuntmore]

Hopefully, the next time you head over there, it won't be raining.

The ford carb is an upgrade - Not a bad thing.  The carter carb (I have no experience with the webers) are a pain to set up, and get right (Unless you know them really good).  The ford Motorcraft 2100 and 2150 are good carbs for that engine.   Hopefully you got one of those.  But If you're looking to only have All original parts on her, that's a different matter.

but if it was me, I'd be keeping that carb on, and get it the vacuum/pvc hoses corrected.

I'd also take a screwdriver with me, and poke around under the car a little bit.  Areas that look like they've just got undercoat might be thru the metal.  I've seen it before, and I'm not that experienced here.

check at the Rockers, front tire splash area (down from the firewall, in the wheel well - basically where the driver's/passenger's feet would go),  the leaf springs area that bolt to the frame, and have a good look around the whole underside.

as for the 4x4 there is a way to use a wrench and just shift the thing into 4x4 manually.  I can't remember how to do it -Sorry.

There are a few places that will sell you new carpet that will match the eagles.   So that's not really huge, it just sucks not having it, and having to buy it.

You are right about 'Free' can be expensive.  Free "junk" and free "just take it" can be different.  My second eagle was free "get it outta here by 4 pm tomorrow, and you can HAVE it".  We drove it 35 minutes up the highway to the garage.  That was pretty good free.  So ya never know.

[MudPuppy]

Here's a link to the Eaglepedia, which has a good write up on how to manually shift the transfer case:
http://www.amceaglenest.com/~iowaeagl/guide/index.php?title=How_To_Manually_Shift_the_Transfer_Case

[GRONK]

The tyranny fluid might not be low.  Did you check it while running and in 1st gear?  Not 100% sure on an Eagle, but MOSY auto trannies need to be checked while at operating temp and in gear/running.  Most will register low if shecked cold and not running.  A common mistake is adding too much fluid and ruining the tranny over time.

[maddog]

with eagles it is neutral that you check the fluid.

[BenM]

The transmissions commonly leak out of the dipstick hole, it's low enough and fluid comes out when the transmission is hot. Sluggishness like that certainly sounds like low fluid, and it uses anything that is Dextron II compatible, which is usually most off-the-shelf universal fluids. I always run it through all the shifter positions for 30 seconds, then put it in neutral (chalking the wheels and applying the e-brake) to check the fluids because fluid doesn't circulate through much of the transmission in park.

Dextron III, Dextron IV, ATF +3, and ATF +4 are all officially stated by GM or Chrysler as compatible with all their transmissions that required Dextron II prior to the newer specification being released. All that being said, most people here recommend a Dextron III spec fluid.

Low coolant can be a whole bunch of different things -- the Jetta is the only car I've ever bought used not to need a new radiator and hoses. If it's good in the radiator but low in the overflow, it could just be natural evaporation. You need to fill the system and run it to determine if there is any problem, and sometimes it can take days to show up.

[OverKnight]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.  I did check the transmission while running in neutral, after shifting it slowly through each gear.  It had been running for about ten minutes, mostly at idle, which certainly can't be considered fully warmed up, but it was the best I could do.  Again, there are no tags on the car, so the only driving possible is in the parking lot of the company where it's being kept.

I haven't been able to find the time to do much research on these cars.  These are questions I still have:

• I believe a Chrysler TorqueFlight transmission (A998?) was used in Eagles, which if I recall was considered a pretty reliable unit.  Am I correct?  If needed, are the parts to rebuild these still available?  Did Chrysler really recommend Dextron (GM) transmission fluids?  Are transmission filters readily available?
• Are AMC factory service manuals readily available?  What do they go for?
• Any thoughts on the leaking 4WD selector?
• Did these cars have a base/clear coat finish?  While the body looks pretty good, there are sections where it looks as though the clear coat is peeling off
• I was surprised when there wasn't a listing for the vacuum motors for the ’84 (although with resources like this site, I know there are options).  What about things like brakes, starters, water pumps, alternators, ignition components, exhaust systems, etc?  This car will be a daily driver, so the ability to replace or rebuild these relatively quickly (and not at an exorbitant cost) is important.
• Are many reproduction parts made for Eagles?
• BenM, besides increased cooling, strength and appearance, why is the aluminum valve cover a plus?  The ’87 does have one; does this represent an upgraded engine?
• When I go back to look at the ’87 again, I'll bring a floor jack and jack stands so I can more carefully inspect the undercarriage.  While it's up on the stands, is there a safe method of checking to see if the 4WD system works?
  
• The air conditioning system reportedly leaks.  Are rebuilt compressors available?  Are other AC components (condenser, receiver, etc.) available?

Thank you very much; I sincerely appreciate the sharing of everyones knowledge and expertise with Joe and I.

[Whuntmore]

I can answer some of these:

The Aluminum valve cover is a plus, 'cause the plastic ones leak like strainers,

We have Some service manuals in pdf,  (there isn't any cost directly to these manuals but I think you need to become a Premium member (small fee) so you can see the downloads section.

I just re-did my brakes, and all the parts (cylinders, pads, drums, and the spring kit, etc) was surprisingly cheap,

Ignition components can be upgraded (coil, HEI, plugs, wires, dist cap, starter block, etc) no problem.  I just did that also.


In quite a few cases, parts are Ford, or directly/slightly different (but fit) jeep parts.    It's things like body panels, trim, headlight buckets, interior, and similar items that you can't Just walk in and buy at Auto Zone. 

Then there's a few parts that are upgrades, and need slight modding (and I mean very slight)


I think I know what you're going thru.  This is my first eagle, and before I got it, I was thinking: what in the bloody heck am I getting myself into?!?  The car has been outta production for over 20 years, Chrysler dumped everything except for the Jeep part, and where the heck am I gonna get parts for this thing?!?

It freaked me out a bit also.

I would recommend - as a starting point - having the better body, then driving a rust bucket.

[OverKnight]

Thank you, Whuntmore.  I just did an eBay search for AMC Eagle manuals, and they're definitely available; I should have done this before posting.  But if they're available here for the cost of becoming an Eagle's Nest  Premium member, I'd rather send my money here.

I absolutely agree with staying away from rust buckets.  Mechanical repair is almost always less expensive and easier that rust repair.

Thanks again.

[thereverendbill]

the service manual sold through the nest store is really the one to get .... chilton and haynes manuals are better as beer coasters than helping you with your eagle

[OverKnight]

Thanks, RevBill.  The one in the store is for an '82; wouldn't this be missing a lot of data relevant to an '87?  The original factory manuals for the '87 on eBay run about $70.00.

[BenM]

It's a transmission sourced from Chrysler like you said. It's a 998, and parts to rebuild them are inexpensive and plentiful. The 904/998/999 are usually the same kit, and the only real difference on the AMC version is the bellhousing.

AC parts are readily available, but maybe slightly more expensive then other vehicles. There's not many reproduction parts, but there are a lot of parts in common with other AMC cars and with Jeeps, so there are only a small amount of truly hard-to-find parts.

The 4wd is just a bad vacuum hose somewhere I would bet. You just have to track it down. The vacuum motors, though, are one of those items that are hard to find and expensive. Mostly because the Jeep guys get rid of them right away. The stop-and-shift cars use two, and the select-shift cars use one. If you know some Jeep off-roaders they'll almost give them away.

Even the windshields are easy to come by, almost any place can get you a replacement.