1988 Hardbody Maintenance

[mobio20]

Hey,

I just bought a 1988 2.4l 4x4. It's a 5 speed with 180,000 miles. I was just wondering if anyone could recommend some basic preventative maintenance I can do to keep this thing running for a while. Basically, I drive around 5000 miles per year and I'd like to keep it running for the next 5 years or so with just regular tune ups and oil changes. Is this possible with the 2.4l motor? I've noticed that 4th gear grinds a bit if I don't take my time finding it and I've also noticed the temp gauge creep close to half way during a recent trip during a long climb into the rocky mountains. The temp promptly returned to one quarter as soon as i stopped climbing. Are these things I should be concerned about? Thanks for your help and any advice you can give me.

[RT22]

all sounds fine, keep the oil changed and you should get many many more miles out of it. The hardbodies are reliable as hell, mine has 160k my buddy has almost 300k on his 84 4x4. temp is fine anywhere below half, mine runs right at or a little below half in alabama summers with AC on. hits half in stop and go traffic.

[RT22]

Oh and check coolant and check brake wear as basic maintenance. Belts and hoses, just the basic stuff and you should be good for a long time. Oh and check air pressure on tires, helps with tire wear and gas mileage. AND clean it up, I hate guys who let their trucks stay nasty LOL