Jeep Strokers

I haven’t rebuilt it yet, but do have the comp 235 cam, Johnson cam-saver lifters, .040” fel-pro headgasket(>.010” thinner than the previous fel-pro), fel-pro head bolts, new stock-length pushrods if the checker confirms them(so might still need to source), and a new Luk clutch kit. Mean Green is getting scrapped, so the stroker will go in my 99 2dr 4wd 5-sp SE named Chili(the red).

So I started the rebuild a few weeks ago. Thus far with my brother Nick’s help(Mean Green and the block have been sitting in his backyard the past two years) we have: honed the cylinders(a first for me), installed cam bearings(another first), reinstalled the crank with spaced girdle, rods&pistons with NOS premium moly rings(Perfect Circle/Dana), the hv oil pump, the 235 cam, the Johnson lifters, and the Rollmaster timing set. I didn’t have the timing cover gasket&seal, so didn’t put the oil pan on. Nick had lapping compound, so we used the valve spring compressor to lift the valves 1/4” so he could spatula the compound in there and then I released the compressor so tension was on the mating surfaces and then I spun the valve via the compressor—it worked well! I’ll go back tomorrow or Saturday with the gaskets and get the head bolted on and then use the pushrod length checker to determine what length pushrods I need. I have some Brad Penn SAE-30 break-in oil and MT-90 on the way. . .

I got the head, timing cover, and harmonic balancer installed yesterday. Using the Comp Cams 7704-1 pushrod length checker, it took 14.25 turns to get zero lash. Each turn is .050” so the maths are: 14.25x.050”+8.8”(collapsed length)=9.5125”. Add .030” length for preloading the lifter and you get 9.5425”. If you go to the “Available Pushrod Lengths” in the FAQ sticky that I posted years ago, the closest pushrod is the RP 3197 at 9.547”(so preload will be ~.035”). Rock Auto only has 3, so I found a guy in NJ on eBay that has two sets of 8 for $20/set. They are listed for a 1968-1976 Oldsmobile. Left to do: install pushrods and rocker arm assemblies, clearance another oil pan for the girdle spacers and hv oil pump, spin pump with drill to make sure oil gets to the top end, then put on valve cover.

gradon wrote: ↑September 18th, 2020, 5:34 am I haven’t rebuilt it yet, but do have the comp 235 cam, Johnson cam-saver lifters

Johnson cam saver?

Johnson makes .903" Hydraulic flat tappet lifters? I thought "Cam Saver" was specific to Crower. Or is Johnson making lifters for Crower?

They were Johnson lifters, but maybe not called Cam Savers. I got it installed last night, along with a Spec clutch, nv3550 tj 5-speed, and 242 transfer case. Break-in with the Brad Penn went well. We looked in the m1-301a filter for bad signs and found none. I’m using vr1 10w-30 conventional for this build and the top end was noticeably noisier right after break-in :/. I’m now thinking the pushrods might be too short at 9.547”, so will take off vc and inspect. I might have to order those 9.602”s I used the first round with the mopar 30ab cam&lifters and thicker hg.