Mechanically Challenged dead motor - Buy Stroker or 4.0?

[jaydub]

Hey guys. Newb looking for advice.

I have a very highly modified Jeep TJ Rubicon that I built for Rock Crawling. I often joke that the steering wheel and motor are the only things left that are stock (and that is not too far from the truth). Challenge is, I killed the engine. At this point, I have huge dollars tied up in what I am now calling a rolling chassis that is sitting in my garage.

Based on my desire to leve the transmission and transfer case alone, I think I need to limit my engine options to another 4.0 or purhcase of a stroked motor that I install. I am NOT a mechanic and know next to nothing of engine building. I would not mind learning, but I don't want to wait that long to get my Jeep back off the road... Note - once my Jeep is moving again, I will take the 4.0 that is in it, and tear it down & start building so I can learn about it. However, I want to do that at a very leisurely pace so I need to buy something to run right away.

The power of the stock 4.0 was generally ok for me when rock crawling. On sand hills and a few other occasions, I would have liked more power.

I live in Idaho so I am a long way from most of the known builders. I'm looking at strokers from Golen, Hesco, and have a call in to Mopar performance about their reportd pending release of a 4.7 in a couple weeks.

Question I have is - being a mechanical newb, would I be better off just putting another 4.0 in the Jeep and continuing to drive it like a rental? Or should I buy a stroker and install it?

[Muad'Dib]

Since your in a hurry and are not "mechanically Inclined" your best bet is going to be to buy an engine and have it swapped in. This route is going to be the most costly.

As far as 4.0 vs stroker.... thats all up to you. A stroker is not going to cost you "that" much more.. but will gain you a lot of power compared to a stock 4.0.

Again its all up to you on what you want, and what your budget is. Your right though, a 4.0 and a stroker are going to take way less time and money than say a V8 swap.

[jaydub]

So If I decide to buy the stroker.... Which one is my best bet? I am looking for ease of install, reliablitly, pump gas, and ability to pass smog (not hard here - just run OBDII system)

I talked to Golen and Hesco. Call is in to Mopar, but I am doubtful I will get a return call...

Honsetly, Chad at Golen gave me a better feeling that he would set up the motor for my particular use. 70% Rocks, 10% street, 20% other... (the other is why I was looking at a stroker....)

Thanks.

[gradon]

There's a nice one for sale here. . .
http://www.jeepstrokers.com/forum/viewt ... =16&t=1319
or here:
http://www.jeepstrokers.com/forum/viewt ... =16&t=1306

[Muad'Dib]

Yeah that HESXO one is a great deal considering it has a aluminum HESCO head on it. But it does have a few miles on it... Its not brand new..

However, at least your past the stage of worrying about a cam break in problem

[brokenujoint]

or you can pretty much do what i'm doing. find a person (on here) like Dino, who has had good luck with their build, copy their recipe and source all the parts. Take what you need to the machine shop. then pay the shop a few hundred bucks and have the short block built. then buy a pre-assembled head or just go to a junk yard/jeep yard and get a head, have it inspected and cleaned, do a mild port and polish for 50.00 then have a machine shop recondition it. bolt the head on, drop the engine in, add your accessories and either learn to time/tune it up yourself or have a shop do it.


the only thing here that is any different than just putting a stock engine in is you sourcing parts and port/polishing it.

my cost when i'm all done for a completely stroked out engine with ALL new accessories is around 3k. i want a QEC.. thats a quick engine change. just pull mine out and put the other in. then i could sell my old one for several hundred to help balance the project a little. find Dino's site and study it. read up on other builds and decide what you want.

i have the same set up as you. most of these guys are building for high rpm type cherokee set ups. you and i are tj owners. we want low end tq with mid range power. im sticking with a stock head.. port and polished. stock cam, had the shop do a 0.020 bore, 677 pistons, 707 rods, double roller timing chain, new intake/exhaust/ TB and everything else is stock. thats new engine performance with a kick!

[Cheromaniac]

find a person (on here) like Dino, who has had good luck with their build

Not entirely. I used a Crane 753905 cam with Crane lifters in my original build but after 34k miles, two lifters and one cam lobe bit the dust. I rebuilt the engine reusing my old stock '92 cam with new lifters and the original stock valve springs, so what I ended up with was a +0.020" overbored "poor man's" stroker. It's a real honey and 22k miles later (56k miles total on stroker), all is still good. Dyno and performance results are in my sig. and it's only 0.08sec/0.8mph slower than when I had the Crane cam.

[brokenujoint]

actually, i did mention the stock cam. thats what im using. besides a minimal performance loss, you also dont have to pay for new springs and such. stock head except port/polish, stock cam. nothing really poor man about it though