HESCO head and looking to build 4.6L - Need opinions

[SCRMBLDXJ]

Hello All,

I have a HESCO head that's been in storage for years; it was on an engine that failed for some cam related issue and was pulled for a LS swap ~15 years ago. (I will have it pressure tested and checked, but to my knowledge, it should have many hrs of life left in it.) I also have '95 4.0L & '98 4.0L engines on stands that both ran with a slight rocker tick or piston slap until they warmed up. I plan to buy a Clegg kit for this project. This will be my first stroker... I want to learn about strokers through this HESCO head 4.6L project.

This motor will be going in my '98 XJ daily driver, w an AW4 & NP231. I plan to build another stroker in the next 5 yrs for a '83 CJ-8 project that I'm mildly upgrading/modifying (why I want a Jeep I-6 for it). In the past, I've built two SBCs (355 & 383) ~25 yrs ago and I grew up around cars. My father was a dirt short-track stock car crew chief and I had a considerable amount of wrench time in my teens and early 20s, then I finished college, joined the Army, got deployed a few times, got married, house, family and etc. I've owned a Jeep since I was 17 and every vehicle we drive is a Jeep. I'm not specifically a Jeep fanatic, but I have knowledge of how to work on any part of a CJ, XJ, TJ or JK, multiples of spare parts and we love the capabilities & experience of driving a Jeep... so that's all we own.

The goal for this project is (1.) reliability/longevity, (2.) learning about the nuances of Jeep stroker motors and (3.) gaining some HP/torque over a 4.0L. I'm planning to run high octane pump gas, but I want to be able to limp it home on 87 octane if needed (when that's all that can be found). I'm leaning toward buying a Clegg Stage 2 kit for the lower end. I have a '99 XJ intake, 62mm TB, a spare wire harness & ECM. I also have '86 258 crank, but I'm leaning toward just getting a Clegg kit for this engine and using the 258 crank in the next stroker project.

I'm looking for recommendations for a HESCO head 4.6 build to fit the parameters above...

Would anyone recommend a Clegg kit? Which one?

Are there better options going all parts separate?

Recommended cam selections?

Thanks in advance for your help and recommendations!

V/R,
Scott