ilber's stroker

[SilverXJ]

You make $700+ in one day?

Meh.. if this isky cam I have goes falt I might as well go for 505 Performance's roller cam... even though it isn't a true roller. 70,000 to 150,000 life is better than what we have been experiencing.

[ilber]

nah, i didn't pay for labor yet.... but if i would be making 700+ a day that actually would solve a few problems...

[ilber]

ok i am puzzled. so almost 2 weeks ago i took jeep to the shop, told them what diagnostic i have done, asked them to verify and confirm before i order parts ( tuesday 2 weeks ago).
on wednesday morning i got call from owne-confirmining failed cam/lifter.
i got immidiatly and order replacment comp cam (200+$50 for express shipping, gaskets($80), comp cam break in oil($60).
just before weekend got a call from mechanic, he does not think it is a cam...he feels the lift and resistance on the lifter....

i mean my natural question....what's than?!
i mean why did the pushrod was all the way in the head and i needed a magnetick pick tool to get it out ( like 2"-3" from head to rocker).
i told the guy if he does not have to oepen up the engine- I am all for that...
the only thing does not jiving with me; if it is a cam, whell i am not new around cars and i can defiantly say if engine running right or not.... and my stroker gave me ZERO hints that anything was going wrong prior to THE EVENT of backfiring.
on the flip side if it is not a cam or lifter why didn't i feel any lobes when i turned the engine by hand?!
and lastly i brought my jeep with valve cover on 3 front bolts. the shop saying they "worked on it" for 3 hours.... i want itemized invoice.... hell if they done something i am not thinking-that willbe educational for me and as far as i know, knowledge cost money. other wise i have issue paying to anyone for anything until i know what it is for...
c'mon brain storm... can a dirt clog uplifter and colapse it? lifter gets bind up in the bore? i am puzzled.
i mean when i took jeep you could not assemble it... you needed 3 inch longer pushrod just so it would make a contact with rocker arm...
so i am trying to figure out...
on another side pro camp promissed me cam to be in last tuesday 6 days later it is on its way... i feel they owe me some of my $50 for express shipping...but i think i am keeping all the parts as spares, well maybe not overpriced parts from local napa ( water pump gasket, timing set and an oil filter...$58... as far as i recall water pump gasket normally 5-7, timing $15 and a filter is $6)

[SilverXJ]

The only way to tell if the cam has failed is to pull it out and inspect or put a dial indicator on the push rod or lifter. Are you saying that there is 3" between the push rod and the rocker when a good push rod is installed?

Yes, a lifter can fail causing it to lose contact with the pushrod. It could jam from dirt or it could be assembled wrong. I had a comp cam lifter that was assembled wrong. The pushrod stayed where it was though, just a racket. Are you sure that the lifter is still in the bore and wasn't kicked out? As fro why you felt no resistance it was probably because you were using the flexible oil dipstick.

I'm not sure what the hell the shop did for 3 hours is the head hasn't been pulled yet.

[ilber]

CORRECTION!!!!!!!!!!
MY CAM IS GOOD
i picked up the jeep today.
seemes fine. i guess i neve look down in the engine with head off in the area of the bore for the lifters.
basically the shop "massaged" the valve cover and everything worked. i believe the push rod was off the lifter, but i never realized that there is room for pushrod next to lifter and bore...
in anycase... will report back
ilber


yahoo

[SilverXJ]

There is plenty of room for a pushrod to disappear there. So, what happened? The valve spring just bound on the valve cover and the push just worked loose as a result?

[ilber]

my valve cover seemed shifted just slightly bit and made the contact with the rocker and jambed it in the open valve position. so the pushrod went down, the rocker staied up. i bounced the jeep and pushrod slipped away, the rocker slipped from valve cove...
at least seems reasonable.( gouge on the inside of valve cover). a few hits with e the hammer/grinder took care of it.... shop charged me 3 hour labor...if that's the issue... i am happy....
lesson learn... CHECK LOBES WITH DIAL INDICATOR not the flexible dipstick!

[SilverXJ]

I don't know about the rocker making contact with the cover.. its just too far away. I'd find it more likely that it was the spring. Glad that it was a fairly easy fix.. although now you'll have an extra cam.

[ilber]

trail tested...
~ 20 miles of trail. only a few spots needed 4 lo... other wise had enough grunt from stroker

[ilber]

Hello guys, gals.
well I feel i need to give you update.

I have brought my jeep back to CO and left it there, took GTO and motorcycle as summer toys to NM.
Well my dad needed to pull a few smaller stumps, never the less he used the jeep to pull my stomps. I came over for a visit and dad mentioned that jeep sonds BAD... right away checked oil- black like i had 10k miles on a diesel, smells with gas RELLY BAD. So right away I was warried... i was aware that i was running on the rich side, especcial on a lighter load.
Well that's when i start questioning and learned that my dad was using the jeep as stump puller ... in 4Hi, just off throttling.... well lets start the sucker....
Started, right away obnoction BLOCK NOISE...shut down immidiately. hook up mechanical oil gage... quick start and i have under 5 psi at ANY rpm range...
Pulled oil pan; the pickup screen essentially plugged with metal debries, the oil looks likes glideered... and after filtering the oils through the screen i get a hand full of metals crumbs... F&&**(&&(* .

Engine in a hurry pulled out, loaded and run to the engine builder. Explained what happened ( btw at that point engine has ~4k miles after rebuilt). The builder- " i will take care of you".
150 miles back home, wash up and gunning back to NM ( 9 hour drive, got to be at work tomorrow).

Fast forward next time i came to CO ( ~ 1.5 month later). come pickup my engine, rerings, pachine my cranck, new bearings, different length pushrods... F&*&*(&*().... bill? another $3500.
TBC

[SilverXJ]

So what happened? Was the cause of the failure determined?

I don't understand why so many people have problems with these engines. Its a fairly simple engine.

[ilber]

So bring the engine, unloaded, got to fix a fex other things, and gunning back to NM.
Engine builder said that my clutch was too strong and i just took the crush washer/whatever you call it and took every bearing and starved for oil and had to to do top end as well, the cross hatching was gone in the wall due to over fueling so reringing was due... sounds good, but he never mentioned anything about the clutch in the first hand, nor i wanted to bring my build totla to 9k... well I need to get it done.
ok. so now i am done with my gig in NM, ack to CO.
shoe horn the engine in.
THE M_F would not start!!!!!!!!!!!!
I pull the crank sensor, crank it, get the code. plug it back, no code, pull the cam sensor connector-crank get the gode. So cam and crank working, fuel pressure check, spark- had minor issues with the bracket on the coil (paint)- wire brushed it off- good spark. Spark plugs look wet! Restab distributor ~ 20 times- i am 100% sure it is right on. still would not start. New champion cheapy spark plugs- no start. Loaded the jeep on the trailer and towed it to the friend's shop.
he unplugs the maf, resets all the codes again, floors the pedal and squirts starting fluid... jeep comes to life.
So I asked him to fix my jeep. Charge me for it, don't care at this point, I am cluless why is it doing. But i am getting the feeling that my buddy "afraids" of collection of parts.
I believe i have over fueling problem. I am running mustang injectros, rebuilt jeep regulator( modified to be adjustable). fresh filter, good gas.
TBC

[ilber]

I am at the end of my wits, patience.
ANy advise here? I wanted a reputable shop to assemble my engine, so I would not have THIS issues.... well I paid twice as much and still screwing with it- FAIL here
Willing to pay shop for their labor/knowledge ( shop that works on old/hot rod stuff)- I am being treated like a red haired step child- FAIL for me here again.
fixing something as simple as this 4.0L AMC engine myself-FAIL.
anyone in denver area willing to fix this crap? I am ready to crush the SOB and get over with this suffering....


Sorry for the long posts... had been boiling over for last 6 months, was hoping that eventually i would be able to laughed at this situation, but 6 months later i am even more aggravated nd my jeep is not even running.
ilber

[SilverXJ]

Do you have a part number for those injectors?

The last few pages of this pertain to thrust bearing issues: http://www.stealth316.com/misc/clevite- ... arings.pdf

[ilber]

5.0 MUSTANG FORD RACING 24 LB # BLUE TOP FUEL INJECTORS,
don't recall the part number, but they are 24lb ones
I am not pointing the finger as far as thrust washer failure. I am using luk/zoom high performance ceramic button clutch, which as i recall was like 2x the clamping force of the OE. So that part of the failure is a text-book perfect.... my dad of-throttle just lagging the engine I am sure didn't help!
Just looking for a solution, because at this point throwing money at the jeep does not work anymore.