Mopar performance Sroker cam falures?

[Plechtan]

I heard that Mopar had been having problems with the cams in their strokers. I also heard that Chrysler supplies all the parts for the engine, and the sub contractor just assembles them.

[SilverXJ]

You were talking to Lee?

[Plechtan]

Errr, hmmm, .......I was talking to somebody very knowlegable on the subject.

[SilverXJ]

This is what I know:

-Mopar sells a stroker with a roller cam setup
-505 performance sells a roller cam
-No one knows where the Mopar roller cam and lifters come from
-Mopar isn't selling the roller cam separately yet.
-A person that is buying items from 505 Performance asked 505 about Mopar's roller cam. 505 says it isn't theirs.
-No one I know of runs either a Mopar stroker nor a 505 performance cam
-Hesco says the Mopar cam is 505's
-Hesco also says that 505 has problems with cam longevity
-505 says their cam will last between 70,000 and 150,000 miles

I don't see Mopar selling enough strokers thus far to get enough mileage on them to prove or disprove longevity, as with 505 and their cam.

[basscat]

I bought the 505 Stage 1 cam, lifters, valves and beehive springs. A machine shop south of Richmond VA (Randal's Racing and Machine) has a machinist on staff who happens to be a jeeper and is knowledgeable on stroking the 4.0. I figured that for all the aggravation folks seem to have between breaking in a flat tappet cam and paying extra for high zinc oil, I'd be better off trying the roller setup. I also installed the KB 944 slugs in a zero decked block. It'll go in a '97 OBDII TJ with an AX15 running 33's on 4.10 gears. The Jeep is a daily driver and gets about 90 miles a day. We'll see how the cam holds up.

I'm painting the block tonight and will be installing it over the next week or two. I know that seems like a long time for an install but my son kart races and that program takes up alot of my time.

[Plechtan]

From want i hear, Mopar buys its parts from overseas, and i would think that includes the cams. But the whole point of this post is to find people who have some first hand knowledge of the issue. Maybe if you are a person who buys a stroker motor you don't come to this site. For all I know the cam failures are just another urban legend.

[gradon]

I was in the room and had my brother Nick ask Zach(505) if Mopar was buying the roller cams from them. Zach's response was "Mopar is selling stroker engines?" Let us know how the build/install goes basscat, cause the recipe looks good.

[SilverXJ]

From what I heard the Mopar stroker is build by ATK... its like a unicorn...

I'm on 3 other forums and besides Grandon, now basscat and a third person I don't know of anyone that has a 505 cam. And only one of those 3 are currently running it. I have not heard of anyone purchasing a Mopar stroker nor and real article in a magazine about it. Probably because it is expensive, new, and as you said the person to buy one may not frequent these sites.

[basscat]

I promise I'll update every so often.

A little background:
I started having a problem back at Christmas and garaged the Jeep after it was making a noise that sounded like a lifter bouncing around. Turns out the #3 piston was cracked and big chunks of it were in the oil pan. At 240,000 miles, I knew it was time for a rebuild. I pulled the motor and trans on New Year's day. See SilverXJ, you weren't the only one freezing your arse off while wrenching on your Jeep. I did manage to completely disassemble the AX15 and replace the synchros and bearings while waiting on the machine shop and motor parts.

Dealing with the 505 guy wasn't too painful. He had some items (roller lifters) that were on backorder so it took a while to get everything. He also sent me 3/8 pushrods with 3/8 ball ends eventhough I told him I was using stock rocker arms. He quickly sent me the right stuff. He must have a strong business because he seemed to always be busy and I made sure he remembered what he needed to send me. That being said, he didn't blow me off when I had questions. My machinist thought his parts looked good and didn't have issue with any of the components. (They build high rpm race motors so if he was satisfied, that was good enough for me.) I just hope all of the stuff holds together because I don't have alot of down time.

[gradon]

Those 3/8 pushrods make the stock ones look so small. My brother just got the roller rockers from 505 today. We too are waiting on the roller lifters, but it looks like I'll be able to take the block to the machinist on Friday and get the ball rolling.

[basscat]

I fired it up last evening. Started right up and ran smooth with no issues. While the block was at the machine shop, I completely disassembled the AX15 and installed new sychros, bearings and a reverse gear. Before I put the casing on, I checked to make sure I could shift into all of the gears. On startup, I didn't have 1st, 3rd or 5th gear. A little internet searching suggests I put the rear shifter rail in backwards. I think I can pull the xfer case and swap the rail around pretty easily. I did drive it around for about 20 minutes using 2nd and 4th gears. With all of the work put into balancing everything, including the pressure plate, the engine revs so smoothly that I have to pay attention to the tach because I can't really feel it rev up. Those new brown dog rubber motor mounts and a new trans mount are probably helping too. Anyway, I didn't get on it too hard so no seat of the pants dyno report until the tranny is squared away and the rings broken in.

[shawnxj]

any report on the roller cams yet?

[basscat]

tearing the motor down next week - machine shop has been extremely busy which is fine because I've been racing every weekend since yanking the motor.

[amcinstaller]

why tearing it down, didnt you just post up there you ran it?

I fired it up last evening. Started right up and ran smooth with no issues..........SNIP.............Anyway, I didn't get on it too hard so no seat of the pants dyno report until the tranny is squared away and the rings broken in.

[SilverXJ]

He has joined my cam bearing failure club. http://www.jeepstrokers.com/forum/viewt ... f=5&t=1883