Jeep Strokers

After running some bolts and parts to the shop the guy said we should have the engine in a week!

Here she is we finally got it back from the shop.

Well folks it's been a long time since my last update and thats mostly because my dad fell off a roof the day after we got the engine in. So after dealing with that were gettin back on track with the project. It's been sitting for about 2 or 3 weeks out back so were hoping theirs no surface rust on the cylinder walls. All the parts have been sorted out and it looks like our engine guy forgot the oil pan girdle. Theirs a lot to be done and I can't remember where I put the bags that had most of the bolts in them So hopefully i'll find those and scratch a few more things off the to-do list before we put this engine in.

I hope your dad is ok.

Well my Dad's gonna be ok after a lot of rehabilitation but we've ran into some bad luck. The engine won't turn all the way over we can only rotate it less than half a turn at the flywheel . We even put a little oil on the valves and in the injector holes so were almost sure that rusty cylinder walls is the issue since it was sitting for so long. I guess the next step is to take it back to our machinist.

Is this with it in the vehicle or out?

Outside of the vehichle.

When you rotate it, does it feel like it hits something solid when it stops? I would doubt cylinder rust is the issue...Anyone with any business putting an engine together would lubricate the pistons and bore before assembly. Either way, the machinist needs to check his work! Not cool!

Yes when rotated it feels as if something solid stops it because after turning it back and forth it had no give at all. We didn't know what to think unless something is stuck and stopping it on the inside. We did check to make sure the lifters weren't stuck or anything so it's gotta be the lower end. Their suppose to take the engine back today so hopefully its a quick fix.

I'm doing a similar build and, after checking your parts list, I see you are using the IC944 pistons. Did the machine shop grid down the balancing pad on the little end of the rods? Its a common issue...if they pad is not ground down when using these pistons, it will effectively act as a stop not allowing the piston to fully rotate on the wrist pin.

Good point.

I'll have to ask him about that but I believe the crank is hitting the main girdle because he did say he installed one but I may have forgot to mention the washers for clearing the crank.

Crank hitting the girdle is very likely. Did you turn it over before re-installing the oil pan?

I've been building mine up from the block and took the machine shop advice - turn it over a couple of times after every new piece is installed (each piston, timing set, push rods, rockers, etc). Partly to keep everything lubricated, but also to check for clearances.

We decided to let the shop handle putting everything back together so we knew we wouldn't mess anything up. And theirs quite a few tools we would have needed if we wanted to do it ourselves. So no we weren't able to turn it over every step of the way. But our guy said that he would get some washers put in. Re-torque everything back down and give it back to us to hook up and drop in.

Just fyi - the girdle with washers might not clear the oil pan. I'm sure I'm not the only one on here that's had to "make room" with a hammer on the oil pan.