Newbie Cheap Cherokee Stroker

[laxplayermjd]

I have a 2003 325i. Its a good daily driver nothing really special, plus i get to drive the fast cars on a daily basis.

[TurboTom]

You need to put an S-50 or S-52 BMW engine in it.
That will make it go!

[laxplayermjd]

ill just drive the jeep when i wanna go fast!

[laxplayermjd]

I got the crankshaft rods and pistons back from the machine shop this weekend. All looks good, glad i found this place, old school guy does good cheap work. Ill put pictures up at a later time. Now i need to find bearings to have by saturday so i can assemble and measure deck clearance and plastigauge. Im pretty such no matter who makes them they all dont have that notch in the rod bearings?

[dwg86]

My fedral mogule(spelling?) had the notches in them.

[laxplayermjd]

well today was not a good day. Was assembling parts for measure for deck clearanced and plastigage then send block off for final decking. Put the rings on the pistons. Opened bearings and found out somehow in the course of time i either misread or recieved a different engine block.

I was pretty sure at engine removal i double checked head and casting numbers to verify it was 88-90. Now when attempting to install main bearings i found out that i do not have a 88-90 block but a 91-95 that was in my 88 cherokee. Im not sure wheather i misread at one time or maybe the machine shop just machined another block and gave us that one. Let this lesson be learned double check everything. Now i have to find somehow to swap my bearings for the later ones.

[nick]

I didn't know there were different bearings for the renix blocks. Is one setup better than the other(wider surfaces, etc)?

[laxplayermjd]

As far as i know they are all the same with the exception of the locating tangs on the bearings.

[laxplayermjd]

Well i went to engine parts warehouse, which is where falcon ships parts from. They let me exhange my bearings for the newer style. Come to find out the later model are more expensive. Guess i have to deal with it.
We plastigauge the bearings today. All about .002, crank end play is about .005-.006. Measured up deck clearanced of each cylinder.
Values ranged from .042- .035.
Going to bring the block back to the machine shop, ill tell them to deck the block .035 then. Time to start ordering up parts.

[laxplayermjd]

Im at a point with another question. Pushrod length????
Silver XJ please chime in here.

Ive been reading. I will be using stock rockers and valvetrain. So all i need is the correct preload on the lifter.
Im not sure was the spec is? .040-.060???
The block is going to be shaved .030-.035, head is unknown at this time.

I know one way is to buy adjustible pushrod, seem the comp cam one is good? Wheres the best place to purchase it. Not sure which one i need or the stock length pushrod? I believe that you torque down the stock rocker starting with cam on base circle. adjust the adjustable pushrod until there is 0 lash. Then add .040-.060 to that number of the rod?

Theoretically cant you just take the stock length. then minus whatever is milled off the block and head to get the correct length??

[bikedude189]

i'd love to know the answer to that question...

[amcinstaller]

if youre still wondering, i think you need to get an adjustable pushrod from someone (comp perhaps) and use that to get the measurement, then send it back for some custom length ones. this thread hasnt been read in a while so im guessing the op has already figured out the solution.

[SilverXJ]

I don't know how I missed the original question. You could just take the stock length then subtract what is milled off, but that is basically guessing. Too many variables that can throw that measurement off. The best way is to use a checking push rod. I use Comp Cams checking pushrod (8.8 initial length + .050" each turn), 7704-1. With that one you can find the measurement your self with just the pushrod. Find the 0 lash measurement then see what pushrod lengths are available. Get the one that will put your preload closest to .030" (or what ever you want it at.) You need to check both the intake and exhaust sides of the cam and I would check a few cylinders.

[laxplayermjd]

thanks for the input, ive been lacking this project for a little while. ive bought a cheap car to fix and sell and make potential 1k profit. once that is sold, big purchases for the stroker.

[gradon]

I've been buying and fixing XJs to help out with my projects--that's how I bought the m3 and how I'll be able to pay for the unichip tuning.