Finally Found A Remanufactured Engine!

Notice any difference in the initial power? I know you can't get on it or rip it for a while but just curious if you noticed anything about the RV cam?

No. I literally only drove it less than 3 miles from the shop to home (and then parked it in the shop and got ready for work). I was babying it just listening for any strange sounds and watching the gauges. So far so good. Titan said I probably wouldn't notice a difference, but I'm hoping!
 
This is good news @ArmyRN and the price is looking similar to mine.

My engine is still being built. I ordered an ATK through autozone, free shipping and I had rewards points so why not.

Right now I’m at 3k with the engine + core fee. So hopefully I get my 400$ back

I’m also in the process of ordering a new clutch and a bunch of new spare parts. I imagine my costs will be similar to yours.
 
This is good news @ArmyRN and the price is looking similar to mine.

My engine is still being built. I ordered an ATK through autozone, free shipping and I had rewards points so why not.

Right now I’m at 3k with the engine + core fee. So hopefully I get my 400$ back

I’m also in the process of ordering a new clutch and a bunch of new spare parts. I imagine my costs will be similar to yours.

If you're going to be replacing the clutch, consider adding a heavier flywheel while they're in there. Every little bit helps with the 2.5 engine.

Check this thread out:

https://www.jeepforum.com/threads/heavier-flywheel-for-a-four-cylinder-tj.4439301/

Now's the time to be replacing a lot of stuff that's old and not so easy to get to. But since they've got to take them off the old block, why put the old stuff back on (like water pumps, etc.).
 
If you're going to be replacing the clutch, consider adding a heavier flywheel while they're in there. Every little bit helps with the 2.5 engine.

Check this thread out:

https://www.jeepforum.com/threads/heavier-flywheel-for-a-four-cylinder-tj.4439301/

Now's the time to be replacing a lot of stuff that's old and not so easy to get to. But since they've got to take them off the old block, why put the old stuff back on (like water pumps, etc.).

I have a 4.0 Idk if that matters when considering clutches?

But yeah I’m doing:
Timing Cover
Timing Cover Gasket
Oil Pan
Oil Pan Gasaket
Valve Cover
Valve Cover Gasket
Clutch Kit
Heater Hoses to Pipe
Heater Hoses From Pipe
Water Pump
Coolant Hoses
Fan Clutch
 
I've only put about 35 miles on the new engine (been working a lot). So far everything seems fine - good oil pressure, idles nicely, is peppy, etc. I'm trying to drive it easy around town to get it broken in properly. The original engine always ran well and the Jeep was kinda "peppy" when driving around town (and when not towing my lil' trailer) right up until it decided to implode. I never had any issues with the 2.5; I just didn't expect it to be a rocket ship so I just went with the flow.

They put an RV cam in the Titan engine. It is custom ground for Titan by Schneider Racing Cams, and I am under the impression after talking with Titan that this is a mild cam. I understand the principles behind cam-talk, but I don't know what the factory specs are for the 2.5's cam. This is what came with the engine's paperwork:

Jeep TJ cam.1 (2).jpg


Jeep TJ cam.2 (2).jpg


If anyone is fluent in cam-speak and wants to fill us in on what these numbers mean (in relation to the factory cam) please go for it.
 
I asked John at Titan how many miles should I drive it for its break-in. I don't want to take it on a long highway drive till its broken in.

He told me 200 - 300 miles.

I'm at 85 miles so far. Still working at getting it broken in driving around town. So far so good.

When I get to 500 miles I'll bring it back to the shop that installed it for an oil change and a once-over.
 
I've only put about 35 miles on the new engine (been working a lot). So far everything seems fine - good oil pressure, idles nicely, is peppy, etc. I'm trying to drive it easy around town to get it broken in properly. The original engine always ran well and the Jeep was kinda "peppy" when driving around town (and when not towing my lil' trailer) right up until it decided to implode. I never had any issues with the 2.5; I just didn't expect it to be a rocket ship so I just went with the flow.

They put an RV cam in the Titan engine. It is custom ground for Titan by Schneider Racing Cams, and I am under the impression after talking with Titan that this is a mild cam. I understand the principles behind cam-talk, but I don't know what the factory specs are for the 2.5's cam. This is what came with the engine's paperwork:

View attachment 404631

View attachment 404632

If anyone is fluent in cam-speak and wants to fill us in on what these numbers mean (in relation to the factory cam) please go for it.

Late reply to this as I'm not any where near a wizard about this stuff. Maybe this will help? Hope all is going well with the new engine.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/read-camshaft-specs-engine-masters-ep-19/
 
The installer put in 10W30 oil.

However, with the paperwork from Titan there is a big "Technical Alert" separate page. It says (quote):

Current oil formulations which contain detergents are causing engine failures in flat tappet camshaft engines. It is HIGHLY recommended that a non-detergent oil be used FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE to ensure proper function and to prevent failure related to friction and wear of the camshaft and lifters. With a non-detergent oil a zinc additive is also recommended if the oil used is not specifically sold as a "High ZINC flat tappet oil".

I'm hoping the installer read this when he was finishing up on the install.
 
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The installer put in 10W30 oil.

However, with the paperwork from Titan there is a big "Technical Alert" separate page. It says (quote):

Current oil formulations which contain detergents are causing engine failures in flat tappet camshaft engines. It is HIGHLY recommended that a non-detergent oil be used FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE to ensure proper function and to prevent failure related to friction and wear of the camshaft and lifters. With a non-detergent oil a zinc additive is also recommended if the oil used is not specifically sold as a "High ZINC flat tappet oil".

I'm hoping the installer read this when he was finishing up on the install.
Check this out when you have some time, it's a fairly long read so set aside some time to really read it. It may change the way you look at motor oils: https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/motor-oil-wear-test-ranking/
 
The installer put in 10W30 oil.

However, with the paperwork from Titan there is a big "Technical Alert" separate page. It says (quote):

Current oil formulations which contain detergents are causing engine failures in flat tappet camshaft engines. It is HIGHLY recommended that a non-detergent oil be used FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE to ensure proper function and to prevent failure related to friction and wear of the camshaft and lifters. With a non-detergent oil a zinc additive is also recommended if the oil used is not specifically sold as a "High ZINC flat tappet oil".

I'm hoping the installer read this when he was finishing up on the install.

My engine is coming Wednesday!
How has your jeep been running so far
 
My engine is coming Wednesday!
How has your jeep been running so far

So far great!

I've only got about 150 miles on it so far. I'm shooting for about 250 miles city driving (varying the RPMs) before taking it on the highway. So I have a little 15 mile-or-so loop that I drive it to help break it in. And between work and my new Jeep, it's taking a while. I think replacing a lot of other stuff while replacing the engine and having a shop that knew what they were doing will pay off in the long run.

But driving it always brings a smile to my face. I have lots of good memories associated with it (it is a 98 that I bought used in 08) and I plan on keeping it for a while. This is my hard-core four-wheeling and rough overlanding Jeep (not afraid to get it scratched). It has crisscrossed the country more than once, been up to Alaska and Canada, and always performed well (well.. until the engine blew). My new Jeep (2023 Willys JLU XR 2.0T) is now my daily driver and light overlanding Jeep. The TJ never was my daily driver.

So let us know how your engine replacement story goes.

JLU.1a.jpg
 
So far great!

I've only got about 150 miles on it so far. I'm shooting for about 250 miles city driving (varying the RPMs) before taking it on the highway. So I have a little 15 mile-or-so loop that I drive it to help break it in. And between work and my new Jeep, it's taking a while. I think replacing a lot of other stuff while replacing the engine and having a shop that knew what they were doing will pay off in the long run.

But driving it always brings a smile to my face. I have lots of good memories associated with it (it is a 98 that I bought used in 08) and I plan on keeping it for a while. This is my hard-core four-wheeling and rough overlanding Jeep (not afraid to get it scratched). It has crisscrossed the country more than once, been up to Alaska and Canada, and always performed well (well.. until the engine blew). My new Jeep (2023 Willys JLU XR 2.0T) is now my daily driver and light overlanding Jeep. The TJ never was my daily driver.

So let us know how your engine replacement story goes.

View attachment 414334

So how has the engine held up? My 2.5L just blew. 240,000 miles. Thinking of going through Titan because I live close to Ocala. I’ve read some real bad stuff about their stroker engines. I would be aiming to replace with the same 2.5L reman that I had. Did you ever figure out what type of oil they want you to use? Any update on the performance? Thanks
 
So how has the engine held up? My 2.5L just blew. 240,000 miles. Thinking of going through Titan because I live close to Ocala. I’ve read some real bad stuff about their stroker engines. I would be aiming to replace with the same 2.5L reman that I had. Did you ever figure out what type of oil they want you to use? Any update on the performance? Thanks

I'm still working on getting to 500 miles on the engine (got about 100 miles to go). So far I'm pleased with it. There's a big difference between driving it and my new JLU, but I have a lot of memories with the TJ that come back to me when I drive it. Peppy around town; a good bit of downshifting on the highway with inclines (even mild long inclines will require a downshift). The price you pay for being cool I guess.

My TJ is heavy so it's hard to tell - but the new engine seems to be as good as the old engine was power-wise before it blew. It is supposed to have a mild cam and balancing - I'm sure it helps, but isn't really noticeable by the seat of my pants. My TJ also has a much heavier flywheel (think inertia ring) that helps some.

As far as oil, Titan says"

Current oil formulations which contain detergents are causing engine failures in flat tappet camshaft engines. It is HIGHLY recommended that a non-detergent oil be used FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE to ensure proper function and to prevent failure related to friction and wear of the camshaft and lifters. With a non-detergent oil a zinc additive is also recommended if the oil used is not specifically sold as a "High ZINC flat tappet oil".
 
I'm still working on getting to 500 miles on the engine (got about 100 miles to go). So far I'm pleased with it. There's a big difference between driving it and my new JLU, but I have a lot of memories with the TJ that come back to me when I drive it. Peppy around town; a good bit of downshifting on the highway with inclines (even mild long inclines will require a downshift). The price you pay for being cool I guess.

My TJ is heavy so it's hard to tell - but the new engine seems to be as good as the old engine was power-wise before it blew. It is supposed to have a mild cam and balancing - I'm sure it helps, but isn't really noticeable by the seat of my pants. My TJ also has a much heavier flywheel (think inertia ring) that helps some.

As far as oil, Titan says"

Current oil formulations which contain detergents are causing engine failures in flat tappet camshaft engines. It is HIGHLY recommended that a non-detergent oil be used FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE to ensure proper function and to prevent failure related to friction and wear of the camshaft and lifters. With a non-detergent oil a zinc additive is also recommended if the oil used is not specifically sold as a "High ZINC flat tappet oil".

Hmmm. I don’t know what oil they are recommending. Where would someone find that? Well I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. My Tj was my daily driver and I was happy with it before it blew. I don’t need any more power. To me it was plenty to do whatever I needed. I got a price of about 2300 with it balanced and the core charge. I have a local mechanic to transfer everything for 1100. But for some reason I think it’s going to be more than that. Has Titan been responsive? I guess you will know more once you break that 500 mile mark.
 
I'm still working on getting to 500 miles on the engine (got about 100 miles to go). So far I'm pleased with it. There's a big difference between driving it and my new JLU, but I have a lot of memories with the TJ that come back to me when I drive it. Peppy around town; a good bit of downshifting on the highway with inclines (even mild long inclines will require a downshift). The price you pay for being cool I guess.

My TJ is heavy so it's hard to tell - but the new engine seems to be as good as the old engine was power-wise before it blew. It is supposed to have a mild cam and balancing - I'm sure it helps, but isn't really noticeable by the seat of my pants. My TJ also has a much heavier flywheel (think inertia ring) that helps some.

As far as oil, Titan says"

Current oil formulations which contain detergents are causing engine failures in flat tappet camshaft engines. It is HIGHLY recommended that a non-detergent oil be used FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE to ensure proper function and to prevent failure related to friction and wear of the camshaft and lifters. With a non-detergent oil a zinc additive is also recommended if the oil used is not specifically sold as a "High ZINC flat tappet oil".

It’s not every day I see a 2.5L swap for another 2.5L which is what I would do so I’m very interested in your experience and outcome.
 
So how has the engine held up? My 2.5L just blew. 240,000 miles. Thinking of going through Titan because I live close to Ocala. I’ve read some real bad stuff about their stroker engines. I would be aiming to replace with the same 2.5L reman that I had. Did you ever figure out what type of oil they want you to use? Any update on the performance? Thanks

I bought a 4.0 from titan 2 years ago, the engine has held up fine. I drove down and got it to save shipping. I've used a strait 30 weight diesel oil since I got it.
One pointer I'll give you is take out there rear main seal and put in a mopar. One year after I installed my engine it started leaking and I replaced it with a mopar. They had used felpro gaskets and seals.
There's some things you have to take off your core before you trade and if your motors locked up they don't give you core money. Good luck on project !!!!
 
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Hmmm. I don’t know what oil they are recommending. Where would someone find that? Well I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. My Tj was my daily driver and I was happy with it before it blew. I don’t need any more power. To me it was plenty to do whatever I needed. I got a price of about 2300 with it balanced and the core charge. I have a local mechanic to transfer everything for 1100. But for some reason I think it’s going to be more than that. Has Titan been responsive? I guess you will know more once you break that 500 mile mark.

I always found my 2.5 to be adequate. I haven't had to deal with Titan other than with the initial purchase, so I have no comments on their responsiveness.

If you've got over 200,000 miles on your engine, there are probably a lot of things you should replace for good measure while you've got the engine out. I think I listed what I replaced earlier, but things like motor mounts, radiator, water pump, exhaust manifold, hoses, clutch fan, belts, plugs/wires/cap/rotor, etc. Anything that wears or wears out (like motor mounts) I'd recommend replacing while it is right in front of you. So that'll add to the $1100 your mechanic quoted. My shop also ran the injectors through their cleaning machine. So that's why mine was like around $6,000 when all said and done.

The year prior my clutch went, so I had all new clutch stuff and the heavier flywheel installed. But if yours has 200,000-plus miles on it, now's the time to replace all that stuff.