JD's LJR

[JDS123]

Hi Everyone,

It has been a number of years since I’ve been on the forum. I recently purchased a Jeep detailed in another build thread on the forum on BringATrailer. It has certainly been an adventure thus far.

I made it 300 miles after picking this Jeep up. At the end of 300 miles, it shredded the engine as I pulled into a hotel parking spot. I spent a day running around western Wyoming to acquire a truck and trailer. I towed it back home to Illinois where it is currently awaiting a replacement 4.0L.

My initial impression is that this Jeep is truly great (when it works). I couldn’t believe the handling in the mountains. I’ve never driven a mid arm or outboarded TJ before this one and truly couldn’t be more impressed. This Jeep could have certainly used more maintenance over the years, but it’ll be made great again.

I’ll do my best to keep this thread updated.

 

[Apparition]

Hi Everyone,

It has been a number of years since I’ve been on the forum. I recently purchased this Jeep on BaT. It has certainly been an adventure thus far.

I made it 300 miles after picking this Jeep up. At the end of 300 miles, it shredded the engine as I pulled into a hotel parking spot. I spent a day running around western Wyoming to acquire a truck and trailer. I towed it back home to Illinois where it is currently awaiting a replacement 4.0L.

My initial impression is that this Jeep is truly great (when it works). I couldn’t believe the handling in the mountains. I’ve never driven a mid arm or outboarded TJ before this one and truly couldn’t be more impressed. This Jeep could have certainly used more maintenance over the years, but it’ll be made great again.

I followed the build thread back in the day and have had this exact jeep saved to my photo album since 2018. I’m aware of what I’ve bought and can’t wait to enjoy it once it’s running again.

I’ll do my best to keep this thread updated.

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Congratulations on the purchase. Sucks to hear about the engine.

Plans for what will go in? Stroker?

 

[JDS123]

Congratulations on the purchase. Sucks to hear about the engine.

Plans for what will go in? Stroker?

That is great question and I would love forum input on it. As of now, my plan is for a stock Jasper 4.0L and to remove the supercharger until I get everything on the Jeep sorted. It is a bit lame, and I would love for more power, but I'm truly out of date on what a good power upgrade would be.

I'm someone who truly values simplicity and reliability. Superchargers and strokers scare me as I tend to take my Jeeps into remote areas. I certainly plan on keeping the supercharger parts in case that ever changes.

 

[NDSpeed]

That’s awesome it went to someone who knew exactly what it was. Congratulations!

I’m a fan of the Diesel conversions myself.
I love the 22mpg

 

[Apparition]

That is great question and I would love forum input on it. As of now, my plan is for a stock Jasper 4.0L and to remove the supercharger until I get everything on the Jeep sorted. It is a bit lame, and I would love for more power, but I'm truly out of date on what a good power upgrade would be.

I'm someone who truly values simplicity and reliability. Superchargers and strokers scare me as I tend to take my Jeeps into remote areas. I certainly plan on keeping the supercharger parts in case that ever changes.

Off the top of my head these guys may have some input.

@Rickyd @Woodrow for strokers
@jjvw superchargers

 

[JDS123]

That’s awesome it went to someone who knew exactly what it was. Congratulations!

I’m a fan of the Diesel conversions myself.
I love the 22mpg

I like diesels too, but have no experience with them in Jeeps. I sold a 99 24V Cummins 5 speed in September. Nice truck.

Off the top of my head these guys may have some input.

@Rickyd @Woodrow for strokers
@jjvw superchargers

I definitely need to do more research. I would like some power, but in a reliable way that doesn’t require the expense that comes with a hemi swap. Maybe the V8 is in the far future though.

 

[Woodrow]

Off the top of my head these guys may have some input.

@Rickyd @Woodrow for strokers
@jjvw superchargers

I think an NA stroker is a good option if you are doing a new motor. I have a Golen 4.6. Truly bolt in and bought, not built; therefore simple. Runs well and significantly stronger (25%, dyno proven) on the stock tune in my '97. I think there is more to had with a better tune which I will get to eventually. Custom built strokers like @Rickyd and @SkylinesSuck have are probably better but require more knowledge. Boost definitely adds complexity. V8 swaps are harder as well. One thing that is nice about an NA stroker is that you aren't adding so much power that heat management becomes an issue.

 

[JDS123]

I think an NA stroker is a good option if you are doing a new motor. I have a Golen 4.6. Truly bolt in and bought, not built; therefore simple. Runs well and significantly stronger (25%, dyno proven) on the stock tune in my '97. I think there is more to had with a better tune which I will get to eventually. Custom built strokers like @Rickyd and @SkylinesSuck have are probably better but require more knowledge. Boost definitely adds complexity. V8 swaps are harder as well. One thing that is nice about an NA stroker is that you aren't adding so much power that heat management becomes an issue.

A golen stroker certainly crossed my mind for simplicity sake. I think I have a bad opinion of them due to how strokers were viewed 15 years ago. I saw a few stories of cam and wrist pin failure years ago. I value absolute reliability. If I want to jump in a drive to a camp site in Wyoming 50 miles from phone service, I don’t want doubts in my mind. If I modernized my view, a stroker could be a possibility (seems they may have improved?).

 

[jjvw]

Off the top of my head these guys may have some input.

@Rickyd @Woodrow for strokers
@jjvw superchargers

I have the same Boosted Tech supercharger in mine, with the exception of an added water/meth injection system. All I can say about it is that it is functionally invisible, adds power seamlessly, and makes the Jeep really fun to drive hard.

 

[JDS123]

I have the same Boosted Tech supercharger in mine, with the exception of an added water/meth injection system. All I can say about it is that it is functionally invisible, adds power seamlessly, and makes the Jeep really fun to drive.

A few questions. Mine appears to have been on a very safe tune. Do you have any ranges on boost psi, AFR, and EGT? I was only seeing 4 PSI at highest load, which seems low.

Obviously AFR and EGT are dependent on load. I noticed mine would shoot the AFR down to 11-12 if you breathed on the gas pedal. I saw EGT get up to 1250-1300, but at that point I backed off.

Mine also has a split second box, which now appears to be closed as a company, meaning I can’t get a replacement if needed. It seems that it is now possible to only tune the stock computer and remove the split second. Do you have info on if that’s possible?

 

[Rickyd]

I think an NA stroker is a good option if you are doing a new motor. I have a Golen 4.6. Truly bolt in and bought, not built; therefore simple. Runs well and significantly stronger (25%, dyno proven) on the stock tune in my '97. I think there is more to had with a better tune which I will get to eventually. Custom built strokers like @Rickyd and @SkylinesSuck have are probably better but require more knowledge. Boost definitely adds complexity. V8 swaps are harder as well. One thing that is nice about an NA stroker is that you aren't adding so much power that heat management becomes an issue.

A warranty is a great thing.

 

[jjvw]

I was impressed with your Jeep in 2019 when I came out to run HC. Sounds like it’s better nowadays.
...

Ha, I know who you are! It's a very different and much nicer Jeep today than it was in 2019.

...

A few questions. Mine appears to have been on a very safe tune. Do you have any ranges on boost psi, AFR, and EGT? I was only seeing 4 PSI at highest load, which seems low.

Obviously AFR and EGT are dependent on load. I noticed mine would shoot the AFR down to 11-12 if you breathed on the gas pedal. I saw EGT get up to 1250-1300, but at that point I backed off.
...

I only and a vac/boost and an AFR gauge. The highest boost I have seen is maybe 6-7psi using the small pulley. The AFR moves all around, but I couldn't tell you what it means, good or bad or anything else.

...
Mine also has a split second box, which now appears to be closed as a company, meaning I can’t get a replacement if needed. It seems that it is now possible to only tune the stock computer and remove the split second. Do you have info on if that’s possible?

I installed the kit, got the bugs worked out, and never thought much about it because I haven't needed to.

 

[JDS123]

Ha, I know who you are! It's a very different and much nicer Jeep today than it was in 2019.



I only and a vac/boost and an AFR gauge. The highest boost I have seen is maybe 6-7psi using the small pulley. The AFR moves all around, but I couldn't tell you what it means, good or bad or anything else.



I installed the kit, got the bugs worked out, and never thought much about it because I haven't needed to.

The supercharger was hard for me to sus out. This is the first automatic vehicle I’ve ever owned and it was hard to compare power wise to my 5 speed TJ. The supercharger certainly seems very cool, but I believe I’ll start with it removed and see how it goes. I have two pulleys available to me, with the larger one being on the Jeep (less boost).

 

[Rickyd]

As of now, my plan is for a stock Jasper 4.0L

S&j might be worth looking at

 

[JDS123]

S&j might be worth looking at

I have seen that S&J is recommended over Jasper. Bigger companies like Jasper worry me, but they are based very close to me in Illinois and have a decent warranty.

My Jeep is currently at a reputable Jeep shop in Chicago. I am unfortunately unable to repair it myself given I live in an apartment downtown. This is the same issue I faced with my 2001. I think I have the weekend to decide more fully what to do before they order anything, but they did say they've had luck with Jasper previously.

 

[Woodrow]

A warranty is a great thing.

I suppose, but mine expired last year.

 

[rasband]

Welcome back jodo frodo yoto.

 

[Wildman]

Obviously AFR and EGT are dependent on load. I noticed mine would shoot the AFR down to 11-12 if you breathed on the gas pedal. I saw EGT get up to 1250-1300, but at that point I backed off.

Your AFR should be between 12 to 14.5 most times. Anything leaner than 14.9 means that your getting very lean fuel which could seriously damage the engine. EGT's can get up to 1400 for brief moments but not sustained. You want to try to keep them under 1200 degrees.
A little more about the AFR gauge. The lower the number means it's getting a lot of fuel (not bad) so when you were on the go pedal it was fueling a lot which is why you saw 12 on the gauge. The higher the number means there is less fuel in the air meaning that your engine is now seeing a lean condition and if too lean you can burn a hole in a piston or other damage.
The ideal AFR is 14.9 at sea level. That is the perfect air to fuel ratio but obviously when driving down the road you're not at sea level often so it's going to change.

Mine also has a split second box, which now appears to be closed as a company, meaning I can’t get a replacement if needed. It seems that it is now possible to only tune the stock computer and remove the split second. Do you have info on if that’s possible?

Split Second was a piggyback tuner that was used for a while by some companies as a way to get around PCM's that couldn't be tuned.
Now companies like FRP (Flyin Rayn Performance) can tune your PCM with the need of the Split Second unit. He dislikes them very much.
If you decide to keep the supercharger then you should get a proper tune from someone like FRP. And just so you know a custom tune will cost around $1K. But it's well worth it too.

 

[SkylinesSuck]

A stroker as an upgrade to a perfectly good running vehicle is probably not the ideal situation to choose one. While more than "noticeable" it's not earth shattering, and it's not a cheap endeavor, and I would lean towards v8 or forced induction at that point. Seeing as how you need a replacement anyways though, you are already going to spend 3/4 of the price on either a rebuilt long block or rebuilding it yourself anyways (unless you go junkyard motor which is worth considering). You don't seem very interested in the additional work required for a v8 swap so it seems like the ideal situation to consider it. A supercharger or turbo are add ons to consider after you have a solid running engine in it.

As far as reliability goes, there is absolutely zero inherently less reliable to a stroker vs a stock rebuilt motor except for your increased tendency to beat on it for funssies. The issues people notice with cams for example are the same you would have with a 4.0 if you put a higher lift aftermarket cam in it. Increased spring pressure and more RPM causes issues to manifest sooner. I have never heard of wrist pin issues with strokers. Most people get in trouble because they to dumb stuff (like me) and mod the crap out of them then drive the things like you stole them.

 

[Apparition]

Welcome back jodo frodo yoto.

You forgot the mc.

Yeah welcome back, I thought you got banned.