Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Reman engine upgrade options

I have installed two Titan engines in two different jeeps and have had no problems with them. I called and spoke with someone there and they didn't really advise many of the upgrades. I did however go with the HO version both times because they use better parts than the OE style ones.
 
What a timely youtube video. Google is definitely not scanning me... :sneaky:

 
To clarify my previous comments, I am not advocating for building a motor yourself or saying anyone can do it. And I don't have any experience with these rebuilders serving the 4.0L. If I were to say anything, I'd do brass freeze plugs and balancing.

I was only sharing what you may expect. In CO, we still have quality machine shops, and here the good ones generally stick to the machining work they do best. I'm not sure whether that is a trend in Texas.

The region around Charlotte extending to the surrounding states has an unusual density of machinists and engine builders owing to the network effects of Nascar I suspect. Even the leader in water cooled Porsche engine rebuilds and performance development is within 100 miles or so of Charlotte in semi-rural GA, as odd as that may sound. There have been issues

PS, we have a wonderful vacuum cleaner and sewing machine repair shop a few miles us and it's existance does not prove or disprove any wayward topics in this thread.
 
If I was looking for a Reman 4.0 I would definitely look at Jasper Engines.

I know some folks on here don't like them, but 4 Engines and 2 transmissions, I only had a problem with 1 transmission and I truly believe it was the installers fault. Jasper warranted it no question ask.

I would definitely buy from Jasper again.

Where i worked before retiring, we purchased 2 transmissions, 2 Engines and 2 turbos.

No problem with any of them.
 
Thanks all. I almost got it pulled so I’ll tear it apart and see what happened. Based on advice here I’m leaning towards rebuilding it myself. After the knock developed I drove it for a minute or two until it started to over heat. What’s the chance I cracked the block with whatever was causing the knocking? Could a broken skirt or spun bearing somehow cause the head to crack or head gasket to blow? Is the only way to know for sure that the block is fine is by having a shop magnaflux it? Thanks for all the advice- I’m learning a lot!
 
Damage from a spun bearing will be 95% isolate to the crank, and it will be obvious. I once spun a rod bearing in a 454. It was like flipping a light switch in that car. I went from cruising 45 mph in town to it could barely push that Corvette up a very mild hill. That crank jurnal was murdered in less than a minute. It looked like a motocross track after a race. Associated damage to things that skate on oil, like cam and lifters, might also happen due to shrapnel from a spun bearing, but it shouldn't have any way to damage something like a head gasket.

I've never dealt with a broken skirt. There's obvious potential for significant cylinder wall damage. I can also see a reasonable path for a significant amount of oil to get into the cylinder an potentially cause hydraulic damage, like lifting the head and blowing the gasket, but IDK how likely that is.

It's best to diagnose before and during teardown. If you are tearing it down yourself take lots of pictures and keep everything together and in order (pistons, lifters, push rods etc). Use a sharpie and write on the parts. I suggest getting some kind of teardown tray, or you can use sturdy cardboard boxes and stab the parts into it. The main thing is organization and detail, this is not a chaotic event. Clean it up and look for obvious damages, but definitely let a machine shop do the final checks before pressing onward. It's better to sink a $100 into a magnaflux check up front than to skip it and sink $1,000 into an engine just to find a crack during assembly.

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Damage from a spun bearing will be 95% isolate to the crank, and it will be obvious. I once spun a rod bearing in a 454. It was like flipping a light switch in that car. I went from cruising 45 mph in town to it could barely push that Corvette up a very mild hill. That crank jurnal was murdered in less than a minute. It looked like a motocross track after a race. Associated damage to things that skate on oil, like cam and lifters, might also happen due to shrapnel from a spun bearing, but it shouldn't have any way to damage something like a head gasket.

I've never dealt with a broken skirt. There's obvious potential for significant cylinder wall damage. I can also see a reasonable path for a significant amount of oil to get into the cylinder an potentially cause hydraulic damage, like lifting the head and blowing the gasket, but IDK how likely that is.

It's best to diagnose before and during teardown. If you are tearing it down yourself take lots of pictures and keep everything together and in order (pistons, lifters, push rods etc). Use a sharpie and write on the parts. I suggest getting some kind of teardown tray, or you can use sturdy cardboard boxes and stab the parts into it. The main thing is organization and detail, this is not a chaotic event. Clean it up and look for obvious damages, but definitely let a machine shop do the final checks before pressing onward. It's better to sink a $100 into a magnaflux check up front than to skip it and sink $1,000 into an engine just to find a crack during assembly.

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I spun a bearing on an air cooled VW , it went from 57 gross h.p. to about 8 h.p. I drove 1 mile to get home and the crankcase breath hose blew out from internal pressure and white smoke shot 30 feet in the air like a dry chem. extinguisher . I was in 1 st. gear going 3 m.p.h when I finally got home. On tear down the rod was blue and the forged crank was also , I only found 1/2 a bearing shell on the journal . Those were the days when I bought a rebuilt long block from a VW racing team's shop for $ 425.00 . The rebuilt engine was great ! Those days are behind us .
 
I spun a bearing on an air cooled VW , it went from 57 gross h.p. to about 8 h.p. I drove 1 mile to get home and the crankcase breath hose blew out from internal pressure and white smoke shot 30 feet in the air like a dry chem. extinguisher . I was in 1 st. gear going 3 m.p.h when I finally got home. On tear down the rod was blue and the forged crank was also , I only found 1/2 a bearing shell on the journal . Those were the days when I bought a rebuilt long block from a VW racing team's shop for $ 425.00 . The rebuilt engine was great ! Those days are behind us .

I put a rod through the top of a 1600cc block running 75mph on hwy 50 going to Rockledge FL. In 82ish.

75 to 0 in about 5 seconds... ...... luckily when I heard the bag I hit the clutch and made it to the shoulder.

Bug place off 50 in Ocoee built me a sweet little race engine for $500.00
 
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I put a rod through the top of a 1600cc block running 75mph on hwy 50 going to Rockledge FL. In 82ish.

75 to 0 in about 5 seconds... ...... luckily when I heard the bag I hit the clutch and made it to the shoulder.

Bug place off 50 in Ocoee built me a sweet little race engine for $500.00

Rockledge? ROCKLEDGE?!? Slumming, you were!
 
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I don't know about today, but back then it was like a retirement town, plus there was a preacher's daughter i wanted to take to the beach and other things. 🤣 🤣 🤷‍♂️

Rockledge isn't a bad town, but it just has no class either. Next town over, Cocoa, has a lovely historic district - Rockledge doesn't even have something like that. Some of the McMansions along the river are worth a looksee. But then, there are worse places, such as Viera, next town over the other way. Viera thinks its Carmel, California without the culture, history, ocean, or architecture. A large shopping district and dozens of Stalinesque apartment blocks are Viera's only legitimate claim to fame.
 
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Those old VW engines are pretty tuff. I have a friend whos family has been into old VWs for a long time, including racing some. My buddys uncle had a bug we called "the blower bug" due to its huffer-puffer. It was a street car, but Butch was known to have a little fun on the street. One day he dropped a valve while going boogie-woogie and the tell-tale on the tach was stuck around 12,500. :LOL: The cylinder that ate the valve was destroyed but they had that engine torn down and back together in one Saturday. I just happened to stop by as they fired it up, so I hopped in the car with Butch, he took it slow down the road a few blocks, turned around and stabbed the pedal to the floor banging gears around 11K. That was a fun car. :cool:

Here she sits last year, minus the blower. Butch painted it late 80s/early 90s.

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Rockledge isn't a bad town, but it just has no class either. Next town over, Cocoa, has a lovely historic district - Rockledge doesn't even have something like that. Some of the McMansions along the river are worth a looksee. But then, there are worse places, such as Viera, next town over the other way. Viera thinks its Carmel, California without the culture, history, ocean, or architecture. A large shopping district and dozens of Stalinesque apartment blocks are Viera's only legitimate claim to fame.

Cocoa i know, grandma lived there, plus it's home to the best Ron Jon surf shop there is, don't know if it still is but it used to be the largest one to.

Back in the day we usually ran from Daytona to Cocoa Beach bumming.
 
A broken piston skirt(s) almost never damage the bore. Look up Dexj on you tube and watch his video on how to replace them. It's 3 hours long and nearly real time for the important parts. He sells new pistons on used rods. It's time consuming and slightly tedious but not a bad job.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts