Anyone ever ran (or know of someone who runs) one of the aluminum cylinder heads they make for the 4.0 engines? They claim big powe but I remain skeptical...
Aluminum heads?
- Thread starter Alex M.
- Start date
There's more to gaining power than just installing a higher compression head. The TJ's engine, more specifically its computer, just isn't very easy to tweak for more power from something that simple. That resulting higher compression would need some significant skill to get things working properly so as to take advantage of it.
I figured. On the HESCO website they claim something like 30 extra hp just from installing the head, which sounds like a completely unsubstantiated claim just from installing a head.
I can see where that could be true on an older engine without a computer and a conventional distributor so the timing could be adjusted to take advantage of the additional compression. Nothing's that easy on our computerized TJs though.
So I've found. Most vehicles you could go out and have someone easily reprogram your ECU for more power gains. Seems like that's virtually impossible with the TJ.
I've also read about all the piggyback style ECUs (i.e. Power Chips) being nothing more than a complete hoax.
You'd think after all these years someone would have been able to figure out and unlock the potential of the TJ factory computer.
I've also read about all the piggyback style ECUs (i.e. Power Chips) being nothing more than a complete hoax.
You'd think after all these years someone would have been able to figure out and unlock the potential of the TJ factory computer.
I'm weary of anything HESCO puts out. I haven't used any of their stuff personally, but when I used to own an XJ all of the guys on NAXJA and the Cherokee Forums always seemed to trash talk their stuff. Maybe I'm wrong, that's just what I remember reading back in the day. Either way, the cost of that aluminum head they sell isn't worth it in terms of bang-for-the-buck.
Only issue with the stroker engines (and this is only from what I have heard), is if you bore them out too much, they lose some of the reliability that the 4.0 is known for due to having much thinner cylinder walls.
But yes, a stroker is a way better investment than an aluminum head. Crap, for the price of one of those aluminum heads you can build a friggin' stroker engine!