Loud engine ticking from 03 Wrangler X 4.0

[rweathers2001]

I just did this same job at the end of last year due to the skirt on the number 3 piston deciding it wanted to live in the oil pan. I did get the new pistons from Dex and for my case that worked great since I don't have a press handy. This isn't a hard job and can be done in a good day also and I would recommend some help also. Please let me know if you have any questions that I can answer on this job also.

Here is the thread I had on it.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/bad-engine-replacement-options.81433/#post-1626560

 

[JABCAT]

If anyone can help with my shopping list, much appreciated.
Pistons - Sealed Power Premium (standard size) - $167
Rings - Sealed Power Premium (standard size) - $79
Connecting rod bearings - Sealed Power (standard size) - $41
Gaskets (which ones?) - ?

Any specific specialty tools I'll need to complete this job?

 

[rweathers2001]

For Gasket I like the Fel Pro and Rock Auto has a full engine gasket set that has all you need.
I would also get a new set of head bolts.

Tools:
Good torque wrench to put the head back on. Those bolts are 12 point also.
Ball hone if you decide to hone out the block
Some swivel sockets for the manifold bolts- New bolts there also
Drain the coolant from the block also before you pull the head.

That is off the top of my head. Will add some more things as they come back to me.

 

[topfuel83]

Specific gaskets would be head, valve cover, oil pan, rear main seal possibly, intake/exhaust gasket. I think that's it.
Tools: A good torque wrench is a must. Feeler gauges for checking ring gap. A ring gapping tool. A good tapered ring compressor. Maybe plasti-gauge to make sure your rod bearings are correct. Honing the cylinders correctly is too difficult to do with the block in the Jeep in my opinion. Pretty sure your still going to see factory cross hatching anyways. The only issue would be if a cylinder wall is scuffed from a broken skirt. Make sure you put assembly lube on the bearings, and oil on the pistons before install so there are no dry starts.

 

[JABCAT]

Thanks! I've got a new Felpro oil pan gasket already, and just installed headers last weekend so that gasket is brand new. I've got a good set of torque wrenches & tool box full of standard tools (ratchets, sockets, wrenches, ratchet wrenches, extensions, impact, etc.)

 

[Rickyd]

Thanks! I've got a new Felpro oil pan gasket already, and just installed headers last weekend so that gasket is brand new. I've got a good set of torque wrenches & tool box full of standard tools (ratchets, sockets, wrenches, ratchet wrenches, extensions, impact, etc.)

Hold off on buying anything until the bores and crank can get mic'd

 

[macleanflood]

Might want to check your pushrods.

-Mac

 

[ColoJeep]

If anyone can help with my shopping list, much appreciated.
Pistons - Sealed Power Premium (standard size) - $167
Rings - Sealed Power Premium (standard size) - $79
Connecting rod bearings - Sealed Power (standard size) - $41
Gaskets (which ones?) - ?

Any specific specialty tools I'll need to complete this job?

Did you measure the bore size or con rod journals ?

 

[JABCAT]

Did you measure the bore size or con rod journals ?

I haven't taken anything apart. The Jeep is being driven daily for the time being.

 

[ColoJeep]

I haven't taken anything apart. The Jeep is being driven daily for the time being.

You really need to check before ordering parts. Otherwise the " surprises " will bite you hard . Factory builds can have different size bearing journals on the same crank .

 

[macleanflood]

If it's your daily and you can't afford downtime then I'd suggest looking for another engine to refresh.

You can take your time making it right, then swap an engine in an afternoon with minimal downtime.

There's a reason I also have a 2001 F250, and a 2001 Honda Shadow. At least one of them is running.

-Mac

 

[aston4]

I vote piston crack also. Please come back and let us know what you find when you pull the oil pan.

 

[Bammo68]

You really need to check before ordering parts. Otherwise the " surprises " will bite you hard . Factory builds can have different size bearing journals on the same crank .

THIS!!!

 

[Bammo68]

If it's your daily and you can't afford downtime then I'd suggest looking for another engine to refresh.

-Mac

So I agree with Mac here - the *ideal* way to do this is to buy a cheap engine that's "OK" and pull it apart and do a budget (but thorough) rebuild on it and when its done swap it over. Its not anywhere near as hard as you think but its also not a trivial undertaking. If you do it properly, you will need to have the block and head checked and machined if needed (assume yes) and if you are like me and you decide to put in a new performance cam and other goodies you wind up spending $2K + the machine shop cost ($1K?) but you get a brand spanking new engine. You then borrow or buy a cheap Harbor Freight hoist and do the engine swap in a day in your driveway with a mate and Youtube on standby. You will have the added benefit of a deep understanding of how the engine now works and a ton of confidence, but you will need more than a basic set of spanners.

OR

You accept that all you actually want to do is fix the noise and give your 4 litre a life extension of another 50,000 miles so you do an in-frame replacement of the pistons and bearings only. Maybe you throw a new head gasket at and a sump gasket / RMS while you are in there. Don't touch anything else and reuse all the other bits. Dont open the crank bearings, don't mess with the timing system (chain is loose? SO WHAT! Leave it....) Order the piston's, rings and rod bearings only after you have removed them from the block. Get someone else to put the new pistons onto your wrist pins if you don't have a small shop press handy. I installed new pistons using a bit of scrap steel material, made up a small jig with some bolts to set the wrist pin depth, heating the rod ends with a butane torch and popped the frozen wrist pins in and they worked a treat.

What's the worst that can happen? You've sunk $300 into the engine and its fixed it or else there is a more substantial issue in which case you can reuse those pistons in the full rebuild anyway. The temptation to fix everything and completely refresh the whole motor will be strong, but understand that 90% of what you replace/upgrade is going to make very little if any difference in the medium term. Most new parts you buy will be crap and nowhere near as good as OEM anyway! The big exception to that is pistons: new pistons/rings/bearings are well worth doing as the factory pistons are known to be break prone.

 

[Bammo68]

For the record, I bought my pistons from Summit and I didn't buy the cheapest option going:

Sealed Power H802CP - Speed-Pro Hypereutectic Pistons $160
Sealed Power 63310CPA - Sealed Power CP-Series Rod Bearings $40
Hastings Piston Rings 4815 - Hastings Piston Ring Sets $60


Add an MLS gasket or a full gasket kit and that's enough to get you started...

 

[Zorba]

So I agree with Mac here - the *ideal* way to do this is to buy a cheap engine that's "OK" and pull it apart and do a budget (but thorough) rebuild on it and when its done swap it over. Its not anywhere near as hard as you think but its also not a trivial undertaking. If you do it properly, you will need to have the block and head checked and machined if needed (assume yes) and if you are like me and you decide to put in a new performance cam and other goodies you wind up spending $2K + the machine shop cost ($1K?) but you get a brand spanking new engine. You then borrow or buy a cheap Harbor Freight hoist and do the engine swap in a day in your driveway with a mate and Youtube on standby. You will have the added benefit of a deep understanding of how the engine now works and a ton of confidence, but you will need more than a basic set of spanners.

OR

You accept that all you actually want to do is fix the noise and give your 4 litre a life extension of another 50,000 miles so you do an in-frame replacement of the pistons and bearings only. Maybe you throw a new head gasket at and a sump gasket / RMS while you are in there. Don't touch anything else and reuse all the other bits. Dont open the crank bearings, don't mess with the timing system (chain is loose? SO WHAT! Leave it....) Order the piston's, rings and rod bearings only after you have removed them from the block. Get someone else to put the new pistons onto your wrist pins if you don't have a small shop press handy. I installed new pistons using a bit of scrap steel material, made up a small jig with some bolts to set the wrist pin depth, heating the rod ends with a butane torch and popped the frozen wrist pins in and they worked a treat.

What's the worst that can happen? You've sunk $300 into the engine and its fixed it or else there is a more substantial issue in which case you can reuse those pistons in the full rebuild anyway. The temptation to fix everything and completely refresh the whole motor will be strong, but understand that 90% of what you replace/upgrade is going to make very little if any difference in the medium term. Most new parts you buy will be crap and nowhere near as good as OEM anyway! The big exception to that is pistons: new pistons/rings/bearings are well worth doing as the factory pistons are known to be break prone.

Just out of curiosity, how hard is it to do an in-frame complete rebuild assuming you can get by with honing the bores?

 

[Bammo68]

Just out of curiosity, how hard is it to do an in-frame complete rebuild assuming you can get by with honing the bores?

No idea sorry. If you don't have a lift then doing an in-frame piston swap is doable, but its a bit cramped and personally I don't like working upside down for that long so no real interest in doing it that way myself. But if you had some way of lifting the Jeep even a foot or so off the ground it would be doable. It just gets really cramped and awkward if you are taking the crank out and getting it lined up to put it back in without dropping something would put me off that approach...

Honing the bores is an interesting one - the couple of 4.0's I have pulled apart were somewhere in the 150,000-200,000km age and neither had any appreciated bore wear at all with the cross hatching still strong. Dex's view is just swap out the damaged pistons and send it and I have a lot of sympathy for that. These aren't a precision machine. Sure as heck wouldn't take that approach with a modern turbo motor!!

 

[Rickyd]

Just out of curiosity, how hard is it to do an in-frame complete rebuild assuming you can get by with honing the bores?

Much harder than going for the extra step to unbolt the block and remove it.

 

[ColoJeep]

Just out of curiosity, how hard is it to do an in-frame complete rebuild assuming you can get by with honing the bores?

The hardest step would be installing the crank and bearings properly , the front axle would have to have the shocks disconnected and max droop. Then the body/engine would have to be blocked up pretty high off the ground making it real tough to lift the crank while on your back. A dingle ball hone job would be no problem .

 

[aston4]

Much harder than going for the extra step to unbolt the block and remove it.

I think a lot of the in-frame rebuild stuff comes from the XJ side of things. I have both an XJ and a TJ, and the TJ is MUCH EASIER to work on in general. From what I can see, it is much easier to pull a block out of a TJ separately, while for the XJ, the easiest way to get the engine out is to pull everything complete, with the transmission and transfer case still attached. That's a whole different level of pulling stuff out, needing a much stronger support system... and willingness. I can see pulling a motor out of a TJ. If I ever need to yank the motor out of the XJ, I'll just pay someone.
There's just not enough room between the firewall and the engine in the XJ to easily unbolt the block.