Operation Phoenix

[macleanflood]

What are you doing for a cam?

Stock. If I spend any more money it'll be on a LS or 5.2 or 5.9.

Stroker kit made sense because it wasn't too much more than the needed parts. Biggest outlier is the stroker crank.

Meanwhile I've been working on cleaning up details on mods.

First off...made some progress on my iBooster. Had some CADssistance from an awesome forum member who whipped up a DXG file I could send to OshCut. Need a .70 end mill to counterbore the flange nuts into the plate and cut the iBooster studs flush with the plate. Then stainless studs into the adapter into the firewall. I'll post more on the iBooster thread once I get an end mill.

Reworked my power pods at the back of the Jeep. Eventually need a 3d printed plastic block but I just kept carving on my plywood and mode something perfect. Plywood originally pushed the ports under my Hooke Road rack...so a bevel to bring it further under and a notch to clear the Moryde tailgate reinforcement bracket...plus added a switch so I can reduce phantom loads while parked.

Installed some 8g cable and a 800w pure sine inverter. New laptop won't run on my 400. Eventually might run the 8g to a DC to DC converter an a lithium ion battery. Really need to rethink and rework my battery area. Need a more compact fuse block and relay assembly...all the small ones take expensive proprietary crimpers.

Replaced the oil temp sensor. I crushed it accidentally because I didn't realize it wouldn't fit in a T. Was leaking oil out the top but reading correctly. Also mounted the gauge. Eventually I want to 3d print a pod. Also want fuel pressure and temp down here.

Crank position sensor I ordered was wrong. Getting constant misfires. 300 and most of the rest of the cylinders. Figured I should try a sensor. Gonna swap it out and grab a compression tester tomorrow.

Also installed new wipers, cleaned up some brake fluid that leaked out of my spare can and vacuumed up a ton of pine needles and other debris that just collects in corners.

Amazing how the last ten percent of a project takes 90 percent of your time.

-Mac

 

[Rickyd]

If you use a small cam make sure you pay attention to dynamic compression when picking out piston and head gaskets. Running on 87 and not worrying about it would be nice

 

[macleanflood]

Ok...cleaned up some more power pod stuff and added another switch to combat vampire power loads.

Ran to every Napa in town chasing a crank position sensor. $121. Holy hell.

Got home. Pulled the spark plugs. Pulled two off the crimp and had to fix. Everything looks perfect for 15k plugs.

Compression tested and bore scoped the cylinders. Yes...3 is at 50. I ran it again to double check and got 30.

Borescope didn't reveal any smoking guns.

Saw some cross hatching. No obvious holes in pistons.

Pulled the rocker cover. Everything normal here...no exploded valve springs. No obviously bent pushrods.


View: https://youtu.be/7NfuDnHwgVU?si=UBe7yzD25VzWIbge

During Moab after my first trail run I pulled my air filter to knock out the dust. Giant mouse nest inside and most of the filter was gone.

My guess is I ingested enough dust to start finishing off the rings.

My plan B JIC I don't get my XJ block and head back in time for Sand Hollow...aka a month from now...will be pulling and replacing pistons, rings and laping the valves and sending it. Might use the old pistons from the XJ motor.

Looks like stock pistons.

-Mac

P.S. End mill drill press adapter arrived so tomorrow I cut cut four counterbores and maybe install my iBooster.

 

[macleanflood]

IBooster ready to install...

Blew apart wife's JK... trying to find an inner axle seal, think we have one to go look at tomorrow. JKS track bar and Barnes no drill steering.

-Mac

 

[macleanflood]

Intake back from the powder coating shop.

Head back from the machine shop. Going to clean up and lap valves. Talked with the guys at the shop and he's ordering me Melling valve springs and lifters. Don't want to reuse the stock springs per the TSB and testing vs replacing is negligible.

Also need to mask off the head and use VVT high heat engine paint on the sides.

-Mac

 

[Rickyd]

I recommend Johnson hylift lifters. Not chinese ones!

 

[macleanflood]

Picked up my block from Southworth Machine shop. Way more than I wanted to spend but it's done right. Deck height is 9.452 and piston height will be 9.418.

Assembled the crank, rear main... installed the camshaft. New valve springs after lapping the valves... exhaust valves still have a little pitting...might water test the head after the paint dries.

Piston ring gap is .013 and needs to be .026. Borrowed my neighbor's ring filer and that's tomorrow's project.

IBooster is working great...fully installed.

-Mac

 

[E-Ticket]

Picked up my block from Southworth Machine shop. Way more than I wanted to spend but it's done right. Deck height is 9.452 and piston height will be 9.418.

Assembled the crank, rear main... installed the camshaft. New valve springs after lapping the valves... exhaust valves still have a little pitting...might water test the head after the paint dries.

Piston ring gap is .013 and needs to be .026. Borrowed my neighbor's ring filer and that's tomorrow's project.

IBooster is working great...fully installed.

View attachment 680582View attachment 680583View attachment 680584View attachment 680585

-Mac

Is there anything you can't do yourself, Mac? You are a model of DIY. Thanks for sharing all the details.

 

[macleanflood]

Is there anything you can't do yourself, Mac? You are a model of DIY. Thanks for sharing all the details.

Everything and I replaced the kitchen sink last night. Home despot sent three...all were bent in shipping.

Gave up...they gave me another $100 off and I did a little metal work to take the bend in the lip out.

I have an aversion to paying folks for shitty work.

-Mac

 

[rasband]

I have an aversion to paying folks for shitty work.

100% this. I can do my own shitty work!

 

[lBasket]

Everything and I replaced the kitchen sink last night. Home despot sent three...all were bent in shipping.

Gave up...they gave me another $100 off and I did a little metal work to take the bend in the lip out.

I have an aversion to paying folks for shitty work.

View attachment 680716

-Mac

I bought that sink for my last house. It is so big it kicks ass

 

[macleanflood]

I bought that sink for my last house. It is so big it kicks ass

My wife said the waterfall will be nice for washing vegetables.

I said let's get real... it'll be great for thawing frozen food when we forget to do any meal planning or prep.

=)

-Mac

 

[E-Ticket]

Everything and I replaced the kitchen sink last night. Home despot sent three...all were bent in shipping.

Gave up...they gave me another $100 off and I did a little metal work to take the bend in the lip out.

I have an aversion to paying folks for shitty work.

View attachment 680716

-Mac

Amazingly, this very same thing just happened to me. I ordered a sink from Home Depot with delivery. The box is in perfect condition, so I did not get it another thought that the product might be damaged. Open it later to install and the flange is bent! I took it back to the store and got a different one from stock that I could open and verify it was not bent. WTF.

 

[macleanflood]

2 pm... pistons gapped to ~.025-.026. ARP bolts torqued to 63 ft lbs. Apparently this is a "big block." Timing chain set and installed. Oil pump and pickup installed.

For reference are measurements of the cam button and spring. Clegg sells a set...but a couple of years ago when I did engine 1.0 in the gravel and it went boop and disappeared...I made my own pin and spring. Did it based on scale in the photo. Here's real measurements.

-Mac

 

[Wildman]

Hey Mac.........

What's that extra bolt laying over off to the side???

Hope you have better luck with your build than I have had with my engine builds to date...

 

[macleanflood]

Hope you have better luck with your build than I have had with my engine builds to date...

Me too. I have zero luck. Usually have to do things five times before I don't fuck it up.

I learned how to build engines from YouTube. This is my first complete one...I've done bearings, head gaskets, valves...but not everything all at once.

And worst of all I didn't stay in a holiday inn last night...

-Mac

 

[Irun]

Me too. I have zero luck. Usually have to do things five times before I don't fuck it up.

I learned how to build engines from YouTube. This is my first complete one...I've done bearings, head gaskets, valves...but not everything all at once.

And worst of all I didn't stay in a holiday inn last night...

-Mac

You've done a lot of complicated things. This is just one more in a list of many!

 

[GoldenGorilla]

2 pm... pistons gapped to ~.025-.026. ARP bolts torqued to 63 ft lbs. Apparently this is a "big block." Timing chain set and installed. Oil pump and pickup installed.

For reference are measurements of the cam button and spring. Clegg sells a set...but a couple of years ago when I did engine 1.0 in the gravel and it went boop and disappeared...I made my own pin and spring. Did it based on scale in the photo. Here's real measurements.

View attachment 680770View attachment 680771View attachment 680772View attachment 680773View attachment 680774View attachment 680775View attachment 680776View attachment 680777View attachment 680778View attachment 680779

-Mac

Awesome. Can't wait to see it start up.

 

[bbaldwin237]

Are you trying to have this motor in before heading to Sand Hollow?

 

[macleanflood]

You've done a lot of complicated things five times.

Let me fix that for you... =)

Are you trying to have this motor in before heading to Sand Hollow?

Torn on that. I could pull my motor next week and have everything swapped over by the weekend.

Debating on pulling the transfer case and transmission separately. I know it's a bear to line up the transmission. I can imagine trying to stab the engine is dangling on a borrowed cherry picker or my tractor won't be easy.

Getting it done by next week gives me three weeks of shakedown time. If it works. Worst case I guess I stab my 4.0 back in...

-Mac