Stroker or re-gear?

[Greg M]

I have recently purchased an automatic 2000 Sahara with 3.07 gears that has a cracked head. The engine has 160k miles on it and I don't know how long it has been run with a cracked head. It does have sludge in it although I think the worst of it has been cleaned out. Seems to run perfectly fine. I did read the other thread with the same title but the responses were for a different transmission. From my reading it sounds like the best performance gains come from regearing. Trying to figure out which direction to go. Not much off road and no rock crawling so this would need to be a more street friendly build. I might put 3-4000 miles a year on it. I installed H&R springs with Bilstein shocks and run 31" tires. Not interested in increasing the height of the Jeep or the size of the tires.

1. Clearwater head installed ($1600) and maybe a header. Drop the oil pan, change the oil pump (preventative while the pan is off) and replace the rear main seal. That would fix the leaks and head but leave me with an engine that has 160k on it. It would leave money left over to regear plus be able to afford other goodies. 3.73 gears with LSD rear and locker front???

2. Jasper engine with install kit. Installed about $5500. Basically have an engine with zero miles. Still could regear but the total would be pushing the dollar limit.

3. Newcomer 300hp stroker installed by Newcomer (about 30 miles from me) and tuned (87 octane). Really pushes budget with no money left to regear.

Based on my limited knowledge I really like option 3 but I imagine it's not the best use of the budget. Option 2 seems like the safest option with option 1 being the least expensive. Problem is that I don't know enough about all the available options and how they interact with each other. Since I tend not to keep vehicles for a long time I don't want this to become a money pit which is very easy to do with wranglers! This is why I have a limited budget and it's not going to be something like, get the stroker this year and regear next year.

 

[hosejockey61]

Why not a long block replacement and a re-gear?

 

[machoheadgames]

I’d probably opt for the Clearwater head and a regear. 3.73 if you for sure are keeping the 31’s, otherwise if there’s any chance of 33’s go 4.10 for sure.

 

[Woodrow]

That’s an interesting scenario and some good options. But, you said you don’t plan to keep it long and are going to pay to have the work done. My question is, why bother? An old Jeep will need more dollars regularly. Do you think selling it, taking that money and the money you are willing to spend now and buying a less cool but newer, more reliable rig makes sense?

 

[L J]

Stroker or regear

 

[Greg M]

I plan on keeping it for a while but my wife insists that I won't. I kept my JK for 2.5 years and enjoyed it. I also miss having a jeep. I recently learned of a place to off road that's only about 50 minutes from here so I'm going to try it out in a couple of weeks.

I had 33's on my JK but I think I'll stick with the 31's on this TJ.

 

[Woodrow]

OK then. I say go with the least expensive motor fix and re-gear. Maybe throw a lunch box locker in the front when you re-gear, if you really plan to wheel it. Then drive it and only upgrade when something breaks. Have fun.

 

[Gollywomper]

I would hold off on a regear based around a 31” tire. I think we have all said “oh no I don’t want anything bigger than 31s” at some point. Figure out what you really want to do with this Jeep before dropping money on gears that may not be correct for your future plans.

 

[DrDmoney]

Option 2 = fresh motor + proper gearing

 

[NPhopper]

I think we all remember when we said we are going to stick to 31s. And then all the sudden you have a full savvy catalog and 35s so im with the guys who say find your purpose of this jeep and see if you really are gonna keep it then make the decisions as well as wheel it a few times and look at rigs on 35s drool a little. Then spend the kids college fund on it and have fun.

 

[JMT]

I have recently purchased an automatic 2000 Sahara with 3.07 gears that has a cracked head. The engine has 160k miles on it and I don't know how long it has been run with a cracked head. It does have sludge in it although I think the worst of it has been cleaned out. Seems to run perfectly fine. I did read the other thread with the same title but the responses were for a different transmission. From my reading it sounds like the best performance gains come from regearing. Trying to figure out which direction to go. Not much off road and no rock crawling so this would need to be a more street friendly build. I might put 3-4000 miles a year on it. I installed H&R springs with Bilstein shocks and run 31" tires. Not interested in increasing the height of the Jeep or the size of the tires.

1. Clearwater head installed ($1600) and maybe a header. Drop the oil pan, change the oil pump (preventative while the pan is off) and replace the rear main seal. That would fix the leaks and head but leave me with an engine that has 160k on it. It would leave money left over to regear plus be able to afford other goodies. 3.73 gears with LSD rear and locker front???

2. Jasper engine with install kit. Installed about $5500. Basically have an engine with zero miles. Still could regear but the total would be pushing the dollar limit.

3. Newcomer 300hp stroker installed by Newcomer (about 30 miles from me) and tuned (87 octane). Really pushes budget with no money left to regear.

Based on my limited knowledge I really like option 3 but I imagine it's not the best use of the budget. Option 2 seems like the safest option with option 1 being the least expensive. Problem is that I don't know enough about all the available options and how they interact with each other. Since I tend not to keep vehicles for a long time I don't want this to become a money pit which is very easy to do with wranglers! This is why I have a limited budget and it's not going to be something like, get the stroker this year and regear next year.

You can let the Jeep tell you what it needs by wheelin it here in a few weeks, or you can decide now that 31’s are your final tire size.

If 31’s, regear AND stroker. A stroked engine does not make up for being undergeared.

 

[Greg M]

Talking resale here. Just in case I decide to sell this in a couple of years how much real value would the Newsome stroker add compared to the Jasper engine? Either way I'd be selling a rust free TJ with an engine that had less than 10k miles on it. I'm not saying that I plan on selling it but just in case my wife knows me better than I know myself. My thought is that it might add about $2500 but I'm just guessing.

 

[Woodrow]

My thought is most non-stock mods add very little to a Jeep's re-sale value relative to cost of the mod. I'm sure there are exceptions.

 

[Chris]

Stroker or re-gear?

Both

 

[machoheadgames]

Maybe just me, but generally, a stroker would make me less interested in buying. Not because I'm allergic to power, but lots of ways you can skin the stroker cat and I would want to know it was actually reliable and that I wasn't buying your project which I would experience a bunch of problems with and need to tinker with constantly.

If you do decide to do the stroker and get it running well and still want to sell, then providing as much detail at sale time on the engine would help someone similar to myself be more willing to consider it. But just a simple "stroker engine dropped in a year ago" would make me worried more than anything.

 

[Yoda]

Since you aren't using this as a daily commuter I'd regear it go with deeper gears than you think you need. It will give you more power and you'll be ready for 33's if you ever decide to.

And get the Clearwater head installed. Run the engine for as long as you can and if it shows signs of being unhappy either rebuild it or buy a longblock and put the Clearwater head on that.

 

[Greg M]

If I got a stroker it would be from Newsome and install by him.

I’m heavily leaning toward the Clearwater head. I can get it installed at work for a good price with me supplying the parts.

 

[Greg M]

Edited a double post later in the day.

Decided on the head replacement because I really don't know how long I'll keep this. If this was my dream jeep and I lived somewhere that had a lot of off road options I'd go with the stroker. If I keep it 10 years I'll only put about 50k miles on it and the current engine should do 210k miles easily. Thanks for the help.

 

[Greg M]

Ok so I'm making a list of parts I need to get for the Clearwater cylinder head from Rockauto.com.

Cylinder head gasket set Fel-Pro HS9076PT4
Cylinder head bolts Fel-Pro ES71102
Thermostat 195 degree Stant 45359
Exhaust Manifold Bolts Fel-Pro ES75116

I believe I've got the right parts. Am I missing anything?

 

[machoheadgames]

Seems ok. I prefer Victor Reinz gaskets myself. But fel pro will work. Thermostat I’d probably go Mopar if I could find one. Stant is now made by Motorad which is basically not Stant at all.

The exhaust manifold bolts will not do the whole job. Those are mostly for connecting the header to the downpipe and providing studs for the manifold to the engine (the ones on the ends). I’d probably plan on reusing most of the exhaust hardware, especially the bolts with cup washers. The studs you may be able to reuse as well if you can pull them from the engine double nut style.