Stacks

Oops... again.... Hornbrod is right... still need the 4.2 crank. I need to stop making posts when I'm in 'Night Owl' mode!!!! :doh: An observation/analogy about the stroker mileage. It may not be as bad as it might seem. My old '67 'Cuda, 273 2bbl, 4 speed got 14-14.5mpg in stock form. After a rebuild, .030" over bore, 10.5:1 pistons, 284/300 duration .500/.510 lift cam, headers, Mallory dual point, 3 angle valve job etc. Driving the same roads it got 19-19.5mpg. If I stayed out of S.E.G. mode the mileage stayed right about there. Granted the 'Cuda's engine wasn't stroked so the changes weren't as drastic but a 4.0 stroker might surprise us on mileage. Just guessing of sourse!! ;0) Larry

Here's a site with lots of useful into about strokers. There are several others also. Using the RENIX head and intake greatly chokes the gains from a stroker. I am sure others here will pop in and add more about this. The new Keith Black pistons available are a real boon in bulding a 4.0 stroker... no need for a different crank and rods!! Hope this helps a bit. Larry Edit:.... Ooops... forgot the link. http://www.jeep4.0performance.4mg.com/ Space Cadet Syndrome getting worse!! lol

I'll toss out my two cents worth here for what it's worth. I've been running auto lockers front and rear on my TJ for 12 years. Yes... in ice or hard packed snow you really have to pay attention to what is going on. The locker in the rear is no biggie in 2wd as long as you pay attention to what is happening. I have an auto locker in my MJ in the rear. Reacts just the same as the TJ in 2wd. Pay attention and you are most often OK. As far as a cover for outside storage... this is personal opinion only... DON'T DO IT!!!!!!! Within 6 months of just daily use at night for example, you will find your paint is scuffed quite noticably. I ruined a brand new and expensive paint job using a custom fitted and expensive cover for my '67 Cuda fastback. Keeping the rig waxed regularly and use sunscreens/blockers in the windshield works far better than a cover. Again, this is just my opinion and experience.

Part of the curriculum for an automotive design engineer should be at least 2-5 years working as a mechanic fixing things on all the poorly designed vehicles BEFORE he/she is allowed to graduate!!!!! ;0)

I have used a program called GPS Trackmaker. The author is in Brazil. The program is free for personal use. It has been stable and works great. I've used maps from several online sources. Mostly I used it for exploring/searching for old mine sites so the maps I used were topo ones. I believe it would work with any map you would want to use. There is a link below to their website. Hope that is of some help for you. http://www.trackmaker.com/downloadscontract.php Later, Larry

Engine Tech offers a very complete and quality engine rebuild kit.

My first thought would be a plugged catalytic converter.

I like that setup better plus it gets rid of clearance issues between the belt and the thermostat housing!!! :bowdown:

OOps... forgot... you may need to space the PS pump out from the intake with washers/spacer to get the pulleys aligned!!

I used the adjuster from a Cherokee, swapped the smooth faced pulley on the adjuster for a grooved one and got a longer belt. Take a look at the last photo in my build thread. http://comancheclub.com/topic/33955-89-mj-work-truckdd-to-dd-and-4-wheeling-whenever/ I got a 4 inch longer belt but you could also use a 3 inche longer one. The adjuster works backwards from the Cherokee so you will have to leverage the adjuster to tension the belt. Hope that helps!! Larry

All I'm trying to get at is that the HO head itself IS in fact plug and play onto a RENIX block. It could easily be misleading saying it isn't to someone with less knowledge than yourselves. It will bolt right on BUT to get the most out of it a different intake or port matching is necessary as well as optimizing the exhaust. On my build thread I have just installed the '99 intake, Clifford headers and new injectors in an attempt to improve what you know to be difficiencies and I have learned are deficiencies. I learn more each time I come to this forum and I am most grateful to have found this place. Maybe I'm being too nitpicky. If I am I apologize. Just attempting to be the most clear that I/we can be to help all the new visitors that are looking for answers, etc. Thanks, Larry

OK... it's just a matter of definitions then. Sorry. Plug-n-play to me is... will it fit and will it function? Are there any mods needed to make it fit? No to both. I agree, it won't perform as well as it could. Edit...Plug-n-play to me is... will it fit and will it function? Are there any mods needed to make it fit? No to both. I messed that up... should read yes to the first and no to the second.

Why wouldn't it be plug and play???

A few more photos to add. Just about done!! I have the air filter to throttle body to finish and I have to lengthen the intake air temp wiring. Had it running briefly tonight. Wee bit of smoke as paint and finger prints burned off. Oh and a small amount of extra noise from open headers!! Gotta love that sound!! :banana: We'll do a little video when I drive it the 4 blocks to the muffler shop on Wed. morning!! Headers installed. Nice thick gasket from Clifford!!! Port openings in the gasket lined up with no mods necessary at all. '99 intake installed with new Bosch 22lb 4 hole injectors, HO throttle body, and studs to mount the '99 PS pump. The pulley on the '99 pump was broken so used the one off my '89. It doesn't have holes to insert and tighten the bolts in it as they are not needed. Soooo... that's why there are studs to mount the PS pump showing!! PS pump installed and new belt which needed to be 4" longer than the stock one for an MJ. Also replaced the smooth faced idler pulley with a grooved one. (part number, Gates 38019 from Napa) Next photo shows the PS pump tensioner set up. The threaded adjuster doesn't work as on a '99 Cherokee, it's backwards from what is needed here. Sooo... I resorted to the old fashioned way of tensioning the belt like we did with V-belts... an appropriate bar for leaverage, suitable tool for tightening the stop bolt and 4 hands to check everything before it's tightened. I used a throttle cable bracket from a '93 YJ that was hanging around the shop (it bolts on with no mods needed) and a throttle cable from a stick shift early '90's Cherokee. The fuel rail is the stock one from the '89 RENIX system with a very strange mounting system. I'll see how it holds up and if it does I'll do a little write up on it. I used the TPS mod from the DIY forum which seems to function so far. I may or may not need to add an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. I'll see what the A/F gauge tells me. I'll add a couple more photos when it's all buttoned up! Later, Larry

Welcome to the club Jim!! And YES... it only gets worse! :ack:

I built this mod last night. The screws that fit my setup were 10x32x 1 1/2". if you can find 1 3/4" ones that would work better I think. Or get 2" and cut them down to 1 3/4". That would give you more thread into the throttle body. Hope that helps!! Larry

Here's a teaser on the next part of the project. ;) ">http:// I have run into a couple issues with the install. 1) The RENIX intake manifold will not fit with the Clifford headers. The front two header tubes angle back too soon and the bottom front corner of the intake runners contact the header tubes. The fix was to get a '99 intake manifold. Fits great. That leads to the other issues, the mounting of the RENIX fuel rail on the '99 manifold and getting a different power steering bracket to match the manifold. Also modifying the HO throttle body to accept the RENIX TPS and rigging a new mount for the throttle linkage. More pix as I progress. Oh, also put in an A/F mixture gauge that accepts two inputs, hence the bung in each collector. I will have the muffler shop down the street make the new head pipes, add another glass pack, put in a balance tube and plumb it all to the stacks via flex couplings. More later!!! Larry

I'll toss this out for info... I have a '97 TJ D30/D35, 4.10's and 33's, Powertrax No-slip in front and a Powertrax Lockrite in the rear. The both have over 100,000 miles on them since 2002. In 4wd the turning radius is less but not drastically so. On pavement it's best to coast around 90 degree city street corners with the clutch disengaged or apply gentle power while still going straight before entering the corner. If you don't you get a bucking action like you used to get when you let the clutch out wrong when you were learning to drive. You will notice increased tire wear on the rear unless you coast around city street corners. The front locker is totally invisible when in 2wd. I have never heard any noise coming from it ever. I do get a clicking noise in parking lots etc from the rear which is just the locker doing what it supposed to do. Running 4wd on hard packed snow or ice can be dangerous with both ends locked. You will get yourself in trouble skid/slide-wise very easily... but you can get yourself out of trouble easier too. The TJ will swap ends in a heartbeat in 4wd on hard pack or ice so I seldom use 4wd in those situations unless it is really slow speed driving. Snow amounts here can also be 1-4 feet plus. Just my 2 cents worth and experiences. Later, Larry

Rant on....'GMB' is an abbreviation for JUNK, poor design engineers, whatever you want to call it. Water pumps especially!!! Rant off. Thank you Larry

Hornbrod... Thank you for that info!! On the suggestion of the adjustable regulator, would it HAVE to be one with a vacuum port? Also, perhaps a dumb question/comment, am I correct in my thinking that less vacuum to the stock regulator results in more pressure in the fuel rail? Could an adjustable fuel pressure regulator without a vacuum port be used? That could be a compromise though because you may need to set the static pressure higher than appropriate for idle/low load than for heavy/WOT. Was looking at other than a Hesco regulator. Not a fan of their's for some reason. ($$$$) Thank you! Larry

I've been running a Powertrax Lockrite locker in the D35 and a Powertrax No-slip in the D30 of my '97 TJ since 2001. They have 120,000 miles on them and no problems what so ever. You get a clicking noise out of the rear in parking lots at times which is normal. The rear gets some getting used to on pavement on city street 90 degree corners. I usually just put the clutch in and coast around the corner vs light power which tends to spin one tire so increased wear from that aspect. I get 40,000-60,000 miles out of a set of tires depending on who's they are. The front locker is totally invisible and absolutely quiet on pavement. Running both ends locked on ice and hard packed snow in 4wd is hairy to say the least. I have a had Lockrite in the D44 (rear) in the MJ for a year now and it reacts the same as in my TJ. Just my experiences. Hope it is useful. Larry

I did a rebuild on my '89 MJ 4.0 a year ago. .030 over bore and went with the CompCams 68-232-4 cam. There is a noticeable improvment in low end and pulls strong all the way to 5500. Running a cold air intake, 18" glasspack to dual stacks. I just received a set of the Clifford dual outlet headers and will take it to a muffler shop and get the pipes installed for true dual stacks. It runs very well but a little too lean so an adjustable MAP sensor will be added to richen it up a bit. Using the 21lb injectors from a '91-93 4.0. (#33007127) Mileage on the open road is 18-19 mpg running at 2700 in 4th. Even with 3.55's 5th isn't useable, vacuum is only 8-9" while in 4th it is 13-14". Hope that helps. Larry

What??? Seal it??? No not.... that would make my A/C inoperable!!! :rotf:

One cause could be blow by. I'm not familiar with how the CA. engines are plumbed but it could also be a restricted or plugged vacuum line from the valve cover to the intake manifold.

Finally found the issue on my end... the file type was wrong in the save as window. That's what I get for not paying attention!! My apologies!!! Pulled down the ones of interest to me!!! Thank you for having them up!!!! Much appreciated!! Larry