Topic: Overhaul kits

[jfrabat]

OK, so now that my Jeep has become my daily driver, I am considering overhauling the engine.  I still have some issues at low speed, and if the Jeep stalls, I have a hard time starting it again, so I am hoping all this would be fixed along the way.  Also, since I will be tearing the engine apart, I might take advantage to upgrade some stuff, like the water pump (I plan to install a flowkooler one, which is suppossed to cool better and take up less HP while doing it), as well as the power steering pump (mine is winning ever since I did the hydroboost, so a PSC High Performance Pump would be going in as well) and I would probably throw in a new Performance Distributors ignition and new injectors just to make sure everything is up to par.

But which overhaul kits would you guys recommend?  Also, would it be worth it to get a new head so that I can have it ported?  I also plan to shave a bit off the head to increase compression, since here regular gas is 91 octanes (I might as well take advantage of the extra octanes!) to something like 10.4 (I still have to calculate how many mm I would need to take off to achieve that compression).

I should be receiving soon the new fuel sending unit (I will FINALLY be able to tell how much gas I have left, as I ordered the one for the 20 gal. tank; I did the tank mod, but had the 16 gal. unit, so I was full for about 90 miles!) along with all the gaskets and valves on top of the tank (I am crossing my fingers that, combined with a new fuel filter, which I already have, and new fuel lines to the filter, I will be rid o the gas smell around the rear drivers side wheel well).  Combine that with the new speakers I just got (Sony demo speakers, but I dont mind they are demos, since they are free to me!), and the Jeep should be like new!

Anyway, any advice is greatly appreciated!



Felipe

[Jeffy]

Well, unless you install some sort of larger pulley on the WP, I can't see how it's going to give you back any HP.  The flowcool's have a backing plate attached to the impeller which makes them a bit more efficient.  IIRC, Hesco's is the best with it's milled impeller.  Though, keep in mind you need the flow to be at a certain rate.  Otherwise, you will have over heating issues.  Move the coolant too slow and you overheat.  Move it too fast and you overheat.  This is because the heat needs time to transfer from the engine to the liquid and from the liquid to the radiator.  You would probably be better off running a synthetic coolant.

Personally, if I was going to eek out the most, I'd ditch the ECU and run a aftermarket unit.  Then install a wide-band O2 and program it yourself.  Then you'd be on your way to forced induction if you felt the need.

[jfrabat]

Well, unless you install some sort of larger pulley on the WP, I can't see how it's going to give you back any HP.  The flowcool's have a backing plate attached to the impeller which makes them a bit more efficient.  IIRC, Hesco's is the best with it's milled impeller.  Though, keep in mind you need the flow to be at a certain rate.  Otherwise, you will have over heating issues.  Move the coolant too slow and you overheat.  Move it too fast and you overheat.  This is because the heat needs time to transfer from the engine to the liquid and from the liquid to the radiator.  You would probably be better off running a synthetic coolant.

Personally, if I was going to eek out the most, I'd ditch the ECU and run a aftermarket unit.  Then install a wide-band O2 and program it yourself.  Then you'd be on your way to forced induction if you felt the need.

I did not know you could run an aftermarket ECU on that engine...

[sharpxmen]

I did not know you could run an aftermarket ECU on that engine...

won't be plug and play, you'll have to make your own harness or adapt it. not cheap in the end.

[jfrabat]

won't be plug and play, you'll have to make your own harness or adapt it. not cheap in the end.

OK, so I am sticking to the stock ECU then...  but after doing a bit of research, I found that some people have had problems with the Flowkooler, as it seems in some cases, the back plate comes loose and causes catastrophic failure.  Guess I am going with the Hesco...

Now, the 2 main questions remain:

1. Which overhaul kit would you recommend?
2. Is it worth getting a new head to work on it (get it ported and shaved) PRIOR to the overhaul?

[sharpxmen]

OK, so I am sticking to the stock ECU then...  but after doing a bit of research, I found that some people have had problems with the Flowkooler, as it seems in some cases, the back plate comes loose and causes catastrophic failure.  Guess I am going with the Hesco...

Now, the 2 main questions remain:

1. Which overhaul kit would you recommend?
2. Is it worth getting a new head to work on it (get it ported and shaved) PRIOR to the overhaul?

2. it's a good idea to have a stock head handy :)

1. i had a list of parts on my old laptop but it died - just the pistons, rings and oil pump - from what i remember: rings were plasma (can't remember the brand), hypereutectic pistons (Sealed Power, +30 is probably ok but you'll need to check), high flow oil pump (you don't need this one, i was researching for piston cooling nozzles but on n/a there's no need). You'll also need a top and bottom gasket sets (Victor, they come with all seals), hydraulic lifters (Clevite, yours are fairly new but they're super cheap), pushrods, bearings (Clevite), timing chain and sprockets, possibly block cooling caps (you might need this if yours are rusted), cam bearings if necessary (Clevite as well, i think you need the end cap for this, i can't remember)

problem with a kit is that they usually put it together with the lowest priced parts, buying them individually let you pick them as you please.

if you can find an engine core is probably the best way to go, you can build that one and swap it when it's ready.

you probably mentioned the octane which you can buy over there but can't recall, if 93 or higher is readily available you can bump the CR to gain some efficiency and HP if the cost/liter is reasonable.

[jfrabat]

you probably mentioned the octane which you can buy over there but can't recall, if 93 or higher is readily available you can bump the CR to gain some efficiency and HP if the cost/liter is reasonable.

Regular is 91, super is 95...  Don't know why, but the law set it up that way (both here in Panama and in Costa Rica, which was the same)

[sharpxmen]

don't quote me on this but i think here they carry 87 and 95 and what you get at the pump it's 87 or a blend with a higher octane (so 91 is a proportional blend between 87 and 95). Very little if any pumps would sell 95 (i can't even remember if i've seen it anywhere), for high octane usually available ones are 91,92,93 but it depends on the pump which one you get - it's stupid if you ask me, they should keep it standard.

[SDWE61988]

I used the sealed power hypereutectic pistons like Sharpxman did.  mine were +20, because the machine shop said the cylinders were tapered, and they ended up milling the block.  The also cleaned up my head and installed the seats.  I reused my crank and cam, and have not had any problems.  I ended up using the old water pump and it keeps the temperature pretty stable, the bearing is starting to sqeak.  I did by a kit on-line and ended up returning part of it because of the change in the pistons.  One one the gaskets they sent, I think the head gasket was also wrong.  (think it was for the Chryler 2.5l engines of that era).  If I did it again, I think I would pick out the parts myself.