4.0 HO Replacement Heads.

So tonight I picked up a 98' XJ with 4.0, aw4, 231, cryco 8.25/D30 for a little under half what it books for. I believe it has a cracked head, because the oil, and the coolant both stink. I tried searching but found nothing usefull. My question is : Are there any companys that make an improved head for a 4.0HO? I know that Hesco(sp?) manufactures a replacement for the non HO/4.2, but Im not sure if anyone makes one for a 4.0HO, i figure if im going to replace the head, I might as well put something better in there. Thanks guys.
Luke

i think hesco makes a performanace head for the 4.0 did you call them or check the web site ?

There is an aftermarket aluminum head that just came out a couple months ago - we don't know who's casting it, but HESCO put it out first, and then Rusty's, Patriot Performance (?) and probably others have it out by now. It's designed for the 4.0/242 and the "wide deck" 4.2/258 (~1975 and up.)

The catch - it's spendy. Looks like an average of about $1600 for a completely assembled head (I emphasize that so you know it's not a bare casting!) Still, that's kinda spendy for a single head, but it's a new product and the market has't been proven yet. I'm hoping that time will bring the price down.

I'd still like to find out who's casting the head, and where they got the idea - several of us on the Strokers board were beating a cylinder head idea around in FEB2002, and it got as far as my taking the information to Indy Cylinder Heads in Indianapolis - it's not that I'd like to get royalties or anything - but I'd like to know if we played a part in getting this thing off the ground (which I was hoping for - I'd have preferred iron, but aluminum is easier to work.

Or, you can get a cylinder head from a salvage yard (casting #7120, if you can get it) and have it done over at a machine shop. It's up to you - but the second option is damn near guaranteed to be cheaper!

5-90

thanks guys, for some reason I didnt believe that the hesco head was any better than the HO head. I havent really read up on this a whole lot, I just remember reading an article about it in JP? magizine a few months back, and im not 100% sure that this jeep has a cracked head, its just low on coolant and it stinks, and so does the oil.