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Gratuitous Lack Of Moderation - A little stroker build

So...what the running total on this stroker build?

:laugh3:


More than I budgeted. Less than you'd think. We re-used a lot of parts from 4643 and Russ gives me the buddy deal on a lot of stuff. Out of pocket I'll be an average stroker build in cash. If you subtract the head and the gratuitous bling stuff, under $1500.

Part of that though is my accepting the risk that this could be way too much compression and the whole thing has to come apart to be redone. Russ would probably feel pretty bad if that had to happen, but not at all on the same level as he would if it were a customer engine.
 
Just looked up the price of that oil pan...

****in OUCH!


Thankfully Russ is a Moroso dealer, so the hit wasn't as bad as you think.

Which is good because I needed that savings to buy a fancy red valve cover from Crown and 3 stud kits so I can stud both the pan and valve cover. Because gratuitous.
 
Thankfully Russ is a Moroso dealer, so the hit wasn't as bad as you think.

Which is good because I needed that savings to buy a fancy red valve cover from Crown and 3 stud kits so I can stud both the pan and valve cover. Because gratuitous.

How's the up travel clearance with that pan? Assuming this isn't the first time you have used it.
 
They claim no change in clearance.

This is in fact the first time I have used it, so we'll have to see.
 
We've discussed it but we don't turn enough RPMs that Russ thinks it's worthwhile
 
More than I budgeted. Less than you'd think. We re-used a lot of parts from 4643 and Russ gives me the buddy deal on a lot of stuff. Out of pocket I'll be an average stroker build in cash. If you subtract the head and the gratuitous bling stuff, under $1500.

Have you or others you know had problems with the stock oil pan causing engine issues?
Just wondering if the new pan is there to prevent existing problems or it just looks good...or both.
 
I can't say that we *havent* had problems, but I also can't say that we *have*.

The road race cars have had problems with starving for oil on long hard corners, and solved it with an accumulator - but that presents some of its own problems (overfilling the oil pan when you're at lower RPM's with less oil pressure).

In this case, the oil pan is probably gratuitous. So are the ARP oil pan and valve cover studs that you haven't seen yet. ;)
 
tomorrow maybe, or friday. we just need to drop lifters in it, drop the head on and setup the rockers, bolt some tin together.

its just a matter of both Russ and I having free time at the same time.
 
Great build Cal! I have been lurking, following your build for awhile. I finally contacted Russ last week and got in line !
 
Well, back at it this weekend.

First Russ had to finish assembling the head. The Edelbrock head uses a .500" valve stem seal instead of the .530 that the jeep heads use, so we had to special order them.

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It also uses a 1.5" installed height valve spring, VS jeep's 1.7", so it takes different valve springs. With hard seats installed in the aluminium head, you need a stiffer valve spring as well, to keep the valve from bouncing at high RPM. The spring Russ came up with is 140 pounds on the seat and 285 on the nose, which is pretty perfect.

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You'll notice the hardened shim under the spring to protect the head from the valve spring galling it.

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Next I pulled out my thread chaser and cleaned all the head bolt threads before installing the head.

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Even after scrubbing them.. damn.

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Dropped the dowels in place and installed.

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Then dropped a .043" MLS gasket on. Mopar Performance and Victor Reinz sell this as an upgrade, but Felpro and Jeep use it as the stock gasket for 04-06 4.0's so just about anywhere carries it in Felpro now.

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You can see the gasket is just a hair bigger than the cylinder. Russ punches these things out up to .080 over on this gasket, although mine is only 60 over.

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One thing I found interesting, both the head and the block have water jackets that are blocked by the gasket and do not line up to anything on the other object - they are just there to add cooling surface.

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We're using Comp's High Energy lifter. It doesn't have as much hydraulic travel as the standard ones do, but is built as a higher quality part. Look at the difference in the clips here:

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This isn't very high precision, but you can see here how deep the plunger goes into each

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I can't see the difference, but Russ assures me there is one. I can sure see a difference in part quality though.

Russ lubes them up with his favorite moly lube.

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And then uses a magnet to drop them into their bore. (we removed the head gasket again)

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Dropped the gasket back on, and dropped the head on.

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We're using ARP head bolts. ARP provides a lube for the threads which Russ suggests not using as it affects torque values more than he likes.

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They also come with hardened washers.

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You'll find the washers are beveled on one side to clear the radius under the bolt head.

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Must be installed in the correct orientation. This one is backward, you can see the washer does not contact the bolt head.

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This one is correct.

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A drop of lube between the bolt and washer

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A little stripe on the threads

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The front drivers side bolt gets sealant on the threads instead, as it goes into a water jacket.

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And torque to 25, then 40, then 80. The 4.0 is usually 100, but you use less torque on the aluminium head.

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