My XJ's new 4.7L

rob92xj

Member
Joined
May 8, 2005
Location
fayetteville, nc
I finally had no choice but to rebuild the 96 4.0L I had since my 92 XJ's 4.0 decided to start smoking like a fright train.
So here is the deal 96 NVH block bored .060", 4.2L crankshaft, 4.2L rods(glad I didn't sell them) ported and polished head and 99+ intake also ported and polished.

96 engine block bored .060" over
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89 4.2L crankshaft cut and polished(thanks to Steve aka 89Wrangler)
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Crankshaft installed and torqued
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Comparing piston pin height
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Piston stamping stock replacement pistons nothing fancy here
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Cylinder head, 3 angle valve job, ports ported but forgot to do the combustion chamber
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Shot of one of the intake ports
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Exhaust port
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Intake off a 99 4.0L
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Intake manifold port
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Pistons installed
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Almost a zero deck height
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Piston to deck clearance, not bad
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Main bearing brace, no clearance with the connecting rods on the 4.2" crank
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A few washers and now there is enough clearance
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A better view of the clearance after installing the washers
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Almost ready to install but missing a few parts that are now on back order :mad:
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Have you figured out whats missing?
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You got it no cam, shipping date from Chrysler is April 15th, URE opens April 1st which means I'm not going to make it opening day, my jobs trip to URE is April 19th no time for that trip either. Unless I take my latest project...Project Creampuff, build thread will follw when I start on it.
Which is a 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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The rear axle is cracked due to being slammed into a ditch, the frame rails are bent. The plan is to pull the frame rails back into place (whenever the guys in our body shop have time), replace the rear axle with a Ford 8.8. Do a front to rear swap for lift with 4.5" front springs and spacers or 2" front springs if a friend of mine changes his, run a set of 33x12.5x15s
 
View from the drivers rear
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Super clean Jeep, just look at this engine
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Interior view
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Cracked rear axle don't worry it is a turd of a Dana 35
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that interior is beautiful. I like the idea of a 4.0L stroker...maybe one day
 
bowtieman55 said:
that interior is beautiful. I like the idea of a 4.0L stroker...maybe one day
Click to expand...
Thanks that Grand Cherokee was a deal I could let pass by.
The stroker is costing me alot less then I was planning, I also did alot of the work myself the only stuff I didn't do was bore the block and press the rods on the pistons, and mill the head and valve job.
 
Crankshaft and rods are from a 89 YJ 4.2L
Block is a 96 NVH 4.0L that came out of my friend Davids XJ
The Pistons are .060 stock replacement piston
Camshaft is supposed to be a Mopar Performance Stage 1 4.0L cam with matching valve springs and retainers
I have the part numbers at work
 
bowtieman55 said:
what does the NVH stand for?
Click to expand...
Something to do with Noise and Vibration dampening. They started labeling all the 4.0 blocks NVH around '96 or something...

Looks like a good start rob! With a deck clearance of .055 I'm guessing you didn't deck the block at all. Which head gasket are you using? Your quench looks like it will be pretty high. Are you adding larger injectors?
 
The NVH is vibration, noise and harness, to correct the issues with noise the 95 and earlier 4.0L's had. More block webs, main bearing stiffener, stiffer block design, revised deck height.
 
Why not put a competition cam in it? I wouldn't run a Crane, lots of problems. I built a stroker for my XJ 7 years or so ago and used a comp cam, no issues and ran great. Is the crankshaft you're using one that had a serpentine belt set up on it? Otherwise I think you have to modify something on it to work. Good luck you'll love the power it's going to make.
 
Glad to see another stroker being churned out. It looks like the popularity is really growing.
 
BIGWOODY said:
Why not put a competition cam in it? I wouldn't run a Crane, lots of problems. I built a stroker for my XJ 7 years or so ago and used a comp cam, no issues and ran great. Is the crankshaft you're using one that had a serpentine belt set up on it? Otherwise I think you have to modify something on it to work. Good luck you'll love the power it's going to make.
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The cam I'm using is a Mopar Performance cam and I can get them for about $75 cheaper then a Competition Cam since I work for a Chrysler/Jeep dealer. But if my parts dept manager cannot get it here sooner I might have to order one from Summit or Jegs.
 
novacayne75 said:
do u know i mopar has a cam for 2.5's
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No performance cam for the 2.5L Jeep engine but there are a few for the 2.2/2.5L OHC engine.

Here is the part number for the cam I'm using in mine P4529228AB but they are currently on backorder. It does come with the cam and lifters.
 
RRADFORD9ER said:
Something to do with Noise and Vibration dampening. They started labeling all the 4.0 blocks NVH around '96 or something...
Looks like a good start rob! With a deck clearance of .055 I'm guessing you didn't deck the block at all. Which head gasket are you using? Your quench looks like it will be pretty high. Are you adding larger injectors?
Click to expand...
A stock 4.0L has a higher deck height, last one I measured when I was replacing a cracked head had a deck height of .221 which is why I didn't have the block decked. The head gasket I'm going to be usiing is the MLS Mopar gasket which has a compressed thickness of .046" I was going to measure one that was just replaced but it has gone to the dumpster already.
Injectors will be Ford Motorsport 24lbs/hr injectors and I have been thinking of swapping to the 97 and later plastic tank with higher volume pump and returnless fuel system.
 
any idea of $ cost? on machine work for heads and crank and parts? Friend might be thinking about this.
 
screw the Mopar cam, and run a crower. It won't be cheaper, but it's worth the coin. I've heard good things about the mopar cam, but waiting until Mid april would be a deal breaker for me.
My only regret with my stroker, is not having the head/intake ported.

When you get the project done, you'll have to get one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...TORE:PROMOBOX:NEWLIST&category=6755&viewitem=

I got a 4.6L one from them months ago, and its almost a dead match for the factory color and character font
 
davidselite737 said:
any idea of $ cost? on machine work for heads and crank and parts? Friend might be thinking about this.
Click to expand...
The heads and intake were ported by me, the machine work(bore block, cut crank and valve job) with new bearings, rings and pistons was just under $700.

My parts manager thinks he may have found another dealership with the cam but they have not called him back yet.

More bad news my friggin oil pump has been back ordered now too, pick up tube is here, but no release info on the oil pump. I guess that what I get for being nice and letting them use mine for a customers vehicle.
 
you left the intake ports a little rigid right??? Just wondering. lots of people polish the piss out of them and end up pooling fuel(bad atomization) and the engine runs like poo.

Cool deal though. Sorry bout the oil pump. Did you check summit, they got 1 for way to much. LOL. 25% more flow "I bet"
 
I polished the hell out of the exhaust ports and just used my carbide burrs and sanding stones on the intakes so they are smooth but not smooth as glass. I learned alot about porting heads working at a speed shop years ago and when I was seriously into drag racing. I really wanted to have my intake manifold extrude honed but I could not find anyplace local to do it.

As far as the oil pump a stock replacement Melling from the parts store will work if it is not in by the time I get a cam.
 
rob92xj said:
A stock 4.0L has a higher deck height, last one I measured when I was replacing a cracked head had a deck height of .221 which is why I didn't have the block decked. The head gasket I'm going to be usiing is the MLS Mopar gasket which has a compressed thickness of .046" I was going to measure one that was just replaced but it has gone to the dumpster already.
Click to expand...

I just realized you were on jeepstrokers too. We were trying to figure out how you got a deck height of .008 with the rod/stock piston combo. What happened to that?

Also, either you mistyped the number above or there was something seriously wrong with that block. The stock deck clearance is .021". So you're deck clearance is over double what it was stock. "The experts" say you should shoot for a quench between .040" and .050". With the Mopar head gasket yours is slated to be ~ .101" (.055" + .046").

Is the Mopar head gasket the same as the Victor Reniz? If so its actually thinner than that @ ~ .038". Thats the HG we used in my build.
 
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