Online engine rebuilding service?

[burbguy82]

Any recommendations for Jeep 4.0?

I have a 91 with a brand spanking new Ax-15 transmission, wanting to match it with a brand newly remanufactured engine. Does anyone have experience with online or mail order engine rebuilding services?

 

[wpod]

Good luck with that,

 

[Exhaustgases]

Just all the ones that take good parts and mess them up. You know the big name rebuild outfits.
Try to find someone local, even then, if they rush rush who knows what you get.

 

[CarlB]

Any recommendations for Jeep 4.0?

I have a 91 with a brand spanking new Ax-15 transmission, wanting to match it with a brand newly remanufactured engine. Does anyone have experience with online or mail order engine rebuilding services?

My advice is to check on the jeep forums and find builders other 4.0 owners are having success with. Anecdotes from entirely different engines we may have won't be very telling.

 

[Chris142]

Sometimes you are best to leave it alone unless it has a problem.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

The engine long blocks from 1991-2001 were essentially the same. Even the TJ used this engine up until 2006. The ignition, intake manifold, exhaust manifold and motor mounts changed over the years but the engine long block didn't change much. There were slight cylinder head and camshaft differences but not enough to matter much.

What is wrong with the current engine? Are you going to be putting the new one in? Unless something is failing you might just benefit from a backyard rebuild. Get a complete rebuild kit with new gaskets, rings, bearings, etc and just freshen her up! Give her a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint and you'll be good for a couple more hundred thousand miles.

 

[eljefino]

^ Yeah I used to do "backyard rebuilds" on Saturn s-series motors. Leave the block connected to the trans in the car, take off the head, timing cover & chain, and oil pan. Pop the pistons out, clean their ring grooves, put in new rings, gaskets, timing kit, valve seals. Clean out any carbon, put it back together. Fixed what was wrong with those cars. It sounds like you want a new engine just to brag about it being new.

 

[Donald]

Dave's Auto in Utah. I assume you pay top dollar but get good results. Love their videos.

Most local machine shops don't have the money for the really expensive machining tools.

One large company said they bought a crankshaft polishing machine for $50K. How many local machine shops can afford that?

 

[burbguy82]

Good luck with that,

nice, that is what i was thinking. S and J seems to be good but who knows

Sometimes you are best to leave it alone unless it has a problem.

106 pai on cylinder 6, to start, multiple leaks, and rear freeze plug seeps

What is wrong with the current engine? Are you going to be putting the new one in? Unless something is failing you might just benefit from a backyard rebuild

see above, thought about the backyard rebuild thing, it have the skills and a mill large enough to resurface the head, although i would probably just to it with sand paper and a piece of glass done it before with success

It sounds like you want a new engine just to brag about it being new.

far from it.....just figured it would be easier to do all at once. i olan on keeping the thing for the foreseeable future

 

[clinebarger]

Dave's Auto in Utah. I assume you pay top dollar but get good results. Love their videos.

Most local machine shops don't have the money for the really expensive machining tools.

One large company said they bought a crankshaft polishing machine for $50K. How many local machine shops can afford that?

I've seen good machinist's crank out perfect work on 70 year old machines!!

 

[AdmiralYoda]

These engines aren't prized gems that need to be handled by industry experts or need to remain numbers matching or anything. It sounds like yours is just wore out and needs a freshen up. Freeze plugs are easy to replace. If you have the ability to take the engine out and put it on a stand you probably have the ability to go through the engine.

The low-ish compression cylinder could be from a number of things. Have you done a leak down test to determine the cause?

Regardless...I would still disassemble the engine, or at least take the head off to look at the cylinders. If there is no scoring or ridges I would probably just ball hone it and put new rings in it. I would probably send the head out to have it freshened up and make sure it is straight.

If you simply don't want to do this and have the funds to just get a new/rebuilt replacement there are plenty of options. There are a bunch that will sell you a remanufactured and also a number that will sell you an upgraded stroker.

What are your goals and budget? You could probably rebuild it for $500 at home...maybe $1,000 if you have the head cleaned up, spend $2,500-3,500 on a good remanufactured stock engine, or $5k++++ for a performance or stroker oriented one.

I imagine a local machinist/engine builder is going to charge you at least as much as on online remanufactured engine. Economies of scale, they aren't churning out 100's at a time....just one at a time. But if you trust the builder you will get more attention to detail and potentially a better end product.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

These engines aren't prized gems that need to be handled by industry experts or need to remain numbers matching or anything. It sounds like yours is just wore out and needs a freshen up. Freeze plugs are easy to replace. If you have the ability to take the engine out and put it on a stand you probably have the ability to go through the engine.

The low-ish compression cylinder could be from a number of things. Have you done a leak down test to determine the cause?

Regardless...I would still disassemble the engine, or at least take the head off to look at the cylinders. If there is no scoring or ridges I would probably just ball hone it and put new rings in it. I would probably send the head out to have it freshened up and make sure it is straight. Of if you have the ability check the head for straightness, put new valve stem seals in it and lap the valves and call it a day if there is nothing that needs machining.

If you simply don't want to do this and have the funds to just get a new/rebuilt replacement there are plenty of options. There are a bunch that will sell you a remanufactured and also a number that will sell you an upgraded stroker.

What are your goals and budget? You could probably rebuild it for $500 at home...maybe $1,000 if you have the head cleaned up, spend $2,500-3,500 on a good remanufactured stock engine, or $5k++++ for a performance or stroker oriented one.

I imagine a local machinist/engine builder is going to charge you at least as much as on online remanufactured engine. Economies of scale, they aren't churning out 100's at a time....just one at a time. But if you trust the builder you will get more attention to detail and potentially a better end product.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Any recommendations for Jeep 4.0?

I have a 91 with a brand spanking new Ax-15 transmission, wanting to match it with a brand newly remanufactured engine. Does anyone have experience with online or mail order engine rebuilding services?

NOPE. Visit your local busy, trusted automotive machine shop. Save some dollars doing the drill and bore cleaning and the final assembly.

 

[DuckRyder]

I don't know why but one day i ended up watching several you tube on converting jeep 4.0's to strokers, guess there are like 3 companies...

 

[burbguy82]

I've seen good machinist's crank out perfect work on 70 year ol

These engines aren't prized gems that need to be handled by industry experts or need to remain numbers matching or anything. It sounds like yours is just wore out and needs a freshen up. Freeze plugs are easy to replace. If you have the ability to take the engine out and put it on a stand you probably have the ability to go through the engine.

The low-ish compression cylinder could be from a number of things. Have you done a leak down test to determine the cause?

Regardless...I would still disassemble the engine, or at least take the head off to look at the cylinders. If there is no scoring or ridges I would probably just ball hone it and put new rings in it. I would probably send the head out to have it freshened up and make sure it is straight.

If you simply don't want to do this and have the funds to just get a new/rebuilt replacement there are plenty of options. There are a bunch that will sell you a remanufactured and also a number that will sell you an upgraded stroker.

What are your goals and budget? You could probably rebuild it for $500 at home...maybe $1,000 if you have the head cleaned up, spend $2,500-3,500 on a good remanufactured stock engine, or $5k++++ for a performance or stroker oriented one.

I imagine a local machinist/engine builder is going to charge you at least as much as on online remanufactured engine. Economies of scale, they aren't churning out 100's at a time....just one at a time. But if you trust the builder you will get more attention to detail and potentially a better end product.

So where i am, is engine building central. In the proximity of Charlotte NC. Problem is, almost no one really want to mess with these anymore, due to a number of circumstances, which I find questionable. Alot of the old time companies around here have been sold off, and lost their good reputations. Others specialize in certain engines and touch nothing else.

Some of the online vendors have good reputations, but in thinking about it, the parts that are in the jeep now might be better than brand new parts.

I agree that these are not racing engines, and need no special attention.

Yeah, i think you have persuaded me to pull it out and go over it by myself.