What did you do to your jeep today?

[u2slow]

Got to 306,000km almost 4 weeks ago and dropped a valve seat.

Got the spare head back from machining a couple days ago. 5 thou to clean. Valvetrain back together. Should be getting head bolts and injectors shortly so i can finish up.

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[lfhoward]

Got to 306,000km almost 4 weeks ago and dropped a valve seat.

Got the spare head back from machining a couple days ago. 5 thou to clean. Valvetrain back together. Should be getting head bolts and injectors shortly so i can finish up.

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Wow. Mine is in the same state of disassembly. Solidarity.

Which cylinder was it that had the dropped valve seat? I apologize if it is clear in the photo -- I am still learning how these things work.

 

[u2slow]

Wow. Mine is in the same state of disassembly. Solidarity.

Which cylinder was it that had the dropped valve seat? I apologize if it is clear in the photo -- I am still learning how these things work.

Front cylinder.

Piston got a small 'eyebrow' dent... It will be fine.

 

[lfhoward]

Front cylinder.

Piston got a small 'eyebrow' dent... It will be fine.

I think same here. The engine rebuilder said there was contact but no damage to the piston to be concerned about.

 

[Johnny O]

I have some preliminary info from the engine shop about my 3.7. Good news is there is no damage to the cylinder/piston in #5 where the valve spring broke this time. However, other valve springs on both sides of the engine are getting weak also and one on the other side is very weak and is about to break. So we basically need to fix both sides. That entails pulling and refurbishing both cylinder heads. They would probably replace the timing chain and/or tensioners to make sure that the engine runs smoothly and keeps time. The timing cover and chain would have to be off anyways to remove the heads. But Jeepy has been noisy at idle lately especially when cold started. Lash/play in the valves etc. can explain that.

I will get an estimate shortly and then I can make the call on whether to go ahead. This is going to be

Might want to look at refurb engines, might actually be more cost effective for a pip and swap. I seem to remember seeing 3.7s for like 2-3 grand last year.

 

[lfhoward]

Decided to go ahead with the top end engine fix.

The engine rebuilder says in his experience the rebuilt heads and new timing components should last at least another 5 years. Looks like I will be sticking around the forum after all. I could buy another high mileage used KK for the same amount it costs to do the heads and timing components on this one, but another Jeep will come with unknown problems. Mine is 4" lifted with skid plates, recovery points, rock sliders, roof rack, and more. I know my Jeep will need a steering rack, rear shocks, rear main seal, and eventually the transmission. I have all those parts sitting in my basement. The front suspension has been fully rebuilt. The rear suspension has new control arms. It has a new radiator, transmission cooler, and fuel pump. All the maintenance has been done on schedule or sooner. Engine is a Jasper refurbished (bottom end now). Underbody rust is cosmetic not structural. It looks like a 217,000 mile Jeep but that is ok with me.

Johnny, if I had the garage space to install an engine myself I might have gone that route of a refurbished engine. But with the labor to install (here in the east coast megalopolis), it would have come to $5-6000. I'm still spending 2/3 of that, but I know it will run like a watch when they get done with it. Another 5 years will put it at about 300,000 miles.

 

[u2slow]

Might want to look at refurb engines, might actually be more cost effective for a pip and swap. I seem to remember seeing 3.7s for like 2-3 grand last year.

I will have under $500 into this cyl head change. (Machining and parts.) My machine shop says they wont/dont do complete rebuilt 3.7/4.7 engines anymore.

Pulling the engine from my parts KJ was not a nice experience. I'm happy to avoid it this time.

 

[Luke]

My months long tire fiasco has finally come to an end. Khan had three 285s and two 265s KO2s on when I bought it. Didn't like them much. Then I put 4 285 toyo AT3s on and hated em- great for Bert, lousy for Khan. Then I got a second full set of Rubicon wheels.
Last night I put a full set of 285s of the new BF Goodrich KO3s on.

They are perfect. All the goodness of the KO2s with less road noise.

So Toyos around town and KO3s for adventure mode.

Win-Win.

I’m impressed with all the extra sipes and new tread block design, if my KO2’s ever die these are next. My set must have been made on a Wednesday because they have been awesome, although full time 4WD admittedly picks up any slack in the wet.

oh oh… I have an important question … did they bring back the white lettering? Fingers crossed!

 

[Johnny O]

Decided to go ahead with the top end engine fix.

The engine rebuilder says in his experience the rebuilt heads and new timing components should last at least another 5 years. Looks like I will be sticking around the forum after all. I could buy another high mileage used KK for the same amount it costs to do the heads and timing components on this one, but another Jeep will come with unknown problems. Mine is 4" lifted with skid plates, recovery points, rock sliders, roof rack, and more. I know my Jeep will need a steering rack, rear shocks, rear main seal, and eventually the transmission. I have all those parts sitting in my basement. The front suspension has been fully rebuilt. The rear suspension has new control arms. It has a new radiator, transmission cooler, and fuel pump. All the maintenance has been done on schedule or sooner. Engine is a Jasper refurbished (bottom end now). Underbody rust is cosmetic not structural. It looks like a 217,000 mile Jeep but that is ok with me.

Johnny, if I had the garage space to install an engine myself I might have gone that route of a refurbished engine. But with the labor to install (here in the east coast megalopolis), it would have come to $5-6000. I'm still spending 2/3 of that, but I know it will run like a watch when they get done with it. Another 5 years will put it at about 300,000 miles.

Wish I had a trustworthy engine shop here.

 

[sota]

Wow. Mine is in the same state of disassembly. Solidarity.

Which cylinder was it that had the dropped valve seat? I apologize if it is clear in the photo -- I am still learning how these things work.

just occurred to me, i have a 174k engine out of an 06 here, that I'm pretty sure i'm going to wind up parting out. maybe that would have saved you some $ overall?

 

[lfhoward]

Thanks Sota, it’s all right. I visited the engine shop today and they showed me around my disassembled engine. The timing chain tensioners were terribly loose and the chain was stretched, thus the tapping noise at startup or idle. The cylinder heads were in bad shape in that I had another almost broken spring on another cylinder, a valve seat that was in the process of becoming loose, and hydraulic lifters not doing their job. I saw my cylinder heads being taken apart on the workbench. I feel pretty good about them completely rebuilding the top end because I know it will last. I know it’s a chunk of cash that we will have to stretch to afford but the workmanship and service is top notch at this shop. Also the speed. They do 30 of these a month and so they will be reassembling mine on Tuesday.

 

[lfhoward]

If anyone is in the southeast PA or DE or south NJ area and is interested in getting professional engine work done, PM me and I can send you the website of this rebuilder. I am keeping their name out of it right now until I know if I am happy or not with the overall experience once the job is completely finished.

 

[sota]

are you the original owner of this jeep?
that sounds like a lot of fail in a single engine, if it's been properly maintained.

 

[u2slow]

I visited the engine shop today and they showed me around my disassembled engine. The timing chain tensioners were terribly loose and the chain was stretched, thus the tapping noise at startup or idle. The cylinder heads were in bad shape in that I had another almost broken spring on another cylinder, a valve seat that was in the process of becoming loose, and hydraulic lifters not doing their job.

Don't take this the wrong way... many shops poo-poo the old stuff to make one feel better about paying for the new.

At 306,000km, mine looks pretty decent for what i can see with one head off. Some cross hatch still visible in cylinders. No collapsed lifters. Tensioner and guides on the one side still good.

 

[lfhoward]

That sounds really good! I am glad your engine is still going strong at that mileage.

I think in my case I am dealing with a life of daily stop and go city driving, plus often towing a 3000# trailer on long trips, and also off road stuff for work. So my engine has had to work pretty hard during its life. The short city trips in winter would have been hard for the cylinder heads if cold oil took a while to get up there. Luckily everything is ok with the bottom end, like bearings, cylinder walls, pistons, rings.

 

[lfhoward]

are you the original owner of this jeep?
that sounds like a lot of fail in a single engine, if it's been properly maintained.

I was surprised too. Not the original owner but have owned it since 24,000 miles. I can tell you it has been properly maintained, with oil changed every 3000-4000 miles, and Mobil-1 since the engine was at 90k. Hard to argue with a broken spring and protruding valve seat though. I will say this is a remanufactured engine, so it is possible these heads have seen a lot more miles before I got them. I’ve put about 131k on this engine, and the Jeep is at 217k.

 

[sota]

now THAT is a critical piece of info, it being a reman. do you have a back story on that as well?
granted i've only ever done it once myself, but I had a bad experience with a reman engine once.
never again.

so if I have it somewhat right...
you bought the jeep with 24k on it.
at about 86k the engine was replaced with a reman.
now at 217k clock (131k engine) it's lunched a bunch of top end parts.
wonder if there's a way to determine how old that engine really is.

 

[Luke]

Carbon Dating?

 

[lfhoward]

now THAT is a critical piece of info, it being a reman. do you have a back story on that as well?
granted i've only ever done it once myself, but I had a bad experience with a reman engine once.
never again.

so if I have it somewhat right...
you bought the jeep with 24k on it.
at about 86k the engine was replaced with a reman.
now at 217k clock (131k engine) it's lunched a bunch of top end parts.
wonder if there's a way to determine how old that engine really is.

Your deductions are absolutely right on. For some reason the original engine spun a rod bearing at 86k. I have to ascribe that to a manufacturing defect because the Jeep was a 3 year lease before me. My understanding is that leased vehicles have to get all their maintenance done on time per the contract.

At 86k back in 2014 I had a Jasper remanufactured engine swapped in. Up until last weekend it ran flawlessly, although it has been getting a bit loud at startup with the tapping sound when cold. All 3.7’s have a bit of that, so I wasn’t concerned. I have put that engine through its paces, having towed my camping trailer all over and commuted to work in Philadelphia, as well as hitting the Pine Barrens and State Game Lands two track roads for work. I guess it was super reliable until it wasn’t. So now at 217k we are rebuilding the top end.

I know I could never sell this Jeep for the amount of money I have into it. Good thing I never want to sell it. It does everything I need in a vehicle. If it lasts me another 5 years that would be fantastic.

 

[u2slow]

It's buttoned up and it runs

Will do a proper drive tomorrow

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