MightyMouse8

I was looking on Ebay for a new head for my 92 4.0. I found

Has any body ever installed one of these and how was your experience with it? why is it giving me the valve exhaust and inlet sizes? I've herd the name Clearwater thrown around as well.

MightyMouse8

sorry the preview didn't look like that.

extrashaky

Odessa Cylinder Heads appears to have the same address as Clearwater Cylinder Heads, but Odessa only appears on eBay. So it looks like Odessa is Clearwater's eBay store.

A lot of people have reported good results with the Clearwater head. However, they sell it for $450 on the Clearwater website. You might want to buy it direct instead of paying more to go through eBay.

http://www.cylinder-heads.com/

MightyMouse8

yeah your right they are the same place. Even has the same fax number. they sell the stalk flow head for $450 but they also have this performance head for $585. this might be in the wrong section.... I'll re-post in the performance section unless somebody know about it here.

andrewmp6

They probably charge more on ebay to make up for the cost of the store and ebay bs.

quneur

Before you order it, ask them about intake/exhaust port sizes and shape difference between 92 and the particular cylinder head. I read somewhere shapes where different? Or was that Renix engines?

denverd1

If you're running a stock cam, I wouldn't spend the money on the performance head

extrashaky

The 0630 heads from '99 and earlier had larger exhaust ports than the 0331 heads used in 2000 and 2001. Some people have reported exhaust leaks when they replaced their cracked 0331 heads with an earlier 0630 mated with the '00 or '01 exhaust manifold, while others have had no issues at all. You have to make sure you use the correct gasket. There's also a guy who makes an adapter plate to block off the ports, but it's not entirely clear whether it's necessary.

If you're replacing a cracked 0331 with a Clearwater 0331, the exhaust ports should be exactly the same and should not present that issue. And don't worry, the 0331 breathes just fine with the smaller ports. My stroker made 274 hp on the engine dyno with an aftermarket 0331.

MightyMouse8

Thanks for all the feed back. i have a 92. where can i find the casting number?

extrashaky

The casting number is cast into the top of the head on the driver's side (in the US), toward the middle of the head. It's usually slightly obscured by the valve cover when it's installed, but you should still be able see it peeking out from under the edge. IIRC, your year had the 7120 head, but I don't know as much about the earlier years.

madmanmarty

Isn't the 0331 head the bad casting?

extrashaky

Yep, but not all of them are bad. Those of us who got a crack were just lucky.

OP doesn't have to worry about that, though. The 0331 casting was only used in 2000 and 2001 in the XJs.

madmanmarty

Isn't that what eBuy is selling?

extrashaky

Not exactly, and I apologize for the confusion. There are multiple 0331 heads. The original 0331 heads installed on the '00 and '01 XJs had a casting flaw that left them prone to cracking.

When Chrysler figured out they had a problem, they quietly changed suppliers to the Tupy foundry in Brazil. The Tupy 0331 heads did not have the casting flaw. They are still marked as 0331 heads, because the ports and coil rail mounts are the same as the original 0331. You can identify them by the word "TUPY" cast into the top of the head between the #3 and #4 cylinders, right where the original 0331s like to crack. The Tupy heads never made it onto XJs. They showed up in the 2002 model year on other Jeeps. I don't think you can get new ones now.

A few companies sell aftermarket 0331 heads. These have the same ports and mounting points for the coil rail, but again without the casting flaw. This seems to be the most popular and cost-effective solution to the problem.

As far as eBay goes, you have to do your research and make sure you know what you're buying. There have been some people selling rebuilt or repaired original 0331s, which you don't want. But on the other hand, there are some aftermarket heads on there that aren't bad. Clearwater apparently sells their aftermarket heads on eBay under the name Odessa Cylinder Heads. Your best bet is to buy from someone reputable and consider that if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

madmanmarty

Nice explanation shaky,& good points for everyone to look out for.thanks.