I'm in the process of getting this puppy moved in to its new home after the old one had a catastrophic head gasket failure

 

If anyone has any questions or advice or just want to wrap about it shoot

 

Don't use a POS Fram filter?

 

Ok if fram sucks so bad why not at least tell me what I should've used, my attention span is too short for YouTube videos

 

Wix, Mopar, Purolator. Wix preferred.

I've never bought from ATK, but see their name pop up somewhat frequently for rebuilds. How's it look? If you don't mind my asking, what's the price?

 

I put my ATK longblock in back in November of 2011. Paid $1795 + $350 core through 4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers in Fort Worth.

Used nothing but original Mopar filters. They're only about $1.50 more than anything else at O'Reilley. After initial 20 minute burn-in, I changed the oil at 50 miles, 500 miles, and 1000 miles, and have done it every 5000 since. Initially, I used Castrol 10-W30. Now I'm using Castrol Syntec, which is why I'm going beyond the typical 3000 interval.

So far, so great. I had some intermittent ticking noises at first, but traced those down to the dizzy, which was transplanted from the old motor. It had developed some slop and play. A new one cleared it right up.

I'm curious... When I got my longblock, I noticed I could look into the front of the block where the water pump goes and I could see a light tan colored chunk of something shaped and sized kinda like an over-sized wine cork. About the same height as one, but about double the diameter. Tried to fish it out but it was just behind the #1 piston sleeve and was too big to pull past it. They must have dropped it in there before they put the head on. It looked like it was something granular that had been compressed into that shape, since I could scrape powdery residue off of it with a sharp pointed object. I assumed it was some kind of safeguard sealant or treatment that would dissolve in the coolant and spread through the engine.

I took photos and videos of it to document that it was there before the engine went in, just in case...

Did you notice anything like that?

 

Hmmn, sounds like a Bars pellet.

 

Well I paid just over 2000 but got the most premium warranty wich isn't offered through normal channels, I have a family member who is an ATK dealer wich I'm grateful for, as far as the object behind the # 1 cyl I didn't notice anything like that, but I will say they are big on over heating prevention so it probably was something of that nature

 

But all in all i have been rather pleased with the product from ATK and if this means anything ATK's vehicle for auto shows is a CHEROKEE! Check out their website its pretty cool

 

Well if it was a stop leak pellet that is not a bad thing. Auto manufactures have been doing that for years. Good insurance.

 

http://atkvege.com/content/index.php...ose/Itemid,47/

 

Yeah I think you're good to go

 

The funny thing is that I literally work about 2 blocks from ATK's remanufacturing facility on West North Carrier Parkway in Grand Prairie, Texas. When I ordered my longblock I asked if the could just deliver it to my office. But, they wouldn't. Since it was ordered through 4 Wheel Parts it had to be delivered to them first. So, two 40 mile round trips from my house to there; once to pick up the new engine, the other to take the core back. Oh well...

ATK was bought in 2011 by an outfit called LQK. But as far as I know, they are still marketing the engines as ATK, and their process is the same. Just funny to drive by one morning and see the sign had changed out front.

 

Well lesson learned! If you do an engine replacement remove the crankshaft position sensor before you put the new one back in, I damage mine (pinched the wiring harness) and just when I was ready to fire it up I was dissapointed with an inoperative fuel pump and was PISSED! Anyway tracked down the problem and $76 and a trip to the Chrysler dealer later its purrin like a kitten, on the bright side saw this hilarious product at the mopar parts counter... Dodge *****... Genius