whats the story with those heads. just a brand new casting with all new parts? th efit and finish is good? any problems with tight guides or bad valve jobs?

 

New casting with it being thicker in the areas prone to cracking. New parts, for and finish are good. And no problems with guides or valves.

 

Even if it came a little rough, for the same price as a parts store head you can beat the stronger casting. I would just take it to the machine ago to smooth it up if it was bad.

 

Nice to have that head as an option.

What's better to do though. A typy head or the Clearwater ? Looks like you can get them both ready to bolt on at about the same price.

I'm guessing either way your better off taking it to your machine shop and have them check out the work for ya.

 

I'd only buy a TUPY if I found a good one used for cheap. But if everything you find is the same price as the Clearwater, get that. And if you buy them new you shouldn't have to bring them to a shop, at least the Clearwater you don't, it comes ready to bolt.

I recommend getting any used head checked, and won't even help anyone that considers putting a used head back on without checking it first, even if just taking it off for a gasket replacement.

I had the Clearwater on my first 2000 for 3 or 4 years before putting it in my new jeep. My new jeep didn't need it, but I wanted to do it for piece of mind. Anyway I had it checked and the shop said it needed to be resurfaced just a hair. So my brand new, stronger cast Clearwater still warped a little in only 3 or so years. And people consider putting used heads on that are years old without getting them checked..

 

If it is a 2000 or 2001 I'd go Clearwater. For $450 that's $ well spent.
Any other year I'd look at the $.
For instance I had a head gasket go on my '94.
They inspected the head looked OK.
Next cleaned, magnafluxed,decked & valves for $275 in s central PA.
Only additional costs were gaskets.

 

So on the Clearwater heads are they beefed up so they won't crack like the stock 331s? also on the Clearwater website I see they have jeep performance heads for $585 and $665. Has anyone tried these? That seems like a pretty good price for an upgraded performance head...

 

I don't know. I'd have a Clearwater head gone through by my machine shop. Have seen to many so called bolt on out of the box eddy heads with poor valve jobs and guides that are too tight.

Are you sure your Clearwater head was straight from the start? It's quite possible that you got it slightly out. Stuff like that is very common with aftermarket stuff.


I've seen rebuilt typy heads on eBay for about the same price as the Clearwater head. That's why I was asking. Personally I'd have both checked out before I bolted them on for piece of mind which is why I wondering what guys would do with everything being equal.

And yea I agree. You would have to be nuts to just throw a used head onto a motor without getting it checked out.

 

I went with the rebuilt Tupy head on Ebay for $400 plus around $50 shipping from a shop out of Chicago back when I swapped out a 331 head. Just search "Tupy 4.0 head" on ebay. I had no issues at all.

The Clearwater heads are aftermarket Chinese castings with final machine work and assembly done here in the USA. Based on reports here on the forum, they seem to work out fine though.

 

TUPY heads are cast in Brazil I believe. So still not US.

I don't think it matters which one you get, just buy the head of your choice and have it looked at, then install.

 

I went with Clearwater without issue. The damage was done though. After a few thousand more miles I pulled it and sent it to the shop. They said the only work they need to do was honing.
I rebuilt it with a summit kit and have been running ever since. 4.0's are tough bastards. Bearings are bearings and can't hold up when coolant gets into the oil....

I did have 2 serious cracks in two piston skirts. They were traveling to the wrist pins and would have eventually made for a spectacular stop. Thing sounded like a diesel before, back to sounding like a small diesel after.

 

Lol.