I apologize if this is is all basic, but I can not find the information I am looking for anywhere.

Next spring I am going to be doing a motor swap on my 87 xj. The motor is at about 200k and is still going strong. I bought the jeep with the intention of doing a light restoration.

The cost is not really an issue, I just probably don't want to spend more than $6000 on the motor. I am 100% capable of doing the work myself, aside from porting and honing.


I don't "need" the power or torque for crawling / racing. If I was shooting for the bare minimum I would just keep the motor as-is, bought a 4-banger POS SUV, or would have taken out a loan on a vehicle that I don't really like.

So for the most part the application of the motor can go out the window. I don't mind swapping in a 4.7 stroker / d44 and upgrading the transmission while still running 30" tires.

I just want something very reliable, with lots of power, and all the capability if I do need it. I also don't want to have to change much if I do decide to run massive tires and crazy suspension in the future.

Basically, which stroker size can be called the most reliable?
I completely understand that no motor is guaranteed to run for 200,000 miles. castings are different, climates are different, and things happen.

Please don't be obvious and say something like you can spend $25,000. on a 4.7 and it will last longer than a basic 4.2. I also don't want to do an LS swap.

Can a 4.5 stroker be expected to last longer than a 4.7 stroker on average?
Is there a stroker size that is known for being a "tank", or is the only difference really in the cost?

I have heard of piston skirts slapping against the bottom block on some stroker motors which prematurely destroys the motor. Has anyone ever heard of this being a problem on the 4.0 blocks with a 4.7 stroker conversion?


I have looked around quite a bit. So far I am a huge fan of the Edelbrock aluminum head, and am set on using it. Titan Engines has a listing on ebay for a 4.7 stroker with everything done and shipped for around $5000. With everything included + labor + a 1 year warranty this seems like decent deal.. Does anybody have any input here?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TITAN-HYPER-...ZXFnNl&vxp=mtr

 

If you're looking for a pre-built stroker, look at Golen opposed to Titan, Titan has been known for reliability issues. The only difference in the 4.5-4.7 stroker is the amount the walls are bored out, I haven't known on size to have particular notoriety over others. 4.6 seems to be the most common, that's equivalent to 0.030" overbore, which leaves room for another bore & hone later down the line.

For $6000 you can build yourself a very reliable stroker. If you decide to build the engine yourself, best advice is shop around for the machine shop you feel most comfortable with. Spend big on the machining if you've got 6K to spend and reliability is your goal. Line-bore, torque-plate hone, rotating assembly balance, CC'd heads+piston dish, etc. This is what makes an engine reliable.

Yes, you always seem to hear "they're old tractor motors that only rev to 5k" and "they weren't even that well balanced from factory" as excuses to not get some element of the machining done, but ultimately that's what makes an engine last.

Golen and others definitely have a great "one size fits all" engine system, but there are potentially things that can be done to tailor it better to your needs.

As far as the piston skirt slap, the only time I've heard of that is on budget strokers using the shorter 4.2L rods and stock 4.0 pistons, which you won't have to deal with.

 

Thank you for the prompt response. I would like to order from a reputable company, this would save me some long nights in the shop after work.
I would rather not deal with shipping however, and unfortunately most all of the companies I have looked into have at least a few bad reviews.
It seems like sort of a gamble either way. At least if I do the assembly myself I will be able to double check everything before running it.
I will search around locally first, and see if there is anybody that I can actually trust to get the job done right.

 

I have a Golen 4.6L in mine and couldn't be much happier. I had it broken in on the dyno and received the dyno sheets with it. It came in at 274 bhp and 321 ft lbs of torque, slightly better than advertised. Reliability was important for me also, and major selling point was that Chad Golen has enough confidence in his engines to sell them with a 100K mile warranty.

I had read too many reviews of Titan not actually producing the power advertised when people put them on the dyno, as well as negative reviews about their quality control. Golen's reviews were much better, and they back it up with a great warranty.

You may want to temper your expectations. Most NA stroker builds will give you 50-100 HP and up to 100 ft lbs of torque over stock. That's a respectable bump, but I wouldn't call it "lots of power." The torque increase in mine would be more than adequate to turn larger wheels. To get any more power out of it, you would need to think about a supercharger.

If you're interested in building your motor yourself, Russ Pottenger puts together stroker kits that people rave about. He basically sends you a ported and polished head and all the components for the build, and you have the machine work on your block and assemble it all yourself. I don't think he actually has a website, but if you search his name you can find his Facebook page with his contact info. (I would do it for you, but I'm on a work laptop right now that has FB blocked.) Next time around I'll probably give him a call myself.

 

Thank you as well for the response, and for the references. First I will try to find someone to do the machining locally. If that is a total bust I will probably throw the extra couple thousand into the golen 4.6
I was originally thinking about a supercharger on a rebuilt 4.0, and didn't really want to go with a stroker. After looking at the cost of rebuilding the motor as a slightly bored 4.0 with a supercharger, and the hp / torque gains vs rebuilding it as a stroker, I decided that doing a stroker would probably be the better way to go. Maybe next year I will go with a forced air intake. Again I won't be racing it or rock crawling. I would consider 275 - 300hp to be quite a bit for average use. If I wanted a race car, I would just build a race car. For now I just want something solid that gets around for years, and has a kick when I feel like mashing my foot to the floor. Also I don't want to hit a major bottleneck later if I do feel like getting crazy. If I am trying to hit over 350hp I will go with a different car entirely.

Just curious what kind of fuel economy are you getting out of the 4.6?

 

Buying a name brand stroker you should be fine with it.As far as the trans the stock auto is fine but if its got a lot of miles i would have it rebuilt which is cheap if you drop it off at a trans shop.A dana 44 is over kill for 30s the factory dana 30 and chrysler 8.25 are strong enough for them and the extra power.Some guys run v8s with that axle combo and have no problem.

 

I'm getting 18 mpg on the highway, even with the 24 lb injectors. It drops as low as 14 mpg if I get my foot in it a lot in the city. Keep in mind mine is also a 2000 and has a different ignition system and computer from earlier years, so I can't guarantee that an earlier XJ will get the same numbers.

 

i'm getting a 3 tank avg. of 18-19mpg in a 98 4.6, and that's having a little fun.
Still has 15" 235's
Big difference in power over our 99.

 

Don't worry about the tranny.

Chad Golen is the guy you want to speak with.

https://www.golenengineservice.com/engines/jeep