I'm getting ready to tear down my Jeep, figured while I was at it I would chat with the guys/gals that have more knowledge then I do about added HP and what is needed to cut out the O2 sensors and cats, I live in a state where it's not required. I intend on keeping this Jeep into the foreseeable future and want this done right. I am a novice at teardowns/rebuilds but mechanically inclined enough to get the job done myself. I'll be doing the head first and taking it out this coming weekend. Any advice on what the better upgrades are, what works, what doesn't work would be helpful. I'm not looking to turn my jeep into a crawler or a 10 second car, lol. Just good, solid upgrades or tricks learned along the way would be helpful. Thanks guys - Cal
Oh, FYI it has 225000 miles on the motor with a poor maintenance history.

 

The O2 sensor is required to tell your 'puter how to set the fuel mixture. It has nothing to do with smog regulations. On the 99 and up all of the O2 sensors are used by the PCM to manage fuel trims. Not optional.

If you are pulling the engine, it's much better to pull it with the head in place. Your life will be a lot easier.

As for power, some folks swear by a bored throttle body. You can look it up on this forum - there's lots of info.

 

Thanks for the info, it's appreciated. I've torn down a few older models with less sensors and electronics, wasn't sure if there was a work around so knowing there isn't is good to know. When I took off the head I found a lot of questionable issues. Rust thru on the head at #1 exhaust, a lot of carbon in the intake on #2, #3 and #5. Also found rust thru on #1 on the block. I'll be ordering a reman from Titan Engines. I'll also be ordering new exhaust manifold (rotten), cats (rotten), intake manifold (due to carbon build up throughout), fuel rail, injectors, O2 sensors, throttle body, throttle body spacer (maybe?) and K&N cold air intake all from Summit Racing. I originally bought the Jeep for $800 with known issues, already made a ton of repairs, it will be close to $8500 when complete. I'll be sure to post some pictures when the build is complete. I'm excited and hope to have a reliable rig that will last a good long time when I'm done. Thanks again - Cal

 

That intake manifold is pretty simple. A local machine shop should be able to drop it in a vat and have it clean for less than a new manifold. Couldn't hurt to make a few calls and find out.

Throttle body spacer is a scam. It does nothing.