So I got the engine started on being rehab'd.

Pulled the valve cover and I got carbon sludge with a consistency of potting soil all around; whats the best way to remove this stuff?

Varsol/non-metallic bristle brush. I hate engine flushes, basically they break all of that stuff off of the engine, then run it through your oil pump and get it jammed in oil passages... Usually does more harm than good. I wouldn't worry too, too much, it's a 4.0... it's gonna have sludge.

Yeah, I just want to get the bulk of it out; however, I have an idea that might be easier.

The head I know is pretty clean on the old engine; I might just swap that head over considering I do know its pretty clean up top. I know the guy I am selling the old motor is going to redo the head gasket anyway so he won't mind.

Any thoughts on this?

Then you're going to have to get the head machined flat in case it's warped differently than the new block (which, basically, it will be)

I'd just leave it personally, especially if the new engine was one that was running alright.

I might have an inexpensive option actually...I found a machine shop that will run it through the industrial washer and also put it in a hot tank for $20.00.

Though before I do that, I'm going to remove the head and while I got the rockers out, try cleaning it out with a spoon.

Posted by Agent Skelly I might have an inexpensive option actually...I found a machine shop that will run it through the industrial washer and also put it in a hot tank for $20.00. Though before I do that, I'm going to remove the head and while I got the rockers out, try cleaning it out with a spoon.

I'm pretty sure you'll still have to have the head machined or at least checked out.

What happened to the original engine that you're swapping them?

Skelly, being a 4.0 head I would have it checked for cracks. If its off anyway not a bad idea for some insurance.

Posted by DelbertGrady I'm pretty sure you'll still have to have the head machined or at least checked out. What happened to the original engine that you're swapping them?

The orignal motor has a really bad misfire thats not worth my time to diagnose anymore. And that motor is spoken for.

And Dave, the only head that cracks is the 099 head, which is NOT what I have.

So what if that mystery misfire is head related like a bad valve or something? I'd be leaving that new motor together.

Posted by bandi So what if that mystery misfire is head related like a bad valve or something? I'd be leaving that new motor together.

Thats for my friend Garrett to figure out; he's buying the old motor to upgrade his 89 Cherokee AND looking for a new project for his recent retirement.

I got the head off the other night; looks good inside; so the top of the head is just what needs to be clean.

I took the head to Portland Engine Builders this morning; the vice president of the company who I spoke to kept referring to himself in the 3rd person which was confusing at first but he cut me a deal where he will hot tank it AND do my valve stem steals for 30.00 since they need to be replaced.

So things are moving along good...

I'd check out the mating surfaces while you have the head off. Now is the time you'd want to know that your mating surfaces are off, not down the road.

So here's a lovely update on how things went.

Last month, I took a weekend off from work where my friend Nick and his coworker Chris cameover to help with my engine swap. Nick has done mostly Ford engine swaps while Chris's wife's family owns a big auto shop about 5 towns over so I was good in hands. Nick even had the girl he slept with last night come over just to have someone keep track of all the nuts and bolts.

We started to dismantle the engine...removed the battery, alternator, starter, hoses, radiator, and then the bell housing bolts. We were on track but then we got to the dreaded top bell housing bolts which are those lovely reverse torx bolts. At first Nick was having issues getting the drivers side one removed, but we took a quick trip to my friend Calvin down the street who gave us an E12 socket and a very very long socket exension and we got that puppy out. As we moved onto the passenger side, thats where things got worse. The damm E12 bolt would not budge at all.

Calvin thought Nick was just doing it wrong so he craweled under and started turning on that bolt. Calvin is much stronger than Nick and so he actually stripped the bolt down to nothing. I thought I was fucked, but Calvin had his air tools with him and broke out his cutting tool and after about 45 minutes of grinding down that bolt head, we got it off.

So we moved onto removing the engine mounts and get the motor out. By this time, its about 9 PM but we were having huge issues getting the motor to wiggle out of the bell housing. At this point, I let everyone head home. Chris was going to swing by tomorrow to help me wrap this up. I gave him a heads up call and described what we were hanging up on and he advised me that we need to just remove the torque converter bolts on the motor then it will pop free.

So the next morning, Chris came over and we removed those torque converter bolts and volia! the motor came right out. So we took a lunch break and ran to NAPA since we had to replace a few things. My Motor mounts were so FUBAR'd that the metal slot for the bolts were broken free from the rubber. I also wanted to replace those damm E12 bolts with some hex heads along with a new cap & rotor.

We get back to my place, we transferred over my accessories to the new motor and then started to drop the new motor in. We were having a hell of the time; my father came out to help line up things and we managed to get things almost lined up to the point where my father was insistant we were in, but we were not mated up perfectly with the bell housing. My father dismissed this as an issue, saying that can be fixed with longer bolts which I was BS since I know thats one way to destroy a transmission.

I called it a night and talked to Nick who agreeed to come out next Saturday to figure out whats going on.

Next Saturday comes and Nick takes a look at the motor and confirms what I thought...we were not in. So we pull the motor out, he then lowered it in again, and after some trial and error, we get it in the right the right. I went ahead and put the engine mounts back in and bolted up the engine to the bell housing again. I called it a night at that as I had work in the morning, but over the next 2 weeks I did one thing at a time to reassemble it and now, I am just left with putting the battery back in along with fluids before starting the XJ back up when I get home from work this afternoon.

why didn't you pull engine with transmission attached and then disassemble from there?

Arise beast. ARISE!

Posted by Samurai why didn't you pull engine with transmission attached and then disassemble from there?

I didn't feel like pulling axles...

So I started up the XJ last night. The good news it runs. The bad news is my transmission cooler return quick disconnect has failed and dumped 1/2 quart of ATF+4 on the garage floor before I could shut it off. I'm going to replace the quick disconnect with a simple brass coupler and hose clamps.

WE ARE BACK IN BUSINESS! Sort of



I have to make a rocker arm adjustment as there's a tick going on; easy task. I need to paint the header and everything else and I will be looking good!

Paint the grille and headlight surround trim black...

Posted by bandi Paint the grille and headlight surround trim black...

I'm going for the white...I'm a big fan of Chrysler White