Explorer 1 gets a Stroker!

[Explorer 1]

Temps

T&A-XJ,

Yes, I do have that goofy Transmission switch and have been just leaving it on the power mode. I will try the comfort setting and see if it makes any difference.

The sender is installed on the front lower portion of the pan. Once the engine has warmed up and I have driven a few miles I am seeing temps of 220-230. My research has shown 175 as the prime target. I haven't done any freeway travel or off-roading with the new engine but am assuming that the slower travel speeds and using the additional torque will only increase the trans temps.

Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1

 

[Root Moose]

Is the sender located in the correct place for an XJ? I've heard in the past of people getting the wrong readings because the sender was not placed in the "standard" location for the vehicle. This was not on an XJ BTW.

I like what you are doing to strengthen the beast.

 

[wADVr]

That switch will make a difference with a tranny that is having trouble keeping up..unless it is causing its own heat. With that sender location I believe you should be seeing a lower temp as you mentioned, I would say 150-175*. i installed my sender on the cooler line right as it comes out of the tranny. there has been alot of contoversy about this location but personally I wanted to know the hottest the fluid would ever get. It would run in the 150ish temp most of the time unless i was working it hard up a hill climb or a long steady FS road where i couldnt get the torque converter to lock which then it would reach 260*

I couldnt tell you if this was the correct or "standard" location for the sender but I tried to use the same logic as putting the coolant temp sensor in the head or right as the coolant leaves the engine.

 

[Explorer 1]

Temp in the pan

The information I obtain indicated that "normal" range of fluid in the pan should be 175 -200, and 275 the maximum short duration temp.

Also, that any temp over 175 lessens the usable life of the fluid, as the temp increase and the duration increases so decreases the ability of the fluid to do it's work. If the trans is running at a constant 200 degrees the life of the fluid is lowered to about 20,000 miles. At 275 degrees it's only 3125 miles.

I'll have a better idea what to do after this weekend's trip, most likely I'll need to install the additional cooler and change the fluid.

Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1

P.S. Thanks for the encouragement on the uni-body reinforcement, there are a lot of hours of work there and it's where no one will see it.

 

[Explorer 1]

Just put in the adjustable pressure regulator too

FYI, I had a little bit of pinging with my Golen stroker initially. I ran some Lucas octane booster until I got a Hesco adjustable fuel pressure regulator installed today. The part number for the 91-95 engines is HES9195FR. It came preset at 44 psi. After my test run up the Mt. Baldy road at 44 psi, I can say that the ping is gone and throttle response improved (I was not unhappy with original throttle response at all). I will report back with MPG #'s if there is any change on Monday.

Mario,

Understand you recently jump ship ( moved to Arizona) I can't really blame you not only for the better rent but the business attitude and taxation here is California is headed at killing small local businesses.

I statred with the pinging issue with my stroker also but since I had the 87-90 model with the Renix Fuel Injection it takes a different model.

We will see what it does, I was enjoying about 2 mpg better fuel use over the prior 4.0. That's was about a 20% increase, not bad considering I have more power.

On with all the other improvement and repairs,

Hope the best for you in Arizona,

Fred
Explorer 1

 

[boknows]

I am glad you put up the numbers for trans temps, where did you pull them from? Just to give you an idea of trans temps in my jeep for comparison.

I have the 4.0 in my Jeep TJ, 3spd auto, 35 inch tires with 4.10 gears. It pulls my AT Chaser pretty decent. I put a trans temp guage on it right before I drove it from Washington State to NC towing the trailer.

Without the trailer, it'll run constant at 180 unless it gets into the 90+ ambient temps and then it creeps to 200-210* and hovers there at hwy speeds.

With trailer I avg 200* and push to 220-230* at hwy speeds.

It is funny/concerning, when on a long pull through the rockies how affixed you become on the temp guage. A few times I pulled it over at 250-260* and let it cool because I didn't want to damage anything. So, those numbers are good to reference for Oil life. Time to get a cooler.

Jason

 

[Explorer 1]

Charts that were helpful....

Jason,

You might find the following charts helpful in deciding when to change your trans fluid and if you need additional cooling.

Also see:

http://www.digi-panel.com/digidevicesweb/trannyoil.htm

I installed an additional cooler ( besides the factor cooler) in a cut out section of my hood, It has a fan which I have currently activited by a switch. Once I hit 210, I turn the fan on and have found that even in the worst climb not to exceed 240 degrees.

Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1

 

[boknows]

Thanks, Fred. That's good stuff. Look forward to seeing your solution to the cooling issue.

Jason

 

[grandpapy]

I'm actually looking to install a trans cooler and fan set up as well. Do you have a write up on it?? Also, what type of cooler and fan set up did you go with? Have you thought about bypassing the radiator all together and just funning lines from the trans to the cooler and back?

 

[Explorer 1]

End of story.....a eventually, a happy one

I just realized that I never gave the end of the story and the "final solution" to my heating problem.

A bit of back ground, somewhere around 500-1000 miles on the stroker I started having pinging problems once the engine warmed up. Chad at Golen was available by phone and we started the diagnostic process with just about everything he could think of but couldn't eliminate the knocking especially when the ambient temps were over 85 degrees.

I changed and modified just about everything that had anything to do with cooling even using that racing coolant that is over $50.00 per gallon.

I won't bore you with all the things that were done but the final straw was when I heard the sorry sound from deep within the engine of a knocking rod bearing. I pulled the pan off and examined the bearing to find they were all excessively worn. Out came the engine and was shipped back to Golen. The villain turned out to be injector #6 which was stuck open flooding the cylinder with excessive fuel telling the O2 sensor the engine was running rich and cutting back the fuel on the other 5 cylinders causing a leanness problem and excessive heat. All the while deluding the crankcase oil.

I want to go on the record that the warrantee and service from Golen was second to none. In a couple of weeks I received a new engine at no additional cost along with one new injector.

Installed the new engine went through minor break in and on the first hot day.........it started running hot and pinging some again!!!!

More research and ideas were tried without any success.

I was about to give up and just consider it a cold winter car only when through e-mail I met Pete who goes by Cruiser54 on several forums and is beyond an expert on the XJ engines especially the 87-90 Renix models.

I hired him as my consultant and away we went. First thing was to purchase what he called "The Block" with the Chrysler cards. This is an old pre OBD reader of the computer output made by Snap-on. I would attach the reader to the engine system and read off the findings via e-mail and phone. One by one we made little progress. With some of the minor modifications things improved slightly but still no breakthrough.

Pete ( Cruiser54) would have me attach the "Block", I would run the cord out the window into the engine compartment and then drive around the Los Angeles area taking various readings of the different sensors and trying to note any thing unusual. Pete would patiently walk me through various exercises trying to find something outstandingly wrong.

I was beginning to give up hope (Which is usually when I start to feel better).

Then the day came when driving on the Freeway with the engine seemly running ok but still a bit hot, and I was driving with one hand and turning the dial on the "Block" and happen to be on the anti-knock sensor and it dropped to "0" or no sensor reading and the engine immediately started knocking and up when the water temps.

When we put in each of the new stroker engines we replaced all the sensors. The anti-knock sensor came from NAPA. Pete helped me find a Chrysler dealership in Idaho that still had a OEM sensor and I had them ship it to me. What was interesting was the full page large print special installation instructions in the small sensor box where it stated in BOLD print to only tighten the 3/4 inch nut that held the sensor to the block to 12 inch lbs. No such instruction like this were found in the NAPA sensor box and no-where in the XJ service manual did I read anything like this. Now those of you that know, 12 inch lbs on a 3/4 nut is a little more than hand tighten.

So off went the NAPA and on went the OEM sensor and it was a night and day difference. I now run in the summer about 180 - 190 on the freeway.

I had done so many other changes and modification to the cooling system that it runs a bit cool and when it does warm up to about 210 on a slow steep difficult off road climb, it cools down very fast once the add'l demand for power has stopped. I have never heard any further pinging (Engine knock) since.

Thanks to Chad for the excellent service with the bad injector and Pete for helping me find the final solution.

Fred Taylor
Explorer 1

 

[Zeep]

Nice looking Jeep. Glad you got it all sorted out!