WTB : Renix Engine SoCal Area

[wikun]

Alright guys, I have been looking for a replacement engine for my project jeep. Everyone wants a lot of money for them. My project Cheap Jeep needs some help. Mine has a rod knock in the bottom end. I have pulled the pan and looked around. Good except the crank needs to be turned. I have read at about people getting rid of their engines for lets just say less than what I have found. Here is what I got.... If you are planning on building a stroker and have a running engine, trade me plus cash and rebuild mine. Don't get me wrong, mine runs like a champ, just when you are on the freeway, you hear the marble like sound. Or if you think I am barking up the wrong tree, can anyone point me to the right one? This site has always been good about straightening out newbs, so please let the knowledge flow. Thanks guys. I am lost. :snorkel:

 

[StumpXJ]

Alright guys, I have been looking for a replacement engine for my project jeep. Everyone wants a lot of money for them. My project Cheap Jeep needs some help. Mine has a rod knock in the bottom end. I have pulled the pan and looked around. Good except the crank needs to be turned. I have read at about people getting rid of their engines for lets just say less than what I have found. Here is what I got.... If you are planning on building a stroker and have a running engine, trade me plus cash and rebuild mine. Don't get me wrong, mine runs like a champ, just when you are on the freeway, you hear the marble like sound. Or if you think I am barking up the wrong tree, can anyone point me to the right one? This site has always been good about straightening out newbs, so please let the knowledge flow. Thanks guys. I am lost. :snorkel:

Have you looked on Naxja? I have seen them go for pennies on the dollar around here, and they have a huge regional chapter for California.

I know a guy here that has a great running engine out of a '91 for 300 bucks, but we are on the wrong side of the country...

 

[Buckshot62]

Are you sure it's a rod knocking?Early 4.0's are notorious for piston slap.I bought a comanche off of evilbay that the owner said it had a rod knocking.I tightened the torque converter to flexplate bolts and the knock disappeared!As Stumpxj said check the Cali chapter of NAXJA. I've found a lot of helpful folks on there.

 

[wikun]

Ya I have had it diagnosed by hard rock 4x4 out here in san diego. I have had it for a minute and have been tossing around replacing, rebuilding, yadda yadda yadda. Money is the issue. I am not taking out a loan, or financing it. I am rebuilding it slowly and as funds show up. I replaced the rod bearings and re-torqued the caps, and it got "better". When I too off the rod caps the crank jornals had a bit of scoring, but when I too the pan off, i found no abnormal shavings, in the pan. Anyway, the motor is pretty good, and I am not sure why it had abnormal jornal wear. Anyway, instead of spending 1300 for a short block, 800 for a rebuild, or 600 for a replacment long block that has no documentation aside that it came from a repo. Anyway, I have heard countless times that someone wants to stroke it, and so I have a way they can help a fellow jeeper out and still get something to work with for the stroker. Although 300 is totally doable for me...:sombrero: Ideas...

P.S. I am too new of a member over at naxja to post a thread...bummer

 

[Wyowanderer]

Are you sure it's a rod knocking?Early 4.0's are notorious for piston slap.I bought a comanche off of evilbay that the owner said it had a rod knocking.I tightened the torque converter to flexplate bolts and the knock disappeared!As Stumpxj said check the Cali chapter of NAXJA. I've found a lot of helpful folks on there.

Ditto. Before I'd condemn the engine, I'd check the flywheel/flexplate bolts, and make sure it's not spark knock that's causing the noise. Did you measure the clearance between the rod journal and rod bearing? Doing so might reveal a different, cheaper problem.
If you're sure it's a rod, you might just replace the insert bearing to buy some time.
Sorry to hear of your trouble.

 

[wikun]

Ya, I plastigaged the journal clearance. All are good, with stock sized replacment bearings. Which I have done. Now here is my kicker...the journals themselves are scorn. So the crank needs machining. The rods may need retruing. The engine is sound in all other ways, which is still why I am unsure of why the bottom end needs machining at 186000. The top was rebuild by the previous owner (reciepts presented). I havn't pulled the engine to check bolts. If anyone is in san diego, hard rock 4x4 has some very good knowledge of jeeps. I took my old girl there and they diagnosed it. Anyway, at this point I would rather give mine away in trade to someone that is building a stroker so they have something to work with, rather than grenading this thing and having nothing to trade.