Building the Ultimate TJ – Part 2

It has been a while since we gave you the preview of the strongest most complete Jeep TJ build up ever attempted, so now its time to bring you up to speed on all of the action. Stage West 4wd Center in Glenwood Springs, CO has been working feverishly to get the Ultimate TJ out for all to see. In this installment we will show what it really takes to make a TJ motor really scream!

For starters, Kevin decided that 6 cylinders was plenty under the hood of the TJ, but those six cylinders needed a little massaging. This came in the way of a Hesco built 4.7 liter stroker motor. Kevin knew that there were many other options available for getting more power under the hood. A Supercharger? Not enough low end power. A V-8 conversion? Not legal in Kevin’s home state based on the year of the Jeep. So the alternative was make the stock I-6 a power house! With the help of Hesco and Stage West here is what Kevin decided would go into the engine.

A 4.7 Stroker Kit bored .060 over incluing all new pistons, crank, rods, and moly rings for starters. For a cam Kevin went an aggressive torque grind custom matched to the rest of the engine components. The motor also recieved a double roller timing set-up, hi-flow water pump, hi-flow thermostat housing, larger injectors, bored throttle body, CNC Heads, and performance ported valves combined with firmer springs. The intake, exhaust ports, combustion chambers and valve pockets have all been CNC machined to create a cylinder head with exact uniformity from chamber to chamber. All cylinder head castings have a certain amount of core shift during manufacturing therefore ports and combustion chambers are not equal in cc’s or flow numbers. They are within “factory tolerances” however. By CNC machining the cylinder head Hesco was able to create a balanced air/fuel and compression ratio between cylinders. This all translates into a smoother and more efficient running engine.

Just to be sure everything would stay cool inside this power house motor Kevin had a few of the important items thermal coated, Exhaust manifold, intake manifold, and the the piston heads. The piston heads are coated to provide an almost frictionless surface resulting in less heat, an increased life, and more power. To be sure things would hold together, a set of Stainless Head and main bolts were used in the assembly process. The motor also recieved K&N’s new fuel injection performance filter set-up. The internals of the engine will be kept in in check with Red Line synthetic fluids and 185 degree thermostat. Champion Truck Spark plugs will ignite the fuel, dual Optima bateries will provide the juice to start it, and a Gibson free flow exhaust system will help provide a healthy exhaust note and expel the gases freely.

What does all of this add up to in terms of power numbers? How about 275 H.P. and 350 ft/lbs. of neck snapping torque! Kevins goal was to create a powerful, reliable, and legal motor for the Ultimate TJ. According to Kevin, now that the motor has been broken in and he can really step on it, the once docile I-6 is now a V-8 eating monster! Stay tuned as we get set to cover the rest of this incredible Jeep over the next few weeks. Up next Transmission, transfer case, and custom axle housings.