Remanufactured Engine

Howdy all. Hope everybody is staying warm out there!

Looooong, painful story short: I need to replace the 304 on my 74 CJ5 due to screw up by PO (they put silicone on the head gaskets which covered all the coolant holes and oil holes in the block....you see where this is going). Was hoping it could be saved but machine shop said it will cost more to repair than to get a remanufactured one or one from a salvage yard.

I know salvage is cheaper, but no necks to ring if something goes wrong with it in 2 months. So reman is the path I've chosen. I'm bouncing back and forth between a 304 (keep it original engine type and the 3 speed T-15) or upgrade to a 360 with a 4 speed (T-19 perhaps). Personal choice and plenty of other forums for that so I won't bog this one down. However, I'm having a tough time finding any forums about remanufacturers of engines.

Has anybody had any experience with one of these companies? Doesn't have to be the same engine sizes I mentioned above, really more looking in to the quality of the engine, life, customer service, etc. I've run across Mabbco, S&J, BJs Offroad, Jasper, some builders on eBay. Any info is appreciated, thanks!!

 

I've had great success with S&J. My Dauntless is 6+ years old and running strong.

 

Well, depending on your plans for the jeep. But starting from a clean slate I would put a chevy V8 in it. Much better parts availability and novak has the adapters.

This is just my opinion-I am sure the other users are going to tear me up for this.

 

I purchased a Ford 460 from S&J a little less than a year ago. Customer service was very good as far as the purchase experience went, especially considering I’m in Alaska and shipping can be a pain. They were very knowledgeable in that regard and it only cost me $400 to get it up here. The engine was wrapped in a heavy plastic bag, well attached to a pallet, and covered by a sturdy cardboard box. It was a long block, so had no tin work or intake manifold. It came with a new oil pump in a box but not a pickup. It came with break in oil and instructions. If I recall correctly, the oil was Lucas brand, but I’m not 100% sure on that. I always say that the ultimate test of a company’s customer service is how they handle things when there is a problem. I haven’t put them to that test as I haven’t had any problems. I’ve only put about 1500 miles on the engine as it’s not my daily driver.
Tim

 

A kitten somewhere just died..

 

I'm not a huge fan of the AMC engines but I'd have a hard time justifying the extra cost & hassle to swap from one V8 to another.
My vote would be the 360. If you plan hard core 4 wheeling, do a 4 speed swap, if not keep the T15.

 

As mentioned 360 easy and bolts right in.
And we all know that everybody has a Corvette V8 engine in a Jeep......

 

I figure there has to be a junkyard somewhere full of engine-less 'Vettes!

 

Or a bunch of Corvettes running around with F-134s in them?

 

There was a Vette posted with a flathead ford V-8.. I'm still trying to figure out why on that one..

 

Really?

Personally, I would opt for a rebuild at a local machine shop. I've had a bad experience with a reman. I've found that the quality seems better with a face to face interaction.
Either engine will work, but if you're old block is dust, I would opt for the 360 if the prices are the same.

 

Thanks all for the input! I've reached out to a few places for lead times and prices, and hopefully I have a running Jeep (again) this spring!

 

Don't go cheap, I've been fixing machines for 52 years. I seen many re-man engines, some with different size bores. Is the block cracked? Ron

 

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...s-modernity-and-returns-to-monkey-224024.html

 

Ah, thanks...NOW I believe it.

 

The 304 has lots of potential if done right.

 

Grand, Thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to swap in a motor that literally makes the same horsepower as the stock engine.
Don't get me wrong, kudos for a unique drive, but I can think of a hundred better uses for a Flathead that would be a lot cooler than a stepchild 'vette.
Oh, wait a minute, that was the point....................

 

Not sure of your situation, but, you can save a lot of time and money if you can do the basics yourself. Removal, cleaning, disassembly, reassembly, etc. Having the machinist do the heads and block can usually cut your lead time and save you a ton of coin.

 

I'll tell you my story if it will help any. My jeep originally had a 304, T15, normal setup. When I bought it the thing was mostly a basketcase. It had a 360 that I got to fire up once and it ran terrible. The guy told me it had a ton of miles on it, and he was right. I had planned to go the same route as you, was looking around for a rebuilt 304 or 360 because I wouldn't have to re-engineer everything to make it fit. Since I am a tinkerer, I decided to buy an engine stand and pull the old engine apart just to see how bad it was. I had never done it before so it would be a new adventure. The more I got into it, the more I thought about just trying a garage rebuild and see how it goes. I completely pulled it apart, degreased everything (worst part of the job) and after I got into it, it wasn't as hard to do as I thought it would be. The factory service manual for my 73 was invaluable. I dingle-balled the cylinders, put in new main and cam bearings, new cam because the old one had some lobes that were nearly round, one burnt valve that I replaced. Lapped the valves, and a lot of little odds and ends that are too many to list. The service manual has all the specs about setting up the cam timing and how to measure bearing clearance and so on. I haven't fired yet, we'll see how it went! Point is, doing a garage rebuild really isn't that hard. There is lots of info out there from folks that have done the same thing. If I was to guess, with all the tools included, I probably spent less than $1500 on everything and learned a great amount in the process. It of course depends on the condition of your block and unless it physically has a hole in the side, they are pretty tough. You mentioned that the oil and water jacket was plugged. That may be able to be corrected. Someone else may chime in but I think a bare block can be baked and cleaned out. Apparently they used to use solvents to clean blocks but have gone to heat and detergents, or so I have read. It may have just burned out and spun some of the bearings, they can be replaced. Unless the machine shop actually tore down the block to inspect it and found something seriously wrong, it may be saved if you want to try it. Just some things to think about. Keep us posted on your project and good luck.

 

Okay it's 10 degrees outside and I'm bored. I have an engine question about this subject that you folks might know better than me. Let's say someone really goobered up the head gaskets with silicone and installed them. Wouldn't that affect the cooling and not the oil? The heads get all of their oil from the hollow push rods via the lifters. If the water jacket was blocked up on the heads, shouldn't that only affect the water that goes up into the head, which isn't much anyway?