The Lemoore Project

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Long story short, I will have to be putting my old Cherokee back into daily driver service. Before I sold my DD Dodge, parked the Jeep, and left for deployment the 360 had a bad lifter tick, was smoking from the left bank exhaust, and my oil pressure had dropped a little bit. My transfer case was also having issues with staying in gear, whining, and leaking like a sieve. So as I am preparing to come home from my 7 month deployment in the Arabian Gulf I am preemptively ordering parts and preparing for a slight refresh before I transfer from the great Pacific Northwest and drive down to Lemoore, CA for the next 3 years.
As for the engine the plan of attack will be to replace the cam/lifters, cam bearings, timing set, oil pump and swap on a set of '71 401 heads I've had laying around from Ristow. The transmission will get new fluid, filter, gaskets, and cooler lines while the transfer case will be treated to a full rebuild.
The rig is in decent shape otherwise. Other things that will be checked are all other fluids, brakes, suspension, and rear axle bearings.

My parts list so far includes:
-Melling MTA-1 camshaft kit (with lifters)
-Melling timing set
-Melling freeze plugs
-Melling oil pump gear set
-King camshaft bearing set
-Edelbrock "Sure Seat" valve springs
-Dorman harmonic balancer
-Fel-Pro gasket set and intake valley pan
-Novak Dana 20 rebuild kit

Pics and write-up are to follow when I get stateside in a couple weeks. I'll sure be busy!

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Just got my '71 heads back from being pressure checked and they're both cracked through a water jacket pretty badly. So they're junk. Guess I have to add pistons, rings, and more machine work to my list. On a bright note, all my parts made it!

[bkilby]

Bummer about the heads. I have a set of heads off my 360 here in SoCal if you're interested. Btw, I had a Melling oil pump gear that was bad from the factory. Might want to check yours for flaws.

[Ristow]

yah,they crack on the corners. i told you that when i gave them to you y'know....

[mattmopar440]

yah,they crack on the corners. i told you that when i gave them to you y'know....

yea the problem is that was 6 years ago LOL Jon cant remember what he did last week

[mattmopar440]

stop messing around with those little 360's and get a big boy engine jon

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

yah,they crack on the corners. i told you that when i gave them to you y'know....

Yea, I kind of half expected it but was hoping for the best. No worries here.

[Ristow]

Some guys run them that way. CAn of stop leak for good measure. I'd go with pistons and big chamber heads.

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Some guys run them that way. Can of stop leak for good measure. I'd go with pistons and big chamber heads.

The machine shop said they leaked like sieves on the pressure tester. The cracks are actually pretty visible as they are, I can only imagine them getting larger when you torque them down. After just getting out from under a Cummins Dodge with a cracked block I'm not looking to mess with any more stop leak. I'm on the fence now on building a 360 with 343 pistons like SC/397 did or finding a virgin 401 to build. Being a die hard 360 guy and an even more die hard cheap-Expletive Deleted!Expletive Deleted!Expletive Deleted!Expletive Deleted!Expletive Deleted! I'll probably go the 360/343 route. I just love beating up on the gung-ho 401 guys with 41 less cubes

[Ristow]

i wouldn't go looking for a 401. the 360's run nicer. shoot for 10-1 compression and go. pedestal heads would be nice in the big chamber. put 1.7 rockers on.

[bkilby]

Ristow, what's the factory rocker arm ratio? 1.6? I wouldn't mind running 1.7 on mine if I knew they'd work.

[Ristow]

yeah,1.6.

i ran 1.7 roller tips on my 401,with 9.5 pistons,and a performer grind. the extra lift lets more thru the valve,with little affect on duration. it ran nice.

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Who makes 1.7 ratio pedestal mount rockers for AMC? Regular? Roller tip? Full roller? $$$$?

[Ristow]

they are the same as ford small block. so look for ford small block 1.7. i have a set of comp cam knock offs here. i wonder if that guy in florida has any more of the good steel ones like i had....

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

they are the same as ford small block. so look for ford small block 1.7. i have a set of comp cam knock offs here. i wonder if that guy in florida has any more of the good steel ones like i had....

And those will bolt to the late model heads without machining?