Cam suggestion and Tune Question

[thepdk]

I will be doing a head gasket here in the near future.
98 xj 4.0 auto 4wd

I also plan on doing lifters so it seems like a reasonable time to do a cam swap. I'm an LS motor guy at heart and have done a few cam swaps but never on a jeep. The XJ is my daily winter rig and I'm thinking a few more ponies would be fun.

I drive 90% on road, 30% of that highway with long drives north to ski. I would assume a more torque oriented cam would be good but don't want to loose any highway driveability. I will also be refreshing up the head, and port matching the intake/head.

Any cam suggestions? Also after the install, how are these motors tuned? Mail-order or handheld?

Thanks!

 

[cal]

The stock valve springs won't handle a lot of the cam's out there.

I'd send a PM to Russ Pottenger and ask him for some advice there, he can give you a fair idea what will bolt in, and what's going to require more extensive work.

 

[fzsk4p]

Take a look at Clay Smith cams. http://www.claysmithcams.com/h-264-...shaft/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0

The 264, RVOB or the 6474 with a 113/114 LSA would be candidates.

Russ likes Comp Cams whereas I have had good luck with CS. Both are quality parts.

Consider stock springs to be useless above 420 lift. Plenty of aftermarket springs available. Keep the seat pressure at ~ 110 lbs and 230/240 @ .500

The OBD2 JTEC ECM is pretty smart and should be able to handle any of those cams. If you really want to take advantage of tuning a guy like Ryan Hogan is the one to contact.

 

[sidewaysstarion]

Take a look at Clay Smith cams. http://www.claysmithcams.com/h-264-...shaft/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0
The OBD2 JTEC ECM is pretty smart and should be able to handle any of those cams. If you really want to take advantage of tuning a guy like Ryan Hogan is the one to contact.

Why would Ryan be the one to contact?

 

[fzsk4p]

Because Ryan is well versed on the I6 engines calibration needs. From stock to forced induction to exotic fuels.

 

[cal]

I always heard Chris @ Christuned.com was the guy to use for i6 tuning.

He's just impossible to get ahold of due to a crappy website and no published contact info.

 

[fzsk4p]

I know and have dealt with both. Have contact info for both. Ryan has always come through.

 

[sidewaysstarion]

Can he tune OBDI jeep ecus?

 

[fzsk4p]

Can he tune OBDI jeep ecus?

OBD1 SBEC ECU`s are built with an EPROM. Meaning that the Prom itself once burnt cannot be overwritten.

You can do a few minor tweaks with a DRBII however. That falls far short of what the definition of re-caliing is.

In both SBEC and JTEC there is plenty of the cal aimed at emissions. If you don`t live in a sniffer State there is quite a bit of performance hidden in that ECU.

That said my personal stroker is running SBEC with tweaked inputs to fool the ECU. That said I also have built a complete JTEC harness that is ready to go. Just have to find the time and ambition to make the changeover.

 

[sidewaysstarion]

Hmm, Chris can tune SBEC ECU's.

He did a tune for my stock 99 motor and it really woke it up and the best part it still passed the sniffer test.

 

[fzsk4p]

Didn`t want to get into a long drawn out discussion. You are correct, Chrysler did have a handful of SBEC ECU`s that could be re-programmed. Chris and myself went through that a couple years ago. You need to get the EPROM number and then he checks to see if he has a file for it.

After 4 attempts I gave up on finding a reprogrammable SBEC EPROM. For my customer builds JTEC protocol is much faster, smarter and tunable then the SBEC.

As I have said and you concur, there is a lot of untapped potential in those ECU`s. The fact that it still passed smog suggests it is tuned fairly well and not radically set up.

Fact is if you look at the SBEC wiring and JTEC you will see very little difference as it what is needed to run the engine. You could in fact use a SBEC harness and re pin it to JTEC for engine controls.

 

[sidewaysstarion]

Yup, all you need is to add a battery temp sensor.

 

[fzsk4p]

Yup, all you need is to add a battery temp sensor.

:attom::flame: Yup !!

 

[FlyinRyan]

Why would Ryan be the one to contact?

Because anything else is like playing with half a deck! eace:

 

[fzsk4p]

Nice 2 hour conversation today. atriot:

 

[sidewaysstarion]

Because anything else is like playing with half a deck! eace:

Wow, I see someone has a bit of an ego. So you buy the SCT tuning suite and now you're god's gift to the jeep world?

 

[FlyinRyan]

Wow, I see someone has a bit of an ego. So you buy the SCT tuning suite and now you're god's gift to the jeep world?

I guess this crowd is a little sensitive. Sorry.
I suppose there is some ego involved, I call it as it is and I don't feel I should have to walk on eggshells.
I've tuned alot of DCX stuff and I've had some real success with it. 2 bar closed loop, proper enrichment, tuning the cams everyone told me were not possible with JTEC.... So I don't think it's completely unfounded.
I personally think tuning setups with as little as 6" vacuum at idle and netting stock-like drivability while being thousands of miles away is REALLY cool.

From SWFL With Love,
Ryan

P.S. I don't own a tuning suite.

 

[FlyinRyan]

Edit

 

[GrimmJeeper]

From SWFL With Love,
Ryan.

swiffle, lol

 

[sidewaysstarion]

I guess this crowd is a little sensitive. Sorry.
I suppose there is some ego involved, I call it as it is and I don't feel I should have to walk on eggshells.
I've tuned alot of DCX stuff and I've had some real success with it. 2 bar closed loop, proper enrichment, tuning the cams everyone told me were not possible with JTEC.... So I don't think it's completely unfounded.
I personally think tuning setups with as little as 6" vacuum at idle and netting stock-like drivability while being thousands of miles away is REALLY cool.

From SWFL With Love,
Ryan

P.S. I don't own a tuning suite.

I have been a professionally trained DCX SCT tuner for over a year now, specializing in JTEC calibrations.

Source: http://thespeedfreaks.net/showthread.php?10039-DCX-JTEC-NGC-PCM-tuning

You made that post 2013 and then you said you've been tuning for over a year, that means you started tuning in 2012. so you have ~3 years under your belt playing with SCT and now you're some hot shot tuner. SCT gives you some of the tools you need to bang out a semi-decent tune, but tuning with the SCT tuning suite is like, how did you put it, only playing with half a deck? Have you figured out how to get a big cam magnum motor to idle without modifying the idle air circuit?

P.S. If you don't own the SCT tuning suite, did you steal it?

Sideways 'Calling it as he sees it' Starion