Reputable source for rebuild kit

The 258 is a good motor. From what I have read (mostly from Mike R) the Carter is a good carb if you can tune it properly. He will probably chime in with a few tuning tips and maybe a good parts source for your rebuild kit.

HTH

Carl

Hi Lou, Good on ya' for taking the "roll your own" approach. He'll undoubtedly be prouder, more knowledgeable and more pleased with the end product. I took the road less traveled for fifteen years with the I6 and fought the "Why don't you just go with a V8" crowd for years. Here's my take on it all. The 258's definitely a good motor with plenty of torque and a 1/4 million miles longevity if treated right. But, the Howell fuel injection thing's too darned expensive for the return. Sure, you'll have a great engine with good torque and okay fuel economy, but you're gonna pay through the nose for it. I have to say that I eventually lost the fight with mine and put a Corvette, fuel-injected 350 in. Basically, if you want more of everything, you might as well start with a better platform. If you want a selling point, I'd say, "A carburetor won't fail, is simpler and will do the job well enough that you won't notice the difference." Okay, that last one's arguable but, truth is, you won't see a huge difference and most won't notice it unless they're so in touch that they can feel the engine's a quart low (Yes, some of us are That sensitive:) The parts for fuel-injection are out there in junkyards for a V8. But, I'm not trying to sell you away from the I6. Just recommending a well-tuned, I6 motor. I recommend the standard, well-named rebuild parts and proper machining. Take the block, heads, crank, rods, flywheel, harmonic balancer and perhaps the pistons to a good machinist to have it all honed and "trued up". Assuming you're doing a non-racing build, there's no need to do any fancy work like profiled (lightened) rods or ported heads or that kind of thing [just honed cylinders, line bored crank journals, mic the crankshaft, resurfaced flywheel and reconditioned piston rods if dictated]. A machinist might have to bore the cylinders which would require new pistons. Everything else is probably academic but get the machining done before you get a kit in case you need .010 bearings, pistons, different rings, etc. Also recommend a new clutch while you're in there and the flywheel's cleaned up. Everything you need can be sourced with top-quality stuff at the local O'Reilly's. My personal preference is as follows. You'll have to decide on the cost benefit of each as you price it out.

-Fel-Pro gaskets. I hate cork and insist on Perma-Dry for the covers since they have a metal core, ribbed rubber surface and can be opened and reused. They'll also help with the infamous oil leak at the back of the valve cover (hope yours isn't plastic).

-Copper exhaust manifold gaskets! I've never had a set of fiber gaskets that didn't go out. Copper's "reusable" and hold a good seal (but much more expense). If you have a white set of exhaust gaskets, DITCH 'EM! They're worthless in my book and other folks actually practice using two just to make 'em work which exacerbates the tendency to blow out. If you want a decent pair at a better price than copper, get the black set and retorque 'em just after breaking in the motor. Then... retorque 'em again.

-Bearings. I like Clevite77 but, frankly, don't think this is a earth-shattering issue since most crank/rod bearings are of fair quality.

-Piston rings. I'd recommend Total-Seal gapless rings. There are good reasons to use old-fashioned, gapped rings even in professional racing circuits, but for this application, I think the sealing ability/longevity is right up your alley. You'll also get some cool points in the back of your mind. Haha!

-Pistons (if necessary). We're talkin' about a 258 six cylinder here... If he wants anything other than a simple piston, tell him to go to Shafiroff Racing and drop ten grand on a different motor. If you have to change the camshaft and want to get mildly sporty, you can open a small can of worms (which could be a little fun:). Otherwise, a simple, cast piston's all this engine cares about. That's my, "two cents adjusted for inflation" and I hope it helps. Just take a look around for a kit with name-brand components or pick 'em up individually at the parts store. Best Regards, Drink

I suggest that you join the Jeep 4.0 engine improved performance group

strokers @ yahoogroups.com

You will find a wealth of information about improving the I6 engine for power. Read the archives and then ask your questions! ;-)

You might even be able to pick up a Jeep Cherokee (87-on) and use the engine parts, along with your 258 engine, and fuel injection parts to do a low budget upgrade.

later, dave AKA vwdoc1

A good source is Hesco.

The best book is the factory service manual.

Real Jeeps don't have Chevy's in them

Jeff DeWitt

L.W.(Bill) Hughes III wrote:

They have Buick in them.

Real deserts don't have beaches in them either, Bill... :) Haha! Couldn't help myself after the "Real Jeeps have dipsticks in the tank" thing. Sniping from the periphery, Drink "L.W.(Bill) Hughes III" wrote