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View Poll Results: Should I go turbo or supercharged?

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  • Supercharger

    21 77.78%
  • Turbo

    6 22.22%
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Thread: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build

  1. #1
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    Default xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build





    I bought this truck a few years ago to be my daily driver. It already had a botched K&N cold air intake and 3.5" RE lift. Had to have the sun roof replaced. I then replaced water pump and harmonic balancer. Truck was running great, with a few Jeep things along the way, until a little over a year ago. I jumped in to run to gas station and immediately after starting I hear some popping and it stalled. Opened hood and started it and heard nasty sounding knock from passenger rear of block. Well K&N intake bolt broke and dropped into cylinder.




    After a few months of saving and planning, decided to buy a rebuilt motor.


    Bored .030, Erson cam, 9:1 compression pistons, RT heads and ARP bolts.

    Motor is installed and has a few thousand miles on it now and running great. Future modifications to come soon. In the plan is new intake manifold, throttle body, injectors, high spark ignition, full performance exhaust with true dual exhaust, SCT tune from hemifever. Am still wavering between twin turbo or supercharger, most likely supercharger running a modest 8-11 lbs boost.
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    At 5,000 feet, you are looking at a more realistic 6 pounds or so of boost rather than 8-11. Still boost is boost, and it will come in just off idle all the way through the rpm range, rather than any lag time with the turbo(s) spooling up. Of the two, the super charger, IMO, is the better for a combo street/4x rig. I would go turbo(s) on a performance rig, especially if you wanted the high rpm kick.

    By the time you do all the plumbing, etc for a twin turbo set up, along with all the head scratching and custom bending, etc, you could have done a bolt on supercharger and have been driving your rig around for a month....Not to mention the fact that the twin turbo set up, once it is done, will have probably set you back a few more bucks.

    Just my two cents...

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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Yeah truly the only reason I am considering the turbo is to be different. I am first going to get as much as I can naturally aspirated, might not even want more. Running stock tune I can jump an Audi A6 off the line.
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    I'd say supercharger too... what is the rest of the drivetrain going to be? That 5.9 is pretty powerful to begin with, I bet you have some other stuff planned. Looking forward to seeing the rest of this build up!!

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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    X2 on what Pete said.

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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    I did not know the 5.9 was an anemic power plant. I vote to put the $$$ in the gas tank.

    I'm no expert, but, how many forced induction engines start with a 9:1 cranking compression?
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Hypoid previously posted:
    "I did not know the 5.9 was an anemic power plant. I vote to put the $$$ in the gas tank.

    I'm no expert, but, how many forced induction engines start with a 9:1 cranking compression?"


    Yeah I am getting about 8 mpg right now, the tune will help a lot. Trying to wait until I open up the air. The stock compression was 8.7:1, so it's not much higher and it is less than the 5.2L. Will look more into that though, thanks! Never done any forced induction so I am totally new.
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    I can't find any pictures of my cv style front driveshaft that got ripped in half, found a pic online though. The old cv shaft was a major oops on Jeeps part. It did not allow for the flex the vehicle got with the 3.5 inch lift. Got a yoke off of a cherokee dana 30 and had Bill make me a new driveshaft.
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Sweet Cliff, I voted for the supercharger. Bill's shafts are sweet!!

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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    This brings us to current status. So my intake manifold is leaking out the back and dripping on the exhaust and getting sucked into the cabin through A/C. The solution is to take the intake manifold off, replace gaskets and do it right this time. The engine kit was missing a gasket and we were told that it could be sealed with liquid gasket. We were warned it was very tricky and difficult to do but hey we tried! IMO there is way too much stuff that has to be removed to get the intake manifold off to just replace some gaskets. So I say we get this thing breathing a bit better.
    Gotta wait a couple weeks but this should be fun.
    ___________
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Ooooo! Excited to see pics!

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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    You're going to lose some bottom end with the single plane intake. You might be better off getting a better flowing dual plane.

  13. #13
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Yeah was looking for dual plane only one out there is the Hughes built Edelbrock. That may be what I go with, still have a little time to do my research...unless you maybe know?
    Here is the Hughes
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Does anyone know where the closest dyno that can do all wheel drives is? I am considering doing a before and after to see just how much difference the intake manifold makes. Of course if I do that I have to replace the gasket first test it and then replace the manifold and re-test.
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    There is a dyno shop right off Evans and 25. Not sure if its AWD or not though. I just dry by it and see turbo'd cars parked out front a lot.

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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    The shop off Evans and I25 doesn't have a dyno to dyno tune anything. a guy that works at that shop (300 AUTO, 5860 E Evans, Denver, 80222: 303-300-AUTO, Brent Graves: Brent@300auto.com) came by yesterday driving a very sweet Mustang and I asked him about the dyno tuning for my heap. I would suggest calling AA Performance Muffler and Brake and talking to Scotty (3898 South Broadway Englewood, CO 80113, 303-806-8634) there as he knows places that do that since he is into racing all kinds of stuff.

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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    I know the boost creep off of I25 and highway 66 is awd. Kind of a drive for you though.

  18. #18
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Boy has this thing been sitting on the back burner for a while. After tomorrow I will have pretty much recycled my tax returns back into the economy Still have to order the tuner which I expect I will be getting from hemifever but for now I need to seal my intake manifold gasket leak and this is the solution I came up with.
           
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Very Nice!!! Good on you to help out the economy

  20. #20
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    Default Re: xaza's 98 ZJ 5.9L Build



    Even with the busy weekend we did manage to get my intake mostly installed. We came across a major hick-up that we could use some help with. The new manifold angles the fuel injectors slightly differently causing the fuel rails to be somewhat closer together. The rails are connected together with a nylon fuel line that had to be replaced with a shorter one. We have kinked 2 lines now and I am prepared to buy the tool but don't know where. Went to Autozone and the guy looked at me like I was crazy. Would prefer to borrow one if someone has it.
    On to install. Had to remove alternator, A/C compressor and power steering to access manifold. Drained the coolant. Checked inside the overflow tank and had a thick layer of grey slime. Removed it and cleaned it out. After that had to remove fuel rails, throttle body and intake. Cleaned the mating surfaces after masking off open block. Remove sensors from old intake and install into new. After all brackets bolted in, sensors installed I have 1 extra hole right next to thermostat. Water temp sensor is already installed near heater hose. Will just need to get a beveled plug to seal it.
    We also found what was the original cause of leak...bad RTV sealant, turned brown and crusty. I always buy high temp but wonder if something else ended up in the tool box.
              
    ___________
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