Thanks for all the suggestions & help everyone but I'm a DUMBA$$......... I'd missed one bolt because it was hiding under the exhaust gasket. Right there in the middle you can barely see it poking out.



Everything LOOKS OK but I'll put a straight edge on the block & heads once I get stuff cleaned up. I'm waiting for parts anyhow so I've got a little time.




This side didn't show any signs of the head gasket failing so I'm still not sure what could have happened on the other side.

 

I also managed to break my oil pressure sender while trying to get the head off. I think I have a spare but need to check.

I'm going to drain the oil that is in it since I've had the intake off 3 times now plus I don't know if I've got any coolant in the oil. When I pull the dipstick it still looks new & fresh but I'd rather be safe. Which brings me to another question.
I know technically since it's a roller cam you don't "NEED" to use break in oil but even so is it a good practice to use break-in oil? Are there any benefits to using break-in oil on our engines?

I'll of course be changing the oil after 400-500 miles of driving.

 

Yeah, been there before! It's really easy to miss a bolt after dealing with all kinds of frustration with what should be a simple re-assembly task... However, nothing is typically as easy as it should be no matter how many times we've done the process before..

 

Started getting some of the parts in. I'd ordered these intake gaskets from Cometic before I'd figured out that the valley pan was the issue. Not sure yet if I'll use them or not but DANG NAB they are thick.



If I decide to use them I might try installing the valley pan again.



Used the Stahlbus oil drain plug for the first time. You pull the cap and then inset the hose, turn 1/4 turn and it drains out. It'll help clear my engine skid plate when doing oil changes.



Had a nice chocolate milk oil coming out.



Then I pulled each of the lifters and pulled apart cleaned and reassembled.



I should have all the parts here NTL Tuesday to reassemble the top end.

 

I would skip the valley pan. I think it will cause more issues than it solves...... You actually WANT the oil in the valley to be able to run down onto the camshaft.... helps with lubrication.

 

UTA totes it as to help keep the hot oil off the bottom of the intake to help with IAT temps. Claims it's good for a few HP but who knows.

CNC Intake Manifold Valley Pan (utawesomeperformance.com)

 

40-50 degree lower temps? Hhhhmmmm..... Not sure I am buyin' that. Still and all, that's maybe half a second off of your quarter mile time. If this was on a dragster, yeah, I could see it. But, on an off-roader? I don't see the need, and would just as soon avoid fitment issues with the intake.

 

I've been sick for the past week with the flu or something else but hadn't been back out to the garage until today.

I started off with a little shop maintenance. My old Craftsman drop light was on it's last leg and would turn off on it's on or any time I bumped it.



So I replaced it with a LED setup.



Then I started on the drivers side head since it was the harder side due to clearance and ease of getting at. While ARP says to install the studs first there wasn't the room to install the uppers ones and get the head on so instead I installed the lower studs first then set the head onto the block. Then installed the upper studs prior to installing the washers & nuts.



I lubed up the washers and nuts with ARP Fastener assembly lube.



Then ran them all down with a 3/8's ratchet and socket first.



Then did a 3 step torque sequence of 50 ft lbs - 80 ft lbs - 110 ft lbs. Stock torque spec is 105 ft lbs but ARP calls for 110 ft lbs. Then I tripled checked my torque on each nut just to be sure.



Left is the Fel Pro head gasket and on the right is the new Cometic head gasket. It also has a squish of 0.040 for a small bump in compression ratio.



I did the same thing on the passenger side with the lower studs first and then set the head on prior to installing the upper studs.



ARP assembly lube was used on all the head stud nuts and washers.



I followed the torque sequence on the passenger side head.



Heads are installed and all torqued to spec.



Tomorrow I'll replace the oil pressure sender and work on assembling the top end.



I decided to forgo the windage tray and just install the lifter keeper.




I've got some things I need to clearance underneath the Jeep prior to installing the exhaust again. But it's all going back together.

 

I have nothing to argue with this logic & really agree with you. If it'd fit and hadn't caused issues I'd have left it in place but since it has it's not going back on.

 

Started off yesterday putting the valvetrain back together. Now I don't rebuild a lot of engines so I don't have those fancy trays for keeping your parts organized in. My low buck setup.




Dropped in the push rods & roller rockers.



Then adjusted the lifter preload.



Wil I had the battery disconnected I swapped out my PCM's. The one I'd been using was tuned by B&G years ago for my old 5.2 and when I first built the Jeep I'd gone thru 3 PCM's before finally finding a good one. I'd bought another one just to have as a spare and after discussing it with Ryan from FRP he wanted me to use the untuned PCM for the tune he's sending me. The HPT tuner arrives today so once I get everything back together I can load it on the PCM. The Dodge PCM fits in the stock location on the Jeep.



Here's the other PCM and I've ran it to make sure that it works and didn't have a SKIM or other issues.



The PCM installed on the Jeep.



I'd almost forgotten to remove the oil filter that had my chocolate oil in it which wouldn't have been a good thing when I put new oil in the engine. Installed a new oil filter and dumped 7 qts of break-in oil into the engine. Hopefully when I get it reassembled this time, I won't have any more issues with it and move on with my rebuild of the Jeep.