Ok here goes it. Does any one have insight on cam timing. How much can we advance or retard the cam in the TJ. Which way do you turn the cam gear to advance once everything is at #1 TDC. I have a 2002 so there is no distributer to worry about. Please help a brother out I cant find anything on the net regarding this.

OK, a reasonable person would ask you why?, but that's not me. I looked at the service manual, and there's nothing unique to changing the cam timing. I've attached the procedure for adusting valve timing, which I think is what you're after. What I think you're really going to do is drive the computer nuts and do nothing but make the engine run badly. Maybe you got the tools to play with the computer. I don't know.

I've owned 4 CJ's and 3 TJ's. It was easy to extract power from the AMC 304 through carb, headers, cam, manifold, etc etc. I had a CJ-7 pushing close to 325 HP and it was quite a thrill. On my last TJ, an 03 Rubicon, I added (in order) K&N FIPK, Hypertech programmer, Banks cat back, and Banks torque tube headers. I noticed the bigger changes with the K&N and the cat back system. I couldn't find aftermarket performance cams or a programmer that gave me control over the engine parameters, and most importantly the fuel injection system. Next step was a supercharger, but I ran out of money.

In the garage now is an 08 JK X and an 04 Corvette. I'm studying how to get the power out of the JK 3.8, but the story on the JK, as far as finding things to stick in the engine to make it go, is about the same as the TJ. Programmers are a little better, since there are some that allow upgrade downloads over the internet. The Corvette on the other hand is a whole different game. Since it's designed to produce power, there's gobs of stuff out there. Maybe, when the Jeep gods decide we should be extracting 400 HP from our Jeeps, the aftermarket will give us the backyard mechanics' parts and tools to do so. Good luck. Have fun. Don't do anything you can't undo, and don't drive a valve throug a piston.

OK, the board wouldn't let me post the text file. Here it is:

"VALVE TIMING
STANDARD PROCEDURE - VALVE TIMING
(1) Disconnect the spark plug wires and remove
the spark plugs.
(2) Remove the engine cylinder head cover .
(3) Remove the capscrews, bridge and pivot assembly,and rocker arms from above the No.1 cylinder.
(4) Alternately loosen each capscrew, one turn at a time, to avoid damaging the bridge.
(5) Rotate the crankshaft until the No.6 piston is at top dead center (TDC) on the compression stroke.
(6) Rotate the crankshaft counterclockwise (viewed from the front of the engine) 90°.
(7) Install a dial indicator on the end of the No.1 cylinder intake valve push rod. Use rubber tubing to secure the indicator stem on the push rod.
(8) Set the dial indicator pointer at zero.
9) Rotate the crankshaft clockwise (viewed from
the front of the engine) until the dial indicator pointer indicates 0.305 mm (0.012 inch) travel distance (lift).
(10) The timing notch index on the vibration
damper should be aligned with the TDC mark on the timing degree scale.
(11) If the timing notch is more than 13 mm (1/2
inch) away from the TDC mark in either direction,the valve timing is incorrect.
NOTE: If the valve timing is incorrect, the cause may be a broken camshaft pin. It is not necessary to replace the camshaft because of pin failure. A spring pin is available for service replacement."

My note: the cam and crank rotate the same direction. I think rotating the cam in the direction of rotation will advance the valve timing, but you should be able to figure that out.

Thanks for the info download. What I was after was trying to advance the cam approx 2deg to adjust the compression of the engine without having to change pistons. I do know this can be done on other engines with no damage to the internals. The gain to you the driver is slightly more compression better fuel burn and of course more power. I was just trying to see if any one out there has tried this on the Jeep straight 6.

With the 4.6 upgrade alot of people have to
work with the cam timing and the ignition timing
to prevent premature detonation - so if you are working in that area looking into what can be done - has been done with the 4.6 stroker will give you
some idea what you can do with the 4.0.

With gas prices like they are you would think that
just about any gas savings option has been looked
into - for me I am considering a Cummings diesel
swap. I would really like to get 25 mpg.