1997 Jeep Wranger Tj Steal J - throttle Bodies - Photo 9209979

Back to Article

Note the difference in bore between the factory 58mm throttle body (left) and the 62mm Edge throttle body (right). We do notice a slight whistle from the IAC window at certain rpm, due to the Edge unit's untapered bore, but the increase in power is well worth it.

154 0608 01 z+1997 jeep wranger tj steal j+burn out

154 0608 01 z+1997 jeep wranger tj steal j+burn out

We ordered a complete Edge Products Trail Jammer system for our '97 Wrangler's 4.0L. The system had everything we needed for the install, including the correct anti-tamper Torx bit for swapping the TPS and MAP sensors and IAC housing from the factory throttle body to the Edge throttle body.

Note the difference in bore between the factory 58mm throttle body (left) and the 62mm Edge throttle body (right). We do notice a slight whistle from the IAC window at certain rpm, due to the Edge unit's untapered bore, but the increase in power is well worth it.

Sharp eyes will note the AFE cold-air intake. Advanced Flow Engineering is the company that makes the intakes for Edge, which was back-ordered at press time. The only difference between our intake and the production Edge piece is cosmetic. The intake fits very well and doesn't flop around at all.

Our upgraded cooling system consists of a Novak high-performance aluminum stock replacement radiator and a full complement of BRX silicone radiator and heater hose. We took our Wrangler to TAG Motorsports in Escondido, California, for the radiator install.

TAG's Jay Miller had our old radiator out in no time, while his trained helper monkey, Jub Jub, kept the Jeep's fender from floating away.

There were some slight differences between the stock radiator and the Novak unit. Namely, the upper tank and radiator hose location on the Novack piece sits about 1-inch lower. Also, the drain plug is on the bottom on the Novak unit, which would require a hole to be drilled inmost aftermarketradiator skidplates if you'rerunning one.

Novak's directions reference the fact that the radiator comes with 5/16-inch cooler line bungs. Since our auto tranny cooler lines were 3/8-inch, Miller ordered some Edelmann 3/8- to 5/16-inch flared fitting adapters (PN 258650) from the local Car Quest. Novak recommends ordering its universal auto tranny line kit (PN RW-8045).

Another snag Miller ran into was the shoulders on the tranny line adapters bottomed on the bungs before the flare could make contact with the seating surface. Miller blocked the passages and used a sanding disc to remove enough aluminum to allow the flare to fully seat.

Finally, Miller needed to remove some plastic from the fan shroud below the upper radiator inlet for hose clearance. We found we couldn't reuse the fan's self-tapping bolts to hold the shroud, so we used four 1/4-inch nuts and bolts instead. All in all, the radiator has excellent performance and incredibly sturdy construction.