Building a diesel powered RHD TJ Wrangler (Picture Heavy)

Hey TJers,

Finally had a productive night working on the TJ! I got the torque converter installed back into the Renix AW4, got the flexplate and crankshaft adapter unbolted and removed from the V2403 crankshaft! I then, finally, got the intake drilled and tapped successfully, installed the intake and then finally installed in the new injection hard pipes on the V2403 as well!


Also I got my Eco Box Doubler and Super Short SYE kits in the mail today so I will be doing a videos on those this weekend! Finally moving in the right direction and I'm hoping to keep this momentum going to get this diesel swap done!

Let me know what you think!

Thanks
Grant
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58 and DetroitTJ
So I got the new motor mounts cut out with the Langmuir Crossfire plasma cutter and fabricated. Ended up taking me almost 3 tries because of various amateur hour mistakes but I got them made and the V2403 sits much nicer in the TJ Wrangler engine bay now!

kEqR2RTl.jpg


Here is the passenger side (driver side normally)

fAMzPBIl.jpg


Here is the driver side (normally passenger side):

0qqeagdl.jpg


The V2403 finally looks like it belongs in the Wrangler and isn't just hanging out above the Wrangler. Here is a side profile shoot that looked really good as well:

MYvyFzPl.jpg


Finally here is the video as well if you are interested in watching!


I got my Northwest Fab Eco Box in and I will be comparing it to the NP231 Doubler kit I had originally gotten this evening. Let me know what you think, especially with the V2403 sitting lower in the engine bay!

Thank you so much!
Grant
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: StG58 and BugoutJeep
Hey TJers,

I got the new crankshaft adapter in from KubotaSwappers, was suppose to be last Friday, but it took UPS 8 days to deliver it, it was shipped last Tuesday, got here yesterday.

Here is a picture of the original adapter on the left compared to the new one on the right:

oblhiJVl.jpg


The relief cut in the middle is what I was needing to get around the stub on the torque converter for the AW4. Here is a picture of my torque converter so you can see what I'm talking about:

0Wd0gyGl.jpg



And here is a picture of the new crankshaft adapter on the AW4 torque converter:

hXQkvzNl.jpg


Hopefully will be getting that installed sometime over the weekend. I have my kids coming this weekend so I might not get to work on the Wrangler until Sunday. Just happy to have the parts finally here!!!

-Grant
 
  • Like
Reactions: derekmac, StG58, BugoutJeep and 1 other person
Chris said:
Can't wait to see it finally alive and running (and here your thoughts on how it performs)!
Click to expand...

Same here, sticking with the stock turbo it's going to be SLOW though. 65hp and 120 ft/lbs of torque will let it drive but just slowly. I'm going to try adjusting the boost, and then adding an intercooler down the road to improve the horsepower and torque, but for now I just want my Wrangler back on the road!

I also have another turbo that will bolt onto the V2403 as well, it's a IHI RF3 instead of the TD03, so I might play around with that one as well. It's a slightly smaller exhaust housing but can produce about 12 ~ 13 psi of boost max once you adjust the wastegate. The theory being the smaller exhaust housing will allow the turbo to spool faster to produce boost at a lower RPM to give me more hp and torque through the RPM range.

This is going to be a long work in progress, but for now just getting it on the road is going to be a massive win!

-Grant
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58 and Chris
Yeah, you need a better turbo and an intercooler setup. Then you can get some serious power out of it.

But at this point, I'd just want it back on the road, especially with Summer right around the corner!

I don't know much about diesel turbos and how (if any at all) they differ from the types of turbos you'd put on a gasoline engine to get more power out of it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RustyAutoholicGuy
Chris said:
Yeah, you need a better turbo and an intercooler setup. Then you can get some serious power out of it.

But at this point, I'd just want it back on the road, especially with Summer right around the corner!

I don't know much about diesel turbos and how (if any at all) they differ from the types of turbos you'd put on a gasoline engine to get more power out of it.
Click to expand...

Oddly enough the only turbo vehicles I've ever owned were diesels, never had one on a gasoline engine so I wouldn't know :ROFLMAO:

I do know that the biggest boost to hp and torque is going to be adding an intercooler, and I'm probably going to add a water to air setup just because the plumping will be so much easier compared to a front mount intercooler. Keeping the AC is really killing me on space, but going with a water to air intercooler setup I can put a small radiator in the front grill and just run two hoses to the intercooler which will probably be at the back on the engine bay actually. Still trying to figure out all the details on how I want to set it up.

Truthfully just adding the intercooler and nothing else I should go from about 65hp to like 85ish and 120ft/lbs torque to like 150ft/lbs ish with touching the fuel screws or adjusting the boost. Once I have the intercooler installed and working, then I can just remove the wastegate completely and run straight 14psi of boost instead of the stock 6ish psi and really get some better performance out of the V2403.

-Grant
 
  • Like
Reactions: BugoutJeep and Chris
disjaukifa said:
Oddly enough the only turbo vehicles I've ever owned were diesels, never had one on a gasoline engine so I wouldn't know :ROFLMAO:

I do know that the biggest boost to hp and torque is going to be adding an intercooler, and I'm probably going to add a water to air setup just because the plumping will be so much easier compared to a front mount intercooler. Keeping the AC is really killing me on space, but going with a water to air intercooler setup I can put a small radiator in the front grill and just run two hoses to the intercooler which will probably be at the back on the engine bay actually. Still trying to figure out all the details on how I want to set it up.

Truthfully just adding the intercooler and nothing else I should go from about 65hp to like 85ish and 120ft/lbs torque to like 150ft/lbs ish with touching the fuel screws or adjusting the boost. Once I have the intercooler installed and working, then I can just remove the wastegate completely and run straight 14psi of boost instead of the stock 6ish psi and really get some better performance out of the V2403.

-Grant
Click to expand...

Yes, cooling the air will make a huge difference. On most gasoline engines once you get past 6 psi without an intercooler, you won't make anymore power at all due to how hot the air is.

Water to air will make a big difference as well.

I would say you've got to get that thing to have 200hp or so and a lot of torque to make it comparable to the 4.0 but better. Shouldn't be too hard, as turbo diesel engines are pretty easy to get power out of.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RustyAutoholicGuy
Chris said:
Yes, cooling the air will make a huge difference. On most gasoline engines once you get past 6 psi without an intercooler, you won't make anymore power at all due to how hot the air is.

Water to air will make a big difference as well.

I would say you've got to get that thing to have 200hp or so and a lot of torque to make it comparable to the 4.0 but better. Shouldn't be too hard, as turbo diesel engines are pretty easy to get power out of.
Click to expand...

I don't think I could get to 200hp easily, I know if I put the K03 turbo with 24psi of boost I will be around 180hp, but I'm more concerned with torque. Even at 14psi of boost, I will be at 4.0l of torque figures, however I will have that torque way sooner compared to the 4.0l engine.

-Grant
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58 and Chris
Getting to 260+ ft lbs (lower depending on gearing) at the lower RPMs is where these engines really shine, which should be doable on any modern diesel probably 1.9L and above. If you get 200 HP from most diesels you're talking 400 ft lbs and starting to break stuff in the drivetrain for no benefit except to say you've got it, unless you're turning this thing into a modest 3/4 ton.

As an example from the guys that are doing a lot of the R2.8 builds, 200 HP is basically its max until you start touching internals. There are 2.8L diesels that are designed to make more HP, but it's really kind of just a waste in material, weight and complexity.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RustyAutoholicGuy
DieselJeep said:
Getting to 260+ ft lbs (lower depending on gearing) at the lower RPMs is where these engines really shine, which should be doable on any modern diesel probably 1.9L and above. If you get 200 HP from most diesels you're talking 400 ft lbs and starting to break stuff in the drivetrain for no benefit except to say you've got it, unless you're turning this thing into a modest 3/4 ton.

As an example from the guys that are doing a lot of the R2.8 builds, 200 HP is basically its max until you start touching internals. There are 2.8L diesels that are designed to make more HP, but it's really kind of just a waste in material, weight and complexity.
Click to expand...

Yup exactly! I've talked to KubotaSwappers about the Kubota's max power and he told me about one client that has figured out how to rebuild/modify the head/block and do compound turbos on his V2403 pushing 400hp and like 800 ft/lbs of torque but supposedly went through 5 engines trying to get there.

I really have no desire to push the engine that hard. At the end of the day if I'm at over 250ft/lbs of torque at low RPM and I can get 30+ mpg out of the V2403, I'm calling it good and I'll stop pushing the power. I really want the TJ to become my daily. If I can hit 35mpg but it's only at like 225ft/lb of torque OR have 325ft/lb of torque but only get 30mpg, I'll take the 225ft/lb of torque all day long. At the end of the day I rather be able to travel farther on less fuel than say I have all this torque on tap. It's more than enough power for stock Wrangler with 235/75r15 tires and I'll have some insane range when going on trips!

-Grant
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: StG58 and BugoutJeep
disjaukifa said:
Yup exactly! I've talked to KubotaSwappers about the Kubota's max power and he told me about one client that has figured out how to rebuild/modify the head/block and do compound turbos on his V2403 pushing 400hp and like 800 ft/lbs of torque but supposedly went through 5 engines trying to get there.

I really have no desire to push the engine that hard. At the end of the day if I'm at over 250ft/lbs of torque at low RPM and I can get 30+ mpg out of the V2403, I'm calling it good and I'll stop pushing the power. I really want the TJ to become my daily. If I can hit 35mpg but it's only at like 225ft/lb of torque OR have 325ft/lb of torque but only get 30mpg, I'll take the 225ft/lb of torque all day long. At the end of the day I rather be able to travel farther on less fuel than say I have all this torque on tap. It's more than enough power for stock Wrangler with 235/75r15 tires and I'll have some insane range when going on trips!

-Grant
Click to expand...
Typically with diesel the torque is practically free to keep in the bank and often times can help with MPG. The R2.8 comes from the factory with 2 major hindrances to MPG and that's EGR and EPA tune. After that all diesels are roughly similar. On a flat path, already up to speed and a bunch of other stuff being equal, the difference between a 1.6L diesel vs 8 L diesel, the 8L may actually get more MPG due the thermal efficiency that's typical of larger masses, but they'll be extremely close. It'll just depend on a lot of small details that don't matter that much for our purposes.

But I would strive for the 260 ft lb mark, but keep your foot out of it and you'll be smiling for a long time, unless there's something else that occurs for your particular setup. Like if you're rolling coal, I'd back off for sure and look for suggestions that are reliable. But at 260 ft lbs or so, you won't be shifting very often on the highway, even with a trailer as long as it's not beyond a TJ's rating or a crazy grade, but it may be ok depending on your gearing.

When it comes to Jeeps, diesel is the round object, filling the round hole. Gas engines are squares being placed into round holes. Both work, but one just fits better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58 and RustyAutoholicGuy
DieselJeep said:
Typically with diesel the torque is practically free to keep in the bank and often times can help with MPG. The R2.8 comes from the factory with 2 major hindrances to MPG and that's EGR and EPA tune. After that all diesels are roughly similar. On a flat path, already up to speed and a bunch of other stuff being equal, the difference between a 1.6L diesel vs 8 L diesel, the 8L may actually get more MPG due the thermal efficiency that's typical of larger masses, but they'll be extremely close. It'll just depend on a lot of small details that don't matter that much for our purposes.

But I would strive for the 260 ft lb mark, but keep your foot out of it and you'll be smiling for a long time, unless there's something else that occurs for your particular setup. Like if you're rolling coal, I'd back off for sure and look for suggestions that are reliable. But at 260 ft lbs or so, you won't be shifting very often on the highway, even with a trailer as long as it's not beyond a TJ's rating or a crazy grade, but it may be ok depending on your gearing.

When it comes to Jeeps, diesel is the round object, filling the round hole. Gas engines are squares being placed into round holes. Both work, but one just fits better.
Click to expand...

Yup agreed with everything you said! A long time ago KubotaSwappers told me how to tune the V2403 and I really need to call him again and write it down, it was a good method for tuning the mechanical fuel pump with a boost and EGT gauge going up a long hill while monitoring your EGT temps so that you don't melt the head and you aren't rolling coal. I'm not a fan of rolling coal, it's a waste of fuel, so I'll be looking to fine tune the performance of my V2403 so that I have as little smoke at the back as possible.

I do plan on doing some light towing with the Wrangler. The heaviest thing I would tow is my jetski which is well within the towing capacity of the Wrangler. Actually I'm looking at a used 16ft pontoon and I just checked on it's weight as well, they are lighter than I thought so I might use it for the pontoon as well, but I would want to test it out first.

At some point I want to do a LJ Wrangler or extend a TJ Wrangler for better towing capacity, I think the longer wheelbase helps more than anything else truthfully.

-Grant
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BugoutJeep
disjaukifa said:
Yup agreed with everything you said! A long time ago KubotaSwappers told me how to tune the V2403 and I really need to call him again and write it down, it was a good method for tuning the mechanical fuel pump with a boost and EGT gauge going up a long hill while monitoring your EGT temps so that you don't melt the head and you aren't rolling coal. I'm not a fan of rolling coal, it's a waste of fuel, so I'll be looking to fine tune the performance of my V2403 so that I have as little smoke at the back as possible.

I do plan on doing some light towing with the Wrangler. The heaviest thing I would tow is my jetski which is well within the towing capacity of the Wrangler. Actually I'm looking at a used 16ft pontoon and I just checked on it's weight as well, they are lighter than I thought so I might use it for the pontoon as well, but I would want to test it out first.

At some point I want to do a LJ Wrangler or extend a TJ Wrangler for better towing capacity, I think the longer wheelbase helps more than anything else truthfully.

-Grant
Click to expand...
I hear so much stuff about towing and wheelbase. I really think the difference is over played. I worry about the transmission and braking mainly. I love towing with the TJ as long as I'm not smoking my clutch or being pushed while stopping. I know I don't have an extreme amount of experience, but my big utility trailer is at the max of the TJ rating when its empty and I use it fairly often. I have a long bed extended cab truck and the difference I notice is from the brakes, transmission, suspension, and fairly large diesel engine. It's much harder to back up and maneuver than the TJ.

My granddad told me about towing with the WWII Jeeps, early CJs, Scouts and other SWB vehicles and the only thing they were ever concerned with was going forward and making it over hills. Sometimes they'd require 4Lo.

Obviously that's extreme, but until you're really pushing it or hauling sloshing fluids or something, I find the only things that REALLY matter are brakes, what's between your ears, transmission, weight, suspension, and torque/gearing. If it's on a regular basis then adjust, but for a boat, I used often I'd go get an old F-150 for $1k before I modified my Jeep.

I have a conspiracy theory on the R2.8 and towing over 3k lbs with the TJ, that the EGR is kinda throttling me on takeoff. I'll eventually delete the EGR and when I go to the Atlas I can use 2Lo and shift to 2Hi without stopping, if I'm towing heavier stuff. Also I'm going to go away from 3.07s eventually.

I've also been told that in snow/ice the Jeep is too short of a wheelbase. I think side by side short is slightly worse, but within most people's capabilities that have a little bit of experience. I agree that there are times longer wheelbases are better, but I think typically slowing down fixes most situations. I can't comment on rock crawling and wheelbase.

Now the space you can potentially gain from wheelbase, I can't argue with, but again you can still wheel in a Jeep and you can still go cross country. It's been done with less.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RustyAutoholicGuy
Hey TJers,

So I got the new crankshaft adapter installed from KubotaSwappers and finally got the V2403 Kubota diesel engine installed and mated to my AW4 automatic transmission. I finally feel like I'm making some good progress with all this stuff!

Here is the latest video!


I did check to see how the transmission output shaft lines up between the frame rails since I did put the V2403 into the engine bay at a slight angle and off to the the passenger (driver) side of the engine bay I seem to be spot on which is nice!

Tonight I'm going to be pulling the motor mounts out, finish welding them up, and paint them. Once that is done I'll start work on fabricating the transmission mount!

Let me know what you think!
-Grant
 
  • Like
Reactions: derekmac, StG58, mots and 1 other person
That's going to be so cool when this thing starts moving again.

I'm still behind on your progress, are you going to have the doubler installed? Maybe you could play with the doubler a bit and show the effectiveness of the different low ranges and speeds of course being an auto won't be as stuck to a low speed the same as a manual. The doubler would give you the torque you need, but max speed for the rig will probably be in single digits.

In any case you'll have more torque and HP than the really early CJs, so you won't be in totally undocumented territory.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RustyAutoholicGuy
DieselJeep said:
That's going to be so cool when this thing starts moving again.

I'm still behind on your progress, are you going to have the doubler installed? Maybe you could play with the doubler a bit and show the effectiveness of the different low ranges and speeds of course being an auto won't be as stuck to a low speed the same as a manual. The doubler would give you the torque you need, but max speed for the rig will probably be in single digits.

In any case you'll have more torque and HP than the really early CJs, so you won't be in totally undocumented territory.
Click to expand...

Yeah still doing a doubler, but going with NorthWest Fab's Eco Box doubler setup now, which I'm hoping to get built soon and installed along with the NP231!

Yes I plan to do a video showing how the doubler works off-road as well! The odd-ball thing I realized with the doubler is that I'm going to have two different ways of getting to 2.74 low range. I can do 2WD low or 4WD low which will be really nice!

I can't wait to see how slow the rig is in low-low on both gears!

-Grant
 
  • Like
Reactions: BugoutJeep
  • Like
Reactions: RustyAutoholicGuy and Chris
StG58 said:
Nice work Grant! If you don't mind, here's a good thread over on 4btswaps that I thought others might like. Very informative. Not as good as this thread though. I'm sure you've read it. This swap is a V2203-DI engine, not your V2403. https://www.4btswaps.com/forum/showthread.php?23480-V2203-DI-Jeep-Wrangler-TJ

If this is thread pollution, let me know and I'll remove it.
Click to expand...

I have not seen this actually! I'll go check it out! More information is ALWAYS good information! Though @Chris has the finally say on that one ;)

-Grant
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58
Top Bottom
Back