Building a diesel powered RHD TJ Wrangler (Picture Heavy)

[brett313]

Yeah I have a 1.25" body lift.

What is your measured offset of the crank from centerline?

Are you limited by the steering shaft?

I’m surprised you are having this many issues with a 15 degree offset already. Can you raise the motor to get it up out of the way? Or is the bell housing hitting the trans tunnel

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

What is your measured offset of the crank from centerline?

Are you limited by the steering shaft?

I’m surprised you are having this many issues with a 15 degree offset already. Can you raise the motor to get it up out of the way? Or is the bell housing hitting the trans tunnel

Yeah the problem is the size of the Ford 6r80 transmission. It's massive compared to the AW4 I was running and the 42rle that my TJ originally came equipped with as well.

 

[brett313]

G

Yeah the problem is the size of the Ford 6r80 transmission. It's massive compared to the AW4 I was running and the 42rle that my TJ originally came equipped with as well.

Gotcha, I’m thinking you’ve got a few options, moving the whole drivetrain forward like you mention in your video, going with a bigger body lift, or trying to hammer the tunnel out or trim that pinch weld out a bit for clearance.

If you move things forward though just mind the oil pan clearance. The space between the two upper control arm mounts actually gets kinda tight as you’ve seen.

For mine, I don’t doubt that I will have to set my driver ( your passenger) side bump stop a little bit lower that the rest, but I think I still have a good 4-5 inches of up travel with where it is sitting now. But that is with the ac delete bracket.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

TAKE 4 of this Project

This is the final incarnation of this build . . . hopefully (SPOILER, it's not). I'm so ready to be done. So super fast back story, started my swap in 2018 with a Kubota V2403, got it running, had to swap transmission, went from an AW4 to a Ford 6r80. To try to solve issues with with the 30% overdrive on the early model AW4. The 6r80 worked great but the torque converter was too tight. While waiting for a custom torque converter I found out about possible inspection changes in my county, which last I heard they are still debating. So out with the Kubota.

So I decided to use another diesel engine, a Volkswagen ALH TDI which I had for another project in my TJ Wrangler because it has a working OBDII port however it's giving me all kinds of fitment issues.

So first it was a Kubota V2403 turbo diesel then a Volkswagen ALH TDI. THEN I came across a deal that was too good to pass up. A 2004 VW Beetle with a BEW TDI motor. So I'm now going to run this BEW TDI in my RHD TJ Wrangler, with right around 252ft/lbs of torque, I also already have the accessory relocation bracket which will lift all the accessories up about 5" which should give me the clearance I need for my swap.

This 2004 TDI Beetle popped up really close to me, runs great with only 188K miles and the timing belt was changed at 182K. The engine starts quickly, runs very well and doesn't smoke at all. I got it so cheap because there is a very weird issues with the either the automatic transmission shifter or the automatic transmission itself. Either way I have a running TDI with a full parts car.

I just need to clean up my shop so I can get the Beetle in and pull the engine out, which I believe I have to pull the transmission with it. Trying to have everything organized so I can try immediately dropping it into my TJ Wrangler as soon as I get it removed from the Beetle.

So the current build will be:
2004 BEW TDI with 140hp and 252ft/lbs
Ford 6r80 6-speed automatic
NP231
Dana 30 Front and Dana 44 LSD in the rear
235/85r16 on Liberty wheels with a 1.25" Body Lift

I'm looking to have this swap done before the end of the year. Thankfully the transmission, transfer case and driveshafts are already in place and mounted. I just need to fit the engine and make motor mounts for this entire setup. Hopefully 3rd time is the charm on this build, I really want to move onto building other things at this point but I need this build done as well.

Here is the video if you want to watch:

Thanks
Grant

 

[Alex01]

Teasing us with the CJ2A at the end. The tub sitting in the corner of your shop makes me dream of one every time I see it.

Glad you got your issue figured out. Hopefully, 3rd time is truly the charm.

 

[Wildman]

WOW can't wait to see this. Best of luck and hope it all works out without a hitch.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

Teasing us with the CJ2A at the end. The tub sitting in the corner of your shop makes me dream of one every time I see it.

Glad you got your issue figured out. Hopefully, 3rd time is truly the charm.

Yeah the CJ-2A I've been wanting to build since 2016, but decided on the TJ because I thought it would be faster

SO right now the CJ-2a is looking to be one of the following engines setups

VW ALH TDI NA at 60hp and 85ft/lbs of torque just like the original Go Devil Engine OR the tune I have which will be 110hp and 188ft/lbs of torque.

I really like the NA build as that means no turbo, intercooler or any of that which makes it so much simpler. Aside from that the CJ-2a will have the following:

34/10r15 side by side tires
custom frame with custom 4-link suspension
6r80 6-speed automatic
Suzuki Samurai 6.5:1 transfer case
Samurai axles (same bolt pattern as the original CJ-2a)

I think it will be a neat ride, just need to figure out the gearing. Everyone wants me to go turbo but I kind of like the NA route as it's what the original engine was.

WOW can't wait to see this. Best of luck and hope it all works out without a hitch.

I really REALLY hope so as well. I have to admit the torque at 252ft/lbs at I believe 1700rpm is going to be fantastic either way!

-Grant

 

[Wildman]

I enjoy talking gearing and use to have a Samurai so if you want to discuss it let me know. But I like the plan and I VOTE NA just because. You can always add the turbo later if needed.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

I enjoy talking gearing and use to have a Samurai so if you want to discuss it let me know. But I like the plan and I VOTE NA just because. You can always add the turbo later if needed.

Heck yeah that sounds awesome! I should also mention that I like the Samurai transfer case because high range is 1.7:1 which would REALLY help with the NA TDI setup.

Part of the issue with the CJ-2A build is the lack of space. The 6r80 is a long transmission but the ALH TDI is only like 17" from the accessories to the back of the block. I'm trying to cram all of this drivetrain into a 80" wheel base.

Honestly not having the turbo would save SO much space, I think I'm going to have to have a electric fan inside the grill at this point just because I have to move everything forward so much.

-Grant

 

[Wildman]

Heck yeah that sounds awesome! I should also mention that I like the Samurai transfer case because high range is 1.7:1 which would REALLY help with the NA TDI setup.

Part of the issue with the CJ-2A build is the lack of space. The 6r80 is a long transmission but the ALH TDI is only like 17" from the accessories to the back of the block. I'm trying to cram all of this drivetrain into a 80" wheel base.

Honestly not having the turbo would save SO much space, I think I'm going to have to have a electric fan inside the grill at this point just because I have to move everything forward so much.

-Grant

Yep I had a RockLobster in my Zuk and Sidekick gears in the axles with 5.13 gears. It turned 33" tires with no issues.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

Yep I had a RockLobster in my Zuk and Sidekick gears in the axles with 5.13 gears. It turned 33" tires with no issues.

Yeah gearing is my main concern, I need to figure out what I need to get it too. I'd like to have. a cruising speed of 55mph if at all possible so I can always take it on small highways across the country.

Picture of my CJ-2a the day I bought it:

I actually bought it for the serial number. So they didn't have VIN numbers back in the 1940s, they had serial numbers, this CJ-2a is serial number #123456, I have both the frame and body tags with a clean title.

Honestly this is going to be my hardcore offroader until I get my LJ Rubicon built.

-Grant

 

[Wildman]

Well the trick back in the late 90's in the Zuk world was to buy two front Sidekick axles as they came with 5.13 gears and are the same diffs as the Samurai. With the 1.7:1 high range and 5.13 gears I'd think 55 MPH wouldn't be an issue. I could run 65-70 MPH in my Zuk.

Here it us the day I bought and then a while later on a trail run.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

Well the trick back in the late 90's in the Zuk world was to buy two front Sidekick axles as they came with 5.13 gears and are the same diffs as the Samurai. With the 1.7:1 high range and 5.13 gears I'd think 55 MPH wouldn't be an issue. I could run 65-70 MPH in my Zuk.

Here it us the day I bought and then a while later on a trail run.

View attachment 285037


View attachment 285040

Those a great pictures! Great looking rig as well! I didn't realize the Sidekicks were 5.13, was that a direct bolt it or did you just have to swap the center section?

 

[Wildman]

Those a great pictures! Great looking rig as well! I didn't realize the Sidekicks were 5.13, was that a direct bolt it or did you just have to swap the center section?

The front diff (drop out center section) is the same as a Samurai. The only difference is the Sidekick is aluminum where the Samurai is steel. So the torque specs are different and don't ask me how I know....
It was the only way back then to get gears lower than 4.56 for a Samurai.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

Hey TJers,

Finally got the shop clean enough to pull my 2004 VW Beetle with a BEW TDI so I could pull the engine out for my diesel swap TJ Wrangler project. Pulling this engine reminded me why I don't like working on Volkswagens but with that said I can't wait to get the BEW mounted in my TJ.

This is actually the second BEW TDI I have ever pulled out of a Volkswagen. The first was out of a 2005 Golf TDI that I ended up giving to a friend and replaced the engine in. As difficult as this was, I have to say I'm glad I found a Beetle this time around for the BEW Engine.

Being able to pull the front fenders, bumper, crash structure and entire radiator support structure off the front of the Beelte made pulling the engine out much easier and straight forward than trying to lift or dropping the engine.

Next I need to start stripping the BEW Engine down of all the parts I won't be reusing, specifically I need to get the automatic transmission off of it along with all the cooling that I need to figure out how to reroute as well. Making progress slowly but surely.

Here is the video if you want to watch:

Thanks
Grant

 

[Alex01]

After watching that video I'm left wondering if you're going to end up giving the scrap yard money just to see it hit the crusher in your presence.

Keep up the good work.

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

After watching that video I'm left wondering if you're going to end up giving the scrap yard money just to see it hit the crusher in your presence.

Keep up the good work.

I really REALLY have debated it! I'm so ready for this project to be wrapped up. I have quite a bit of time off during Christmas that I'm going to spend in the my shop trying to get everything put together and figured out!

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

Hey Tjers,
Well at least doing this a second time I kind of knew what to expect when I was stripping down the BEW TDI engine for my TJ Wrangler diesel swap project. The one thing that caught me off guard was the automatic transmission, it really is more of a manualmatic than an automatic.

I still can't get over just how clean this BEW TDI is compared to the ALH TDI I have. It helps that this BEW out of the Beetle was very well maintained. I thought I might have to fight some nuts and bolts but everything came off with ease which was a nice change of pace.

The one hiccup I ran into was when I started looking for the torque converter bolts that I needed to remove for the automatic transmission. I ended up having to use the power of the internet to figure out what was going on. I've never seen a transmission quite like these VW automatics before.

Next it's going to be test fitting the adapters and hopefully the motor mounts as well. I know I'm going to have issues with the coolant hard line that runs around the block, though I don't know if there are any other parts I need to be concerned about.

Here is the video if you want to watch:

Thanks
Grant

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

Hey TJers,

I knew the coolant pipe that wraps around the BEW TDI engine was going to interfere with the adapter for my TJ Wrangler since I had already dealt with it once with the ALH TDI engine but I wasn't expecting it to take as long as it did either.

I was able to get the crankshaft adapter on the BEW TDI engine with no major issues, just took my time tightening the bolts to slide the adapter on the crankshaft. Next I went ahead and figured out the position of the flex plate to the crankshaft adapter and marked the plate as for future reference.

Here is where I think I made my mistake. I should have spent more time trying to get the coolant hard line pipe off the motor before I started plugging the coolant hard line with a bolt and my welder. Looking back on it now I was trying to go fast instead of doing it the right way. Ironically it ended up taking longer since I ended up taking the coolant pipe off the BEW block to fix the issues I created with my first attempt at welding the coolant pipe.

Here is the video if you want to watch:

Thanks
Grant

 

[RustyAutoholicGuy]

Hey TJers,

I got the BEW TDI Accessory Relocation Bracket from TDConversion installed successfully, but it was not as straight forward as I thought it might be. That being said, TDConversions/NorthWestFab replied to my emails about questions and for an instruction manual very quickly.

So a few things you should know if you are looking at using this kit on your swap. First you will need to remove your engine hoist mount, the engine mount on the front of the timing cover and the hard line pipe that run across the valve cover. While I wasn't planning on using any of these, I also didn't realize I needed to remove them when I first started.

Second The kit is well made and comes with all the hardware you need but I still found I had to grind a bit of the bracket so it would clear part of the cylinder head on my BEW TDI. The kit also doesn't come with instructions but you can email NorthWestFab/TDConversions and they have a set of instructions they can send to you.

Third you will need to modify (cut and grind) the original accessory bracket. First you will need to cut a section of the factory bracket so that it clears the thermostat housing that is supplied with the kit, you can not use the factory one as it will interfere with the AC compressor. Also you will need grind some one of the ribs on the back of the factory bracket to clear the fasteners that hold their bracket to the block.

Fourth you need to install the thermostat housing before you install your accessories. There is no way to get to the bolts once you have installed the bracket from TDConversions along with the original accessory bracket on your BEW TDI.

Fifth I wasn't able to use the supplied idler pulley in their kit to get the supplied double sided serpentine belt onto the accessories. Even after getting the instructions I wasn't able to get the belt one by removing one of the alternator bolts. My solution was to get a smaller idler pulley. I had one in my shop but I've order an even smaller one so the belt is easier to install. I found this to be my biggest headache on the project. I actually tried finding a longer belt first but there aren't many options for double sided serpentine belts.

Lastly I should mention that if you want to use this kit, you won't be able to use the original motor mount that is on the front of the engine to mount your TDI onto your frame. For me this wasn't an issue, I had planed on making other motor mounts, but I have seen plenty of people that use that front motor mount in their swaps.

With all of that said I've very pleased with the kit with all the clearances that it gave me for my swap. I no longer have to worry about the pumpkin on my Dana 30 front axle smashing into my accessories and it's is going to make it easier to fabricate motor mounts on the driver (my passenger) side of the engine.

Here is the video if you want to watch:

Thanks
Grant