Building a diesel powered RHD TJ Wrangler (Picture Heavy)

Hey TJers,

Well I finally got another video up! This video is going over the Twin-Stick Transfer Case Cable Shifter Setup I had custom put together for me by JB Custom Fabrications!


Yes I'm about to give Jon a shout out here which I hope is okay but I feel he deserves it for putting a custom kit for me so quickly. If you are tired of your stock shifter linkage, seriously consider giving Jon's stuff a look. His products look just as good in person as they do on his website!

This video took much longer than I anticipated to publish because of software issues I was having on my Mac. I actually had to switch to my video editor because I was getting horrible audio sync problems which looking back at some of my other videos have as well!

Thanks
Grant
 
Hey TJers,

Been a long couple of days with work and the approaching holidays I'm just a bit behind on the entire build! Anyway I started tearing apart my NP231 transfer case to install the NP231 Doubler, but ran into a few issues!


I'm still waiting on parts, specially the new motor mount plate for the driver (passenger side) for my Kubota V2403 before I can do a final mounting of the diesel engine in the engine bay!

Thanks
Grant
 
Hey Grant, one of the guys I work with turned me on to this controller board. Thought you might like to check it out for your transmission.

https://www.ti.com/store/ti/en/p/product/?p=LAUNCHXL2-570LC43

Thank you for the link but I actually just worked out a deal with HGM Electronics on their new CompuShift Sport transmission controller. Been emailing them back and forth for a week and they are making a plug and play kit for my AW4 automatic which is going to be amazing!

Thanks
Grant
 
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Thank you for the link but I actually just worked out a deal with HGM Electronics on their new CompuShift Sport transmission controller. Been emailing them back and forth for a week and they are making a plug and play kit for my AW4 automatic which is going to be amazing!

Thanks
Grant
Sweet deal, Grant! Looking foreward to hearing how that works out. Later...
 
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Sweet deal, Grant! Looking foreward to hearing how that works out. Later...

Yeah I am too. At one point I seriously considered doing something like that with an Arduino setup but the more I thought about everything that would be needed from inputs and all the various calculations to safely shift the transmission, it was getting over my head very quickly.

It's why I rushed out and bought the Microsquirt setup but I regret not doing more research on that before I bought it.

-Grant
 
Hey y'all! I've recently looked back into diesel swaps again. I was looking for a few things in a swap: cost efficiency, fuel efficiency, and being able to use my transmission. So my Jeep is a 2004 automatic and I assume I have the 42rle BUT I also have a TCM that's separate from the ECM. My question is will I be able to use my transmission since I have the separate TCM? (Love the project btw!)
 
Hey y'all! I've recently looked back into diesel swaps again. I was looking for a few things in a swap: cost efficiency, fuel efficiency, and being able to use my transmission. So my Jeep is a 2004 automatic and I assume I have the 42rle BUT I also have a TCM that's separate from the ECM. My question is will I be able to use my transmission since I have the separate TCM? (Love the project btw!)

No, you won't be able to use the 42RLE with ANY swap you do.

The reason for this is that none of the tuning software out there will allow you to access the TCM and control the shift points. You can access the PCM with the tuning software (i.e. Sykes or B&G), but none of them will give you control over the PCM or let the diesel engine talk to the TCM.

Believe me, I've looked into this in depth. That 42RLE has to go no matter what if you plan to swap in an engine (diesel or not), plain and simple.
 
Hey TJers,

Sorry for disappearing for a month, but with the holiday, family, and waiting on Jeep parts, I just didn't have much to update on! However today I got the motor mount plate I was waiting for in and it's the correct dimensions!!! WOOT!

I'll be getting the V2403 engine installed this weekend and will hopefully have a video of it up this weekend as well!

Thanks
Grant!
 
Can't wait to see more!

Did I hear you were going to be building another TJ, or was that someone else?

Yeah eventual I want to get another TJ and do a TJ-6 build where you stretch the TJ to a LJ but the rear axle is an additional 5" to the rear to help with stability and departure angle.

However my next build this year is going to be my 1947 CJ-2A. It's also getting a Kubota Diesel with an automatic, and I'm trying to do some other trick stuff to it.

How are you tuning your engine? I read somewhere you need to adjust/replace the governor springs but they were very vague on the details

Yeah it's all vague and TBD at the moment :eek:

-Grant
 
Awesome, looking forward to seeing your progress! I was just wondering yesterday how this project was going, so I had to come and check the thread.
 
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Working on the video now but today was a major success!

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Thanks
Grant
 
Great work on the fixing the mount. Just a minor unexpected detour, haha! You'll have to take some final measurements and share after you are done. I'm sure that will really help others in the future that follow in your footsteps.
 
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Great work on the fixing the mount. Just a minor unexpected detour, haha! You'll have to take some final measurements and share after you are done. I'm sure that will really help others in the future that follow in your footsteps.

Of course! I'm trying to document everything so that anyone can tackle this Kubota swap in the future without having to go through all the guess work that I've been doing!!!

Looks like it's coming along nicely!

It really is! I actually got the motor permanently mounted yesterday but haven't uploaded the video. I'll be posting that next video tomorrow hopefully around noon tomorrow! My back took a pounding the other day and I just needed to rest today.

Also the Kubota V2403 is closer to the hood than I was expecting, it's not touching but it's close on the thermostat housing and boost hose going over the valve cover. I could lower the engine, but I like how tucked up the drivetrain is going to be so I opted to get a new intake manifold, exhaust manifold and thermostat housing which I hope will get here this week or next. It will actually also solve a problem I realized I was going to have with mounting the turbo and CAC pipe into the intake.

Thanks
Grant
 
Hey TJers,

So I finally have the Kubota V2403 mounted in my TJ Wrangler. I'm really hoping to not have to lift the engine out of the engine bay anymore! I do have some tight hood clearances, but I have come up with a, admittedly expensive, solution to the problem!!!


Let me know what you think!

Thanks
Grant