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
I'm all for more information!
Building a diesel powered RHD TJ Wrangler (Picture Heavy)
- Thread starter RustyAutoholicGuy
- Start date
I'm all for more information!
Hey @Chris, Grant must have got this thing running and disappeared with it into the back woods.
OP
LOL no, I'm behind on videos, ran out of hard drives and I'm waiting on my 6TB hard drive to come in! Also I'm waiting on some nozzles to come in so I can cut the thicker plate steel to do my transmission crossmember! Also I may or may not have bought another Wrangler about 10 days ago
He had sent me a PM a few weeks ago, so I know he's alive. My guess is he got busy with the project or sidetracked with family. It happens to the best of us
EDIT: He beat me to the response!
Well it's good to see you're still alive Grant! Had me worried for a moment there.
Another jeep? That makes, what, four now? Lol
Another jeep? That makes, what, four now? Lol
OP
OP
Hey Guys,
So quick update with no video yet! I got the motor mounts painted and installed, finally. That took way too long and now I'm trying to tackle the transmission crossmember for the AW4 which is also taking WAY longer than anticipated. Here are some quick pictures of what I finally got somewhat done last night:
Here is the transmission mount with the tube tack welded in place. I cut the transmission mount plate from the plasma cutter, still working out the kinks with the plasma cutter but I'm getting much better with it!
The next two pictures are of the end plates for the bar that will support the transmission that goes between the frame rails. I'll be drilling and inserting nutserts into the frame to hold the bar in place.
My friend Ronnie designed the plate so I could put a bolt between the fuel and brake lines on the frame:
And finally a picture of the part going across, right now I have the bar wedged into place between the frame rails:
I'm working on editing the video now, and I'm hoping to get this bar finished sometime this weekend or Monday by the latest. I really miss my TJ and I'm looking forward to having it back on the road the again!
-Grant
So quick update with no video yet! I got the motor mounts painted and installed, finally. That took way too long and now I'm trying to tackle the transmission crossmember for the AW4 which is also taking WAY longer than anticipated. Here are some quick pictures of what I finally got somewhat done last night:
Here is the transmission mount with the tube tack welded in place. I cut the transmission mount plate from the plasma cutter, still working out the kinks with the plasma cutter but I'm getting much better with it!
The next two pictures are of the end plates for the bar that will support the transmission that goes between the frame rails. I'll be drilling and inserting nutserts into the frame to hold the bar in place.
My friend Ronnie designed the plate so I could put a bolt between the fuel and brake lines on the frame:
And finally a picture of the part going across, right now I have the bar wedged into place between the frame rails:
I'm working on editing the video now, and I'm hoping to get this bar finished sometime this weekend or Monday by the latest. I really miss my TJ and I'm looking forward to having it back on the road the again!
-Grant
Can't wait to see you get it back on the road. It's been fun following along on the ride with you.
Tell us more about this other mystery jeep. Is it the new likely candidate for the smaller diesel engine? Another RHD?
Also I may or may not have bought another Wrangler about 10 days ago
Tell us more about this other mystery jeep. Is it the new likely candidate for the smaller diesel engine? Another RHD?
OP
OP
Hey TJer's
Finally got the motor mounts finished. That took way longer than expected but they are done and the V2403 is in! I started work on the AW4 automatic transmission mount and crossmember support, and like everything else on this project, it's taking me way longer than I expected to get done but I'm making progress!
Let me know what you think!
-Grant
Finally got the motor mounts finished. That took way longer than expected but they are done and the V2403 is in! I started work on the AW4 automatic transmission mount and crossmember support, and like everything else on this project, it's taking me way longer than I expected to get done but I'm making progress!
Let me know what you think!
-Grant
Mike Alfano
TJ Enthusiast
Can't wait to see this thing run! Great work Grant!
OP
Thank you Mike! I'm itching to get it done. Even with just 65hp I can't wait to drive my TJ Wrangler again. I've missed it!
Though I am worried about driving on the right hand drive again
-Grant
How long has it been out of action for? I'll bet you're itching to drive it! We're coming upon Summer here after all.
OP
I started taking it apart last October
Hopefully you'll have it done in under a year
OP
Hopefully you'll have it done in under a year
Yeah maybe by July or August, honestly if I could get the transmission mount finished and the Eco Box figured out, the rest is pretty easy I think. I just keep running into annoying little problems that take a while to solve or just fabrication that takes me way longer than I anticipated to solve!
-Grant
And there within lies the issue with engine swaps. Everyone thinks it's going to go nice and smooth, even when it's a well documented swap like the LS swaps. However, you always end up running into issues with the "little things", that end up taking way more time than you would have initially expected. That's my experience at least.
OP
This is very true and I have wondered why I went with a doubler set because it made my entire diesel conversion double in complexity!
HOWEVER this happened this weekend
I still have to take the transfer case back out to install the Extreme Short SYE from JB Conversions and upgrading it to a 6-pin planetary and a wide chain kit as well. I put the transfer case on there so I could confirm alignment and to check clearance to the cross member support that I'm building.
Hopefully I will get the video edited and uploaded in the next few days!
-Grant
Nice! Looks like it's coming along slowly but surely. You're basically a trail blazer with this swap, so it makes sense that you're having to figure stuff like this out along the way. I suspect it's going to be a lot easier for you (and others) going forward with this swap, as you'll know the ins and outs next time around.
OP
Yeah that is true. I'm going to talk about it in my video, but getting all the parts to put Northwest Fab EcoBox is surprisingly difficult to do but once you it's not that difficult to put together.
Something about having the doubler and transfer case back in the Wrangler make it feel like I just leaped forward in my progress on this entire swap.
I'm actually debating putting the front grill back on soon as well
Then I think about what's left and it's rather long:
Engine Bay
- Figure out fuel pickup
- Install fuel tank
- Install Water/Fuel Separator
- Install Transmission Cooler
- Install Starter
- Install Alternator
- Install Power Steering Pump
- Install AC Compressor
- Install Vacuum Pump
- Install TCU with all sensors
- Design and run exhaust
- Connect Throttle cable
- Remove factory gauges
- Remove factory shifter
- Remove factory armrest/console
- Mount and Install Carr-Winter shifter
- Mount and install Doubler and Transfer Case Shift from JB Custom Fabrication
- Mount and install digital gauges from Intellitronix
-Grant