Basically the intercooler is where the Jeep Radiator would be and the radiator for the R2.8 is mounted to the intercooler. The engine bay is pretty long so it fits pretty easily with 2 less cylinders than the inline 6.
R2.8 Cummins Build
- Thread starter BugoutJeep
- Start date
I probably don't need anything crazy thick for side wall, plus I'm wanting a all terrain and mostly on the road. I will be in bush hogged fields and I just don't want to catch some splintered brush or anything. We do have stuff that will puncture some of the front tractor tires occasionally. I had the KO2s on my F150 and I didn't puncture them, but I try to avoid stuff that looks like it'll puncture a tire.
AidenC
TJ Enthusiast
You should be able to and I think there's a Cummins part number floating around or something. I know some guys are running them. I'm running electric and my fan almost never runs. I've only seen it run maybe once, but I know it's running especially in 4low and climbing hills.
AidenC
TJ Enthusiast
I know quick draw brand makes a fan assembly for it and it looks like a cheaper and easier option than a electric fan
I really didn't look into the mechanical fan that much. I bought my stuff kinda early on and I didn't even really see a lot of pictures of the setup either. If I had pieced together a kit, then yeah I would really have been researching, but I knew it would take me a year or more if I tried to develop much of it myself. With 1 under my belt, I understand more about the swap and integration.
There's a guy on a Cummins Repower forum and he's installing a R2.8 into his Bronco and he's pretty much making everything and/or finding various OEM parts to use. It's a really really fascinating read, but it's also been going on for a couple years, so though I highly respect the work, I just couldn't stand the down time personally.
AidenC
TJ Enthusiast
So if I wanted to use stock gauges id have to keep the stock ecm in correlation with the r2.8 ecm?
Basically yes. Technically it can be done without, but you'd have to be pretty good with those electronics. Axis had talked about making another box to use stock gauges.
There's lots of gauge options too. I do recommend GPS speedometer, but that's a minor preference thing. It just lets me end up with a smaller T case and I can swap tire sizes with ease and I've got like 5 different sets of tires/wheels for Jeeps around the house.
Also if you go with an aftermarket T-case you can get shorter Tcases without the need for the Speedo gear and I think at least 4:1 is good for better off-roading versatility. Though this may not matter depending on your transmission. I think this is less noticeable with properly geared gas powered Jeeps too. You may run 33s with 4.56 gears with a gas engine, but 33s and 3.73 is really nice with a diesel.
So Axis‘ package includes the engine, it is $20,000. That is a hard pill to swallow, at least $2,000 of that is their “custom built” radiator. What are you running and do you think their price is fair, or can the swap be done well for significantly less coin?
IMO the issue is time vs money. Can a swap be done for thousands less, absolutely and one of the more time consuming problems is that radiator and all the routing required. However some have had issues with keeping their R2.8s at proper temperature. No idea why there's this variance, but it's there. I just decided the effort and time and price to overcome this obstacle, without their experience just probably wasn't worth it going solo.
Now at hearing the price at first I was like, I'm just gonna use another engine, but the list is small of engines that would be a good fit for this build. I think TDI is up there at the top personally, but it's a very expensive kit too. Parts are easier to find, but I'd rather have more displacement in my diesel that the 1.9. I didn't even know about Kubota, but there's no easy kits that I know of out there. The list goes on...
I am running the Axis package and I do like it. I would probably do a couple things slightly different if it were my design, but I would have taken over a year to complete it and I still may have ended up at the same price and most of my brackets wouldn't have been nearly as nice as theirs. At that price you may check out Bruiser too, but I don't have experience with that builder besides a few phone calls.
Ultimately I was looking at this build as costing less than the brand new Chevy Colorado Duramax ZR2 ~$45k and then ~$2500 eliminating the EPA meddling devices. Just in taxes and insurance I could just about pay for most of this build in the first decade of owning a new truck and I do find building to be a fun, worthwhile hobby, plus the Duramax would end up being a truck that would be very difficult to work on and very expensive to repair with a bunch of cool stuff I don't really want. I expect to be in this Jeep all in for probably around $35k when it's all finished and I personally like the setup more than the off the shelf options and my payments are just when I have the funds in my account.
AidenC
TJ Enthusiast
Personally I would try to save some money by trying to use as many stock components as possible such as the fuel tank, radiator, transmission, etc. I think it would greatly cut down on the price.
So according to my research and Axis, the stock jeep rad. Is inadequate to keep the little diesel cool reliably. That one piece as well as the adapter and front accessory bracket are what comprise the major components and make up most of he price. The front accessory bracket is included on the engine, unless you want AC then it is an upcharge of $1800. The rear adapter to mate to the transmission can be purchased stand alone for $1400 (Axis supplies Advance Adapters with it). Reality is, this is a crazy expensive conversion...... but boy do I want one.....
AidenC
TJ Enthusiast
I remember cummins used the stock tj radiator and it worked fine on multiple occasions. I think with the intercooler and a good intake system, the engine should stay cool. People say they don't run hot too easily.
Some do run hot and I don't think, at least for quite awhile, that Cummins was running the same tune. That's just a caveat. I have to admit for whatever reason this engine cools different than the other diesels I'm used to, but it might be the electric fan vs mechanical.
I will say that CBR makes the radiator and Intercooler and those are like $3k together from CBR. I plan, at some point to take my setup to a local radiator shop and have them duplicate my setup, whenever my stuff breaks.
And yes one of the appeals to this swap is that you can use a lot of stock components and I would venture that driving style might have a lot to do with the heating issues, but I've heard of guys with the Axis stuff still having some issues. I would think it's almost got to be something internal or something causing that stuff, but that's just a WAG.
In any case, depending on your skill level and downtime you could technically get in this engine very cheap for a brand new crate engine swap.
Also if you all need anything just hit me up on here or YouTube even, so I get notifications and I don't mind setting up video or something if you have any questions. I love this build because IMO this is how the TJ should have been from the dealer. All this swap is is correcting that mistake.
AidenC
TJ Enthusiast
Night and day on the highway to the 4.0. Put the r2.8 in your high gear and as long as you're 1800rpm or higher you're gonna maintain speed easily. It's not gonna move like a LS1, but pick whatever speed and it'll do it. It is kinda slow to get to speeds though.
I mostly drive like a Grandpa, but it powers the tj or an lj the way it should, but it's not sporty like a v8 would be, which I compare with my v8 zj, which feels faster. If the Wrangler had the V8, you'd just be looking at better MPG (V8 gets about 13 mpg with 31s, 3.73s and auto) and a bit better torque curve and the diesel doesn't require you to deal with gasoline, unless you're bringing it to those that ran out.
I mostly drive like a Grandpa, but it powers the tj or an lj the way it should, but it's not sporty like a v8 would be, which I compare with my v8 zj, which feels faster. If the Wrangler had the V8, you'd just be looking at better MPG (V8 gets about 13 mpg with 31s, 3.73s and auto) and a bit better torque curve and the diesel doesn't require you to deal with gasoline, unless you're bringing it to those that ran out.
This winter I thought I'd take a few days to change up my gear ratio, install lockers, clean-up the frame a bit, refresh the suspension and steering. Well that turned into a bit more than 2 months of down time, but I got it together and so far so good. I really like the different gear ratio, I think it's the sweet spot for my tires, engine, transmission and driving style.
Here's the start of the build.
Also here's a DIY fix I did for a temporary solution to a rusty spring perch from over the summer. It seems to have held up so far.
**** UPDATE****The spring perch did not hold up once I actually had a functional jounce bumper. I fixed that side with a Artec Industries bracket. I think it works now.
Here's the start of the build.
Also here's a DIY fix I did for a temporary solution to a rusty spring perch from over the summer. It seems to have held up so far.
**** UPDATE****The spring perch did not hold up once I actually had a functional jounce bumper. I fixed that side with a Artec Industries bracket. I think it works now.
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Got some more parts out to this series.
I'm still mainly just getting stuff apart in this build and trying to figure out how to approach everything. This is basically the OME 2.5" lift with Rancho shocks, Moog steering, but it's also almost a full Dana 30 rebuild, but most of this series is just about how I'm learning how to do a gear swap on my own Dana 30 with almost 300k miles. The PO told me the rear had been reworked, but I can't tell if anything had been done to the front.
I'm still mainly just getting stuff apart in this build and trying to figure out how to approach everything. This is basically the OME 2.5" lift with Rancho shocks, Moog steering, but it's also almost a full Dana 30 rebuild, but most of this series is just about how I'm learning how to do a gear swap on my own Dana 30 with almost 300k miles. The PO told me the rear had been reworked, but I can't tell if anything had been done to the front.
This is a bit out of order, as I've forgotten to update when uploading videos, but here's a new one that is a bit of reality check for those looking at the R2.8 Cummins or really even most engine swaps. It's a bit long, but nothing compared to the research one should do before an engine swap.
I have been following your build and was curious if you would be willing to take some measurements for me. I am wanting to do the conversion in my LJ but am planning on the third link on the front suspension coming pretty far up. I'm worried about it hitting the oil cooler and have not found anyone that makes a cooler relocate yet. Do you have measurements or would you throw a tape on the distance between the frame and the cooler. Also wondering where the bottom of the cooler approximately lands vertically in the frame rail. Is it about in the middle, even with the top, or closer to the bottom. Thanks
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