ALH Jeep XJ Swap

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Hey guys. My name is David. Living in Chilliwack BC. I've been into jeeps for about 5 years now. I have always dreamt of a diesel jeep. My dreams have started to come true :D I have a 1999 jeep xj with the 4.0 and auto (will be 5 speed swapped). Back in February I picked up a 1999.5 golf tdi with a "blown transmission" (5 speed) for super cheap. Plastic shift linkage was just broken. 30$ piece later I'm driving it for 20k kms.

I've spoke a bit with Randy (evguy) and Matt Whitbread with the direction of the build.

I've been following many other builds like Reddok's

Today I spent a few hours stripping the harness out..
 
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bubbagumpshrimp

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Location
Virginia
TDI
'13 Jetta TDI
Good luck with your build. I had a '97 XJ 4.0 with a 5 speed. I had a LOT of fun with it. I used to take it off-roading (had a Rubicon Express 3.5" lift). I managed to tear one of the mirrors off on a tree one time. The BANG sure woke me up, lol.
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Thanks! They are great all round camping, daily driving, offroading vehicles. I've got the same lift too!
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
BIG UPDATE!
I kinda forgot I had this going. Anyways.. engine is in with with td conversions adapter and mounts. Center force high inertia flywheel.
Arp head studs
.260 nozzles
Gtb1756vk on passat manifold.
Fast forward harness with Malone stage 5 tune. And cruise.

Still being built. Been posting more to Tdi Swapped Trucks on Facebook
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
I'll be taking more pictures as the build progresses


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xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Like update. Put an advance adapters slip yoke eliminator in the transfer case the other evening. Hope to have the engine in for good soon!


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xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Been slowly picking away at the wiring harness and modifying the coolant hard pipe. Picked up a brm coolant flange and flipped it for a coolant pipe to run above the exhaust manifold.

Also found a $89 intercooler that Jeddadeezl used in his xj build. Will fit perfectly behind the xj grille.


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xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Due to clearance issues with the track bar, the ac compressor had to be removed and mount ground down. A Subaru belt tensioner with a dodge 2.4 idler pulley works really well.


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xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Pretty much plumbed up the intercooler and pipes. Radiator moved back about an inch. $6 harbor freight wire crimpers make good bead rolling pliers[emoji6]


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A-man930

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Location
St. Louis
TDI
Planning Stages: ALH Jeep MJ
I'm beginning to dread struggling with the track bar... I REALLLLY don't want to fuss with it
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Friend of mine welded up my custom manifold the other day. Basically an alh manifold with a 2" 1/8" wall aluminum tube welded to it. Along with a map sensor flange.
Also made a steel coolant pipe for the flange at the back of the head to reach the rad. Welded a 3/8" npt bung in for the Jeep coolant temp sensor.


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xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
My Ironrock offroad trackbar came in! This thing is beefy!


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Rob Mayercik

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2001
Location
NJ, U.S.A.
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS, Baltic Green/Beige
Yeah, those are nice - I put one of those on my XJ a year or two back when the factory bracket wallowed out for the second time (offroading with the frame end in single shear accelerates this process)
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Thanks to a good friend who works at a local driveline shop for hooking me up with driveshafts! Rebuilt and shortened front xj shaft and a New CV rear! Very cool to check out the process and balancing.[emoji16]


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evguy1

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Location
Erington, BC, Canada
TDI
2000 Jeep Cherokee TDI, 2008 Jeep JKU TDI
Friend of mine welded up my custom manifold the other day. Basically an alh manifold with a 2" 1/8" wall aluminum tube welded to it. Along with a map sensor flange.
Also made a steel coolant pipe for the flange at the back of the head to reach the rad. Welded a 3/8" npt bung in for the Jeep coolant temp sensor.


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Those are two great ideas! ;)
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Put my trackbar in last night. This thing is massive compared to stock.

Also pulled the engine out for one last time (hopefully) to finish wiring and coolant hoses off the back of the head. Next up is mounting the massive Donaldson airbox


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J.Klassen

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Location
Enderby, B.C. Canada
TDI
TDI Nissan Hardbody project, 01 Jetta donor car
That airbox sure is big! Are you going to try and make the stock MAF senor fit? I kept mine by using the stock jetta airbox. Malone said it would help keep the smoke in check.
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
I have a maf delete tune. Having a maf witha 1756 is useless. It pulls too much air to read apparently

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xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Got my gauges wired up and installed tonight. Autometer Sportcomp 2 boost and pyrometer. From reading online, I have heard that the led backlighting is quite bright and doesn't dim with the instrument lighting. People use a 1500k ohm resister on the gauge wire to cut light output in about half apparently.
Autometer does make a dimmer box to the tune of $50... So I will try the resister thing first.


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xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
She runs! Now onto finishing coolant hoses and and mounting my massive Donaldson airbox.


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Jack Eberson

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2018
Location
Georgia
TDI
Jeep xj ALH TDI
Thats awesome! Would you mind to document how you run all your coolant lines. Are you planning on using the VW coolant expansion tank or do you think you can use your jeep one. Also what about the little bleed nipple coming out of the head. I believe evguy on his xj build ran it to his metal pipe for his hot return to the radiator. Just curious how every one else is doing this so I can compare with mine and maybe get some better ideas.
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Thanks! I acually made a coolant hard pipe like evguy. It is mounted off the inake manifold. The pipe has a bung welded in for the jeep coolant sensor. The coolant flange on the back of the head is from a brm and its flipped. The upper rad hose is a factory alh hose.


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Jack Eberson

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2018
Location
Georgia
TDI
Jeep xj ALH TDI
Ok so you did pretty similar to what I did except I didn't think about flipping the coolant flange in time which I'll probably go back and do to make it a little neater. What did the connector right up from your coolant flange, that you put your bleed nipple and it looks like another coolant temp sensor port, come off of? Also what are you doing with your expansion tank?
 

xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
That connection is just from the golf coolant system. I think the sensor was for the ac system. Its not used here. Its just the perfect elbow for the job. I gooped up the sensor with sealant and reinstalled. Flipping the flange makes the big hose go down the passenger side

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xjjeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
99.5 golf, soon to be Tdi Xj
Im planning on using the factory xj coolant tank by the fuse box

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