1986 diesel Jeep Comanche TDI conversion

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Here is a Monday afternoon progress update from Matt:

[FONT=&quot]Bled the clutch more, everything seemed to be fine, went out for a drive today and by the end of the drive it was mushy again and couldn't engage reverse without shutting the truck off. I'm going to replace the master and hose.

Seems that everything that's original on the truck is just worn out/leaking/tired.

Jeep temp sending unit isn't reading right either so I'm going to replace that. Grounded connection and it goes right to max so the gauge and wiring are good.

Coolant also sprayed everywhere due to a bad cap on the radiator.

The oil pan gasket is also seeping so I'm going to do without the gasket and just silicone seal it like Mk4's are, I did the same on my ahu in my rabbit truck.

The alignment is also wayyyy off, it's toe'd out in the front badly. It's twitchy and all over the road.

I don't have a single good n75 here apparently so I'm going to grab also. They all are leaking vacuum out the vent port so boost control is all over the place.

Last bit of bad news, the left rear rim is bent like all hell. It has a good 1/4"-3/8" wobble in it spinning on the hoist. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Good news, tach works and i adjusted it to read correct 900prm at idle, heater valve operation works, and it has 5 miles on it now :).[/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]Matt likely means 5 kilometers on the truck - Originally sold in Canada, so metric speedometer/odometer. JJ
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john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Latest up dates:

Clutch is now working fine and holding. Salve cylinder and a hose were replaced.

New N75 installed and the tune is being dialed in.

One more oil leak still to fix. Last one fixed was a leaking intermediate shaft seal. It was new, but still leaked.

Fuel sender works fine. Truck took 21.5 gallons in a 23.5 gallon tank. So he will be able to put some more miles on the truck now.

Rear springs are getting change out today. Putting in a good, clean used set of standard Comanche springs to replace the bastard pack that is in now. Guess I cheaped out on the springs!

Asked Matt to check the rear axle gear ratio for me.

I may have a driving video tomorrow.

Still need to send Matt the EGT gauge. He has the probe installed and wire into the cab.
 
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turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Nice! Must feel good to have it running nice and smooth after all the effort. Makes me miss my old '87 MJ. If you ever need a tailgate, I have one in good shape you're welcome to have. Now I want a tdi in my XJ.
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Not "finished" yet. Still lots to do if I am going to drive the Alaska Highway next summer.

At my age, it is better to to pay Matt than try to do everything by myself. I tend to way over think everything. That takes all kinds of wrong turns.
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
One more short/quick update:

Matt got the front end aligned and changed out the rear springs.

Made arrangements to get the truck trailered out to California. Will be here about the second week in March. Thanks to another Jeep enthusiast in the mid west who is buying a Jeep in Calif and trailering it back to the mid west.

Then the truck will need to be registered in California and insured.
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Last update before Comanche gets picked up this next weekend.

Matt says the Volvo electric power steering pump has randomly loosing assist on the road, but always checks out fine in the shop! (Love this type of problem - NOT). He suspects the pump is cavitating.

So Matt has removed the electric power steering pump and built a custom mount bracket to mount a Mark 4 TDI power steering pump on the passenger side of the motor. Working fine now. Pictures below.







 

All Stock

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Location
Michigan
TDI
AHU
I moved away from using the timing idler pulley because of its size. Being its small it will rotate much faster than originally designed. Most idlers use a larger bearing and a larger circumference for this reason as well. In addition it is now going at a faster speed because it is driven by the crank pulley which it many times larger in circumference then the small timing belt cog.

I used it to address added tension on an alternator pulley. That whole setup I had was wrong to begin with and it has now been completely changed. I now have an A/C compressor where your pump is and a larger idler in the same exact place.

I did however get about 10k miles out of it and a lot of those were highway miles from Detroit to Nashville, back, and then to San Diego and back. Having said that its possible you will be fine. Worst case when you do a timing belt just move the old timing pulley down there as you will replace the TB one and then keep one around as a spare... just incase.
 

jimbote

Certified Volkswagen Nut
Joined
Jul 10, 2006
Location
spiral arm, milky way (aka central NC)
TDI
Tacoma 4x4 converted to TDI
I moved away from using the timing idler pulley because of its size. Being its small it will rotate much faster than originally designed. Most idlers use a larger bearing and a larger circumference for this reason as well. In addition it is now going at a faster speed because it is driven by the crank pulley which it many times larger in circumference then the small timing belt cog.

I used it to address added tension on an alternator pulley. That whole setup I had was wrong to begin with and it has now been completely changed. I now have an A/C compressor where your pump is and a larger idler in the same exact place.

I did however get about 10k miles out of it and a lot of those were highway miles from Detroit to Nashville, back, and then to San Diego and back. Having said that its possible you will be fine. Worst case when you do a timing belt just move the old timing pulley down there as you will replace the TB one and then keep one around as a spare... just incase.
what All stock said, that idler is now spinning a bazillion rpm beyond it's normal speed... way overdriven from stock ... they barely last long enough for a timing belt when driven relatively slow compared to your current setup
 

Hasenwerk

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Nov 28, 2003
Location
Quesnel, BC
TDI
1982 Cabriolet (BEW|VNT17|Stage4), 1989 VW TriStar Syncro soon-to-be CR TDI (CBEA), 2001 Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 (ALH|VNT17|R520|Stage4)
I'm going to agree with everyone else - pulley is too small. However, the original and much larger idler pulley should fit in that location - just the pulley and not the arm and all that jazz that normally goes with? There is a MB pulley that I used for mine that has some flanges on the side of it to keep the belt in place.
 

All Stock

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Location
Michigan
TDI
AHU
You may even be able to fit the timing tensioner pulley in that spot, bigger bearing, bigger OD and side flanges. It can get really close to the crank and be ok and still be ok if its a 1/4" away from the opposing direction of the same belt on the other side as long as the next pulley up stream of that is not a tensioner.
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
The Comanche has started it's trip to California from the Michigan winter.



Here it loaded on Brandon's trailer.



Brandon says the trip from Indiana to northern Michigan was good, but on the way home he hit snow about the Indiana border so stopped for the night.
The truck will spend a couple of weeks in Indiana, they make it's trip to California.
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Well the TDI Comanche made it to San Diego on March 10.

Here is a picture of the truck on a U haul trailer starting the last leg of it's journey. Another Comanche Club member was going to San Diego to pick up a camper shell for his Dodge and offered to deliver the truck right to my door! How is that for help!!

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The left front tire was almost flat from a slow leak and the clutch was not releasing well to change gears. But it is finally in California and we have started the registration process by going to the Auto Club. Only to find out that because the truck is from British Columbia I can only register it by making an appointment with the California DMV. The first appointment time was 2 weeks out, so the car sat in the driveway till then.

The registration process was fairly simple and I had all the documents required, so I walked out with a temporary registration and the DMV got a $186 check for use tax, current registration and about 15 different misc. "fees". My only surprise was that because it is a pickup and registered as a commercial vehicle, I had to get a certified weight on the truck. My Briitish Columbia registration listed the weight as 1393 kg or 3071lbs, but not good enough for the DMV

So a trip to a Certified Scale and $15 later I have the Certified Weight of 3180 lbs, that is with 23 gallons of diesel in the fuel tank. Just one more trip back to the DMV to turn in my paperwork and I will get a fresh set of California plates. Also got the truck added to my insurance policy today.

More about the clutch issue and it's solution in the next post
 
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john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
We noticed the clutch problem the first time we moved the truck off the trailer on to the driveway.

Matt said the clutch had been fine at his place. Brandon, the Comanche Club member also told me the clutch had been fine both when he picked up the truck in Michigan and when he dropped it of at 29 Palms, Ca. But by the time the tuck got to San Diego we noticed the problem about 3 weeks later.

Whitbread was going to be in Southern California for Easter, so we agreed he would check it out when he got here. Last Thursday we met half way between where he was staying and San Diego. After bleeding the clutch, Matt noticed the clutch fluid was discolored and had some aluminum particles suspended in it. His diagnosis: A bad clutch cylinder out of the box - scraping the bore of the cylinder wall. So Matt called his NAPA supplier in Michigan who agreed to a warranted replacement for the clutch master cylinder and had it delivered to my local NAPA store for me to pick up on Saturday. Here is a picture of the new parts:



Net result is the clutch seems to be just fine today. With more test driving to follow.

Next project is to take care of the slow leak in the left front tire
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Took the slow leaker tire to Discount Tire to get it fixed this afternoon.
But turns out the tires were made in 2000 - so they are 18 years old! That surprised me, because they have no cracking or aging on the sidewalls and seemed to be in great condition.

So replacing the tires and figuring out what wheels I want on the truck just moved way up to the head of the line. Not exactly what I planned. But it needs to be done.

Stock steel wheels were 15 x 6 wide. Optional were 15 x 7 wheels and in later years, the 15 x 7 size was standard. Any wheel that fits the 86 to 2001 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) will work. Just a matter of deciding on a wheel style.
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Seems I spoke too soon about the clutch. My clutch problem is back again. Clutch is not properly disengaging.

Fluid level in the master cylinder was down about half an inch from where it was topped off on Tuesday.

The transmission is an AX15 from a 1990 Cherokee with a new matching clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel. Unfortunately, the transmission also has the internal slave cylinder. Which means I have to drop the transmission to check or change the slave cylinder.

Both the current slave cylinder and master cylinder are the second new ones Matt installed, so something is going on that has not been identified.
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
Curious about the type of fluid. Is something worn or misaligned? Metal in the fluid? I wonder if the manufacturer had a run of defective parts? Sounds like you have stock clutch parts that should all be compatible.
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Curious about the type of fluid. Is something worn or misaligned? Metal in the fluid? I wonder if the manufacturer had a run of defective parts? Sounds like you have stock clutch parts that should all be compatible.
DOT 3 brake fluid is factory spec and what was used.

Metal flakes in the fluid was why we replaced the master on Tuesday. But the fluid seemed to be free of flakes when I inspected it on Saturday.

Run of defective parts is possible. But one part purchased in Michigan, replacement purchased in San Diego. Still, master cylinders for 85-87 Jeep are not likely a high turnover item - so guess they could have come from the same batch several years ago.

First step is to bleed clutch AGAIN and inspect the fluid closely.
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
Line between slave and master slowly seeping? Sounds like it takes awhile of sitting or use to occurs, along with loss of fluid?
 

mogly

Veteran Member
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Sarnia, ON, Canada
TDI
MKIV TDI + B5.5V AVF/01E
Seems I spoke too soon about the clutch. My clutch problem is back again. Clutch is not properly disengaging.

Fluid level in the master cylinder was down about half an inch from where it was topped off on Tuesday.

The transmission is an AX15 from a 1990 Cherokee with a new matching clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel. Unfortunately, the transmission also has the internal slave cylinder. Which means I have to drop the transmission to check or change the slave cylinder.

Both the current slave cylinder and master cylinder are the second new ones Matt installed, so something is going on that has not been identified.

Clearly the fluid is going somewhere. It's a little unusual that the fluid loss is happening while the system is not under any pressure. Have you inspected the bottom of the truck for wetness? Maybe have someone operate the clutch pedal repeatedly (10-15 pumps) and then hold while someone is underneath inspecting for drips.
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Clearly the fluid is going somewhere. It's a little unusual that the fluid loss is happening while the system is not under any pressure. Have you inspected the bottom of the truck for wetness? Maybe have someone operate the clutch pedal repeatedly (10-15 pumps) and then hold while someone is underneath inspecting for drips.
Finished bleeding the clutch today. Wiped down all the joints I could see. Only fluid was from the bleeder valve while I was bleeding it. But will recheck in the morning. Found my USB inspection camera for my phone this evening. Plan is to use the camera to look inside the bell housing. The transmission has an internal slave cylinder, so maybe that is leaking. But the internal slave has also been change twice.

Finding decent replacement parts is not just a VW problem, unfortunately.
 

mogly

Veteran Member
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Sarnia, ON, Canada
TDI
MKIV TDI + B5.5V AVF/01E
Finished bleeding the clutch today. Wiped down all the joints I could see. Only fluid was from the bleeder valve while I was bleeding it. But will recheck in the morning. Found my USB inspection camera for my phone this evening. Plan is to use the camera to look inside the bell housing. The transmission has an internal slave cylinder, so maybe that is leaking. But the internal slave has also been change twice.

Finding decent replacement parts is not just a VW problem, unfortunately.

If the fluid is down it is going somewhere. Even it were leaking inside the BH it would find it`s way out so you`d see wetness. Some clutch hydraulic systems can be real devils to fully bleed. Bench bleeding first really aids to a proper system bleed, IHMO.
 
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