97 4wd Ranger AHU swap

bwk9087

Veteran Member
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Mar 23, 2016
Location
MI
TDI
2007 Jeep JKU 1.9 ALH
So I've ran into quite a snag. I pulled the chips from the ecu, read then so I could work on a tune and put them back in. Made sure the HHH and LLL were in the right sockets and now im getting a no start. Checked to make sure power is going where it should be and everything is grounded. Cranks over but not even a thought of starting. What could have I messed up with the ecu when I pulled the chips? And just in case, who's the guy on the forum who sells the rover pumps? Might go that way if I need a new ecu.
EDIT: My ecu is a 028 906 021 JB would I need to replace it with a JB version or would any 028 906 021 work?
I would pull chips again, and make sure you didn't bend and fold a pin when removing and inserting.
 

Hasenwerk

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Nov 28, 2003
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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)
If you put the original ICs back in, does it work?
 

Exenos

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Apr 29, 2014
Location
Ontario
TDI
02 Golf
Just double checked the pins. Nothing.

Hasenwerk: I have been trying it with the original chips. Haven't tried any others in it yet. Thats what has me completely confused.
 

Exenos

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Apr 29, 2014
Location
Ontario
TDI
02 Golf
Temporarily wired in the obd port to see if I could get a signal from the ECU. Nothing.

Do I have this wired right?
-2 grounds are grounded
-red/white gets power
-grey/white is K line, I used pin 61 on my ecu. Checks out with the pinout and right wire colour.
-Yellow goes no where right now
 

Hasenwerk

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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)
You have it correctly wired!
 

Exenos

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Ontario
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02 Golf
Figured I'd put up a bit of an update. I never did figure out what why i was getting a no start but figured it was the ecu after trouble shooting. Since I didn't have a spare ecu around to try and really didn't want to spend $500 on a mech pump I went with option C and made a new harness with an alh harness I had around. Wasn't too hard to convince myself to go that way because I'd rather be able to port flash than burn new chips each time I want to change the tune. re pined the rpm sensor, throttle, and the n75 connectors. Also swapped the alh pump head to the ahu pump to avoid playing with the pump plugs. Hopefully the iq isn't so far out of wack that its hard to start the first time. Just need to make sure it fires this weekend then its off to Malone to get he imob deleted.


Also got a belt on the engine so I can finally have it charging while the engine is running.



Thats the only swap related stuff but I did pull the engine and trans again to replace a bad slave and bench bleed the master. Also fixed a few coolant leaks I found before I fried the ecu. But I did blow the rear brake hardline when I was moving the truck around so I need to re do that one. Transfer case and drive shaft are in as well so its ready to drive once I get the imobilizer gone. I'm giving my self a generous 2 month deadline to have it on the road. Should be driving in 2 weeks I'd guess.
 
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vtpsd

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Joined
Aug 15, 2013
Location
Vermont
TDI
03 jsw TDI, audi 90 AHU swap
good call on swapping to an ALH ecu. I really wish I had wired my AHU audi swap with an ALH ecu and harness.
 

Exenos

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Apr 29, 2014
Location
Ontario
TDI
02 Golf
Well we have first start #2 today. Fired up first shot then immobilizer killed it so I'll be getting that deleted asap. The wait for that will be a good opportunity to polish up a few not so exciting things. Add a hanger to the exhaust, tidy up the wiring, pull the dash and tweak the tach to read a 4 banger signal instead of a 6, boost gauge, bleed clutch again and shift boot. Hard to believe that I'm actually beginning to see the end of the road here.

vtpsd: Yeah I think that its probably the best call I made so far with this swap. When I bought the engine 4 years ago the plan was to leave it stock so lack of immobilizer was much more enticing that the non port flashable was discouraging. Plans have a way of changing and yeah its not gonna stay stock for long so this is a huge bonus.
 

Exenos

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Ontario
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02 Golf
Nothing really big but big for me. I put the last hose in the coolant system in and filled it yesterday. No leaks so far. That means that with a bled clutch and imob deleted ecu I'm good to drive the thing.
 

Exenos

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Ontario
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02 Golf
Got the ecu sent off to Malone yesterday for the immobilizer delete. Guessing I'll have it back sometime next week. Also got the paperwork for having the emission test type changed sent off. That's all that will happen until next Friday when my exams are finished. I'll be planning on taking it for its first test run then. Funny thing is, I'm more excited to see how the turbo spools than I am about driving the stupid thing.
 

Exenos

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02 Golf
Just putting this here for me so I don't lose it. I needed a vw 056 105 313c pilot bearing. 21mm od 15mm id. Have a bronze bushing in there right now that I'll be keeping an eye on.

 

Exenos

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Location
Ontario
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02 Golf
Took it for the first drive today! After replacing every single brake line that its. They all rotted out after the year of sitting.

No video, sorry. No one was around to video.

My conclusions after driving:
-2 coolant leaks, one nice and easy at the rad and second one at the back of the head. Kind of expected this one but still its a pain.
-Forgot to add the brake signals in the harness...
-Probably will have to do valve seals
-Get the thing out of limp mode.
-Shifter placement is perfect.

Need a couple weeks to get the finishing touches done i'm hoping.
 

Exenos

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Ontario
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02 Golf
I'm fogging white-blue smoke pretty bad at any rpm above 2000. I've ruled out the turbo by removing it. The only other item that can leak oil into the cylinder or exhaust would be valve seals correct?
 

Exenos

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Apr 29, 2014
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Ontario
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02 Golf
Timing was my first thought as well but it's pretty much bang on where it should be. Maybe I'll swap in a spare set of injectors and see if its a bad nozzle. Really I'm just spitballing here and trying everything I can before I check the cylinders because I'm kind of scarred to see what shape they are in.
 
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Hasenwerk

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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)
Timing was my first thought as well but it's pretty much bang on where it should be. Maybe I'll swap in a spare set of injectors and see if its a bad nozzle. Really I'm just spitballing here and trying everything I can before I check the cylinders because I'm kind of scarred to see what shape they are in.
VCDS will tell you if there is a nozzle out of spec.
 

Exenos

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Ontario
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02 Golf
Group 13? I get .38 -.16 -.31 and .09. Well within reasonable. Anything else I can check in vcds? Maybe something for a higher rpm than idle?
 

Exenos

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Ontario
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02 Golf
Anyone care to take a guess at the source of this smoke? https://youtu.be/jFGtedE7QUE Turbo is disconnected so its out of the picture. It doesn't smell like oil to me, it burns my eyes like diesel. The initial cloud on start up is worse if I let it sit for a few days without starting it. It seems to go away under load when driving but it smokes like a chimney when held at a constant rpm ( something like 2500) in neutral so no load.
 

Exenos

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Apr 29, 2014
Location
Ontario
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02 Golf
QuickTD I checked the timing and unfortunately it was advancing like usual.


I replaced the valve stem seals because I remember seeing oil in one of the intake ports last time I had the intake off. I replaced all but the #4 exhaust seal because I couldn't get to it with my tool while the engine was in the truck. Still smoked so I shelved it for a few weeks until I could pull the engine and replace the last stem seal.


I got the engine out, replaced the last seal and for some reason decided it

would be a good idea to look farther into the engine before I put it back in. Partly because I was concerned with the potential shape of the engine. The previous owner didn't take good care of it.
















My conclusion is that things don't look too bad, not great but not horrible either. Didn't find any sticking oil rings like I had hoped but found 2 stuck lower compression rings. I'm tempted to just put it back together but for the sake of 150 bucks I'm probably going to put rings and rod bearings in it just to start fresh. Probably not needed but it will give me some peace of mind.
 

greengeeker

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Cambridge, MN
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2002 Jetta GLS
My conclusion is that things don't look too bad, not great but not horrible either. Didn't find any sticking oil rings like I had hoped but found 2 stuck lower compression rings. I'm tempted to just put it back together but for the sake of 150 bucks I'm probably going to put rings and rod bearings in it just to start fresh. Probably not needed but it will give me some peace of mind.
Be sure to do a quick dingle ball hone if you go this route.
 

Tkmad

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Apr 30, 2016
Location
Thousand Oaks
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None yet
I was an SAE member for a while and read it. Lots of data supporting not honing when re-ringing. I have since done 4 or 5 no hone ring jobs with no ill effects, for a little anecdotal evidence :)
 

vtpsd

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Aug 15, 2013
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Vermont
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03 jsw TDI, audi 90 AHU swap
That article was interesting for sure. I usually hone cylinders for a re-ring and have had no issues with oil usage after, however I might let my AHU that is currently apart go without a hone this time and see. It makes a lot of good points. I have seen many home rebuilds with dingleberry hones burn oil afterwards.

An old time did tell me once that you must clean the bores with a while towel and ATF until there is zero dark discoloration coming off the bores.
 

Exenos

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Apr 29, 2014
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Ontario
TDI
02 Golf
I definitely will not be honing on this one. It probably didn't even need the re ring so no point in messing with the bore.


I cut the pistons yesterday because it was on my list of things to do. Again, didn't plan on doing it before i had the truck on the road but the opportunity presented itself. I used a router like 486 did to cut the lip and the radius. Dumb me forgot to put varsol on the cutter until the last one though so the cut isn't as smooth as it should be. Just means I need to spend 20 minutes with sand paper. I left a little bit of the lip hoping that maybe it will still provide some benefit. I dont need that low of a cr anyways. I'll be putting it together this weekend and popping out that stuck 3rd injector and swap it with a sorta known good one. Wont have time to stuff it back in the truck until next weekend unfortunately.









 
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