tdi dakota conversion

jetmoto3

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Location
ut
TDI
1z mtdi dakota, alh jetta ute
2000 rpm at 70 depending on gear I can do 75mph in 3rd lol in 5th 70 is about 1400 rpm
 

Friendly Tex

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Location
DE
TDI
Previously 97 Jetta, 2005 B5
Nice Swap - I've got the truck - not the time or talent

Really nice swap.

This has been on my list for a long time. Just too busy to tackle this.

Did you finalize the cruise and tach wiring?

What was you Hwy mpg before swapping to the manual pump?

Thanks
 

jetmoto3

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Location
ut
TDI
1z mtdi dakota, alh jetta ute
Really nice swap.

This has been on my list for a long time. Just too busy to tackle this.

Did you finalize the cruise and tach wiring?

What was you Hwy mpg before swapping to the manual pump?

Thanks
not yet i need the tach for the cruise to work,I almost have it figured out im just waiting on parts.

mpg was exact same before and after city might have lost 1 mpg but thats because i have more fun with it lol
 

papasmurf

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Location
Orlando
TDI
1997 jetta tdi, 2004 passat sedan tdi, 2005 passat wagon tdi , 2005 passat sedan tdi
Do any minor towing with it yet?
 

jetmoto3

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Location
ut
TDI
1z mtdi dakota, alh jetta ute
so for everyone that keeps asking me if i tow with it, the other day i hauled this trailer with 2 4 wheelers and it pulled it great.

 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
The ALH engine rocks...

Power, turbo size, etc., were all questioned earlier in this Thread with suggestions for a different engine and so on!

Now, you've shown and told them how well the ALH performs, including towing. I'm going to guess the tow you mentioned is close to 2,000 lbs, including the trailer... That's an ALH for you. Absolutely awesome ........ great project! Congrats!

The 02 ALH in my '84 Vanagon handles it extremely well, even before the Stage 1 Malone tune. The rig weighed in at about 3600 lbs with half tank of fuel.

In the summer of 2014, we towed a 1200 lb PopUp Camper (loaded with stuff, as well as stuff inside the Van) to Alaska and back over a 33 day road trip without any 'power' problems or any others (almost 11k miles). My engine RPM is about 3050 at 70 mph.

Here's a pic ....... at Dawson Creek, Alberta, Canada... Mile 0 of the Alaskan Highway..

 

greengeeker

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
Power, turbo size, etc., were all questioned earlier in this Thread with suggestions for a different engine and so on!

Now, you've shown and told them how well the ALH performs, including towing. I'm going to guess the tow you mentioned is close to 2,000 lbs, including the trailer... That's an ALH for you. Absolutely awesome ........ great project! Congrats!
I agree with your sentiments Andy. Minor correction though - the OP installed an AHU in his Dakota.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Well, how did I miss that? ... :eek:

Ah, and yes, the AHU is awesome and has proven to be so!:D
 

jetmoto3

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Location
ut
TDI
1z mtdi dakota, alh jetta ute
well i just re geared it. 3.55s to 4.56s and now its really an awesome truck it cruises now and i can actually use 5th gear now lol
 

jetmoto3

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Location
ut
TDI
1z mtdi dakota, alh jetta ute
does anyone know on the 96 1z wiring if the black and white wire to the shutoff solenoid is direct from the ecu or fused. mines direct i just wanted to know if it needed a fuse in the line

Thanks
 
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Halfbrit

Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Location
OR
TDI
03 jetta-sold, 2000 jetta tdi
Any updates on your conversion? I'm in the preliminary stages of a alh to quad cab conversion.
How's the daily drivability, mpg, and towing now that you have more miles on it?
 

jetmoto3

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Location
ut
TDI
1z mtdi dakota, alh jetta ute
Any updates on your conversion? I'm in the preliminary stages of a alh to quad cab conversion.
How's the daily drivability, mpg, and towing now that you have more miles on it?
i sold it, but it drove fine as a daily driver the tdi vacuum pump was a little weak to run the brakes and vnt turbo, if the brakes were used a lot in stop and go traffic, mpg was average 32, I only towed with it onece its too little of a truck for towing Imo.
 

Halfbrit

Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Location
OR
TDI
03 jetta-sold, 2000 jetta tdi
i sold it, but it drove fine as a daily driver the tdi vacuum pump was a little weak to run the brakes and vnt turbo, if the brakes were used a lot in stop and go traffic, mpg was average 32, I only towed with it onece its too little of a truck for towing Imo.
Thanks for the reply. Do you think you could tow as much with the TDI as you did with the gasser? I plan on towing about 3500lbs max
 

jetmoto3

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Location
ut
TDI
1z mtdi dakota, alh jetta ute
Thanks for the reply. Do you think you could tow as much with the TDI as you did with the gasser? I plan on towing about 3500lbs max
it had a lot more torque than the 3.9l so id imagine its the same, It pulled the truck a lot better than the v6.
 

Halfbrit

Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Location
OR
TDI
03 jetta-sold, 2000 jetta tdi
Thanks, I didn't see the v8 adapter on your website though. I'm going ALH to v8 automatic.
For project cost savings I'm probably going to build my adapter as I have access to my father in laws milling machine.
 

evguy1

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Location
Erington, BC, Canada
TDI
2000 Jeep Cherokee TDI, 2008 Jeep JKU TDI
Thanks, I didn't see the v8 adapter on your website though. I'm going ALH to v8 automatic.
For project cost savings I'm probably going to build my adapter as I have access to my father in laws milling machine.
We just finished the first Dodge one on the weekend and don't have pic's yet, maybe today.

If you have the tools and knowledge, building your own is the way to go.
I hope you start your own build thread so we can follow along. :>)
 

Halfbrit

Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Location
OR
TDI
03 jetta-sold, 2000 jetta tdi
I'm wondering how you mounted the front pumpkin. The two bolt on the transmission I get. Were you able to reuse the bridge type mount that straddles the oil pan or did you fab up something different?
Also you went for the Holset turbo. Is there a reason you went that way instead of using a VNT 17? is there good clearance for the turbo? Thanks
 

jetmoto3

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Location
ut
TDI
1z mtdi dakota, alh jetta ute
I'm wondering how you mounted the front pumpkin. The two bolt on the transmission I get. Were you able to reuse the bridge type mount that straddles the oil pan or did you fab up something different?
Also you went for the Holset turbo. Is there a reason you went that way instead of using a VNT 17? is there good clearance for the turbo? Thanks
I used the stock dodge mounts so it bolted right up but for the diff to the trans brace i had to cut it and rebuild it. i went to the holset when it was a mtdi due to more flow than the gt1749(vnt17)(i also ran the gt1749 with boost controller on the mtdi), but after all that, I went back to the etdi and the gt1749, before i sold it. there's plenty of room if your doing a mtdi, but for the etdi it takes a lot of room for the wiring. the only thing that was tight was the oil pan to the steering rack it was about 2" in between, also when changing the oil it would spill all over the diff, due to the location.
 

oregun

Active member
Joined
May 23, 2013
Location
Williamsburg, VA
TDI
2005 Passat TDI GLS (sold)
Awesome build. I just picked up a 2004 dakota with a bad engine. Tempted to do something similar. Did you use the same transmission?
 
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