Wrangler LJ TDI

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
I recently acquired a 2005 Wrangler Unlimited. I plan to swap the ALH from my golf into it within the next few weeks. I have found quite a bit of info on here.
I have one question so far...
Will I be able to use the VW A/C compressor? I know it is a variable displacement type. Is it controlled like most others with a simple on/off switch or is the electrical signal more complex than that?
There is a company nearby that can manufacture hoses for it.
I will try to keep a detailed record of the process.
https://youtu.be/nDR7QtRpqlY
 

xerootg

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2015
Location
USA
TDI
Mk7 Golf Sportwagen, BHW Jeep XJ
Will I be able to use the VW A/C compressor? I know it is a variable displacement type. Is it controlled like most others with a simple on/off switch or is the electrical signal more complex than that?
Yes. The Sanden unit you have is clutched and the variable displacement valve is passive, based off manifold pressure. The "peanut" style pads on the head are unique to VW as far as I can tell, so retain those hoses for your hose guy to retrofit. I'm pretty sure VW used a binary switch on these cars to boot, and they also went with an expansion valve instead of an orifice tube like your LJ, so no matter what you do, it won't be the same as VW.
 

All Stock

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Location
Michigan
TDI
AHU
Good luck with the swap. You will be happy with it! With a tuned up motor it will be more powerful than the outgoing 4.0l and it will double the fuel economy and triple the fun factor. Just get prepared to answer peoples questions about it everywhere you go with it. Your also fortunate, when I did mine I couldn't find an LJ... just a really clean TJ.
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
I looked all over the US for two months before I bought this one. There was one in Billings, MT that I briefly considered. It had just as many miles on it as this one.

I can't wait for the increased fuel economy and power. I understand why people like the 4.0. It is torquey for a gasser, but it's no TDi.

Still trying to accumulate the parts
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
I have made some progress. Fabrication takes a lot longer than I would have imagined.
The engine is mounted. I almost have the plumbing sorted out and and installed. Next up is wiring.

Here is a look at it.
https://youtu.be/A9ggA7iqfoE
 

bwk9087

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2016
Location
MI
TDI
2007 Jeep JKU 1.9 ALH
power steering

Looks like you are using the vw power steering resevoir. How are you adapting the vw pump to the wrangler hoses?
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
Looks like you are using the vw power steering resevoir. How are you adapting the vw pump to the wrangler hoses?
The Wrangler high pressure hose has the same fitting as VW. The shape of it was all wrong so I took it to a local hose manufacturing company and had them modify the end to a simple 90. They replaced the old rubber while they were at it. Cost $40.

I reused the VW supply line from the reservoir to the pump by trimming about 6" off the supply end. I need to pick up some tubing for the return line.
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
I have the engine mounted and running. Now I just need to sort out the clearance issue with the ac compressor. I have been looking at the factory bracket for engines without ac that relocate the power steering pump to the bottom - 038903143A

My question is how low will the power steering pump hang?
Right now the front drive shaft yoke hits the case of the ac compressor with little suspension compression. A large enough bump would cause the pulley to hit the front diff. Where would the power steering pulley be in relation to where the ac pulley is right now?

I know a suspension lift would fix the issue also, but I want to avoid that.
 

All Stock

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Location
Michigan
TDI
AHU
Putting the power steering pump on the lower drivers side will not work. See the pic I posted in the mounting thread you linked you video into. That pic was with a 4" lift... lol actually a 5" with the tdi, I ended up using a 3" spring when all was said and done due to the weight difference of the 4.0l and the tdi. In addition to a lift you would need to do a long arm conversion because the upper control arm mounts on the frame are right in the middle of the space you need.

I'm not sure if I have a good pic anywhere but I made a bracket and mounted the pump on the lower pass side of the motor. My motor is an AHU so I was able to make it from the oem brackets and adjuster to use the separate V belt to drive it. I put my water pump on the serp belt but the ALH doesn't have to worry about that.
The jeeps have a narrow frame.
As I put this back together I am thinking of remounting everything on custom bracketry so I can put the A/C back in that the jeep was orig equipped with. This means squeezing the pwr str back onto the drivers side and putting the compressor on the pass side under the turbos. With oem brakets its not possible.. it will have to be custom.
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
My goal is to keep the suspension stock. It's my daily driver, not a trail rig.
I don't have any issues with the upper control arms so far.
I am making a bracket with an idler pulley to replace the ac compressor. I found a small pulley that I can mount closer to the alternator pulley giving enough clearance.
 

All Stock

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Location
Michigan
TDI
AHU
So your going to eliminate the A/C?

I don't know how the bosses are on the ALH block but the early longitude 1.8T 058 blocks had the AC unit mounted on a separate belt with its own tensioner on the int/exh side of the block. I haven't looked into it but if this were also the case on the later 1.8T's, they share the same block as the ALH and you may find a way to retain the A/C while creating the room on the other side for the power steering.. If its a daily your going to want the A/C. Hence why I am looking to put it back in.
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
Here is my solution for now..



The pulley is a small idler I had laying around from a Mazda. I threw together a bracket using my calibrated eye. The belt looks like it is touching itself, but it's not. There is plenty of clearance between the belt and the front diff as long as I don't do a Dukes of Hazzard. It still might be ok, but I won't guarantee it.

I am looking into a 12 volt ac compressor. There are a few options out there. The down side is they are not cheap.
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
There is no room on the passenger side with the turbo tubing. Making a bracket to put the ac above the power steering would be a pain and complicate belt routing.
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
So...

I've been driving it for a while and working out the bugs when this happened




There is a lot of back story. Stay tuned.
 

smelly621

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2008
Location
Sonoma County, CA
TDI
2001 Golf, 2003 Tacoma
That's a total bummer. Streaming injector? If so what's the age of the nozzles and were they set-up by one of our esteemed vendors?

Did you notice any abnormal EGTs? Smoke? Anything?

Chance to go 2.0 I suppose. I think I just saw someone selling a BHW crank, rods and pistons.......
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
The injector bodies are original. I installed pp520 nozzles at 40k and upgraded to pp764 in March. The nozzles are from Kerma and they were installed by a local shop with the knowledge and experience.
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
I sent the pump and injectors off to DFIS. They rebuilt the pump and calibrated the injectors. All of the parts in the block were within new part specs. I honed the cylinders and installed new pistons, rings and bearings from idparts.com. It runs like a beast now.

Here is my first real world fuel economy number without towing...

 

All Stock

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Location
Michigan
TDI
AHU
Wow 36 mpg?

Is that a corrected speedo for tires and gears or is it all stock?

Lift?

Which trans and gears?

Winch?
Bumpers?

Just curious... I am hoping to break 30 when this motor gets rebuilt..
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
It's all stock except for the tires. They are 31x10.50. The stock tires are 30x9.50 I need to check the odometer against gps to see how much difference that makes.
If the speedo is accurately calibrated for a 30" tire and the current tires are truly 31" it would have traveled 135 miles instead of the indicated 131 miles. The mileage would then be 37.45 mpg. (If I used the calculator correctly).

This fillup was mostly back roads with speeds between 40-60 mph. There was only about 15 miles of interstate at 70+ mph and no towing at all.
No Lift
Stock bumpers, no winch.
Stock 3.73 gears
Stock NSG370 transmission

I chose the LJ partly because of the 6 speed tranny, and the gearing lined up with the VW pretty close.


I filled it to the brim each time to get an accurate number.
 

All Stock

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Location
Michigan
TDI
AHU
I have a 99 wrangler that averaged just over 28. Then again I also drove it really hard.
4" lift 33x10.5 with 4.88's and a corrected speedo gear. NV3500 trans.
Bumpers, Winch, full size spare.
It towed a 1200lb mini camper from Detroit to San Diego and back overall averaging 21. That included a R&P change to 4.88s from 4.11's after shearing teeth of the rear ring and pinion coming out of Vegas. So I cant really say along the way what the averages were, just on overall.

The motor was fresh when this was done, then ran away due to oil from a machine shops wrong seals..
Now another machine shop nightmare and a new block later.... I pushed the jeep behind the garage :(
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
The machine shops around here don't have a good record with VW engines either. The one that looked at my head said they don't mess with small diesels very often.

This Jeep replaced my Golf as a daily driver. I don't want a top heavy, rough riding trail rig. My plan is to keep it all stock for now.
 

poorsami

New member
Joined
Jun 11, 2017
Location
Jupiter FL
TDI
Working on it
I'm new to this and I'm wanting to put a TDI in my samurai. I just put a hp samurai engine in it and for the nearly $3,000 it only goes that fast drafting or with the wind at my back and down hill. I was told I needed 90 hp to move it at 70-75 down the highway for my daily commute and you guys are doing it with wranglers? What hp and torque are you guys pushing and is that stock? I don't understand all the engine codes and what hp they produce. One of you has a ALH and the other has a AHU what's the difference. Are they MK3 or MK4? That's just a few of the many I've seen but is there a chart that shows the engine codes, hp and the vin character to know which is which?
Thanks,
John
 
Last edited:

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
These links should get you strated in the world of TDI.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Volkswagen_Group_diesel_engines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_Volkswagen_engines

There is a lot of useful information in these forums as well. You will have to weed through some useless opinions at times to get to the facts.

I would say most of the TDIs put into other vehicles are not stock. I don't know the power numbers mine has now, but a smaller turbo and injectors ago, it made 125hp and 240tq at the wheels. Stock is 90hp and 155tq.
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
We took a trip to Carova Beach, NC a couple of weeks ago. The Jeep did excellent. No issues. It got 27 mpg running between 70-80. The Jeep part had no problems on the beach(as would be expected). The TDI part ran strong. It really likes to cruise about 80(2800 rpm). I have to keep holding back because the vehicle is not meant for high speed.

Here is a 360 video of us cruising around the beach.

https://youtu.be/Zb-R2LZWzG8

I still need to get some A/C figured out.
I would like to get the cruise working as well.
Right now the engine mounts are solid rubber, hydraulic mounts are in the future.
Tidy up the wiring and hose routing
Still waiting on an upgraded intake manifold I ordered from Kerma back in April

Enough to keep me busy for a little bit
 

Motohead1

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2016
Location
charlotte
TDI
2002 bug+telephone pole
Nice do you happen to know what your intake temps are at cruise compared to ambient with the W2A intercooler?
 

oilcan_boyd

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Location
St. Albans, WV
TDI
2012 Touareg TDI Sport, 2005 Wrangler Unlimited TDI
I am using a 12"x24" radiator mounted in front of the engine radiator for the intercooler. At cruise on the freeway it is 15-40 degrees above ambient. Depends on the terrain.
 
Top