3.0 TDI CATA swap into midsize truck

iwannajettatdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2003
Location
Salem, OR
TDI
2015 Brilliant Black Audi Q5 3.0TDI, 2014 Tempest Blue metallic Jetta Sportwagen TDI, 2002 Blue Eurovan Weekender BHW TDI
Too long; didn’t read version - I want to swap a 3.0 TDI into a Nissan Frontier.
Long version.
Hi all. As many of us do, I've been looking for a good truck to supplement my TDI when I need to haul more. As a teenager and through engineering school I thought what I wanted and needed was a Dodge with a Cummins or F250 with a powerstroke, I just needed something diesel. I filled that void with a 99.5 TDI jetta that I got used and drove up until this past winter when it decided to quit on me, 81 miles from 350,000. I did quite a bit to that car in the 275,000 miles I put on it in 12 years including:
Timing belt x2
RyanP 6 speed swap
exhaust manifold gaskets
Oil and fluid changes, etc.
When I moved up to New England for training for my new career a few years ago, I wanted to keep the TDI but have something to drive in the snow. I still wanted a diesel, but just didn't want to have one of the huge full size pickups. So I got a 97 4Runner with a 5 speed. Plans were to keep that around forever and swap a TDI into it. Body was in amazing shape, but once it thawed out I realized the frame was swiss cheese esque and it was time to move on.
Next in the lineup was the 2006 V10 Touareg that filled my diesel lust and well... auto lust in general. One of the most amazing cars/trucks I've ever gotten to drive and own. I loved driving that thing, but I really wanted to shift gears in it. No real options, and living in NE means no real swap is possible because of the emissions and safety checks yearly. I had an extended warranty on it thankfully, I had to use it a few times more than I wanted to because of turbo oil leaks, as well as tandem pump leaks. Recently traded it in on a 2011 MK6 Golf TDI 5 door with the 6 speed.
So the Jetta is gone (RIP), and I'm back in the position of needing and wanting something to do some off-roading in as well as haul and tow things around. I have a Westfalia hitch on the golf that works amazingly well, and hauled our stuff Clampet style down from MA to NC in a recent move (And still got 30+ MPG), but I want something bigger. I want a truck. Again. But I don't want a full size Ram or F250 style truck.
Which is where this adventure begins. I hope.
I've always liked the midsize trucks over the full size for many reasons, but I also just don't need a full size truck. I've settled on getting a Tacoma or Frontier after a long time looking and driving both of them. Right now, unless the perfect TRD comes up, I'm going to do this in a late 2005-10 Nissan Frontier for many reasons, but I like the styling a little better, it has a fully boxed frame which will help, plus the starting point is a little cheaper for roughly the same stuff as the Toyota now-a-days. Brand wars and loyalty aside (I have none for these brands), the Nissan will be our donor truck.
What I'd like to do is swap in a 3.0 TDI from one of the 2010-12 Touaregs. I want more power and smoothness than the newer 2.0 TDI offer me, and the truck I’ll be looking for will have a 4.0 v6 in it anyways. The HP numbers will be close, with the Nissan 4.0 edging out by about 40-50hp over the stock TDI, but the stock 260-80ish torque of the Nissan will be dwarfed by the 400+ in the TDI. Which is why I want it. Plus I’m just a diesel enthusiast and not only do I want a mid-sized diesel pickup, I aslo want one with a manual transmission. And we just don’t get that here in the US. So after some long deliberation and talks with the Wifey, she said “just build what you want, how you want it, and we’ll keep it forever and take trips in it.” And so it begins.
My first and really biggest hurdle will be clearing it with the NC Dept of Air Quality and the DMV, which I’ve already begun having discussions with. Things have been positive so far, still no definite answers, but there were no doors slammed in my face and it definitely wasn’t a NO from the get go. I’m going to have to use the OBD2 stuff though and make sure it’s functioning so that it passes inspection.
I’m in the process of looking for the right donor truck, I’d like a Nismo or Pro-4x in the 2005-10 range which will help with the motor choices but also gives a electric locking rear differential and a slightly beefier axle. Based on the EPA rules for swapping motors, it’s basically illegal UNLESS you can prove that the configuration you’ve made is similar in emissions. So basically all the emissions stuff gets to stay. For now. Plus you have to use a motor that is the same year or newer than the vehicle it is going in for emissions/safety purposes. For the motor I’m thinking a wrecked/totaled/salvage touareg for the motor, ECU and harness. Finding a whole truck would be excellent so that all the wiring would be easily available. But it may be cost prohibitive, I’m not sure yet. It would definitely be easier so that all of the emission equipment will be available for swap.
I’m also going to source a diesel transmission/transfer case from a UK or euro Nissan Navara (Frontier) for the gear ratios and more strength in the transmission. I can’t seem to find anyone that has swapped a TDI, let alone a 3.0, into a Nissan, so i’ll have to come up with a custom bell housing adapter. I’m sure motor mounts will have to be fabbed/changed to fit the TDI vs. the Nissan 4.0, but I’m hoping I can keep the stock transmission mounting points and drive line lengths. It would just help make things easier. Not sure how much clearance I’d have between the firewall and the back of the motor, especially since most of the hardware is on the back plus the turbo. May have to move things forward some, not sure yet.
The next issue will be the electronics, but from reading other swap posts if the necessary pins and wires are located all I’ll have to do is supply power and ground to the necessary connections and I should be ok. Using the Nissan transmission will help with the speedo, and I think I’ll be able to use a diesel Nissan dash or at least frankenstein a diesel tach onto the existing gauge cluster. Still a ways away and will have plenty to do before then.
Any thoughts or tips? I know cost is going to be a big factor here, but this is something I want so I’m not as worried about it and I’ll have the funds with the new job here. Have any of your guys worked with the chip tuners for the swaps? Which ones are more friendly or helpful overall? I don’t want to mod this thing much, if at all, I’ll just be happy getting it moving and registered. Speaking with the DMV guys and from what I’ve been able to find online, I may have to go to Raleigh to have some extra or special emissions testing done, but who knows. Worst case scenario I register it in another state with family.
So things I think I’ll need. Please feel free to add on.
Truck
Motor (with donor car ideally)
Diesel transmission from UK or Aussie truck with transfer case.
DIesel fuel tank and filler neck plus the tank and inline fuel pumps, will likely need custom feed and return lines
Transmission bellhousing adapter plate to motor.
ECU (Will likely have to have the immobilizer turned off, right?)
VW throttle pedal
DPF, cat, urea injection system and tank, etc.
Will I need anything from the VW gauge cluster?
Will I be able to start the motor without the VW key? This is why the immobilizer will need to be deleted, right?
Things I don’t want:

An automatic transmission
A diesel over 2.5-3L
A foreign diesel because it will never be registrable here
A fullsize pick up
A 4bt
Thoughts, suggestions, leads, ideas? I start getting paid again next month so I’m going to be kicking things off then.
 

iwannajettatdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2003
Location
Salem, OR
TDI
2015 Brilliant Black Audi Q5 3.0TDI, 2014 Tempest Blue metallic Jetta Sportwagen TDI, 2002 Blue Eurovan Weekender BHW TDI
So in doing more research and reading, it looks like the 2005+ 2nd gen Frontiers have a Can-Bus for ECU communications. This is potentially accessible from the OBDII port if I'm reading correctly. Will this help or hurt trying to communicate with the VW Can-Bus and electronics?

Looking around now for a wrecked/salvage donor Touareg. I think this will make things easiest as far as plugs, harness, ECU as well as emissions parts, etc.
 

Scott_DeWitt

Vendor
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Location
Texas USA
TDI
2000 Audi A4 1.9TDI quattro
So in doing more research and reading, it looks like the 2005+ 2nd gen Frontiers have a Can-Bus for ECU communications. This is potentially accessible from the OBDII port if I'm reading correctly. Will this help or hurt trying to communicate with the VW Can-Bus and electronics?

Looking around now for a wrecked/salvage donor Touareg. I think this will make things easiest as far as plugs, harness, ECU as well as emissions parts, etc.
Last wrecked 3.0 liter Touareg I saw went for 12K. I guess buying a Toaureg is out of the question?
 

iwannajettatdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2003
Location
Salem, OR
TDI
2015 Brilliant Black Audi Q5 3.0TDI, 2014 Tempest Blue metallic Jetta Sportwagen TDI, 2002 Blue Eurovan Weekender BHW TDI
Last wrecked 3.0 liter Touareg I saw went for 12K. I guess buying a Toaureg is out of the question?
Well, I've had a Touareg. I was wanting a truck again. Plus the Touaregs only come in auto. Still wading through the emissions regulations stuff. But I've found some euro tuners that will likely be able to help with the ECU stuff. And it looks like the A4/6 B7 and B8 came with this motor with a manual transmission, so that's a huge step right there.

Do you guys know if an Audi ECU can be used in a VW motor? The sensors and motor should be the same, right?
 

gliitch

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2014
Location
FL
TDI
MKVI Golf
Resurrecting this. Ever make any progress? Looking to swap a 3.0 tdi into a 4runner project. In the research phase

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 

fin reaper

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2020
Location
Oregon
TDI
2006 Jetta; 2011 JSW
X2 in resurrecting. Any updates from either of you (or anyone else)? Thinking of swapping one into a Jeep wrangler JK.
 
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