2001 ALH/1995 toyota tacoma 2wd swap

Rockwell

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2009
Location
Manchester, NH
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI (R.I.P.), 1.6TD Toyota pickup, 2011 BMW 335d, 1996 Passat TDI
As much as I love the 4x4 toyotas, I think a TDI I a 2wd Toyota is the perfect combo for a fuel efficient pickup. I'm working on a 2wd build too and am glad to see this build coming along, it motivates me to get working on mine
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
Good luck. I've owned lots of tdi's and a couple of tacoma's. One was a 1995.5 4x4. Coincidentally I sold it to another tdi'er in Chicago and did a timing belt for him as part of the deal on the tacoma. I've always thought the alh belongs in that truck. Anyway, you have all the resources you need here! I'm sure it'll be an awesome little truck when you are done!
I think it'll be nice too. The trucks in great shape and it sounds like the manual steering was a lucky break. I'm going to get into my busy season at work but I'm still hoping to get it done pretty quick. i have everything for timing belt service. Anything else I should do while the motor is out and handy?
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma


I lined up the locking pin location on the pump and removed the lower timing belt cover to find these marks lined up. Thanks for the advice on this and I feel good about my TDC mark now.
 

Rockwell

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2009
Location
Manchester, NH
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI (R.I.P.), 1.6TD Toyota pickup, 2011 BMW 335d, 1996 Passat TDI
Sweet. Looking forward to more progress and pictures
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma


This is the starter and different bell housing that came with the truck. Not sure yet where the adjustment needs to be set. I don't have anything like a plate to go between the bell housing and starter so hopefully it works bolted directly on. Maybe I need to cut a piece of sheet metal?
 

DCELL

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Location
Sheridan, IN
TDI
'01 GOLF 2DR, ‘15 Passat SEL TDI
While that motor is out, check for leaks. Front and rear main seals in particular. if they are dry you should be good to go. Most everything else is serviceable while installed.
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
While that motor is out, check for leaks. Front and rear main seals in particular. if they are dry you should be good to go. Most everything else is serviceable while installed.
Everything looks dry, hopefully it stays that way. I'm waiting for ECU now.
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
So the IMI-128 starter is set up for a different application. The gear is always in the extended position. I called IMI about it and apparently it can be changed to work for my set up. All I have to do is ship it and they're happy to fix it for me. Good customer service from IMI. I even told him I wasn't the one that originally bought the starter.
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
ECU showed up in the mail. Got timing belt tools and a new back bumper too. I'll give the wiring harness more thought while I wait for the starter. I still need to build the plate to block off the water glow plug housing and decide where I'll tie the heater in.
 

Rockwell

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2009
Location
Manchester, NH
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI (R.I.P.), 1.6TD Toyota pickup, 2011 BMW 335d, 1996 Passat TDI
Can't block off that outlet, it's part of the cooling system. Where you going to mount the ECU? Stock location?
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
I'm just blocking the end off from where the glow plug housing attaches, not the rest of it. Isn't the hose barb coming out of the glow plug part just the heater supply? It looks like the ecu should sit nicely behind the glove box. I'm assuming that's where the stock Toyota one was?
 

jimbote

Certified Volkswagen Nut
Joined
Jul 10, 2006
Location
spiral arm, milky way (aka central NC)
TDI
Tacoma 4x4 converted to TDI
I'm just blocking the end off from where the glow plug housing attaches, not the rest of it. Isn't the hose barb coming out of the glow plug part just the heater supply? It looks like the ecu should sit nicely behind the glove box. I'm assuming that's where the stock Toyota one was?
you'll be fine blocking off the heater hose outlet .... yes, the tdi ecm nests nicely behind the glovebox in the stock toyota location
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
you'll be fine blocking off the heater hose outlet .... yes, the tdi ecm nests nicely behind the glovebox in the stock toyota location
Thanks. Im starting to think about how to hang and drive an ac compressor. The original is gone from the alh. He'd gotten rid of everything from the truck too so I guess I can use whatever compressor would be easiest. I'm guessing it can't be in the original location on the engine.
 

Rockwell

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2009
Location
Manchester, NH
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI (R.I.P.), 1.6TD Toyota pickup, 2011 BMW 335d, 1996 Passat TDI
What are you running for a turbo? If you use a side or top mounted, there should be room to mount the Toyota compressor on the passenger side
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
It's just the stock turbo on a 2001. I may want to upgrade that turbo some day. I think there is space for the ac compressor where the power steering pump was but i'm on the fence about how to drive it. Add a v-belt or try to get everything lined up to drive it off the serpentine belt with everything else. I've seen pictures online of both being done
 
Last edited:

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
Have the mounts that came with the acme kit. They're for a samurai but it looks like they'll be easy to build off of.
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
Gas pedal is in. The parking brake is in the way so the pedal ended up at a slight angle. The pedal feels a little tall, I'm definitely going to want the cruise working. I wish I knew if I needed the full range of motion of the pedal or if it was stopped short of that when in the car. I could bring it down some of it doesn't require all of its travel to get 100% throttle.

 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
I didn't trust the O-ring alone so I doped it a little bit. I don't think I could have kept in in place if I'd tried anyway.

 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
This is where I'm at so far. The solenoids that controlled vacume to the turbo were already removed from the motor. I'm guessing the plan was to run a different turbo. I'm staying stock for now so I have to get everything back together for the actuator. Wires and hoses were all cut too so I'm going to have to really dig into it. I think I have all the vacume parts I'll just have to piece it all back together. There's two solenoids, I'm assuming the turbo just used one?

 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
So to use the old master cylinder from the w-59 transmission on the w-56 I'll have to make a shim and get longer bolts. I'll probably just find the one for the w-56.

 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
what you doing for the motor mounts?
The motor mount bracketry I have is for 75-98. I guess it had nothing to do with samurai as I was told. I think they're useless. I'll just have to build them from the start. I thought the blocks were the same through the years but apparently not. I'll have to look through other builds to get some ideas but it doesn't look too difficult. I already ran a tap to clean the threads in the existing holes I may use.
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
Had a little time today so I thought I'd do the timing belt service. When the pin fit the pump, the lock lined up perfectly for the cam. The mark on the crank pulley was dead on and my TDC chisel mark was on too. Even using a new napa Allen socket one of the four bolts rounded. I tried driving a torx in and it rounded again. I drilled it 1/4" and drove the next size bigger torx into it and it finally broke loose. I think hitting it hard with a big hammer to drive the big torx socket did more than anything to help. I've taken these boots out of two vw diesels now and had trouble both times. I think I'll take the big hammer to them before even trying in the future.

 

DCELL

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Location
Sheridan, IN
TDI
'01 GOLF 2DR, ‘15 Passat SEL TDI
I use an impact to loosen those harmonic balancer bolts. I always order new ones with the tb kit, so if they get destroyed in the process it's fine. An Irwin bolt extractor works well too, just hammer it on over the outside of the stripped head. Looks like your way worked for you!
 

Heathd

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2015
Location
Illinois
TDI
2001 ALH/1995 Tacoma
im planning to convert my rear brakes to disc whats the easiet way to go about that
I'm no help there. I'd bet a lot of the samurai guys upgrade brakes. I'd guess it's just about standard equipment on a rock crawler too.
 
Top