1999 Jeep cherokee, ALH swap

[cherokee89sport]

My original install was a 1.6TD to a Toyota A43D (2wd), no electronics so that part was easy but I had a kickdown cable to deal with. For some reason that setup vibrated so bad that I couldnt buckle my seatbelt with the engine running because the lock-up feature of the seat belt would engage. Vibration would go away when driving. The shift points seemed way off for the diesel. I'm sure I could have worked out some of those issues, but I converted to a 5-speed instead. Autos are nice for for wheeling, so much more control.

See thats the problem with trying to use the stock ecu but with that aftermarket controller, I can program shift points and even the torque converter stall speed all with a serial port and a laptop. I can even wire in manual control and 2 different sets of shift points, 1 for power and 1 for economy. It also allows torque converter lock up in all four gears!! And evidently even adjusts shift firmness. It only requires a few sensors and evidently you can program it for different types of tps signals too.

 

[Whitbread]

Here's the new turbo setup for Sweetjeep

 

[Bczuk]

 

[Whitbread]

Your Zuk is begging for that turbo (1756vk), an 11mm pump, some R520 nozzles, and a 3 bar map sensor. Mark could easily make it smokeless and scream for you since you're so close to him

If you reallyyyy wanted to have fun, port the head, valvesprings, and put a cam in. Hellooooo power to 6K .

 

[Bczuk]

Your Zuk is begging for that turbo (1756vk), an 11mm pump, some R520's, and a 3 bar map sensor. Mark could easily make it smokeless and scream for you

If you reallyyyy wanted to have fun, port the head, valvesprings, and put a cam in. Hellooooo power to 6K .

I will have to make sure I can make the other parts live with just mild upgrades first. I have a Marlin 1600# clutch already but I think a few here have killed those quite easily

 

[sweetjeep]

That sure looks like the one that appeared on my front steps today!

Tomorrow it will make the ride out to have a meet and greet with it's new friends in the Jeep tomorrow!

 

[sweetjeep]

I owe you all some pictures. Here is what I have at the moment. Including the frame notch and current brace and the turbo installed.

http://photobucket.com/Sweetjeeps_TDICherokee

Matt did an AWESOME job tucking the turbo in against the block and pointing the manifold in an appropriate direction. So I actually ended up with some decent clearance, though the notch was absolutely required. I think that even once I untilt the motor the notch is likely to still be required, though I may be able to brace it back up a fair bit.

 

[01greenjetta]

Unibody Stiffener

There are all kinds of products made to beef up the frame of XJ's, I've heard these ones are good.
http://www.hdoffroadengineering.com/collections/frontpage/products/xj-front-frame-stiffeners
There is some discussion about them here: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/front-frame-brace-1350255/

 

[cherokee89sport]

Well have you got it running yet?

 

[sweetjeep]

Well have you got it running yet?

haha. Not yet.

My mechanic is a great guy, but sold his house (where he works) a short time ago and as a result the progress is currently stalled.

The truck is back at my house at the moment and I am working on it until he gets his new shop up and running.

I am working on the exhaust right now (as in today) and will be ordering intake piping soon.

Depending on his progress at his new place will dictate when I can get the motor running again. It's sort of a hodgepodge of wires right now.

If I am honest, and I told him as such, I am pretty disappointed at the progress.. but he is being entirely reasonable with the cost so far, so I don't have too much to complain about.

The weather is garbage today and the truck is outside, but if I can manage to get it INside or tomorrow I'll bang out some pictures of where we are at now.

 

[cherokee89sport]

haha. Not yet.

My mechanic is a great guy, but sold his house (where he works) a short time ago and as a result the progress is currently stalled.

The truck is back at my house at the moment and I am working on it until he gets his new shop up and running.

I am working on the exhaust right now (as in today) and will be ordering intake piping soon.

Depending on his progress at his new place will dictate when I can get the motor running again. It's sort of a hodgepodge of wires right now.

If I am honest, and I told him as such, I am pretty disappointed at the progress.. but he is being entirely reasonable with the cost so far, so I don't have too much to complain about.

The weather is garbage today and the truck is outside, but if I can manage to get it INside or tomorrow I'll bang out some pictures of where we are at now.

Pictures sound great!!!

 

[sweetjeep]

Pictures sound great!!!

Look up 4-5 posts.

Current progress is: The motor is in, but not wired. I am working on the power steering pump. I am running an electric pump for added awesome (and more power and a little simplicity).

I was originally going to go with a custom radiator and intercooler, but I think I have decided to go with the stock Jeep radiator in the stock position and slot out the front bumper and go with a Jetta FMIC behind the bumper and duct it. This will make future maintenance a lot easier.

Exhaust and intake will obviously be custom, but that's simple.

Then I am just waiting on the mechanic to get his new place set up so he can get this beast wired.

 

[sweetjeep]

FINALLY progress has been reinstated!

 

[N2TOH]

on the subject of turbo chargers, I know of a nifty air foil bearing that replaces ball and sleeve type bearings that requires no oil feed and better yet has no return port that needs scavenging.

 

[sweetjeep]

I have heard of such things. Are you talking about a bearing set that replaces EXISTING parts.. or has to be engineered into something.

 

[Whitbread]

I have heard of such things. Are you talking about a bearing set that replaces EXISTING parts.. or has to be engineered into something.

No clue. Back on topic.......

Pics or it didnt happen!

 

[sweetjeep]

hahaha.. I can't provide pictures of the Jeep being back in progress as it is at Mike's house (Matt "knows" Mike). But rest assured Mike was pretty upset at his lack of progress from last time so I think he is bent on getting stuff done. Plus I am not paying him until stuff gets done. And he just bought a new house.. and has about a dozen kids.. and likes to eat. So I have faith that he intends to get the motor done!

 

[N2TOH]

That is a question better asked of the people who produce the bearings. here is another example http://rotorlab.tamu.edu/tribgroup/Proj_MetalMeshGB.htm

No clue. Back on topic.......

Pics or it didnt happen!

 

[sweetjeep]

I have some fun updates coming soon. I'll include pictures as soon as I can and some pictures of Whitbread's sweet sweet handiwork!

 

[quietmission]

Is 94x your mechanic? I can vouch for Mike's work and he is a very good guy to deal with. He stands behind his work and he is a very good communicator.
BTW Nice project! I am glad that you are using Mike because i spoke to him before about a similar swap project into a toyota. I am pretty sure that he will have more ideas when it comes time for me to do my swap.

 

[sweetjeep]

Is 94x your mechanic? I can vouch for Mike's work and he is a very good guy to deal with. He stands behind his work and he is a very good communicator.
BTW Nice project! I am glad that you are using Mike because i spoke to him before about a similar swap project into a toyota. I am pretty sure that he will have more ideas when it comes time for me to do my swap.

I don't know what his screen name is. But it's Mike McCann in Westfield. He came highly recommended. I have been quite happy with all that has transpired with him thus far.

I can't say what he will tell you if you ask him to do the same for you. I think the answer will probably be "Go Away". No.. I don't know. He and I had some troubles that made progress go way slower than either of us would have liked. He moved and lost his good workspace and doesn't have room for a project in his current shop and some other non-trivial stuff. As a result progress was slow. But the quality of the work didn't appear to suffer.

Either way, like I said, I am happy with what I got. I got exactly what I asked for and all is well!

 

[quietmission]

highly recommended. I have been quite happy with all that has transpired with him thus far.

Yep that's him. It should be fun when it's all done and Mike will take care of you. I am following your progress though. My truck is an 89 toyota extracab pick up but it has been sitting for a while now. I got to check if it's not rotted to pieces before i can even think about my project.

 

[k3dlg]

Your awesome!!!!!!

Heres a link to some pictures, more will follow.

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/j423/Muffinman20051/Das Jeep/

This is what I want to do with my XJ. I haven't had a chance to read the whole thread yet, but what type of mileage are you getting so far?

 

[sweetjeep]

This is what I want to do with my XJ. I haven't had a chance to read the whole thread yet, but what type of mileage are you getting so far?

So far.. infinate and zero. Not on the road yet. My garage has too much crap in it for me to work on the truck right now.

I'll be getting back to it soon.

 

[k3dlg]

bummer

So far.. infinate and zero. Not on the road yet. My garage has too much crap in it for me to work on the truck right now.

I'll be getting back to it soon.

I know how that goes all too well. Best of luck to you.

 

[sweetjeep]

I have managed to drive it a little. I have to install the intercooler and the intake plumbing and get it to a shop to get some real motor mounts made up. The motor rotates wildly with out having some hard mounts in place.

The tune is a bit out of whack but I think it will drive very nicely when we get it tuned up. It won't be a rocket ship, but it shouldn't be any slower than a stock 4.0, which isn't the slowest vehicle on the road.

At the moment the motor swings too wildly for me to really beat on it with out fear. Plus no intercooler and blah blah blah. Close. Very close.

 

[A-man930]

Old, old thread here. Does it drive yet? Its hard to find people who have completed a TDI XJ swap... makes me nervous.

 

[evguy1]

I'm also doing an XJ/TDI conversion and not there yet but making good progress. I have a build thread going on the Cherokee forum.
http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f46/2000-tdi-blacky-205238/#post3024045
Should have a cool new adapter design in about two weeks.

 

[sweetjeep]

Hey Guys,

The project has, sadly, been idle for a year or so. Silly things like "life" got in the way.

The motor is built, installed and I have driven it. It actually EXTREMELY well. I built the motor to be, approximately, 200 wheel hp and 375+ ft/lbs.

I need to plumb the intake/intercooler, and exhaust and it's driveable. There are the other odds and ends that need to be figured out, but it's all detail work.

However, to be perfectly honest, I doubt I am going to get back to it and am thinking about selling it. I'd love badly to get it done, but I made a couple significant career choices that preclude me from working on it.

Odds are I am going to sell it, possibly whole, possible in pieces. I have been wrestling with what to do for months and I continue to do nothing.