1999 Jeep Wrangler 2.2L Kubota diesel swap

[redveloce]

Thanks for the support everyone!

Not much to add today, just still logging commuter miles. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but this is my primary commuter vehicle. I commute 16 miles each direction into Seattle on mostly 25 and 35mph surface streets. The highest speed limit road on my commute is 45mph, for probably 3 miles. My friend with the GoPro is coming over tonight. We should be able to get some video as long as he remembers the camera.

The interest here, and on the CJ2A forum posted earlier, reminded me that my machinist friend was kind enough to share the drawings and measurements that he made. He doesn't have any interest in making any more adapters, but said the drawings are free for anyone to use. They are specifically for adapting the Kubota engine to the stock Jeep AX-15 transmission and 6-cylinder flywheel, but if your project is different, they would at least give you a head start on the engine side measurements. Here is the link to my shared Google drive folder. Let me know if you have any trouble accessing the drawings.
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B5HbNNsZZsOeWTJFemtHdjFGeXM/edit

 

[Pushrod]

I don't personally have the time to perform this level of mod but thanks for sharing. It is always so interesting to see what you DIY engineers can come up with in the way of modifications. Not everyone has an appreciation for everyone else's idea but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea. When we were young,many moons ago, a friend of mine replaced a blown VW engine with a 10 HP Briggs & Stratton engine "just for the fun of it" and it worked. It wasn't fast but it would go. Glad to see another project work to the satisfaction of the builder.

 

[redveloce]

To the OP, do you have a scan of the torque curve you can post?

The best I've been able to find is here, but I believe it's for the IDI. I haven't been able to find any good sources for info on the direct injection engines.
http://www.dieselenginemotor.com/kubota/super03/page5.html

It's a bit misleading, as the HP in the curve seems a bit irrelevant driving. The engine actually seems happiest from somewhere around 1400 to 2400RPM. The best pull is from just under 2000RPM.

 

[redveloce]

I don't personally have the time to perform this level of mod but thanks for sharing. It is always so interesting to see what you DIY engineers can come up with in the way of modifications. Not everyone has an appreciation for everyone else's idea but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea. When we were young,many moons ago, a friend of mine replaced a blown VW engine with a 10 HP Briggs & Stratton engine "just for the fun of it" and it worked. It wasn't fast but it would go. Glad to see another project work to the satisfaction of the builder.

Wasn't the original Beetle somewhere around 36hp? I think that a lot of people overestimate how much horse power they really need. Besides, it's torque that really moves you! :bike_rider:

 

[redveloce]

An interesting side note/effect of this topic. My wetsuit picture now comes up in the third row when you do a Google image search for "Kubota Jeep" (*edit* only without quotes) :victory::xxrotflma

 

[redthies]

I think this would be awesome in an old flat fender. (As opposed to a new flat fender?). While I would not consider a Smart car for road use, I think that a small diesel powered jeep that is intended for back country exploring is a great idea. I plan to flat-tow our Rubicon behind the F350 and camper on longer trips. A smaller, lighter rig would be way easier to deal with.

The intercooler plumbing adds a nice touch of "functional bling". Nice job!

 

[redveloce]

Thanks
The plumbing bling was all just chance. I actually would have gone with black, but plain aluminum was much less expensive. The blue was also entirely unplanned. I think it was 4 different orders from 3 different places over the period of several months, and each time the blue couplers were the only ones available. A friend picked up the water bottle that I converted to the coolant bottle on clearance for $1, again blue was the only color. I think the only piece I intentionally ordered blue was the reducer coupler on the air filter side of the turbo, and that was just last week! I guess sometimes things just seem to work out...

 

[BIGdaddy]

Thanks
The plumbing bling was all just chance. I actually would have gone with black, but plain aluminum was much less expensive. The blue was also entirely unplanned. I think it was 4 different orders from 3 different places over the period of several months, and each time the blue couplers were the only ones available. A friend picked up the water bottle that I converted to the coolant bottle on clearance for $1, again blue was the only color. I think the only piece I intentionally ordered blue was the reducer coupler on the air filter side of the turbo, and that was just last week! I guess sometimes things just seem to work out...

LoL, awesome!

 

[Willy G]

A stock samurai will actually have more power lol, 55 for them, but I am interested in what ASTONISHING fuel mileage you will get.

 

[thedjjack]

A stock samurai will actually have more power lol, 55 for them, but I am interested in what ASTONISHING fuel mileage you will get.

yes but location of HP on the curve (it is going to be low on a motor with a max 3000rpm)....

Plus the torque is what really moves you and a turbo diesel is a much different drive than a gas motor..

I was thinking a Suzuki would be a nice swap or back of a Baja Bug

 

[jeep-N-montero]

This is a nicely done and efficient swap, the sad yet truthful thing is that the nay-sayers are likely the ones who wouldn't even have the knowledge or ability to complete a running and safe project such as this. I'm looking forward to more mpg numbers.

Oh, and the wetsuit picture is still not making sense to me other than questioning why a dude is wearing one that says "naughty girl".

 

[redveloce]

This is a nicely done and efficient swap, the sad yet truthful thing is that the nay-sayers are likely the ones who wouldn't even have the knowledge or ability to complete a running and safe project such as this. I'm looking forward to more mpg numbers.

Oh, and the wetsuit picture is still not making sense to me other than questioning why a dude is wearing one that says "naughty girl".

Thanks!

The wet suit picture is a funny story. A friend and I were SCUBA diving under a bridge in a touristy lake town. He found some Mardi Gras beads, and put them on to be funny. Just as I was thinking that it would be great to figure out some way to one up him, I saw the partially burred "Naughty Girl" plaque. I realized what it was after pulling it out of the mud and immediately put it on...ahh fun times...

 

[Metcalf]

Why is everyone so hung up on the HP figure. My 7000lb Dodge truck on 39" tires has all but 160hp from the stock Cummins Engine? You don't see many people complain about that....

I bet the torque this little diesel puts out is probably similar or in excess of what the stock 4cyl engine did in the TJ chassis.

I would LOVE to build another 'new' flat fender with one of these diesel engines. It would have fuel injection like performance without any wires, similar to the stock engine in weight, probably get double or triple the mileage of the factory L134 engine, etc.....

Are there any blueprints or dimensional info for the bellhousing plate you made?

 

[mogwildRW1]

I agree with Metcalf.

My Unimog has 136hp, weigh's 14000lbs, yet gets down the road just fine.

Awesome project, subscribed.

Metcalf,

I think he posted blueprint stuff here:http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...angler-2-2L-Kubota-swap?p=1247487#post1247487

 

[redveloce]

Well, we didn't make it in time to have any daylight, but here's some GoPro videos. Note again that the tach is reading 1/3 fast, so 4000RPM on the gauge is 2666RPM. I couldn't help the sarcastic comment in the video cruising along on the freeway... :bike_rider: