Manual Tranny for VW 1.9 TDI (1 Viewer)

[cvan1971man]

We have a frankenstein FJ40.

1973 FJ40, with 1978 2f engine, 4spd tranny and tcase. It has different year doors on it, a hard top with ambulance doors, different year steering wheel, the list goes on and on.

I have been kicking around the idea of doing a diesel conversion, and stumbled across several that have used a VW 1.9 TDI. I know how hard it is to find a toyota diesel that would be an easier matchup and a cummins is going to be insanely expensive.

With the 1.9 TDI, I'd like to keep it manual. what tranny would match up to that or is it possible to get a conversion kit to work with an H55? This is a daily driver and gets 13MPG on the road, so looking for better MPG.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Start here.... Builds - Meet Ivy, 1976 FJ40 w/VW TDI - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/meet-ivy-1976-fj40-w-vw-tdi.1092256/

Post #19 has a couple links to adapter suppliers. What adapters are available kinda determines what trans you can use.

 

[POPO AGIE]

We have a frankenstein FJ40.

1973 FJ40, with 1978 2f engine, 4spd tranny and tcase. It has different year doors on it, a hard top with ambulance doors, different year steering wheel, the list goes on and on.

I have been kicking around the idea of doing a diesel conversion, and stumbled across several that have used a VW 1.9 TDI. I know how hard it is to find a toyota diesel that would be an easier matchup and a cummins is going to be insanely expensive.

With the 1.9 TDI, I'd like to keep it manual. what tranny would match up to that or is it possible to get a conversion kit to work with an H55? This is a daily driver and gets 13MPG on the road, so looking for better MPG.

I have a Cummins R2.8 adapted to the 2F bell housing with H55F and split transfer case. I got my adapters from Overland Cruisers in Belgrade MT and since I used the 2F bell housing it became the datum point for locating the drive train front to back and side to side. The motor mounts in the kit bolt into the frame in existing holes to set there location before welding. Grind on the bell housing mounts so they clear the adapter plate and they locate the bell housing and gear boxes between the frame rails. Then you bolt up the crossmember from the kit with Toyota isolator and weld in the crossmember to the frame. The front motor mounts also use Toyota isolators. Once the welding is complete and have the assembly back in place you have the option to reuse the bell housing motor mounts or delete them once the crossmember is welded in. Kurt from Cruiser Outfitters has a FJ40 with the bell housing motor mounts and crossmember since the early 2000s. I reinstalled my mounts on the bell housing.

Quick Draw has adapters for other Cummins diesels but you will have to figure out where everything will sit before welding in. There bell housing only attaches the H55F to the block and does not have any attachment to the frame.

The TDI has such a small displacement that it cant flow enough air across the head and they have EGT issues. The larger displacement of the R2.8 breaths better. There is a video taken in Moab, UT where the compare the TDI and R2.8 and they both agreed that the R2.8 moves air better.

 

[cvan1971man]

I have a Cummins R2.8 adapted to the 2F bell housing with H55F and split transfer case. I got my adapters from Overland Cruisers in Belgrade MT and since I used the 2F bell housing it became the datum point for locating the drive train front to back and side to side. The motor mounts in the kit bolt into the frame in existing holes to set there location before welding. Grind on the bell housing mounts so they clear the adapter plate and they locate the bell housing and gear boxes between the frame rails. Then you bolt up the crossmember from the kit with Toyota isolator and weld in the crossmember to the frame. The front motor mounts also use Toyota isolators. Once the welding is complete and have the assembly back in place you have the option to reuse the bell housing motor mounts or delete them once the crossmember is welded in. Kurt from Cruiser Outfitters has a FJ40 with the bell housing motor mounts and crossmember since the early 2000s. I reinstalled my mounts on the bell housing.

Quick Draw has adapters for other Cummins diesels but you will have to figure out where everything will sit before welding in. There bell housing only attaches the H55F to the block and does not have any attachment to the frame.

The TDI has such a small displacement that it cant flow enough air across the head and they have EGT issues. The larger displacement of the R2.8 breaths better. There is a video taken in Moab, UT where the compare the TDI and R2.8 and they both agreed that the R2.8 moves air better.

what kind of mpg are you getting out of it?

 

[POPO AGIE]

That is still unknown, I am not done. I will be happy if I get 20 mpg and with the new tank I am expecting a ~600 mile range.

The R2.8 heat soaks quick and anyone that has tried to run the electric fan has had cooling issues and switching to a mechanical fan and making sure the air flow goes through the cooking stack and not over the top. I will have a sheet metal cap made to direct air where it needs to be.

I am at the altitude 5200' where they experience problems on grades so for me I have to climb in 3 directions so I got an 18" fan from Quick Draw and a shroud from Man a Fre that bolted up to the 4 core direct replacement radiator. I had to move the radiator back and down to line up the shroud with the fan. That gave me room to put the steering cooler where the radiator use to be.

Here is my build with information and a lot of photos.

Builds - Rebuild of Trusty

Today I ordered an FJ60 rear axle housing to convert to a full floating axle. After researching what it will take to modify the frame it looked like something that I have the skill set to accomplish since I did my own reverse shackle set up. After weighing the cost of different options to...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[archie73]

Check out @Godfather90 build page. He seems very happy with the tdi. He posts sum very impressive numbers.

Builds - Mike's 1978 FJ40 Turbo Diesel Refit Project and Cross Country Road Trip!

Hello All, This Thread will contain two parts, one being the overview of the truck i just put together, and the other outlining my drive from New York back to California. Here's the Trip I have planned that starts next Friday (8/3/18) and continues (Hopefully) until 8/20/18: Its going to be...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[orangeyz]

what kind of mpg are you getting out of it?

I've got the same engine with an NV4500 and have been getting between 20 and 25 almost always.
Got 27 once on a highway run with the truck mostly unloaded. Driving 55-65 mph.
With a trailer full of camping stuff and a dirt bike I usually get 22mpg.

 

[Old Nick]

We have a frankenstein FJ40.

1973 FJ40, with 1978 2f engine, 4spd tranny and tcase. It has different year doors on it, a hard top with ambulance doors, different year steering wheel, the list goes on and on.

I have been kicking around the idea of doing a diesel conversion, and stumbled across several that have used a VW 1.9 TDI. I know how hard it is to find a toyota diesel that would be an easier matchup and a cummins is going to be insanely expensive.

With the 1.9 TDI, I'd like to keep it manual. what tranny would match up to that or is it possible to get a conversion kit to work with an H55? This is a daily driver and gets 13MPG on the road, so looking for better MPG.

VW TDI to Toyota Land Cruiser H55/H42 Manual Transmission Adapter Kit

Diesel Swap, TDI, Turbo Diesel, Toyota Land Cruiser, H55, Engine swap, Transmission Adapter, Volkswagen, VW, Toyota, Transmission adaptor, VAG Diesel.

performanceadapters.com

I'm just starting to acquire parts for a TDI swap into my '75 Pig. Bought the adapter above as it mates to either the H55 or the H42. Going to stick with the 4speed at the moment to keep costs down, but am planning to upgrade to the H55 and new t-case from cruiser outfitters when I get rolling and saving.

 

[EWheeler]

Depending on what adapter kit you decide to use, make sure the company gives specific directions on what flywheel and clutch kit it is compatible with. When i was researching this swap a few years ago, i remember finding that only the fine spline diesel H42/H55 would work with the kits offered on the market at that time. Can’t remember the exact details as to why, but i think it had to do with length of the input shaft….

 

[Old Nick]

Depending on what adapter kit you decide to use, make sure the company gives specific directions on what flywheel and clutch kit it is compatible with. When i was researching this swap a few years ago, i remember finding that only the fine spline diesel H42/H55 would work with the kits offered on the market at that time. Can’t remember the exact details as to why, but i think it had to do with length of the input shaft….

Great info., man. Thank you.

I got in touch with the adapter maker and cruiser outfitters. Adapter maker said that the spline length from the Pig's current set up (2F and H42) would bolt right up. Also able to retain the Pig's clutch and starter. When the kit arrives... supposedly tomorrow... I'll post up some pics.

 

[Old Nick]

Unchartered territory for me. I've rebuilt engines, but never done a swap. Lots of shenanigans going to happen, I'm guessing... lol.

There will be a proper build thread over the in the Sty when I get rolling.

 

[Old Nick]

ALH TDI Stand Alone Wiring Harness with Glow Plugs for 1999-2003 VW Vo

Brand New Standalone engine wire harness for Volkswagen ALH 1.9L diesel engines. This is a PLUG AND PLAY ready to run harness for engine swaps. INCLUDES GLOW PLUG WIRING AND SWITCH. This Harness is for 1.9L ALH engines found in 1999-2003 VW Jetta, Golf, and Beetle. This Harness works with ecu...

d-cparts.com

This harness looks pretty darn good. Haven't pulled the trigger as I need to research the maker's reputation on the VW forums.

I can't believe that I'm looking at VW parts... lol.

 

[DangerNoodle]

Check out @Godfather90 build page. He seems very happy with the tdi. He posts sum very impressive numbers.

Builds - Mike's 1978 FJ40 Turbo Diesel Refit Project and Cross Country Road Trip!

Hello All, This Thread will contain two parts, one being the overview of the truck i just put together, and the other outlining my drive from New York back to California. Here's the Trip I have planned that starts next Friday (8/3/18) and continues (Hopefully) until 8/20/18: Its going to be...

forum.ih8mud.com

Mike has also done a LOT to that engine, however, that is one of the nicest diesel swaps I've been in.

 

[AirheadNut]

I've been running a 1.9L ALH in my LJ78 for about 5 years and 45k miles now. It is backed by the factory R150f transmission with an R452 5th gear swap for higher overdrive ratio. Does great on the highway, but I have to slow down and grab 4th for big hills due to the tall 5th.

Current modifications to the engine are:
- 11mm injection pump
- GT1749va turbo from a BHW
- 0.216 injectors (DLC1019's)
- 3 bar MAP
- Custom tune for current hardware

With an older Malone Stage 4 tune and the stock 10mm pump it dynoed 136hp and 269ft-lbs at the rear wheels. The new custom tune is a bit more powerful but significantly lowered EGT's, which was an issue with the Malone tune. In my experience head flow isn't as much of a concern as properly sizing the turbo and getting the correct tune. My current turbo is only slightly larger than the stock unit and is the choke point for more power/lower temps at this point. The TDI gurus strongly recommended going with the latest generation Garrett VNT, a GTD, and going quite a bit larger. I am working on getting a GTD2060vz built to fit my application. Supposedly able to support 38psi and 320hp, I am not really looking for more power but a higher engine duty cycle, if that makes sense. Currently I have the power to accelerate, cruise and pull hills just fine, I just can't use it for very long without EGT's spiking. Everything I've heard about the GTD turbos is that they build boost lower and flow much better than the older versions, which would help the engine breathe better and run cooler.

The original adapter kit I used for the swap was an ACME Adapters R150 kit. That turned out to be a mistake as the adapter misaligned the engine and transmission, resulting in two shredded clutches and a destroyed input shaft bearing within 30k miles. I ended up designing my own adapter plate to replace it and had it machined locally.

Here's a link to my build: Builds - Another Prado in Montana - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/another-prado-in-montana.1026093/#post-11344135

Stoked to see more TDI swapped LandCruisers in the works!

 

[AirheadNut]

ALH TDI Stand Alone Wiring Harness with Glow Plugs for 1999-2003 VW Vo

Brand New Standalone engine wire harness for Volkswagen ALH 1.9L diesel engines. This is a PLUG AND PLAY ready to run harness for engine swaps. INCLUDES GLOW PLUG WIRING AND SWITCH. This Harness is for 1.9L ALH engines found in 1999-2003 VW Jetta, Golf, and Beetle. This Harness works with ecu...

d-cparts.com

This harness looks pretty darn good. Haven't pulled the trigger as I need to research the maker's reputation on the VW forums.

I can't believe that I'm looking at VW parts... lol.

I haven't come across that vendor before, so I can't comment on their work. However, the wiring aspect of a standalone TDI is actually pretty straightforward if you get the original harness with the engine (or better yet a complete donor car). VW has gained a pretty poor reputation in the past decade or so, but in my opinion the late 90's to mid 2000's TDI's are some of the best cars ever built. The drivetrains are nearly indestructible; one of my brothers has a stock 2001 Jetta with 398k miles on it, never been opened up, runs like a top and returns 48-52mpg at 80mph. My other brother also has a 2001 Jetta, it has been run out of oil twice (smashed oil pan) resulting in a snapped turbo shaft, we popped a used turbo on and it runs perfectly. No wear visible on the cam bearings, bottom end looks great. I've abused the ALH in my Prado for the past 5 years, it never complains about lugging a 4800lb vehicle around.

 

[Old Nick]

I haven't come across that vendor before, so I can't comment on their work. However, the wiring aspect of a standalone TDI is actually pretty straightforward if you get the original harness with the engine (or better yet a complete donor car). VW has gained a pretty poor reputation in the past decade or so, but in my opinion the late 90's to mid 2000's TDI's are some of the best cars ever built. The drivetrains are nearly indestructible; one of my brothers has a stock 2001 Jetta with 398k miles on it, never been opened up, runs like a top and returns 48-52mpg at 80mph. My other brother also has a 2001 Jetta, it has been run out of oil twice (smashed oil pan) resulting in a snapped turbo shaft, we popped a used turbo on and it runs perfectly. No wear visible on the cam bearings, bottom end looks great. I've abused the ALH in my Prado for the past 5 years, it never complains about lugging a 4800lb vehicle around.

Man, reading that got me seriously stoked. I’ve driven many TDIs from that era (lived overseas) and loved them. But have never owned one.

The vendor above has a store in the Bay. 100% positive reviews (for what that’s worth), but I bought direct from his site. When I first wrote to him, he responded within 30 mins. Extremely kind and knowledgeable. I
Pulled the trigger today.

And, the H55/42 adapter just showed up. It is beautifully machined.

 

[Old Nick]

Ordered the harness with the gauge pigtail. The plan is to convert the Pig’s gauges to electronic… add egt and boost gauges too. The glow plug switch ought to fit right where the choke knob lives.

 

[Old Nick]

I haven't come across that vendor before, so I can't comment on their work. However, the wiring aspect of a standalone TDI is actually pretty straightforward if you get the original harness with the engine (or better yet a complete donor car). VW has gained a pretty poor reputation in the past decade or so, but in my opinion the late 90's to mid 2000's TDI's are some of the best cars ever built. The drivetrains are nearly indestructible; one of my brothers has a stock 2001 Jetta with 398k miles on it, never been opened up, runs like a top and returns 48-52mpg at 80mph. My other brother also has a 2001 Jetta, it has been run out of oil twice (smashed oil pan) resulting in a snapped turbo shaft, we popped a used turbo on and it runs perfectly. No wear visible on the cam bearings, bottom end looks great. I've abused the ALH in my Prado for the past 5 years, it never complains about lugging a 4800lb vehicle around.

Did you do a build thread for your Prado swap? I’d love to see how things went as you got into the swap.

Edit: sorry, man. Just saw your link above. Looking forward to reading through it.

 

[AirheadNut]

That looks like a nice adapter! Assuming it uses the stock Toyota starter and flywheel? How thick is it? Depending on where it puts the engine relative to the firewall you may need to run a lower clearance coolant flange on the rear of the cylinder head (unless your engine is an automatic transmission version).

 

[AirheadNut]

Did you do a build thread for your Prado swap? I’d love to see how things went as you got into the swap.

Edit: sorry, man. Just saw your link above. Looking forward to reading through it.

I've been helping a friend do pretty much the same swap into a Euro spec LJ73, there were a lot of mistakes I made the first time around that are gratifying to avoid the second time.