Converting TJ to a CRD

racertracer · **Posted:** Tue May 04, 2010 9:50 pm

Similar question to the other post regarding CRD conversion.

What would it take to install a 2.8 VM Motori CRD and tranny in a TJ?

Would it work?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue May 04, 2010 11:31 pm

Call Burnsville Offroad and ask Dan.

http://www.burnsvilleoffroad.com/default.aspx

MrMopar64 · **Posted:** Wed May 05, 2010 6:04 am

Yes it will work, just depends on how much money/time you can afford to spend.

If you have a wrecked KJ CRD as a donor, you're in the best shape.

You need:
*ECU
*Gatekeeper
*Immobilizer

The easiest is to take the wiring harness from the wrecked KJ and install in the TJ so that you have all the components (this is how most other conversions have been done in the past). If converting to a manual, you need to add wiring for the upper and lower clutch switches and get the ECU calibration from the manual trans KJ. Some in the US have done the manual trans swap w/o the extra parts but I don't think the driveability would be very good.

butcher_block · **Posted:** Wed May 05, 2010 8:42 am

so inn swaps like this (i know we are talking about a TJ) but would it be better ton have a new style computer/ bus setup to splice into or a older computer and just replace the whole works
i guess that i should say maybe a 1999 vs a 2005 or the like

dgeist · **Posted:** Wed May 05, 2010 9:25 am

butcher_block wrote:

so inn swaps like this (i know we are talking about a TJ) but would it be better ton have a new style computer/ bus setup to splice into or a older computer and just replace the whole works
i guess that i should say maybe a 1999 vs a 2005 or the like

You would be essentially replacing all the components in the jeep that really NEED computer control. The dash, engine control, transmission control, etc all (to some degree) operate in conjunction with each other on the CRD. You're going to have a lot easier time using the TJ as a shell (perhaps retaining the body electrical, climate control, braking, and major power distribution) and making all the running instruments CRD-based. Here's a story on doing the conversion on an XJ:
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/0903dp_jeep_cherokee_2_8l_turbo_diesel_conversion/index.html

That Cherokee went up for sale a while back. Don't know who ended up with it.

Dan

geordi · **Posted:** Thu May 06, 2010 3:01 pm

I looked into doing this into a 97 ZJ... It would have been a monumental pain in the arse. Basically I would have ended up with a KJ almost completely stuffed inside a ZJ body. No real point to trying that anymore, the car manufacturers have made things FAR too over-engineered and electronically complex... For reasons that escape me. It certainly doesn't seem to have anything to do with actual vehicle performance!

Then again, when you add another 50 miles of wiring to a vehicle, the sheer WEIGHT of all that copper starts to drop the MPG numbers.

JeepBumm68 · **Posted:** Thu May 06, 2010 9:04 pm

I looked at doing this to my 05 Rubi. I talked with the guys over at AEV and they answered questions but did not get me build plans or anything from when they did the conversion. They pretty much said, it was such an booty pain that they would never do it agian.

butcher_block · **Posted:** Thu May 06, 2010 11:23 pm

it would jsut be nice to have a repower option right from VM like you can get crates of other diesel motors

JDaPP · **Posted:** Fri May 07, 2010 4:55 pm

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38858

You can buy this one already done (not a TJ I know)

Converting TJ to a CRD

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