Algae Power!!!!!!!!!!

[lostinthe202]

Hi everybody!

 

I picked up the host for my diesel conversion project the other day. It's not much of a looker... well it'll make you look but not in a good way (he he)

 

The plan you ask? Why to put a VW diesel engine in and run it on algae of course! But first things first.

 

I'm still researching tranny's. I am leaning towards the AX15 as it seems like it would be strong enough to handle the torque of the diesel. My concern is whether the gearing is going to be right for a diesel. I want the highest geared box I can get. Anyone know what the Comanche with the Renault diesel came with tranny-wise?

 

Thanks!!

 

Will-

 

P.S. here's some pics-

 

 

[fatcat0491]

Id tap that :nuts:

[lostinthe202]

Id tap that :nuts:

 

??

[86FUBAR]

Id tap that :nuts:

 

??

Thats Comanche slang for "thats a decent rig u got there" :thumbsup:

[SuperWade2]

I hope you didn't take offense when I busted your stones about it being ugly over on JeepForum when you posted over there... I was just messing with you..

 

But I did get a chance to pimp this site...

 

Welcome...

[onebigmj]

Are going to be using a VW diesel out a jetta or golf or something? Would it have enough power to pull a comanche around?

[Kenosha Warrior]

Noice 86. The Diesel trans that came in stock Oil-eater MJ's was the AX-5. If yours has the 4 angry Squirrels and its a 5spd, then you've got an AX-5.

 

 

If you can do an AX-15, do'er. Try for an External Slave, less headache when a part goes. You'll need to get a Bellhousing that will bolt to the engine you're uysing though

[offroader461]

OOO desiel swap...i wanna do that but not with the price of gas :mad:

[tkgibbs27]

yeah i would say bad timing for swappin' in a diesel motor.

[lostinthe202]

I hope you didn't take offense when I busted your stones about it being ugly over on JeepForum when you posted over there... I was just messing with you..

 

None taken whatsoever, I agree completely, it's one fugly truck! I think it was a delivery truck for an auto parts place or something. It's got 350k on the clock and leaks fluids like the town drunk. But, discounting the few rust spots on the sides of the bed, most of it is pretty rust free which is a shocker.

 

Are going to be using a VW diesel out a jetta or golf or something? Would it have enough power to pull a comanche around?

 

It should be fine. it's a long story, but the short of it is that I got this motor for free, it's a 1.9 liter diesel so it's 'prolly got more torque then the "4 angry squirrels" Kenosha mentioned (hehehe). It won't be fast, but I'm not looking for a race car. This truck's got a curb weight of about 3k lbs which puts it right around the same weight as a VW passat which is one of the cars this engine comes in.

 

Noice 86. The Diesel trans that came in stock Oil-eater MJ's was the AX-5. If yours has the 4 angry Squirrels and its a 5spd, then you've got an AX-5.

 

4 angry squirrels indeed, but mine's currently got a 4spd which makes it an AX-4 eh? I got to get something better then a 1:1 for the freeway.

 

If you can do an AX-15, do'er. Try for an External Slave, less headache when a part goes. You'll need to get a Bellhousing that will bolt to the engine you're uysing though

 

Thanks for the tip on the external vs. internal slave, I take it that AX-15's came with both in different years? Anyone know which years are the external?

 

As for the bell housing, I figure the cleanest way would be to make an adapter that will allow me to use the jeep flywheel and starter. I came across a good sized chunk of aluminum I can use to mill out the adapter, but I need to get my hands on the bell housing first to make sure it's big enough

 

OOO desiel swap...i wanna do that but not with the price of gas

yeah i would say bad timing for swappin' in a diesel motor.

 

Actually I'd say it's a great time. A Passat with this 1.9 liter engine is capable of about 40mpg on the low side for highway driving ( I do almost all highway so that's all I'm going to cover). So a 16 gallon tank of diesel would cost me $65.28 at the current national average of $4.08/gallon, and I would get 640 miles out of that tank. The MJ currently gets 23 mpg on the highway with it's 2.5L 4spd. A 16 gallon tank of gas would cost $55.68 at the national average of $3.48/gallon, and would only get 368 miles out of that tank. So to make up the difference in mileage, I would need to purchase an additional 11.8 gallons of gas (640-368=272, 272/23=11.82) at a cost of $44.25 making a grand total of $99.93 of gas to get the same 640 miles I could go on the diesel.

 

Then, if I can get the WVO thing going, fuel cost will drop considerably. I drive 500 miles a week for work so this is of interest to me. I know, I know you all are thinking "well if that's your commute then why don't you buy a hybrid or a civic or some other super efficient vehicle?" And the answer to that question is that it is more cost effective to do this conversion since that MJ cost me $400 and the engine was free. To buy a hybrid or even a newer civic or the like, it would cost several thousand dollars. A bird in the hand as they say. I did almost buy an older subaru to do this conversion with, but I like the idea of having a 4x4 truck that gets 40mpg and I can still use to haul my motorcycles and firewood!!

 

Whatcha think? :cheers:

[JeepcoMJ]

well, you will not get 40mpg is what i know, not what i think. you will lose around 10mpg simply by weight of vehicle.

 

my dad's daily driver is a 1986 MJ with the factory Renault 2.1 turbo, amc20 rear 4.10 gears and ax5 5 speed manual trans.

 

right now the head is cracked in the number 2 precup so he can't run the boost up. he's getting 25mpg even then. (new motor almost ready for install...just waiting on body parts). the highest he's ever gotten, and this was driving like a grandpa, was 33.7mpg with that truck, which is just about 500 miles on one tank.

 

I suggest you make sure you put at least 4.10 gears in the truck, if not 4.56 gears. if you do 4.56's don't expect to beat traffic on the interstate. 4.10's you should keep up but that's about it.

 

this is a good swap, it's worth it for you, but you're not going to average the gas mileage that a volkswagon does. may come close, but won't quite hit it.

[lostinthe202]

 

I suggest you make sure you put at least 4.10 gears in the truck, if not 4.56 gears. if you do 4.56's don't expect to beat traffic on the interstate. 4.10's you should keep up but that's about it.

 

this is a good swap, it's worth it for you, but you're not going to average the gas mileage that a volkswagon does. may come close, but won't quite hit it.

 

Thanks for the tips on the gears, again I'm not looking for fast. Yeah, it's going to be an experiment. the build will be the fun part and if I can get something better then 23mpg great! If it doesn't pan out, I'll pull the engine and put it in something else!