Jeep TJ 2.5L Cummins R2.8L Crate Engine Swap

[itsbobbydean]

Hello!

I'm one of the many 2.5L 4 cylinder Jeep TJ owners who want's more power. I've thought about doing many complicated swaps. I've even thought about putting a 6 cylinder jeep TJ engine in my 2.5L. With the new Cummins R2.8L 4 Cylinder Diesel engines, I really wanted to do the swap. What things would I have to have done? I'd be having a mechanic do the swap of course, but I'm looking into pricing and if it's worth my while. Everybody says to just trade it for the 6 cylinder jeep, or trade and do the swap on the 6 cylinder jeep. I have a lot of money on my 2.5L Jeep in suspension and more, and I don't really want to just get rid of it for half it's price. I've seen people do the swaps before, I just wonder if swapping this new crate engine is possible? Even if I have to buy a new transmission, radiator, computer, etc.

[Moses Ludel]

itsbobbydean...You've put good thought into this conversion and your needs.  The prototype vehicle, which has been in service for a while and is illustrated in the SEMA Show interview video at the magazine, has worked well.  I'm in steady contact with Advance Adapters, they are a valued sponsor at the magazine and forums.  We were talking about a 50-State emissions legal diesel swap into a Jeep CJ, YJ, TJ, XJ or ZJ and WJ for years, and recently this R2.8L Cummins came into play.  It's a natural if you plan to keep your Jeep TJ Wrangler for a long time and can amortize the cost of the crate engine, adapters, additional parts and the installation labor.

As for alternatives and necessary parts, at the magazine I cover the welding and cutting involved with replacing a 2.5L YJ or TJ Jeep engine with a 4.0L or 4.2L inline six.  Here is the article: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/MIG-Welding?r=1.  Making that conversion would be similar to the amount of work involved with the R2.8L Cummins diesel installation.  If you want to keep your TJ Wrangler, it would be just as practical to do the diesel as the inline six conversion—if you can afford the Cummins crate engine package and the Advance Adapters pieces...

As for additional parts, your AX5 transmission is likely too light for the diesel engine.  Like a 4.0L six-cylinder swap, you want to consider the AX15 transmission, which Advance Adapters sells brand new.  You need the AA engine/transmission adapters, clutch and linkage (could be in the kit), it's stated that a 6-cylinder radiator (new in your case, perhaps with a shroud and fan) will handle the diesel according to Cummins, the transfer case would be okay (NP/NV231), you'd need the usual exhaust system and fabrication work that accompanies any engine swap.  Far more details should be available by the time of release, the aim of Cummins Repower/Advance Adapters is to make this a user friendly installation.

Since Advance Adapters wants this to be a fairly easy conversion, many of the detail parts should come with the adapter package.  Similarly, Cummins has made the crate engine "run ready" with the ECU/ECM, the fly-by-wire throttle, the power steering pump, a vacuum pump for your power brakes, the flywheel and a fuel pump on the engine.  This may sound like a shoe-in, but any swap "package" is just a starting point.  There are many details that creep up in any swap, wiring and other chores, though Cummins does furnish the main crate engine harness.

As for cost, figures have not yet been released.  You do need to stay in contact with Advance Adapters, the good news is that your TJ Wrangler is already on the prototype level as a candidate, and the predicted launch of the package was the first quarter 2017.  We're well into that now, so the package described in the video interview at the magazine should be near ready for release, initially for the Jeep TJ Wrangler...We've been in discussion about an XJ Cherokee swap package prototype, using the magazine's 4x4 with the AW4 automatic transmission.  That has been tentatively slated for early summer.

Moses 

[Moses Ludel]

Here's an update from Cummins on the R2.8L Crate Engine availability and developments:

Greetings Fellow Enthusiasts, I’m Steve Sanders, Program Leader for Cummins Repower™ – the new crate engine business of Cummins Inc, responsible for bringing the R2.8 Turbo Diesel to market. First of all, thank you. You received this note because you already either completed the Cummins Repower survey or signed up online to be notified when these engines are available for purchase. Your voice brought this program to life and I am grateful for that. The entire Cummins team is thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response from enthusiasts like you from all over the world. Every day we are asked, “When can I buy the R2.8?” and, “How much will it cost?” While we aren’t quite ready to announce those details yet, I assure you our team is working tirelessly to perfect our R2.8 Turbo Diesel package based on your feedback, in order to live up to your expectations for Cummins quality. As explained in the formal announcement of Cummins Repower at the 2016 SEMA Show, our start of sales date is dependent upon emissions certification. We will only launch once we can provide customers clear guidance as to which vehicle vintage and weight class our certifications will cover. Cummins Repower’s most important objective is to offer enjoyable, reliable and compliant engines to keep your Repowers on the road or trail for years to come, and eliminate the confusion at the license branch and smog referee. I have had the distinct pleasure of driving many of our test vehicles thousands of miles in many different configurations over the past several years, and I plan to be first in line to buy one. When it comes to what you would expect from a Cummins, the R2.8 does not disappoint – giving any qualifying vehicle a turbo-charged diesel breath of new life. There will be a few Cummins R2.8 test vehicles running around at this year’sEaster Jeep Safari and Overland Expo West. We hope you will stop by and check them out. We should have more updates to share by then as well. Also, tune in to upcoming episodes of Xtreme Off-Road on Power Nation TV to watch as the R2.8 Turbo Diesel is installed into a wildly modified Land Rover Defender 90 by host Ian Johnson. In the meantime, keep planning your builds, posting on social media using the hashtag #CumminsRepower, and keep the questions coming. See you all in the spring! Very Respectfully, Steve Sanders Business Development Manager Automotive & Enthusiast Segment Cummins Inc.

Cummins Inc.