TDI Swaps at -20°F! 3 Major Issues With The Dakota Swap In ONE Weekend!?! Test Driving 5.13 Gears!

I have really been trying and working towards getting the Dakota swap set up to be a daily driver but it seems to be giving me issues everywhere I look. A lot of them are self-inflicted from reusing parts off the cars and not upgrading things that probably should have been, but overall it is still working well and it's just taking a while to get to kinks worked out. It really is a pretty awesome family rig and did very well even in the crazy cold weather we have had lately! The 5.13 gears really helped it have power at every speed and over make it much more drive-able even in bad headwinds

[@TenesseeTDI]

Man I’ve seen several crank sensors fail on ALHs, especially with high milage tdis. But most of the crank sensor failures I see are on the bew Tdi’s. Quick way to check your crank sensor is wiggle the wire going to it while the engine is idling. If it dies then the sensor is going bad.

[@TDISwaps]

Good advice!!!

[@JohnSmith-tj5se]

I have a mechanical pump on my 5.9 cummins, om617 and my ALH, none of them require any power or ecu of any type to run, that's how I like my engines

[@TDISwaps]

The main advantage to electronics on these tdis is it makes it easy to limit fuel and increase boost at the same time lowering egts and allowing me to push the engine harder while maintaining best MPG. You would have to do compound turbos and still struggle too get the same MPG and egts with these tiny engines.

[@dakota121078]

You said something very important. Everything fails. At least with a vehicle you build, you know how it acts and where to start trouble shooting. You also most likely have spare parts on the shelf to test and replace. Another great video friend!

[@TDISwaps]

You are right about that! Thanks for always watching haha

[@ydocproductions5593]

How’s it going man. I’ve really enjoyed seeing that Dakota on the road. It’s a pretty sweet built. I have a channel myself that I’m looking to do a project on, and a Dodge Dakota not only would be super fun to build but would be a really great daily driver when it’s finished. Ive looked over a ton of vehicles to do a tdi swap in and the only other vehicle that would make sense for my life would be a 4Runner. That being said a Dakota would be a way cooler and capable vehicle. The only problem is they don’t make adapter kits for these trucks. I talked with the tech department over at TDConversions today and they said the factory starters/transmission combo simple doesn’t work with the tdi engines. I don’t even know if it’s possible but could an AX-15 swapped Dakota with a NP231 (or similar) transfer case be used with the factory driveshafts? My goal is to try and do a swap without having to go to a fab shop to get custom driveshafts made. It would simply blow the budget. Regardless I know you’re the king of tdi swaps so any advice or knowledge of a transmission/transfer case combo that would work that I’m simply not aware of would be super helpful. Thanks👍

[@TDISwaps]

Ha ha well honeslty I ended up getting both drive shafts made for this and it was an extra $1000, that being said the tcase factory to the Dakota should actually bolt to the ax15 as far as I know, possibly with a different input shaft installed and that would make your setup work as you're thinking.

[@ydocproductions5593]

@@TDISwaps Very interesting! So from my research the dodge Dakotas all have the NV233 transfer case (are they the same for auto or manual trucks?) which is basically just an electric shift NP231. So if the spline count for the input shafts are the same for both transfer cases what other measurements would I need to take into account?

[@TDISwaps]

@ydocproductions5593 not a whole lot else really! If the splint counts are good an ax15 will slide right on, only other issue will be firewall clearance, I have mine forward probably 2-3" making rear engine clearance very opened up, you may be tight to the firewall with the vacuum pump but I doubt it will be an issue, although I've never seen the engine bay of one of these Dakota's still having ifs suspension and all that

[@ydocproductions5593]

@@TDISwaps Ya compared to a Toyota 4Runner/ the engine bay room of these Dakotas might as well be a semi truck🤣. Im only guessing here, but the ifs shouldn’t be that big of an issue especially since the adapter plate from td conversions can be set to different positions (15* degrees if I’m not mistaken?). After doing more research; the ax-15 and NV3550 are pretty similar transmissions but from the looks of it, the NV3550 is a more modern transmission that also has a 23 spline output shaft. So all things being equal the nv3550 seems like a better option perhaps? Assuming the transmission and transfer case both have the same spline counts it would work, which makes sense. However, do you have any data or knowledge of doing your swaps throughout the years of whether the np231 or np233 have a different length input coming out of the front of the case, or input shaft that has a fatter/larger diameter. I know for example New Process Gear has 3 different input shaft lengths (short, medium, and long) with their np231. Do you think that would even matter no what transmission it’s bolted up to?

[@TDISwaps]

@ydocproductions5593 ha ha that's too much to respond to at once 😂. So the 3550 is technically considered weaker than the ax15 if I recall, and the TDI is very tall, it fits but I believe it's still pretty tight to the differential, and a differential support needs to be made that used to attach to the engine. Yes there are many input options the nv231/233 but I think they are all interchangeable, I'm not sure which would be required depending on the transmission. I had to cut down a long one on my Dodge np231 to work with the jeep aw4, but you can make it all work one way or another.

[@saleemcarr9501]

I live up in canada. I block off the whole radiator and only run the cabin heat as a radiator, lol. -30

[@TDISwaps]

Lol ya I was fully blocked that's for sure

[@saleemcarr9501]

The coolant block at the back of the head, mine has 3 glow plugs in it, it's from a 98 beetle. And work well to get the coolant up to temp in this cold. Caused clearance issues at the firewall, but a ginder fixed that. Get a mechanical pump from a range rover 300tdi, it's like 1000$cad but so worth it. No computer tuning just a 10mm. I'm making a mechanical valve for the fuel cut off pin, I'll let ypu know how it works and if it does I'll send you out one to test out. Basically a stock solenoid with the magnet pulled out and a lever to pull the pin up with a spring return. It will be on a push pull cable, but that bit isn't done yet. Wish me luck I have to drive mine 3000km across canada next week.

[@TDISwaps]

@saleemcarr9501 i have a mechanical pump on the shelf, but I have to be able to increase drive pressure to maintain realistic egts on a single turbo when I'm running 30 PSI boost continually, that would take compounds or more with a mechanical pump and I'm not wanting to get that crazy when a simple tune can make me move the kind of weight I am on almost no fuel and extra boost. You just can't set up a mechanical pump like that unfortunately, maybe triple turbos would do it LOL

[@renosgarage7451]

​@saleemcarr9501 I got the manual fuel cut off working on the 300tdi pump, I can send you some pictures if you want No more need for power to the solenoid

[@saleemcarr9501]

Well I drove half way across canada and the rad pipe blew off, overheated. Gained a rod knock and cracked the oil cooler clean in half. And there is a chunk of metal off the back side of the engineSitting between the engine and flywheel, can't see where it came from but it certainly a piece of block.

[@anthonyarguello5312]

Greetings from SoCal, I have an ALH swapped 4Runner and I have a question about your clutch switch wiring. Current I don’t have mine connected and every time you start the truck and drive it kills power after about 10ft. Clutch in and it’s fine. Do you use the yota clutch sensors and wire into the ECU? Or do you use the VW clutch sensor and mount to the yota pedal?

[@TDISwaps]

Actually that is due to the brake pedal not being wired. Pin 65 out of the big plug on the ECU needs to have 12v kick on with the key and you will fix that issue. Nothing to do with the clutch at all I don't have that wired either

[@anthonyarguello5312]

Thank you sir!

[@TDISwaps]

@anthonyarguello5312 no problem! Thanks for checking out the channel!

[@RandomlnternetGuy]

Do you build cars for customers? Or are these all personal cars?

[@TDISwaps]

Currently these are all personal or family swaps. I do go to someday work on customer swaps but I would need to be retired and debt free before I try that.

[@jacobkurtz9020]

What tire size are you running on the Dakota? Ive got 5.13 gears in a jeep and was concerned about over revving in a TDi swap

[@TDISwaps]

TDIs have a 5500 rpm limiter with tuning, 3000 at 80 mph is where the older ones run stock, aw4 and 5.13s with 33s looks to be 3000 at 85 mph

[@jacobkurtz9020]

@@TDISwapsThats right about the range I’m looking for, although ill be runnin an ax15 rather than aw4. Ill be slightly higher in the rpm range there but it wont be an issue. Thanks for the info!

[@TDISwaps]

@jacobkurtz9020 no problem man!

[@audiosfl]

what is that dash display with the wire?

[@TDISwaps]

The OBD display is an ultragauge, they have a website but there's also cheaper ones on Amazon as well that just read anything digital that the ECU is already being given

[@Scuurpro]

what do you think would be easier bhw or alh for a 02 tacoma 3.4

[@TDISwaps]

With the front diff opposite of mine I think the BHW might be easier, but only if dealing with AC compressor on the ALH

[@Scuurpro]

Hey you ever thought about making swap kits@@TDISwaps

[@TDISwaps]

@Scuurpro well it gets complicated with all the different swap vehicles and all the different versions of TDIs, a lot of it has to be specific to the vehicle and engine, but I've been showing guys how I make each swap work to try help give guys ideas to do it themselves.