When I first heard of a CRD option in the Liberty I had one thought.... wouldn't it be awesome to have one of those in my wrangler.

I know this option is new so it is unlikely anyone has attempted a swap yet.... are there any other diesel heads out there?
Any thoughts?

The easy part is the swap.
The impossible part if finding the parts to do it under $10k. So far I've only been able to find the pieces of the engine at the dealer. Block and head total about $7k.

The engines are manufactured for DC by VM Motori in Italy which is a subsidiary of Detroit Diesel. Detroit has them all over their webpages, but I've yet to find a detroit distributor that has any information on them or is willing to sell a long block/crate motor.

They have also been used in the www.futuretruck.org competitions in the last few years. I managed to contact someone at one of the universities that gave me a now bad contact at Detroit for finding the engine. I've got lots of dead ends on this subject if you'd like to hear them.

Still searching, mainly because I have a dream of a 35 mpg wrangler on 35s.

Jason

Jason,
I've also been looking into this for a while and come up with little to nothing. No doubt the swap would be pretty straight-forward. As for finding the parts, I guess we'll have to wait for someone to wreck a liberty and get it from the junkers.

Tom

yeah,
Been waiting for a Soccer mom to wrap one around a tree (Ok, also hoping the Soccer mom doesn't incur any injury).
As far as I've been able to dig up. The swap would be perfectly emissions legal in MD since it is a newer engine. Downside is that to be compliant you would have to make sure all of the libby emissions stuff (can't remember if I saw a particulate filter on it) is in there.
It was really kind of odd for the emissions guys to figure that out since they don't even test diesels.
I'm still digging. For now I'm swapping a 4spd auto for the 3spd to pickup some highway miles.

Tranny will most likely have to be the 6spd NSG370? or the 5speed auto that the libbies come with (545RFE?). Either will have fun wiring. probably will need to run the newer PCI based dash to get the gages to work.

I've been trying to keep my findings posted around.

Jason

My best so far was this email for sales at Penn Diesel

quote:

These engines, the VM 2.5 & 2.8L are not certified for use in the US yet.
We, as a Detroit Diesel Distributor can not purchase these engines.

I believe this is the engine that Daimler-Chrysler will be using in the
Jeep products in 2005 - 2006. They may want to keep it captive to their
branded vehicles.

Your best bet is to contact a European Distributor. They may sell you one.
We will not.

Odd since at that time they were on the front page of the Detroit website. I've even tried getting the industrial generator sales guys but haven't had any luck either.

Jason

I would guess either of those trannies would work. According to Jeep's site all CRD's are packaged with the 5 speed auto, but I bet the 6 speed would swap in. I've heard rumors from various places that engine options may change in the next few years for wranglers. Maybe a hemi or a diesel option from the factory, I hope so.

Eventually someone will sell the engine in the US, they have to be able to replace broken parts.

Good luck with the tranny swap.

Tom

I've already warned my wife. If they sell a CRD Rubi Unlimited we will be 30k more in debt.. Make that 40k.. I'd probably order it AirBaged and lifted from AEV.

Jason

That would be a nice investment indeed!

Tom

quote:

Originally posted by alosix:
My best so far was this email for sales at Penn Diesel

quote:

These engines, the VM 2.5 & 2.8L are not certified for use in the US yet.
We, as a Detroit Diesel Distributor can not purchase these engines.

I believe this is the engine that Daimler-Chrysler will be using in the
Jeep products in 2005 - 2006. They may want to keep it captive to their
branded vehicles.

Your best bet is to contact a European Distributor. They may sell you one.
We will not.

Odd since at that time they were on the front page of the Detroit website. I've even tried getting the industrial generator sales guys but haven't had any luck either.

Jason

What the heck do they mean my "not certified for use in the US"??? That dont make mutch sense.

Ive heard that they are already developing boxes and uprgraded injectors for those things. I want a clunker engine bad!

There was a guy at the Jeep Safari that had a rock buggy (he was offended by my calling it that, but TS.) It used a Cummins 4cyl out of a GM delivery van, vintage around 1990. That might not meet emissions in all locations, but it sure seems like an easier swap. I'm sure the world is full of those with rebuildable motors. Probably more power, too.

quote:

Originally posted by SprungTJ:
Ive heard that they are already developing boxes and uprgraded injectors for those things. I want a clunker engine bad!

Dude, these don't really clunk. There's a pre ignition burn done on the CR engines. The one at Camp Jeep last year was quieter than the 3.7 ltr gas libbies.


We've got the one of those 4bt cummins on the way to a buds house. Still trying to figure out what to stuff it in. Too old to be legal in a TJ. Might work in the CJ that's lying around though.

Jason

ohh come one, u got to have the clunk, thats the fun of having a diesel. The new common rail cummins is alot quiter in the new trucks as well. My buddy has a 6cyl ho cummins in his truck, strait piped with injectors, now thats a diesel.

I have a brand new 2.8 crd engine with all acc.(still on a pallet from Jeeps special engineering department) with 5 speed manual transmission (NV3550)if interested, e-mail me, Dave

Wish I had $ to do it. Just got a lift and tires.
Tom

Check this out - non-North America 3.0L CRD!

3.0L CRD

Dave what is your location and how much are you asking for the 2.8 CRD and Tranny?



[QUOTE]Originally posted by MNZ Mechanical:
I have a brand new 2.8 crd engine with all acc.(still on a pallet from Jeeps special engineering department) with 5 speed manual transmission (NV3550)if interested, e-mail me, Dave

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Scrambler,

Here's the link from the last time he put it on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIte...ame=STRK%3AMEUS%3AIT

Jason

I found this listing while looking for the above linked one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Prototype-Jeep-Liberty-CRD-VM-...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I wish I had the money to do the swap right now.

quote:

Originally posted by alosix:
I've already warned my wife. If they sell a CRD Rubi Unlimited we will be 30k more in debt.. Make that 40k.. I'd probably order it AirBaged and lifted from AEV.

Jason

AEV has already done the conversion. Here is a photo on their website. http://www.aev-conversions.com/Gallery/DSC_8865.jpg I asked them about it and they said they will not take any orders for the conversion and will not give any info on how they did. It does show that it is feasible.