TJ Wrangler Saved by YouTuber With Cummins Diesel Swap
Old-school yellow TJ rides on big rubber, though its current motor can barely move the tires these days.
Horsepower is important. The amount of ponies under the hood can be the difference between being a slowpoke or a champion thoroughbred on the highway or racetrack. Torque is also important, especially if you’re in a Jeep. Torque pushes your big tires over any surface, and torque can pull your buddies out of a jam.
So, what happens when your Jeep’s current power source is no longer up to the task? You start by adding mods to squeeze more power out. Eventually, though, you’ll likely swap in a better motor, which is what YouTubers CRAWL TV plans to do with a bright yellow 2001 TJ Wrangler named “Mud Bug.”
This TJ has seen better days under the hood. The factory 2.5-liter inline-four motor can barely start now, and whatever it’s putting out today is likely less than the 125 horses and 150 lb-ft of torque it had when it left the assembly line. Thus, the plan is “to put some pep in this thing’s step by swapping in a Cummins R2.8 diesel.” That turbocharged I4 delivers 161 horses and 267 lb-ft of torque to whatever obstacles are in this Jeep’s path.
Of course, the R2.8 is going to need a better transmission to handle all that grunt. The current AX5 manual transmission is fine for the tired mill up front, but for the swap, the AX5 will be replaced with an AX15 manual with an adapter plate to connect the diesel engine with the new transmission. All that alone will be able to move the 33-inch Pit Bull Rocker tires down the road. And thanks to the massive amounts of room under the hood, swapping out the TJ’s tired motor for the R2.8 should be a breeze. We can’t wait to see this swap happen.
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