Defender Source Forum banner

'97 D90 2.8TGV, plus a few goodies.

Tags
90 97 97 d90 d90
23K views 40 replies 13 participants last post by  spikemd 
#1 ·
I figure it's probably time to go ahead and start documenting this one. It's been a while since I've been genuinely excited about a build, and this one has been keeping me up at night.

The goal of this project is to turn a very capable and well configured truck into one that is equipped to handle extended time in the field, all the while maintaining the vehicle's capabilities and making as few compromises as possible. Simplicity and reliability of all systems is a big focus as well, as this truck will ultimately make its way to Central America, among other places.

A few highlights of this project include:
-2.8TGV mated to an Ashcroft HP22 with HP24 internals and torque converter, full-width intercooler and a little tuning.
-SD full cage with custom built rack and LED lighting.
-15 gallons of auxiliary fuel storage with the ability to transfer between tanks.
-On board water storage with an integrated filtration system and heat exchanger for both potable drinking water and non-potable hot shower supply.

And of course a million little details along the way. I'll continue to update this thread as everything progresses. In the mean time, here's a little teaser:

 
See less See more
1
#2 ·
Alright, let's dive in. I'll go ahead and apologize now for the poor quality photos; I keep forgetting the camera and have been relegated to using my cell phone.

New 2.8, for starters. The cast inlet pipe became damaged somewhere along the way, but due to space constraints we'll be ditching it and plumbing the intake behind the head a la 300tdi. Since the engine has been sitting for a couple of years, we're going to go ahead and pull the timing cover to replace the timing belt, and swap the cam gear with a steel 300Tdi-style for longevity.


Ashcroft transmission. M&D provided the pieces to make it all come together.


And Allisport came through with a fancy new radiator and intercooler. Top notch build quality on these things, by the way. It'll be a tight squeeze to fit everything, plus AC condenser behind the factory grille, but I'm confident it'll work without having to swap out for an extended grille.



Turbo and manifold are off. Both the turbine housing and manifold are heading to receive a heat-dispersant ceramic coating to help maintain more consistent EGT's and cut down on engine bay temps. From the turbo we'll be building a full stainless exhaust system specific to our application.


For anyone curious how the variable nozzle works, this is the backside of the system. The wastegate engages into the notch at the top, and operates the pitch of the vanes based on boost levels.


So the first order of business is to get the wiring in order. I've been tracing and labeling, separating all of the accessories from the main harness, and preparing to remove and replace the main harness with one that is specific to the 300Tdi-equipped trucks. No more immobilizer or alarm module issues, and overall a much less complicated setup. The majority of the accessories on the truck are run on standalone harnesses powdered off a BSS fuse block, so integrating into the new setup will be very straight-forward.

Dash out, making sense of everything. Always a great time!


And the new harness.


Tomorrow I'll have the front fenders off and begin prepping to pull the drivetrain. More updates to come!

-Ash
 
#6 ·
Nothing major to report, but I have the fenders off the truck and will be getting the drivetrain out on Monday. Normally I'd leave the fenders in place, but burning the new engine mounts in and fabricating the exhaust will be a lot easier with a little room to breathe.


 
#7 ·
Another small update. Still chasing wires and cleaning all of the aftermarket looms up, so there isn't much to show on that front. Got the exhaust manifold chocked up in the mill and cut a flat boss, then drilled the hole for the EGT probe. Once I cut the 1/4-18 threads I'll drop it off for coating.



Second Skin sent over a nice little package as well. The truck already has their Damplifier product throughout the cargo area, which has been highly effective in noise reduction, so we'll be using it behind the dash and in the floor section of the truck. We'll also be trying out their Firewall spray, which is a water-based coating with a texture similar to that of bedlining. It can be sprayed up to 3mm thick and contains a ceramic powder which ought to aid in keeping the engine heat from entering the cabin..or so we hope. I'm eager to see how it works.

 
#8 · (Edited)
Still waiting on a big shipment of parts at this point, so progress is a little slow.

A lot of folks have suggested running the boost signal to the injection pump from the intake manifold, rather than the compressor housing. The theory is that there is a bit of resolution lost when the signal comes from a port before the intercooler, and there should be a decrease in turbo lag as well. I pulled the hard pipe that was currently on the engine and reshaped it to reach the back of the manifold, where I tapped an existing plug to the correct size.

The pipe originally routed across the front of the engine and dropped down toward the turbocharger.


The new setup runs behind the cylinder head


Tucks close to the block


And hits the pump. I re-purposed the original pipe clips as well, so it's nice and solid.


Here's a good example of why it's always wise to re-seal a motor before installation, even if it's new. This motor only has the time put on it by the factory, and has been siting for a few years. Over that time the rear main seal has dried up and completely lost its integrity. These jobs are infinitely easier when the motor is on a bench and not in the truck.




More to come!

-Ash
 
#9 ·
FedEx dropped off a nice little package this afternoon. Full Safety Devices external cage.



And the old suspension components are starting to come off so I can work on fitment of the new bits. Going to try a little something different on this truck...we won't be needing springs or shocks anymore :).

 
#13 ·
Looks great.

"A lot of folks have suggested running the boost signal to the injection pump from the intake manifold, rather than the compressor housing. The theory is that there is a bit of resolution lost when the signal comes from a port before the intercooler, and there should be a decrease in turbo lag as well."

I have always done the opposite, I use the manifold pressure for the waste gate actuator so it is actual intake pressure that opens the waste gate, but keep the injection pump signal right off the turbo "t" for rapid acceleration. Interested to see how yours turns out since I have never tried it that way.
 
#14 ·
Thanks.

I'll be running both the wastegate and injection pump off the intake manifold. Higher boost pressures at the turbocharger will definitely open the manifold pressure compensator on the injection pump sooner, but I'd prefer for it to compensate based on real manifold pressure. I think it'll make my life a little easier once I get to tuning the pump and upping the boost.

-Ash
 
#15 ·
It's been a while since I've had time to update this, but things are rolling along!

On the topic of sound and heat insulation, I quite impressed with how the Firewall laid down. I was able to spray it out of an HVLP with satisfying results, and I'm eager to see how the product performs. The interior of the firewall, transmission tunnel, and undersides of the seatbox and floor pans all received a pretty significant coat, so we ought to see a notable decrease in cabin temperatures. For sound deadening, the Damplifier was applied to the entire bulkhead and dashboard, seatbox, and lids.




I've also invested time into tidying up the wiring looms on the truck. There are a number of accessories run from the BSS panel in the battery compartment to switches on the dash, and while everything was apart I took the opportunity to run my own harnesses. The wiring is a flame-rated PVC insulated 16-4 AWG, jacketed with a nylon webbing for a little extra protection. All connections and terminals are fully soldered and protected by marine-grade shrink tubing.


All of the accessories will be controlled at the MUD-UK console by laser engraved Carling Contura V's. The blank slot will be occupied by the control to the transfer pump for the auxiliary fuel tank.


We also ditched the factory parking brake drum for X-Engineering's disc conversion. This should free up a bit more space for our auxiliary tank and let us squeeze a little more diesel under the truck.


The VNT returned with a clean ceramic coating. EGT has been placed on the top side for serviceability down the road.



After a few hours with the torch and grinder the engine mounts, upper spring perches, bumpstop pads and swaybar brackets are off. I'll be welding a fishplate to the outer face of the chassis for added strength, and then building the upper brackets from there. The cardboard is an approximate shape, more for visual aid than anything else.





While everything is apart the diffs have been sent out for inspection. The heel edge of the coast side had a wear pattern that indicated an improperly adjusted pinion, so it was worth a closer look. Next step is to burn the lower spring perches off and build new mounts.



And this evening I came home to a fancy new transmission crossmember provided by Keith K. We can finally do a preliminary fitment of the engine to locate our new mounts and pull some measurements for the exhaust system.



Stay tuned!

-Ash
 
#20 ·
It really is a nice truck, just in need of a little refinement here and there. The biggest complaint I had after initially driving it were road manners and lateral stability, and that's one reason behind the total overhaul of the suspension. The owner is a great guy who has turned me loose on this thing and I think we both have high expectations of this revision. I'll reveal more details about the suspension when I have parts in hand.

I just noticed you are going with an autobox, so sounds like you have no worries about long term damage of the tranny.

btw, I have an onboard water system pressure pump, heat exchanger and showerpoint. you will run into challenges getting it to coexist with the full cage. we can chat if you like when you get there, but don't install the cage after the water system. install it first so you know where the cage interferes with your access points for the water. filtration is on my todo list.
Yes, the ZF with upgraded internals and TC should be up to the task of handling the 2.8. The plan is to tackle the water system last, as we'll have to integrate it into the storage system for the rear of the truck. I hope to be able to mock up the cage this week/weekend to start figuring out placement of tabs for the LED's, Antennae, Maxtrax, awning, and rear ladder integration. I'll probably have to pick your brain down to road to see how you packaged your water system into the truck.
 
#19 ·
I just noticed you are going with an autobox, so sounds like you have no worries about long term damage of the tranny.

btw, I have an onboard water system pressure pump, heat exchanger and showerpoint. you will run into challenges getting it to coexist with the full cage. we can chat if you like when you get there, but don't install the cage after the water system. install it first so you know where the cage interferes with your access points for the water. filtration is on my todo list.
 
#23 ·
Really nice build. Can't wait to see what you cook up for the suspension. Those inside frame gussets should be really trick.
Thanks Don!

Intrigued by the arrival of a SD cage. Are you going with an different style to the factory?
The cage is an L213 full external that will be modified to retain the existing internal B-hoop. In addition to the added strength we'll see from running both hoops, the internal hoop is the fastening point for the cabin divider/dog guard that also serves a function for storage, so we'd like to hang onto it.

-Ash
 
#26 ·
the camshaft pulley is the one to replace. Pendy told me it wears on pin and to replace with a tdi cam pulley. thats what i did 2 weeks ago.

------ Follow up post added April 10th, 2014 10:50 PM ------

here is mine
 
#27 ·
I suppose we're about due for an update....

Things have been pretty crazy at the shop and I've been spread rather thin, to say the least, but I'm still chipping away at this one. It's an hour eater for sure. Pending my new fuel lines I'll be able to get this thing fired up, hopefully by the end of the week, but we'll rewind a bit.

Getting the engine all ready for the new Turner rear main seal. The crank had some rust and very light pitting where it rides on the seal, so I used a bit of emery cloth to try and clean the surface up to fight any potential wear.


After that the rear main seal, and M&D adapter kit got us ready for the ZF.


There's an interference issue with the 2.8 oil filter assembly when running 300Tdi engine mounts, so it was necessary to clock the filter rearward and out of the way for everything to clear and be happy.



Fast forward a bit. While test fitting the engine the first time around, there's yet another interference issue with the tabs on the 3-link crossmember and the transmission pan. Fortunately there's enough meat on the tab to safely trim away without compromising strength.



On the topic of the 3-link crossmember, since it sits further back than the V8 setup I needed to fab up a longer center link. 2" .250 wall DOM tubing might border on overkill, but at least it'll never be a failure point! It's beefy. 2" Currie Johnny Joint on the frame end, and I a solid bushing on the axle side.




Gears came back from a fresh setup. The previous install was a little on the loose side so it was worth doing. Ashcroft 4.34:1's and ARB RD128 lockers front and rear.


I'll continue in the next post!
 
#28 · (Edited)
So what I consider to be the biggest hurdle on this truck has been the suspension. I have seen and known several people running coilovers with very mixed results, and the common issue seems to be that setup is paramount. Without being able to dedicate an obscene amount of time dialing in spring and valving rates, most people wind up with a suspension that doesn't quite work the way they'd like.

Enter ORI struts. I've had my eye on these things for a while now and watched them evolve, and everyone short of the high speed desert guys appear to love them. The premise is pretty straight forward; it's a nitrogen charged strut with gas chambers on both sides of the piston. The relationship between the pressures set in each chamber dictates ride height, as well as your effective spring rate. Raise the pressure in each chamber to stiffen the ride up, or lower them for a softer ride. One of the biggest appeals, aside from their relative simplicity and light weight, is that since the gas chambers are always working towards an equilibrium, the struts combat body roll. Most people who run these have ditched swaybars altogether.

I plan to run these on my personal 110, time permitting, but I found someone else crazy enough to be the guinea pig in the mean time. We opted for the struts in the 14" flavor, along with their optional remote gas reservoirs.


So of course, now I have to make them fit. And work. The first iteration worked great until the last inch of compression, where the tire began to contact the body of the strut. You can't win 'em all, so it was back to the drawing board. A few photos of the first configuration:

Axle tabs, lasered out of 3/16" steel. These did the job, and still remain. There's also a couple of gussets, not pictured.


I designed these little pads for the hoop set to sit on, as they'd give a bit more real estate to weld to the chassis than a traditional tube 'node'.


And the hoop itself. I'm actually happy the setup didn't work as the new configuration is much more tidy. Here's a shot cycling the suspension as well. Pardon the Instagram filter.


So after I realized the clearance issues couldn't be solved by modifying the hoops, I went with a coilover bracket. These are laser cut 1/4" steel folded and welded into shape.


After a little trimming to contour the chassis.


And burnt in. My uphill verticals aren't anything to write home about, so don't judge me.


Out of sequence, but here's the whole package. These allowed me to pull my upper mounts inward enough to clear the tire at full compression.


I still have to make the other pair work on the rear of the truck, which I'll document as I tackle it.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Another aspect of the truck that I've been putting a custom touch on is the SD roll cage. The truck originally had a Front Runner full length rack, which the owner was very happy with, however fitting it to the cage would have been awkward, plus all said and done it'd add another 4" to the height of the already tall truck. So I engineered a nice little solution to have the best of both worlds.

I'll post photos of the whole setup later, but I designed a self-jigging shelf and had it laser cut out of 3/16" steel to hang 10 Front Runner roof slats along the centerline of the SD roof bars. I kept Front Runner's factory spacing, which will allow us to use all of their proprietary mounting solutions for Jerry cans and the like. Very happy with how this turned out.



I also added tabs to hang a pair of Baja Designs SII LED lights on either side, as well as the rear of the truck for 360-degrees of illumination.



As well as tabs for the 51" Baja Designs OnX LED bar. These have actually been re-designed to integrate an attachment point for limb risers.


Also needing modification to integrate with the SD cage was the original SD rear ladder on the truck. I spent all afternoon chopping it up and re-working it to fit. First thing to do was cut each set of rungs off the lateral bar, which spans the width of the truck and ties in to to where the blue tape is.


Then cut the elbow off said lateral bar to re-purpose.


Shorten, notch, and re-weld. I'm using a 1.75" bar clamp to attach to the roll cage.


Excuse the dirty gutters.



Another fun part is integrating the external B hoop to the internal. There's no bolt-on solution, so of course more fab work is required! I just notched a piece of tubing to jog out to body and use as a foot to bolt the external hoop to.

You can see the internal hoop from outside here.


And the tie-in.


I think that's all I have for now! I'll try and do a better job at keeping this thing updated.

-Ash
 
#30 ·
Wow! Some awesome work there Ash! Love those coil overs and agree that the plate looks better than the tube mount and gives the clearance too. I hate when things don't work for me first try but when the solution looks and works better it makes it o so worth it. And those welds look real good. Much better than what I can do.

Those coil overs sound trick - I am not an expert on suspension designs but it sounds like that front end will work very well. Very interested to hear more about how they work out. Will do a search on them when I have a chance.

Btw - Will you need to add cross tubes or plating support for front and rear forces on the upper coil over mounts? Or are the travel forces pretty much up and down?
 
#31 ·
Thanks Don.

The coilover brackets are very rigid, however I will end up running a removable bar that ties both sides together just to play it safe. There are a lot of forces acting on them and a failure could make for a pretty bad day.

-Ash
 
#34 ·
Alright, now that I have a moment to breathe I suppose I should bring this one up to speed. I need to take proper pictures of a lot of aspects of the truck, but here's what I have on hand.

Let's see...back to the suspension I suppose. Once the front strut towers were dialed in I had to combat packaging issues with the steering shaft running from the column to the box. Flaming River makes a cut-to-fit steering shaft kit, which fit the bill for what needed to happen. A couple of U-Joints and a heim adapter later we were in business.





On to the rear of the truck! After the perches were removed, the first order of business was to plate the chassis. The boxed construction is rigid, however it's thin and I didn't want to chance a fatigue-related failure. After the plating was completed, towers and lower brackets were burnt into place.



 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top