RoninJiro's Build (now diesel)

Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
CLEANED THIS UP A BUNCH!!

My story.... SHORT VERSION IS IT IS A DIESEL NOW :smiley_drive:

Year: 2003
Make: Nissan
Model: Xterra
Trim: SE, but now the TD trim
Color: Black
Codename: Excaliber
Pilot: Jiro


Engine/Drivetrain:
Complete 2.7L TD27T Auto 4WD swap


Exhaust:
Complete Custom TIG welded Mandrel 2.5"


Tires/Wheels:
235/85R16 TreadWright Crawler M/T’s
16” Stock Spare 00-04 Xterra/Frontier rims


Suspension:
Rancho 3" suspension lift
Low Pro bump stops


Armor:
Shrockworks Front/Rear bumpers


Electronics:
CB (forgot which one)


Lighting:*
HID headlight conversion


Other:
Dual core Radiator upgrade


Steering:
AC idler arm brace
Rancho stablizer
Calmini TR adjusters


Removed:
All previous mods and few stock parts


To/do or Wish list!
Fan shroud
A/T tires
HAM system
Better suspension
ABLS
Tachometer (make it work)
camper conversion (use your imagination)

QUICK LINKS


Start of the conversion, engine mounts, wire harness work, and test fitting HERE


Fuel filter/oil filter bracket making, lower coolant pipe construction, and running video (charging A/C) HERE


Moving under its own power video, and test drive HERE


More test drive videos HERE


Smoke video HERE


Washed pictures, more test driving but in a follow car HERE


Bumpers installed HERE


Waterpump replacement, detailed drivetrain pictures, and trail pictures HERE


Celebrate HERE


Dual Batteries! HERE


Some older pictures HERE


3K miles later a Photo OP, and Trail testing HERE


More photo OP pictures, and Balancers HERE


Trail Videos HERE


I have made a thread dedicated to part numbers i have used HERE




STOCK:
l_e5c87a99be4a4c04c87cb6baff1046a0.jpg


PML,STEP AND MUDFLAP REMOVAL:
DSCF0111.JPG


NEW SHOES AND CUSTOM ROCKSLIDERS:
DSCN5695.JPG


AC 3" LIFT W/ REVOLVERS:
DSCF0010.JPG


THE ORIGINAL (IN STOCK BUMPER) WINCH MOUNT:
DSCF0008.JPG


RTT:
drivesidego.jpg


NISMO CATBACK:
DSC00009.JPG


NEW SHOES AND SNORKEL:
IMG_2467.JPG


BEFORE THE ENGINE PULL:
jiroxterra.jpg



And How it sits now
297062_10152012557585564_1541128488_n.jpg

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J Everett

J Everett

Suspension Lift
Founding Member
Location
Houma, LA
Hey man! Welcome to XN! Haven't seen you around on any of the forums for along while. Always loved your rig.

And diesel conversion?! You're fulfilling the wet dreams of so many Xterra owners. Did you go with a 4BT?
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
As posted on clubxterra!


ok i can't help it I have to post pics LOL, anyone know what it is?? I am sure some of you will know.

All engines laid out
425083_10151260895350564_855255037_n.jpg


vg33e removed, Motor mounts cut out and diesel auto transmission installed
417365_10151260895490564_875395563_22979787_101440862_n.jpg


My lovely wife showing me how to put the diesel in (this is the 6th test fit, 1st with transmission mating for exact fitment)
419526_10151260895670564_875395563_22979789_1776844751_n.jpg


Starting the day with starbucks, and hooking everything up and prepping for proper positioning (look at that big arse wiring harness I need to sort out!)
420964_10151260895840564_875395563_22979790_159342302_n.jpg


Putting the body back together as it doesn't get in my way at this point and to get an idea of how it will look completely finished.
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Another angle
419272_10151260896105564_875395563_22979793_1925736276_n.jpg


It belongs in there...
421276_10151260896295564_875395563_22979795_1523517244_n.jpg


Here is a vid of the second test startup, don't let the fuel can fool you. (can't get this to embed for some reason.....)

running
 
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Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
Yea I have been saying i was going to watermark all my photos for a long while now and my wife finally made me for all newer pics, lol.
 
J Everett

J Everett

Suspension Lift
Founding Member
Location
Houma, LA
Is it? Looks kinda like a Toyota 1KZ.
Is it from the South American version of the Xterra, or some other vehicle?
 
Matt2558

Matt2558

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Loganville, GA
Dude you're my hero! Let's talk I've been wanting to do this!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
RATTFINK

RATTFINK

XN OG Admin.
Founding Member
Location
Conroe, TX
Our site doesn't support a FB hosted film. We do support youtube.

[video]http://www.facebook.com/v/10151260915980564[/video]
 
J Everett

J Everett

Suspension Lift
Founding Member
Location
Houma, LA
Damn, that is freaking awesome. Why, why won't Nissan and Toyota offer diesels here? :(


(I know it's because of US emissions standards and the weird stigma diesels have here limiting the market, but seriously, I would've bought a diesel before the VQ40 if it had been available. I'm just whining.)
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
Thank you guys, and yes I have an extra. The extra was for the possibility of buying a 4x4 auto frontier CC, but now it is just the engine that I can reference parts from since the other is in the xterra. They are TD27T2's that I had imported direct from Japan. Power numbers are low in stock form but that is not why I did the conversion.
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
These were in the terranos, london cabs, and some of the nissan vans also in european, asian, and Australian markets that I know of. (that I have personally seen with one of my van rentals on base in iraq). I personally could not import the diesel drivetrain from an xterra from south america, and it was also not exactly what I wanted in a diesel so I opted for the TD27T.
 
idratherbe

idratherbe

Skid Plates
Location
North Shore, MA
Roninjiro said:
These were in the terranos, london cabs, and some of the nissan vans also in european, asian, and Australian markets that I know of. (that I have personally seen with one of my van rentals on base in iraq). I personally could not import the diesel drivetrain from an xterra from south america, and it was also not exactly what I wanted in a diesel so I opted for the TD27T.
Click to expand...

I was wondering if the fact you were in the service helped with the import. I'm going to assume it did cause I can't figure out how else you got them here. Huge props to you for undertaking the swap!
 
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dhyde79

dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
that's awesome. The one thing I think I'd be worried about is the loss of top end cruising speed....if it's a trails only rig though, that'd be inconsequential.

what's the weight difference between the stock motor and transmission and the new parts?
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
idratherberidin said:
I was wondering if the fact you were in the service helped with the import. I'm going to assume it did cause I can't figure out how else you got them here. Huge props to you for undertaking the swap!
Click to expand...
Oh no, giving me credit for the other guys; I am a government contractor and usually embedded with the units I work with. I am half Japanese and I had to have family involved to get this done. and thank you very much for the support!!
 
AbuseTheElderly

AbuseTheElderly

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Pearl, MS
You sir, are a legend. You even got your other half helping!

(I wasn't able to see all pics before my last post)
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
dhyde79 said:
that's awesome. The one thing I think I'd be worried about is the loss of top end cruising speed....if it's a trails only rig though, that'd be inconsequential.

what's the weight difference between the stock motor and transmission and the new parts?
Click to expand...

You and I both, but I will compromise and slow down or just turn it up (really don't want to do that if i can help it) the weight difference is noticeable is all i can say. the 3.3 is definitely heavier to the 2.7 by a guesstimated 75-100lbs. As for the transmission, they are identical except a different bell housing and most likely gearing. When I say it fit like it belonged... trust me... i was serious!
 
J Everett

J Everett

Suspension Lift
Founding Member
Location
Houma, LA
I am hotly anticipating seeing your Xterra moving under its own diesel power. This is going to be epic. Can anyone say Build of the Decade?!
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
AbuseTheElderly said:
You sir, are a legend. You even got your other half helping!

(I wasn't able to see all pics before my last post)
Click to expand...

Thank you there! I always wanted to be the first of something.... I don't know if I am the first to do this, but I know I am the first to document and perform the conversion :smile:
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
J Everett said:
I am hotly anticipating seeing your Xterra moving under its own diesel power. This is going to be epic. Can anyone say Build of the Decade?!
Click to expand...

Easier said than done lol. I gotta figure out what I will do about the throttle cable!! But I am planning to have it driving to the exhaust shop in 3 weeks, if I can keep up the pace.
 
J Everett

J Everett

Suspension Lift
Founding Member
Location
Houma, LA
Oh yeah, I didn't think about that particular difference between gas and diesel. I'm curious about your solution. Still, great work so far; I'm dead sure you'll figure it out in no time.
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
J Everett said:
Oh yeah, I didn't think about that particular difference between gas and diesel. I'm curious about your solution. Still, great work so far; I'm dead sure you'll figure it out in no time.
Click to expand...
There are actually quite a few obstacles I have to over come. Like the bottom radiator hose is on the opposite side, completely new frame motor mount brackets, integrating the TCU, reviewing schematics for modification for adaption, removing and replacing the fuel pump with a lower pressure transfer pump, deciding on a fuel water separator, install a momentary glow plug switch and circuit, fabricating a vacuum manifold. Etc etc. but it will all be worth it!
:D
 
dhyde79

dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
Roninjiro said:
You and I both, but I will compromise and slow down or just turn it up (really don't want to do that if i can help it) the weight difference is noticeable is all i can say. the 3.3 is definitely heavier to the 2.7 by a guesstimated 75-100lbs. As for the transmission, they are identical except a different bell housing and most likely gearing. When I say it fit like it belonged... trust me... i was serious!
Click to expand...

good to hear on the weight and fit.

as far as the speed loss goes...you can't compensate by "turning it up", because adding extra power doesn't overcome the fact that the diesel motor turns far less RPM's at redline than the gasoline motor. it'll help you get up to that limit faster, but, you've still got a RPM limitation to deal with.

Comparing, the VQ40DE, it's a loss of 3500rpms...I'm not sure what the stock 3.3L in the first gen had for a rev limiter, but, that's almost half the RPM's, which translates to half the speed when you run out of RPM's in top gear. I'll assume the gear ratios on the transmission are steeper through the mid-high gears, but, only a bit of research can show you the answer to that.
 
AaronsX

AaronsX

Suspension Lift
Founding Member
Location
Bowling Green, KY
Sweeeet!

FYI if you go to his post on the first page where the engine is finally in, copy the link in the embedded code that didn't work a d paste it into a new tab, you can hear the baby run!
 
Roninjiro

Roninjiro

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Austin,TX
dhyde79 said:
good to hear on the weight and fit.

as far as the speed loss goes...you can't compensate by "turning it up", because adding extra power doesn't overcome the fact that the diesel motor turns far less RPM's at redline than the gasoline motor. it'll help you get up to that limit faster, but, you've still got a RPM limitation to deal with.

Comparing, the VQ40DE, it's a loss of 3500rpms...I'm not sure what the stock 3.3L in the first gen had for a rev limiter, but, that's almost half the RPM's, which translates to half the speed when you run out of RPM's in top gear. I'll assume the gear ratios on the transmission are steeper through the mid-high gears, but, only a bit of research can show you the answer to that.
Click to expand...

Glad you caught that. Working with diesels as long as I have as well as gasoline, this is were most people fall on their face when converting over to diesel. If I wasn't confident in my theory I wouldn't have tackled the project. Transmissions on diesel drivetrain are geared differently...period. Diesels will always turn lower revolutions no matter what you do, but "turning them up" will increase how fast you get there and believe it or not increase your top end rpm's.

Trust me, it is done by myself and many others in the military and contract support while in the war zones I have been. You will have your newer diesels were increasing fuel will not increase your top end, this is where you are electronically governed and you must change the parameters on the ecu (have done that multiple times on CAT, Cummins, and Mercedes). Even when increasing fuel an removing the electronic governor you will hit a brick wall and never achieve without proper gearing the speed a gasoline engine will achieve.

With the TD27 the top horsepower is reached at about 4,000rpm (leading me to believe the stroke is not as high as normal diesels), even so the TD27 in the van that I drove overseas leveled out rpms at 5k rpm. With that in mind even with the stock transmission it would still turn enough for normal highway speeds here. My 03 xterra never saw more than 5k rpm in any condition and about 3k rpm for highway speed(by choice), but that is just me I suppose. But in the end when it is rolling under its own power I will update on rpms versus road speed and top speed.
 
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Timrich

Timrich

Super Duper Moderator
Founding Member
Location
Central FL
All I can say is WOW!!! I applaud your hard work and ingenuity... I can't wait to see the finished product!
 
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