And Jeep CRD's

[gmctd]

First to post, last to smoke...............:coolgleamA:

Here is an alternate CRD vehicle with several upgrades, compliments of DCJ and the Dodge CTD crowd

Fleetguard fuel manager head from '05 Dodge CTD

Here the '06 Dodge CTD in-tank lift pump module is compared to the Jeep tank module, identical but no pump

The shiny new Suncoast billet aluminum-stator t\c is shown behind the oem DCJ version with it's plastic stator

4 in a row makes it go...................

 

[Acesneights1]

I would love to have an in depth conversation with you about these. I have long had an interest in the Liberty CRD but have read about tranny problems and figured sooner or later like everything else aftermarket can fix what factory can't. Can a CRD Liberty be made to be reliable ?

 

[gmctd]

Factory-installed problems with KJ CRD -

- lower ball joints - 1,000,000-mile Diesel engine, with replaceable cylinder sleeves like the big boys, is way too heavy for the DCJ-opted 4-cyl ball joints - solution: replace with the originally spec'ed Moog V8-rated parts - diy 87bucks and yer good to go.......

- emissions - all 1500-series trucks and passenger vehicles are required to meet all emissions standards for lite-duty vehicles - 4-cyl engines "breathe" harder than 6's and 8's, resulting in much more 'blow-by' type vapors exiting the crankcase - these excessive oil vapors are plumbed back into the intake system via the turbocharger inlet, resulting in excessively oily intake tract, incl the charge-air cooler, resulting in big mess in the intake manifold with EGR-contributed soot - solution: aftermarket emissions-approved oil vapor-trap, with drain plumbed back into the oil pan - diy 135bucks and yer good to go..........

EGR valve - uses an intelligent(?) water-cooled EGR system to maintain charge-air cooled air density - needs good hard runs at hiway speeds to clear out the soot, or valve becomes 'sticky', sluggish, inoperative - premium-brand ULSD fuel and premium ashless motor oil reduces the soot-caking problem - an alternate acceptable solution is available: diy 90bucks and yer good to go..............

- exhaust restriction - 2.5" exhaust piping, good for the 2.8L TD engine, soot-trap (needs regular runs at hiway speeds to cremate the trapped soot and blow it out, no problem), but totally stifled with that huge muffler, choked way down internally just inside the inlet for a standard 2.5L 4-cyl gasser (patooie!) engine - solution: aftermarket 2.5" clear thru muffler frees up the little CRD engine so it can take full advantage of the turbo - diy ~100bucks and yer good to go..............

- transmission - DCJ opted for a cheap hi-stall torque convertor with a plastic stator, good for the bottom line, bad for a hi-torque turbocharged Diesel engine, particularly bad for a 4-cyl turbocharged Diesel engine, with only 2 violent combustion thrusts on the crank per revolution - a 6-cyl has three per, an 8-cyl has four per, distributing the forces more evenly per arc - hi-stall results in mushy driving experience: the little mule responds like it is in a mud pit - solution: aftermarket low-stall torque convertor with aluminum stator, vastly improving power-transfer efficiency for improved driveability - diy 750bucks incl shift kit and yer good to go.............

- fuel supply system - some problems with excessively aerated fuel, caused by using pressure fittings in a vacuum system, and locating the fuel manager head higher than the fuel tank, higher even than the CP3 injection pump - air in a liquid piping system will always collect at the highest point in the system - this results in starting problems and misfiring\hesitation, and possibility of excessive heat damage to the fuel heater in the fuel manager head
- solution A - replace the plastic fuel fittings at the fuel tank with clamped rubber hose to eliminate the inherent leaks due to using those pressure-type fittings in vacuum service - diy ~ 10bucks and yer good to go........
- solution B - install the fuel lift pump module used in the Dodge Cummins trucks, designed for the same CP3 CRD system as in the Jeep - DCJ provided everything, already installed in the Jeep, but fergot to install the in-tank pump - diy 175bucks and yer good to go........

Add 1oz\gal ashless or syn 2-stroke motor oil to the ULSD fuel to protect the CRD Inj Pump and injectors, and yer good to go..........

~1337scheckels, not much wampum, indeed, for the enduring value!

These relatively minor fixes will give you the CRD Jeep the engineers wanted you to have - you got the Jeep the bean-counters tricked-out for you - a little effort and elbow grease on your part, and the little mule won't continually respond like it was rode hard and put up wet.

And remember: the Jeep Liberty CRD KJ requires Diesel Fuel, not gas - it has a fuel guage, not a gas guage - it has a fuel tank, not a gas tank - you stop at the fuel station, not the gas station - you fill up at the fuel pump, not the gas pump - you remove the the fuel cap, not the gas cap - green handle, not black handle - you pay for fuel, not gas - your KJ gets fuel mileage, not gas mileage - it gets fuel economy, not gas economy - it may need fuel additives, but not gasoline additives - fuel is Cetane-rated, opposite of and not Octane-rated - you step on the accelerator pedal, not the gas pedal - the fuel filter needs changing, not the gas filter - you then may have a fuel leak, not a gas leak - the odor is of fuel, not gas - you may have gotten a tank of bad fuel, not bad gas - fuel, not gas - and last, but not least, that rumbling in yer tummy is gas, and not Diesel fuel (hopefully!) - that odor is of gas, and not f...never mind all that! - keep those things in mind, and you won't be back on here in a few days\weeks, with an upset stomach and wailing because you filled the fuel tank with gasoline instead of Diesel fuel, and blaming it, as usual, on the significant other, or anyone but the real culprit.

Word up, eh..........

One final solution: free subscription to the LostKJs.com forum - diy, priceless, and you'll always be good to go.........

Try it, you'll like it

__________________

 

[Acesneights1]

Wow. Awesome info. What about the trans reflash problems I read about ?

 

[Acesneights1]

Also..could the ahh EGR system just go bye bye..or too much work.

 

[Acesneights1]

Now ya got me on eBay looking at these things again...
Final question. Hwy mpg ?

 

[12ga diesel]

I really like the Grand Cherokee with the 3.0L CRD and the wife and I have started looking at them. I would love to say with a GM (she drives an Envoy XL right now which would be great with a small diesel) but they don't want to bring any of their diesel engines from overseas here to the U.S. Any info and first hand experience would be greatly appreciated as I continue to look.

 

[Veg_Out]

I love Mercedes diesel motors

I would love the Cherokee myself. A Liberty would probably work perfectly for my family for a little scoot around.

I have had 4 old Mercedes and 1 newer diesel Mercedes. They run forever and are truly bombproof. Not a ton of power, but so smoooooooth.

 

[WilliamBos]

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't those have collapsible lifters, in case the timing belt snaps??

 

[gmctd]

Ha!!!!

Folks, I just nailed the CRD a couple or several times with the just-installed INMOTION ST-II reflash, EDGE TRAIL switched OFF, Transgo switched to FUN, and Suncoast TC: still not as fast as my Dodge, but very respectable - I'd say prolly frightening to most people, compared to oem stock - 'course, the E-T module more than recovered the F37 detune, so the KJ was way quicker than normal, but the INMOTION tune really rocks - gots lots mo' testin' ta do, but INMOTION's ST-II is a winnah, aamopo!

(Kiddies, don't try this at home without the Suncoast billet torque convertor - it is good for what ails the KJ - don't leave home without it!)

FYI, some folks think the INMOTION tune is just the Euro version with less EGR, but James has modified all the emissions-stifled parameters and enhanced the rest to create a mini-monster outa the DCJ-detuned 2.8L 4-banger - 350bucks and a few schekels to the postman and yer good to go......................:coolgleamA: