ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Technical Discussion - Performance / Modify => Topic started by: herman pahls on August 13, 2015, 01:01:34 AM
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Transplanting the 2.3 Aerio engine in my 1997 4 door Tracker went way better and faster than expected.
I can thank Trail Tough for all the pieces needed to make it happen including the wire harness mods and after the sale advice as needed.
The only hurdle yet to solve is getting the stock Tracker tach to work with the Aerio tach signal.
Trail Tough says that they need to install a resistor in the tach circuit of the instrument cluster.
That will make the tach start working but it will read 2000 rpm too high.
Then you hook up a scan tool to verify the RPM and remove the tach needle from it's post and re position the needle to calibrate.
Apparently the Aerio sends a different type of Tach signal than the stock 16 valve engine does, even though they are both Suzuki 4 cylinder engines.
So is there another simpler way to make the stock tach work?
How about splicing into the signal wire of one of the Coil over plugs.
Were would one get the tach signal if they were installing an after market tach like they sell at Summit.
Do the Aftermarket tachs come with a variety of resistors depending on which engine they will be used on.
Thanks
Herman
Oregon
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Nice! I'd love to see some pics etc. I'm jealous!
The tach difference makes sense since the G-series engines use a distributor & the J-series use coil on plug. I think the J gets the tach signal from the CPS.
Please let us know more about this swap!
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Thanks Fuzzy1 for the reply.
Your explanation makes a lot of sense since the Tracker tachometer was getting its signal from a distributor versus a coil over plug.
I would post photos if I knew how to from an I-phone.
The engine installation looks like opening the hood of a 2.0 liter Tracker.
The header, airbox and radiator are from a 2.0 Tracker.
Once I got the Aerio running I drove it down the street and was pleased that it ran well.
I drove it right back into the shop to start installing the Kreator coil over front strut suspension lift kit.
I ordered 2" longer A arms that requires using the 2" longer front axles out of Vitara's.
My long term goal is to modify the front suspension into a double A arm and using the Fox coil over shock that comes with the Kreator kit.
I felt that the 2" longer A-arms would give more room to place a coil over shock in front or behind the axles and clear an upper A-arm similar to the Toyota HiLux front suspension.
Herman
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Sounds like you should have a neat rig when you're done! (As if they're ever 'done'.)
Kreator's kit is a cool design for the ifs... it would be great to see him do an upper control arm setup like you are talking about, but in a kit form.
For pics, I use photobucket to upload my pics, then use the [img] link to post them to forums so the pics show directly in the post.
Would love to see what you have going if you can figure out how to get pics posted.
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Finished installing the Kreator coil over strut lift today.
Took the Tracker for a 50 mile ride to get a feel for the handling of the lift kit and how the 2.3 Aerio performs.
I also drove my 1995 16 valve 2 door soft top with a Trail Tough 2.5" lift to make a comparison.
The Kreator lift raises the suspension 7" in the rear and 6" in the front depending on preload of springs on the coil over strut.
The lift comes with front diff drop brackets.
My first impressions in comparing the 2 Trackers on road.
The 4 door seems to drive nicer with the longer wheelbase.
I like the quieter ride of a hard top and being able to lock it.
The Kreator 6" lift rides less harsh than the 2.5" lift on the 2 door and has very little body roll in the corners with out the front sway bar installed.
The 2.5 lift rides much better on road when only 12 pounds pressure in the tires.
This is the pressure I run for the sand but would not be safe for long distances on the highway.
The 2.3 Aerio engine easily outperforms the 16 valve 1600 even though the 4 door is 300 pounds heavier than the 2 door.
The test was driving both Trackers up a twisty 1.5 mile long hill.
The 2.3 will accelerate up the hill in 4th gear.
The 1.6 will go part way up the hill in 4th and then you have to shift to 3rd and wind it out to keep a decent speed.
The comparison between the 2 Trackers will be at the sand dunes for both power and suspension.
The 4 mouth project has been a success but not perfect.
I need to play with the pinion to drive line angle to get rid of a vibration/harmonics that varies with speed above 50 MPH.
Any suggestions to what the drive line to pinion angle should be when lifted 6-7 inches on the rear?
Or do I need to consider installing a rear constant velocity drive line?
Thanks for your advice.
Herman
Oregon
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I have been wanting the Kreator conversion for mine, but too many things keep getting in the way. It sounds like a nice setup, especially with the 2.3.
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So Herman what was to total cost for the engine conversion ?
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Do you have pics of your trucks? Part of the appeal of these forums are the eye candy pics which help with the descriptions.
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Herman, Did you get a tachometer to work yet?
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1997 Tracker, Kreator suspension/ lift kit, 2.3 Aerio engine conversion, took 3 months,
I am very pleased with the engine and suspension
(http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz54/hermanpahls/3E7FF088-F51B-4676-A09E-EB4C8864BF24_zpsovuenkyf.jpg) (http://s813.photobucket.com/user/hermanpahls/media/3E7FF088-F51B-4676-A09E-EB4C8864BF24_zpsovuenkyf.jpg.html)
(http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz54/hermanpahls/4B89272B-F087-4FDE-B71A-E40526478C33_zpszvgjwplf.jpg) (http://s813.photobucket.com/user/hermanpahls/media/4B89272B-F087-4FDE-B71A-E40526478C33_zpszvgjwplf.jpg.html)
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The 2.3 Aerio conversion cost approx. $3000.
The break down of costs were $1500 for the engine, ECU and needed wiring.
$600 for Trail Tough to simplify and modify the wiring.
Front motor mounts $180, modified flywheel and throw out bearing $120.
Vitara Radiator $150 and approx. $300 for Tracker 2.0 Oil pan and pick-up, water pipes and exhaust header.
All these parts came from Trail Tough and the after the sale advice was very valuable.
(http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz54/hermanpahls/0BB88BE4-8FD9-4B2B-93F9-D95FA5036F97_zps9vgqs2rn.jpg) (http://s813.photobucket.com/user/hermanpahls/media/0BB88BE4-8FD9-4B2B-93F9-D95FA5036F97_zps9vgqs2rn.jpg.html)
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The Kreator strut brace was intended for a 1.6 engine had to be modified to clear the different shape of the 2.3.
The bottom section of a 2.0 Tracker airbox was modified to install the airbox where the windshield washer fluid container would normally be.
A 2 inch hole was cut in a hood brace to give adequate clearance for the radiator cap since the 2.0 radiator is slightly taller.
I used play dough to determine under hood to component clearances and must have opened and closed the hood a hundred times.
I ordered the Kreator 2" longer A-arms which widens the front track 4".
My intent was to get more wheel travel at the same CV angles.
I ended up with 10" of front wheel travel from 7.5 inches of coil-over strut travel.
This requires lengthening the left-hand/right-hand tie rod adjusters and allows the use of the longer XL-7 front axles.
I also modified the right side front axle so I can use left side axles on both sides.
I need to send the instrument cluster to Trail Tough so a resister can be installed to get the tach to work
(http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz54/hermanpahls/06D142B8-F2B3-4A2A-8F13-62F93F30B52D_zpsd33lavnv.jpg) (http://s813.photobucket.com/user/hermanpahls/media/06D142B8-F2B3-4A2A-8F13-62F93F30B52D_zpsd33lavnv.jpg.html)
(http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz54/hermanpahls/0735C77F-E57B-446C-AE19-4F4DF65E876B_zps1do38eqm.jpg) (http://s813.photobucket.com/user/hermanpahls/media/0735C77F-E57B-446C-AE19-4F4DF65E876B_zps1do38eqm.jpg.html)
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Any suggestions to what the drive line to pinion angle should be when lifted 6-7 inches on the rear?
Or do I need to consider installing a rear constant velocity drive line?
The only option on pinion angle is that it matches the angle at the transfer case. It may be too much angle for the u-joint, but they must match at least.
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Hello
I was wondering if you could tell me where you have found good luck finding a 2.3 Aerio engine. The searches I have done on google doesn't offer much in my area. (Minnesota) Also I have tried to search your suspension kit but I can't seem to find much on that can you fill me in on this? Thanks
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I called a large Auto Recycler here in Oregon called Band R and they shipped the engine free within the state.
It took several calls to get all the needed wiring.
Trail Tough did the wiring harness and they let me know when something was missing.
Another source would be a wrecked car at an auction which would be the best option since every every bit of wiring needed would be there and may cost less.
The wiring harness is done very OEM and requires only a few wires to be spliced. Ground, power, fuel pump, tach, water temp, oil light and maybe a few I forgot.
I believe Trail Tough has the engines for conversions plus everything else that will be needed as I listed in earlier posts.
This is almost a bolt in conversion except mating the exhaust and redrilling holes for the Vitara radiator and relocating the power steering reservoir which probably did not need to be done I learned to late.
Regarding the Kreator suspension, call Bob in Salem, Oregon at 503 689 2206.
He may be hard to contact during hunting season or when he is helping a friend that lost his ranch during one of Oregon's many fires last summer.
This may sound like an advertisement; both Kreator and Trail tough have great after the sale service which I needed since they to do not include instructions.
I have 2 Trackers; a 1995- 2 door with stock 16valve and a $700 Trail tough 2.5 inch lift and the 1997-4 door 2.3 Aerio/Kreator 5-6 inch lift.
The 2 door performs well in both sand and the rocks.
The 4 door Aerio is in another league especially on the sand dunes.
The performance would be amazing if the 2.3 Aerio was installed in a 275 pound lighter 2 door.
I feel the longer wheel base of the 4 door is a big plus when hitting the whoops at speed.
These Trackers really are poor mans, street legal Side X Side's with a heater.
The only negative of the taller lift is that it would be easier to roll.
I went with the 2.5" wider a Arms up front to get more wheel travel and the side benefit of not having to limit the steering when using 31" tires.
I will be trying 33" tires for the rocks and feel they will clear with only trimming the front bumper cover.
The Kreator lift moves the front axle forward and the rear axle back 1" to accommodate taller tires.
My next project is dual transfer cases so I do not have to take the time to switch out T-cases for the intended mission.
The 4.24 gears are too low most of the time when off roading, but very much needed in the serious rocks.
You could do a Toyota engine and transmission conversion with the parts being more readily available and less expensive.
The plus of the Toyota would be using the Marlin Crawler bolt together dual T-case set up.
The negative would be heavier and tons of custom fabrication.
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That is some great info, thank you so much for taking the time to put this together. I will continue to look in the direction of a wrecked Aerio. Thanks again.
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The Kreator kit is the best option. I was there Saturday and it definitely the direction that I want to go.
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Any suggestions to what the drive line to pinion angle should be when lifted 6-7 inches on the rear?
Or do I need to consider installing a rear constant velocity drive line?
The only option on pinion angle is that it matches the angle at the transfer case. It may be too much angle for the u-joint, but they must match at least.
Herman,
With 6-7" of lift, you must be about 15" to bottom of frame? At 15" to frame I don't have vibrations, but my 2 door Tracker will wear out my U-joints in a year. The bottom U-joint goes first and the top is loose enough that it is best to change both yearly. As my Tracker is my DD, I put |removethispart|@ 200+ miles a week on it. High angles are hard on both CV's and U-joints.
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I think my rig is at 14 inches of clearance, but I will have to get back home and check to make sure. My rig is a 4 door, so the rear angle is different, but my front angle should be the same. That small amount of clearance may be why mine hasn't had a u-joint issue, yet.
I have been concerned about my u-joints and keep checking them. I last checked them a couple of weeks ago when I put the transmission rebuilt the transmission. I will order replacements now to keep some on hand, just in case.
What would be the "extreme" replacement option for an upgrade?
Edit: 15" of clearance. I found the pic from the last time the question came up.
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My 4 door has 15" from the bottom of the frame with 31" tires.
My Kreator lift is probably closer to 5-6 inches of lift.
My suggestion when ordering Kreator kits for the 4 doors, and in my case with the who knows how my heavier Aerio engine, is to ask for higher rate springs in the front.
My kit came with 200 and 250 # springs and I would like to try 250 and 300.
I was able to get the ride height by upping the Nitrogen pressure in the front shocks from 150 to 300 since these Fox shocks are a combination of "air" and coilover shocks which allows for simple spring rate tuning.
I prefer to rely on the springs to hold the car up instead of nitrogen in case the shock loses pressure in the middle of no where.
I ordered a 4.24 ratio T case from Trail Tough for a trip to Moab in a few weeks.
I am working on a double Tracker T-case set up but will not have it done in time.
Need to build rock sliders out of 2x4 tubing first to protect the rockers.
I am considering ordering taller tires but this Tracker is already noticeably more top heavy than with the 235x15's on stock wheels without wheel spacers.
The added torque of the Aerio engine, handles the added weight and diameter of the 31's just fine.
The next step would be 33" tires like BrdHunter runs but I am considering 35's.
Any experience out there running 35" tires on Trackers?
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Ben Peterson (sp?) here on the forum mounted some 35" tires on his blue 2-door Track/Kick earlier last year as I recall. He drove it for a while before he added transfer case gears. I don't recall any other drive train mods he made, other than having to trim his fender wells to clear those meaty tires.
He had several vids posted of taking his truck onto the trails around Colorado and one, that I recall, of driving it down the hard ball at 65 or 70MPH.
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nprecon
Thanks, I will search for Ben Peterson's posts on 35's.
It is nice to know others experiences before diving in.
Herman
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I searched for Ben Petersons thread regarding 35's on his Tracker and could not find it.
I did find a trip report he made.
I just returned from Moab, Utah.
I had wheeled there many times with various Jeeps I have built running up to 42" tires and front and rear lockers.
This was the first trip with a the Aerio powered 4 door Tracker, 5 speed on 31's without lockers.
I received many comments on how well the Tracker got around on the Cliffhanger and Poison Spider trails.
It would be delusional to think that this mini wheeler could keep up with the big tire'd machines, but it is definitely more challenging and entertaining to try.
So this is what I learned:
The 4.24 T-case gears are a must and made climbing and descending effortless as long as you have traction.
The power of the 2.3 Aerio is not needed on the trail but sure comes in handy when I had to drive the last 300 miles on the highway because one of the tow vehicles broke down and my trailer was needed.
The added power also makes a big difference when driving on the sand dunes.
It was cold and a heated door slammer is nice this time of year.
Rocker panel protection is a must.
If I would not have welded in 2x4" steel tube I am sure none of the doors would be opening after the first trail.
I will have at least one locker the next time.
I will have taller tires next time.
It is time to make this a more serious rock car since it will never keep up with the Polaris RZR 1000's in the desert and with taller tires may out perform them in the rocks.
So I read about several of Mike Hagen's builds; The Bandit, Operation Rockstar and New IFS design.
Seems like all of his builds retain the IFS and replace the aluminum differential and housing with steel.
In order to get more lift, tire clearance and wheel base, he does frame chops/drops.
Seems like unless you are wanting to stay with the Tracker front suspension theme, that A Toyota SAS would be simpler, stronger, less money and faster to fabricate, but weigh more.
I would appreciate any comments regarding retaining the Suzuki IFS versus a Toyota SAS.
Seems like the Toyota SAS would easily accommodate 37" tires.
How tall of tires will the Tracker front bearings, ball joints, uprights, CV axles and aluminum diff. ( and housing) handle with or without front lockers?
Seems like Mike has used 39" tires on the Tracker front bearings, uprights and steering components.
Thanks for sharing.
Herman
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It may be that Ben's posts were wiped out with the data loss earlier this year. The data loss covered about two years worth of posts and information. I believe Ben still frequents the forum here occasionally, though.
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I am almost embarrassed to make this confession.
After months of flawless performance and a trip to Moab with my recent 2.3 Aerio/Tracker conversion, the engine started to run so poorly that I could no longer stand to drive it.
The Code reader was indicating so many codes that I was clueless where to begin.
Trail Tough did the wiring harness conversion and said they do not wire in the check engine light because it would always be on since the engine was never intended for a Tracker and therefore it would be constantly coding.
It cost me $45.00 for a local shop to tell me the mass air sensor was dirty and they cleaned it for me.
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Interesting that they wired in a OBDII port, and didn't include the CEL light. I would watch the wreckers for a same year Aerio with manual transmission and grab the ECU from it. You might have to shift a couple pins, and add the wire for CEL, but it could be done. I do not understand why TT had you get the Auto motor ECU. This is why I had told you to get a manual transmission to begin with.
All that being said, I got a wireless OBDII reader off Amazon that leave running in my Tracker. I bluetooth's over to my phone, and whenever I get a code it is easy to check and clear. If you got one of those readers, you could just check for alarms and clear when you are using it. That way you would know when something new comes up and not be faced with so many codes you would be clueless where to begin.
How is it running now?