Rocky road vs. Acme.. VW diesel to Samurai swap kits

[BooneZuki]

what are you guys running for your diesel swaps...
which do you think is the most complete kit?  other recomendations
what did you have to buy besides the kit

[jauguston]

I know nothing about the Rocky Road kit but I can't imagine anyone making a better or more well supported kit than the one offered by Jeff Kerr at Acmeadapters.

Jim

[BooneZuki]

i didnt know about the rocky road kit until i watched xtreme 4x4 last week and they used their VW diesel swap kit...
ive heard lots of good things about acme....
anybody want to add what the acme kit lacks..that you have to buy seperately

[Zuzuki]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=649376
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=647920

Read what they say about Rocky Road and the Xtreme 4x4 build on the Pirate 4x4 forum...

I have an Acme kit. I'm very happy with it. I think Jeff sells everything you might need.
I found my intake and exhaust manifolds, radiator, starter, fuel filter and oil filter flange on my own, but Acme sells them.

[surfersami]

I am also using the ACME kit, and Jeff can get you everything you need. The coolest part about working with Jeff is just that. He patiently answers your questions, and makes sure you are satisfied. I started looking for a kit 6 months before I bought my engine, and he answered all kinds of questions I had. I probably asked the same questions over again, but he never seemed annoyed or impatient. When I finally bought my kit it installed perfectly, no missalignments or other than advertised modifications were needed. Just bolt it up and go.
NO Jeff isn't paying me for this!

[Spulen81]

I have an ACME kit in my Toyota and its great.  The hard parts are well made and fit like they are supposed to.  The support from Jeff is way above average in my opinion.  I haven't dealt with too many vendors that are as helpful as he is.

[jaxtell]

I have a Keltec Kit (same as the Rocky Road, I think) I bought used, but I'm using the Acme Motor Mounts and GM Alt Kit.

I've always had good service from the folks at Rocky Road, and the Kit was easy to install.

I didn't have any directions, but EVERY SINGLE QUESTION I HAD, Jeff @ Acme had an answer for.

Even though it wasn't his kit.
Even though I didn't buy everything from him.

You just don't find that kind of service anywhere!!!!!

If I had to start over, I'd buy everything for the swap from him.

jerry

[LWB Samurai Joe]

Jeff sure has been attentive to my questions, and I havent spent any money with them yet!

[mud and diesel]

Acme every time!!  Just finished my second engine swap with the same kit, was a 1.6td now I'm 1.9td AAZ, the kit is top quality, welds are really strong, if you break it he will replace it no questions asked! as we say in the UK "its mustard"!
Ps jeffs a nice guy too.

[T-X]

I got my kit here in England from Off Road Armoury..

Similar kit to ACME..

But Jeff has been an absolute star in helping me via E mail..

Any question I asked, Jeff was able to answer..

He's a true gentleman.. I dont know of any other company that level of after sales service.. especially when you aint even got it from there!!!

Thank godness for Jeff...

[surfersami]

With a reputation like Jeff has he's the kind of guy I'd want to work with. No matter what anyone says, I'll always give my business and recommendations to people with integrity. Thanks Jeff for being such a good example of how to run a business!

[Robzuk]

Jeff Kerr at Acme would be the ONLY kit that I'd instal. I've helped with a few and they are top notch kits!

[Cloviszuker]

My son and I purchased the turbo diesel kit from Rocky Road.  They talk a good line and the website looked good.  Based on a few earlier purchases of parts like bumpers, wheels and 2 lift kits, we bit.  It took 6 months of hounding them to finally get all of the parts.  The book of instructions is out-dated.  (Rocky Road said they had a contractural agreement with Keltec to reproduce it exactly as Keltec  made it - so we were left to "guess" at what their new procedures were.) 

The engine-trans adapter had holes slightly mis-aligned - caused a mess trying to get it hooked up.  The trans pilot shaft conversion instructions left a lot to the imagination - tools and parts were referenced as being "in the kit" but no longer are (but they don't tell you that!)  We had to purchase a long list of extra parts that could have been better described before we bought the kit.  Some of the parts are totally unidentifiable as shipped.  (I sent 4 emails to the owner of Rocky Road, asking for help, offering to send pictures of the parts that didn't make sense, etc. but never received a response.)

Thank goodness I discovered Jeff at Acme.  He helped (for free on the phone, I incredulously learned) me to take a more common sense approach to the re-power operation - shared how my Samurai radiator was absolutely not going to work and that there is a much better way to plumb the cooling system than that described by the Rocky Road kit/book.   Like using radiator hoses instead of copper plumbing fittings! - what a concept. 

There is more, but you can ask me individually if you want.  This seems long!

Bottom line - we are just at a year getting it done (week ends were severely limited) and may actually fire it up this week-end.

 

[91Hardtop]

I would have to say that Cloviszuker did a good summery of the BS that you will go through with the Rocky Road kit. I can remember each of those problems and a few more myself.

PM, would be interested in what you changed in the radiator plumbing