rabbit TDI build

[RabbitGTDguy]

I do have a few pictures...when I started with mine...it had 129k on it, was pretty dirty, etc. I always wanted to start out "fresh" so, a rebuild was the only way to go...especially with some of the things I wanted to do (such as machining the pistons, thermal coating, etc...)

Here is what I started with...no wiring, etc. etc...just a engine with eTDI pump




I've got another 1z downstairs that def. needs a rebuild, its go close to 220k on it I believe and was running on vege when it came out of the car.  Again, I'd like to start with a zero miles unit...so, I'll be rebuilding. though, much more mild on this one.

I understand what you are saying about the MKIV dash, I'm sure it'll work well. Many people upgrade the MK1 to the CE2 style fuse box, and then splice in the ECM harness, etc. to that system. Your way will work as well. you will have some faults, etc. in the ECM when reading with VAG COM, but they can be overcome without issue.

My shift box is the b3 passat cable box. The difference in length is not significant between the two...i can't even remember if there is a big difference. I know I had an MK3 vr6 box by a b3 one and there was no difference in cable length. Either, or...any will work. Your MKIV box is a bit more unique to the MKIV and its tranny than the 02a style boxes...

You'll have to replace the entire cable vs. just the end. From what I know anyways, at least...thats the way it is with the 02a style boxes... its the reason why i have a corrado box here with one good cable...one bad.. I got it...and snapped one of the cable ends  Its a "spares" box for me now as I have a good b3 02a one here as well.
The end couldn't be replaced on my 02a one...short of welding the end back on, etc. However, its cheaper to just buy the single new cable which can be done through the dealer...or go to you local pick a part and pick up a box w/ cables for 15.00!

Working on getting those graphics/drawings


Joe

[RabbitGTDguy]

After digging through all of my collections of pictures from the various projects over the last 5-7 years or so...i did find this drawing of one of the needed o2a mounts for the MK1



I can't seem to find the one for the lower tranny mount for the 02a conversion...i'm sure its out there somewhere.

Also...here is your cable acutated clutch setup from the 02a...



I have all of these parts physically, so let me know if you'd like to see them "in detail" just need to take pics...

Joe

[Greasecar]

Thanks for the photos and tips on the tranny swap.  I saw a cable clutch kit on Vortex for $160 that looked just like what your diagram shows, but you were saying it may not fit the TDI slave flange? That tranny mount looks very simple and straight forward though I would probably try to include some additional suppot on the arm between the mount and bracket.

I was picking apart and continuing to label the chassis harness on the Golf last night.  I have the engine harness intact and that should be plug and play, the hybridizing of the chassis harness will be the real challange but with the dash swap it should make things simpler wiring wise as I will use the A4 fuse box, relays and switches and then just splice into the Rabbit accessories and lights.  This is what I did on the Mini project which used and engine and running gear from a Rover Metro which fortunately used similar color coding and sensors with similar values.  The only thing that didn't work out well was my hybrid spedo cable which is consistantly off by 15%.

The Rabbit itself is almost road ready with the exception of the reverse lights, chipped windshield, horn and the last 20 inches of exhaust none of which is too intimidating other than the glass which will cost a few $$.

 I am trying to decide whether to put this car on the road and drive it for the winter which would mean finding another shell for the TDI build or find another daily driver and start digging into the TDI swap which would mean a decent 4-speed 1.6 with fresh clutch, seals and 1,9 turbo swap will be up for grabs.

It may be easier to find another daily driver than to find another decent 2-door Rabbit shell.  Speaking of shells is anyone looking for a stripped 2-door A4 golf Shell?

[Greasecar]

I'm having a hard time reading the specs on that tranny mount sheet.  Do you have a larger image or PDF you can email me? [email protected]

Are you going to want one of these If we make one?  You think others will want them if we do a small batch?  I already have one rubber mount that I was going to put in the Rabbit for the current tranny but turned out I didn't need it, those are cheap.  I guess some people woulf want urathane or solid mounts for gasser applications.

Looks like you did something similar to MR Dave for your engine mount.  Looks like the front (core support) mount will bolt up at the bell housing, what are pleople doing for the rear mount?

[JunkcollectorJ]

I am returning to the board after a long absence with a new project. I gave away my original Rabbit GTD after it sat in an idle state of restoration in my garage for 2 years (stripped out for body work). Discouraged by the amount of work I had into the car and the amount of work needed to complete it and distracted by numerous other projects and running my business, I handed it off to my friend Jay who is working on building her up on his own.

Sorry to go off topic, but I'm the Jay who has Justin's old car.  It's a great project for me, and I can't thank Justin enough for the opportunity to build up his old car.  Here is a pic of it in it's current state, in my garage, being worked on whenever I get time.

[RabbitGTDguy]

Justin,

I'll email you the actual graphic itself. Its compressed slightly for posting I imagine because I use Photobucket for hosting...
I would def. be interested in that mount in particular (and I'm sure others would be too). It could benefit with a little bit of reinforcement and/or gussetting on the arm I agree as well. I'm still trying to find the plans for the lower rear tranny mount...but haven't found it yet.
To give you and idea of what is out there. Here is what WRD USA is offering for the tranny conversion...


They can be bought here on their website...
http://wrdusa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WRD&Product_Code=010A180&Category_Code=mounts

Review's have been fairly decent on them. However, they are also one of the only "options" that we have at the moment on this side of the pond...short of making our own, etc. There were a few people offering them on the 'tex as well, needavr6 made them for a while, as well as patatron and then there is one other that illudes me. Someone here mentioned using his.

As for the front mount. Man...so many different variations. I've seen many ways. I've seen people that have welded in the complete MK2/MK3 style mounts for all engine points, I've seen Rabbit mounts with the MK2/3 style front mount (attached to modified core support and also attached to a core support reinforcement bar...basically square steel tubular stock run in between the front bumper supports with bolt plates welded to this bar and then attached/secured at the bumper mounting points and stock MK1 front engine mount location), and then also...the stock rabbit mount, or the stock style mount using one of these "core support reinforcment" pieces...
They can be bought on the market from a few places...and many people make theirs at home as well. Black Forest Industries is one place that sells them right now.
I planned on the stock engine mount up front utilizing one of the core support reinforcement bars.

I don't know if you were referring to my pass side engine mount as being similar to Mr. Dave's, but...its not really
Using the ALH block from the MKIV you have to use the style of mount that he made...it uses two points on the block where the stock mk1 mount would bolt...but the ALH block lacks the other two MKI block mounting points...so...you "wrap" the mount around the rear and use a couple of the other mounting points found on the back of the block.
On the earlier TDI's... the 1z/AHU motors found in Mk3's and the b4 TDI's...you can use the stock rabbit mount. Mine is a modified straight injection pump bracket from the MK1 with the IP portion cut off (as I wanted to use all the 1z/AHU timing belt goodies, backing plate, etc...) and then contoured to the front of the block. It is a STRONG mount...much more so than the gasser mk1 equal IMHO as its thicker steel (can' t remember the exact measurement right off...) and its also got "ribbing" that reinforces it as well.
The gasser mk1 mount can be used on these motors as well...but then you have to make spacers for it (has a "rise" at the front of the mount where the gasser accessory bracket wraps around), or use the stock accessory bracket, etc. My route ended up more direct and looks pretty stock.

As for the cable actuated clutch setup for the 02a, etc. the only reason I mentioned it is the location of the slave on the mkIV, true "02j" style tranny I believe is more towards the "back" of the bellhousings. Looking at an 02a TDI trans (CTN code with 02j style diff/bolt on cups) you'd find the slave is mounted at "12 o' clock" looking at the tranny from the bellhousing. If memory serves me correctly, I believe the MKIV 02j style mounting is located at 1 or 2 o'clock on the bellhousing. But again...don't quote me on that.
Mounting wise though...the MKIV 02j slave and the 02a b3/4/mk3 mountings are the same bolt pattern. The slaves are a particular common problem on both trannys and I've heard of people "interchanging" the MKIV one with the early one, etc. Taking the cable acutated clutch into consideration then, with your MKIV style 02j tranny...the dimensions of the cable and the orientation of mounting the cable acutator itself may....may present clearance problems, etc. However, it should bolt right up to the tranny.

Make sense?



By the way...the "old car" looks nice! Glad to see that it has a good home!

Justin, if your on a quest for another 2dr. keep your eyes peeled. I seem to only find decent...decent 4dr's...ultimately, I wanted my mTDI mk1 project to be a 2dr. pre 80 german diesel rabbit. No luck there yet though.

Joe

[Greasecar]

I have found a few worthy 2-door shells in the $1000-1500 range but they have all been mid '80s.  Most of the decent German 2-doors are in the PNW and really cheap, probably worth the shipping cost but I hate buying stuff like that sight unseen.

Jay, looking good.  I was waiting to see sommore shots of the progress.  When is it going in for paint? You should definitely get a build thread going on the board then this spring we can have a face-off.

I finished getting the wiring harness, steering column and dash support bar out of the Golf last night with minimal damage aside from a few little harness mounting clips.  There sure is a ton of wire in that thing.  I plan on weeding out the airbag and brake pad sensors from the chassis harness and hope to re-wire the light circuits to the Rabbit bulb sockets so that I can just swap the whole fuse and relay cluster.  The chassis harness was incinerated on the other side of the firewall but we have the ECM end of the Chassis harness left over from Ethan's 1.8T swap and hope to splice that into what we have left of the TDI harness.  Most of the chassis accessories and color coding should be the same between the 1.8T and the TDI.

The geometry of the A4 column linkage seems very similar to that of the MK1 and I plan on attempting to splice them together.  I need to get a shell so we can start mocking this all up and with the current budget it is looking like driving the maroon car and picking up another shell for the build may make more sense than buying another driver and stripping out the marooner.  

Here are the shell options I am looking at.  Right now I am leaning towards the first (silver one) because it has been garaged and I can probably scrap out some of the gasser stuff to defray the cost.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3422982

This one seems a bit sketchy

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3398180

By the way here is the TDI Rabbit that Lagomorph is selling.

  http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3417155

[JunkcollectorJ]

Justin, your new rabbit looks pretty mint.  I'd say using that as a DD and looking for another shell to build may be a good idea, but only because you're in need of a DD .  A tdi swap in that car would be awesome, but since it's so close to being road worthy it may make more sense to find just a shell for the tdi because that will be project that will take some time.

Anyway, here is another link to a shell for sale up here, just for the heck of it:
http://www.dubsnorth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6643

Progress on the '82 rabbit is slow lately, but still moving forward.  Wedding stuff has taken up the majority of my time lately though.  I have two options for paint, both can't happen until later in October...but hopefully that will work out.  While waiting for paint the rest of my time on the rabbit is spent sorting through wiring and trying to modify the rain tray a little, and creating my new intake piping.

[Greasecar]

Joe, you painted your old 4-door right?  Green pearl if I remember correctly.  Other than a bunch of wet sanding how did you feel it came out?  I never saw it in person but it certainly looked pretty good in all the photos I've seen

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b109/joeallison_99/Pavilion2.jpg

I think Jay is on the fence as to whether he should paint his or spring for the $$ pro job.


I pulled the Heater, A/C, duct assembly out of the Golf today, it actually is not that big and only weighs about 10 lbs.  Because the duct work all mates upt directly to the dash vents (w/o a bunch of tubes like the old rabbits) I figure I'll try to at least cut and paste it.  These are the times when a stripped out Rabbit shell ready for mock-up would be nice.  I may go and check out that silver shell Sunday, otherwise later this week.  I agree that with the work put into the maroon turd to get it road ready it doesn't make much sense to take it apart.  Plus I really want to see what that 1.6 will do, sounds mean.

[lord_verminaard]

BTW the guy on the Vortex that makes the 02A/J mounts for Mk1 is Dan Bubb, or JDaniels on the Vortex.  I've met him a few times and his mounts were featured in a european car mag once too.  IIRC, his mounts are roughly the same price as the ABD ones.  I personally will be going with his since I've met him and he's a Scirocco guy too.  

Brendan

[RabbitGTDguy]

yeah, i've talked to him as well. They are slightly more expensive than the WRD ones (not abd) but the only problem with his one mount that I saw was that it was a 2 pc. design and looked to be of a thinner gauge steel. He has said that they have handled 300hp or so...on a 1.8T setup in an MK1 out there.

Justin... check your PM's... I need your email addy to send you the larger resolution pic.

On the Classic Green Pearl I had on the GTD....yah, it was nice paint...really nice IMHO . Original color found on the Corrado "Storm"...loved it.
Remind me to tell you the "other" story behind it though...the reason why I don't like to talk about it too much.

Joe

[Greasecar]

Doesn't look like too many folks are keeping an eye on this but I'll post an update anyway.  

Finished fabricating my 2.25 exhaust and added a "Cherry Bomb". Sounds sweet, a lot mellower than the straight exhaust did.

I have some inter-cooler parts on their way and will be setting up my intake for boost gauge and wategate actuator tube. All that's left to get the car inspected and registered is a windshield replacement, and fixing the horn and reverse lights.  

Here are a couple of shots from last night:

[Greasecar]

Wow, I didn't realize how crappy those photos were until I reviewed the post.  I gotta figure out what's wrong with the shop camera.

[JunkcollectorJ]

Looking good!  Keep the updates coming...I'm interested in seeing how the 1.6 performs with the tdi manifolds/turbo.

Also, my spare TD pump may be on it's way to your shop soon so you can play with  that...

[Wolfsbur]

Wow, I didn't realize how crappy those photos were until I reviewed the post.  I gotta figure out what's wrong with the shop camera.

Thank God!  I thought my sight was failing!

GREAT POSTS,  thanks for making the effort.