T3 Syncro owner saying hello!

[airhead]

Hows things? Im Ross from Ireland. This is what I drive...






Its a 1992 built (93 registered) T3 Syncro. One of the last of the T3s to roll off the european production line. It has just over 100,000km on it It has a 1.6 JX turbodiesel engine in the back, which is as yet entirely unmolested but thats only cause I havent had the time or money to do anything to it. I have an intercooler off a Mk4 Golf TDI to go onto it. I want to wind up the turbo pressure a bit, up to about 12psi and increase the fuelling to a point where Im getting some nice power but not an insane amount of smoke. As far as other mods go, well I have to say Im not all that well up on what can be done with the JX lump. Its a great engine that runs well, pulls well and sips away on whatever fuel I throw at it, be it diesel or veggie oil like its going out of fashion. Anyway your suggestions as to what to do with it on a postcard please!  

[MaxHedrm]

Or you could ship it across the pond to me...    :wink:  

Darn, you stole my idea. :wink:

Nice looking van! I'm a bit partial to that grey though, the TT is nimbus.

[airhead]

Nimbus?  :?  Hmm, must have a look at that. Not sure what it looks like.  Anyway, its actually VW wolfram grey metallic. The van was originally white. It was an ambulance when I bought it, used for field work and mountain rescue. It had 36k miles on it when I got it, with a full VW service history. The locker in the side was where the oxygen tanks were stored for the ambulance. The interior is a custom design by myself, built around a 1" box section steel frame for rigidity and lightness. Ill get some pics up over the next while. The interior (and in fact the whole van) is a work in progress. Im focusing my efforts on the fun end of things now though by getitng some stuff done with the engine. Now talk me through this thing of closing off the wastegate entirely on the turbo if you dont mind. Would that not cause the turbo to overspeed and wreck itself? I have the BOV closed off already cause it was pissing me off. It was always releasing the pressure when I gave the van some right foot. It meant I could never get any speed up or accelerate easily. Anyway, how do I go about closing off the wastegate? I was going to install a bleed valve in the wastegate line to control the pressure at which it released instead of closing it off entirely. I was going to get a turbo pressure gauge, and I had thought about an EGT gauge. Also an oil temperature gauge. So where do I start? Whats the best thing to do first as far as modifying a JX turbodiesel engine is concerned?

[Vanagoner]

Beautiful rig, Ross.  I'm hoping to see more engine and especially interior pictures.  Never seen one like yours.  How many diff/shaft locks do you have stock?  We only got the rear diff lock here- but they are pretty invincible with just that!

[airhead]

Its just got the rear. I'd quite like a limited slip diff on the front though! That said, its tough to get stuck if you're not trying to. Ive put that through plenty of, to use the words in the manual, arduous conditions. Tomorrow Ill try and get a couple of pics. The interior isnt quite finished yet. Ive a set of captains chairs (the ones with the arms) arriving soon for the front, and Ive some upholstery and wiring to do in the back, as well as making some cabinet doors. Its literally a stock JX turbodiesel engine in the back, and its filthy, the way a well used diesel engine is supposed to be!  :wink: That said, I do want to whip off the rocker cover and paint it red and give the engine a damn good cleaning so it at least looks somewhat presentable.