I'm looking to swap a diesel engine into a 90-92 (i have access to both, i think i'll go with the 92 though) cabriolet. I've searched around and haven't really seen this conversion done. I've always like the old cabrios and have an interest in biodiesel so i figured what a better way to do it. Unfortunately i can't seem to find any step by step info on the engine swap so that i know what's entailed. I need to know how much money i'm looking at to do the swap, which diesel i should choose (1.6L Turbo/NT, 1.9L TDI, etc.), and what all is involved in doing the swap as i've never done one before.
I know someone who has swapped engines in a Rabbit, but that was gas to gas... It seems that most people going diesel get it OEM.
If anyone could tell me what i'm looking at here, it would be greatly appreciated.
First, check the legal and licensing issues. If there's emissions testing where you live, that's usually keyed of the VIN, and the VIN of the cabriolets will identify them as gas powered cars. You won't pass emissions tests with a diesel or turbodiesel engine in that car. So you will need to get the powers that be to do some extra paperwork so that you can get a tag for the thing when you finish. How difficult that will be depends on where you live and how reasonable the people involved are.
Also check with your insurance agent about engine swaps and what that does to your insurance. You wouldn't want to find out that you don't have insurance coverage when you need it.
If you can get a tag for it when you're done, and insure it to drive on the street, the conversion to a 1.6TD or 1.6D shouldn't be that hard. You'll want to find an engine. One from a later A2 might have fewer miles on it, and the turbodiesels were more common in the A2 cars. The cabriolets are pretty heavy cars, especially the later ones. So you will be better with a 1.6TD engine.
Then you'll need some A1 diesel parts as well (air intake plumbing at least, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something).
Your Cabriolet has the in tank fuel transfer pump. You might be able to leave the transfer pump in place, but the rest of your fuel system will have to be changed out for diesel parts. There's no high pressure electric fuel pump in the diesel, and the normal diesel setup doesn't have the transfer pump either. But I doubt the low pressure transfer pump would hurt anything. I don't think you can fit the older style diesel tank into your car, so eliminating the transfer pump entirely won't be easy.
There will be other issues with accessories and other under hood items. The windshield washer bottle is in a different location in the diesels, and it will probably have to be moved if you put a turbodiesel in. And there will be other "little" things like that which you will have to deal with.
Good luck with the project.
Topic: 90-92 Cabriolet -> Diesel (Read 2934 times)
