1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan

[arb]

Did some more crimping on my TC tubes with my new tool. :-)  The honey-do list has taken the past couple of days away. With this weekend being Ukrainian Easter (Orthodox) I'll be able to "relax" and tie up the rest of the loose ends on my project. Good thing this project is not work for me and is really enjoyment. . .

At least that's the plan !

[arb]

Small increment this weekend. I crimped the rest of the TC pipes. One of them resulted in a stress fracture - look at the far right pipe at about the 1:30 position. Its only about 4 mm long and outside the clamping seal, so I'm going to ignore it.

I also secured the radiator. The factory top bracket lost one of the "blind nuts" - I forget what the proper term is.. so I go 2 S.S. cap screws and 5/16 nut.

Secured with Blue Loctite.

[arb]

Re-installed the TC loop plumbing,

Installed the main battery cable junction to the secondary feed.
 
Spliced this into the main junction for the battery junction.

installed the starter motor battery cable, went to China-Mart for some replacement wire for the burned ground in the instrument cluster.

[arb]

VERY EASY START last night.... but...

Let me jump to the punch-line. I did my first full start with GP last night. It started right up after I closed the last injector line and torched the GP. It sounded strong idling, but as soon as I gave it throttle, it hesitated and stalled. There were a few air bubbles in the fuel lines, so I hope that is it. Otherwise I'm thinking the governor in the IP is stuck from sitting too long. I'll run it a lot longer tomorrow to see if that fixes it. Here's the video. The rest of the story after the video.

http://s533.photobucket.com/albums/ee338/the_arb/?action=view&current=100_5036.flv

First thing I did last night was fix the burned wires in my instrument pod from the shorted Chinese toggle switch (it was illuminated and shorted internally the ground to the feed power). I also verified that my wires were to the correct ground and source.

The new toggle.

Next I protected the main power junctions.

Liquid tape is good for keeping water out, but I once had a main battery cable short to ground. With no fuse, things get very hot very fast... so, first plastic shields,

Then rubber

So, after start and run, I found the turbo return oil line was leaking a little.

Yep, the only hose I did not replace. I might just put the turbo pan on the engine tomorrow and eliminate this setup.

[arb]

I did my first full start with GP last night. It started right up after I closed the last injector line and torched the GP. It sounded strong idling, but as soon as I gave it throttle, it hesitated and stalled. There were a few air bubbles in the fuel lines, so I hope that is it. Otherwise I'm thinking the governor in the IP is stuck from sitting too long. I'll run it a lot longer tomorrow to see if that fixes it. Here's the video.

Ideas ?

http://s533.photobucket.com/albums/ee338/the_arb/?action=view&current=100_5036.flv

[arb]

It was air in the IP... I turned on my aux electric fuel pump, and it cleared the bubbles and I got throttle response. Not quite full above half throttle, but sounding very good with or without the aux pump. I noticed 2 more things. No boost showing on the gauge. The turbo could clearly be heard spooling with reving the engine to maybe 2200 rpm, but that's it. No black smoke with full throttle. Maybe because there was no load. Also, on of the old injector to injector return lines is leaking. I will replace this and the other one I have not yet. Fix the turbo return leak, and retorque my HG. I ran it for about 50 minutes, so I think it got hot enough.

[53 willys]

It was air in the IP... I turned on my aux electric fuel pump, and it cleared the bubbles and I got throttle response. Not quite full above half throttle, but sounding very good with or without the aux pump. I noticed 2 more things. No boost showing on the gauge. The turbo could clearly be heard spooling with reving the engine to maybe 2200 rpm, but that's it. No black smoke with full throttle. Maybe because there was no load. Also, on of the old injector to injector return lines is leaking. I will replace this and the other one I have not yet. Fix the turbo return leak, and retorque my HG. I ran it for about 50 minutes, so I think it got hot enough.

it's really really hard to build or show boost by free reving...you need a load.

[arb]

She Runs !!!!! Here's the punch line.. my patient wife recorded the first move under diesel power !!   I have a VW DIESEL Daily Driver !
http://s533.photobucket.com/albums/ee338/the_arb/?action=view&current=100_5052.flv

Here's the steps to get there. I ran the car for almost an hour. Still didn't have good power, but it got to operating temp. Then I retorqued the head bolts. (Didn't want to wait for studs - should have known it was not going to be my daily driver back in August ;-)


I noticed the fuel return line I used was swelling. There were no markings on the hose, so it must not have been fuel rated.

Fuel rated hose with clamps now..

This lead me to see I forgot to close the line on the intake - so some boost would have been leaking here..

Hope this holds. It's small enough..

Next I sealed the radiator over-flow to the stock Chrysler recovery tank.

Next I mounted the a/c compressor aluminum mounting cradle and tried to mound the compressor.. No dice, the Chrysler location was further from the fan so I had to bend the metal lines on the compressor and the condenser.

Good old plumping tools. Hopefully this summer the a/c will still work. I'm leaving the belt off for now as I don't need a/c yet. The compressor mounted with 1 cm of clearance.

Next the leaking turbo return line / vac pump vent. I had used the stock VW hose and stretched it over the brass 9/16 barbed fitting. It cracked and was leaking. So, I took two pieces of 1/2" copper water line, cut it up the middle and rolled it to fix into the end and side fitting. I then soldered them in place and along the seam. This allowed new hose to the vac pump and the return fitting on the side of the block. I noticed some oil blowing by my turbo seals when I removed the I.C. loop. I think I'll install the stock turbo oil pan / return line now that I have one.

On to the exhaust. I clamped the flex joint to the down pipe. Next I needed about a 30 degree elbow. I did not have one, so I took a stock 90 degree and cut it, then cut the end 2 inches into 8 tabs. I spread these over the S.S. tube that would run to the muffler and back. My wife wanted our photos welding this with the TIG.

He was going to try welding for the first time, but not for this thin walled stuff.

Here's the joint, now coated with ceramic paint.

Next I mounted the muffler and ran the S.S. back to the stock pipe that went over the axle. I had to relocate it to the center of the car, for now. And, as I drive in to work today (40 miles each way) it was not supported rear of the muffler, but nothing was dragging or making noise.
After this, I installed the remaining CV mounting cap screws and torqued them all. Next the axle nut retaining cap & cotter pin. Installed a few missing lug nuts from the front, and filled the tires to 36 psi. We went for a drive. After 4 miles or so, the engine developed great power ! We stopped at Sunoco to put the other 10 gallons into the tank to dilute the 10 gallons of old fuel (maybe a year old). Made a big difference. Now I have very little throttle to maintain 65 - 70 mph. At 70 I have 5 psi boost. 65 = 4 psi, 60 = 3 psi... I have not really gotten on it yet, but it feels like pulling the pop-up camper will be very doable.  This morning I put a tie rap over the speedo sender so I don't loose it on the freeway.

Things yet to do -
Install hood.
bolt the speedo sender on / wire it.
Find the starter solenoid feed wire  on the Chrysler side. We could not Sunday, so I spliced it to my aux fuel pump for now.
Find out why the GP relay is not working even with my pimped system. It was used, so it could be bad. For today I use a TIG welding rod to hot wire the GP junction to the battery. It starts right up, first time, even cold.
Attach the instrument cluster to the dash.
Measure mpg. On the way to work, the gauge didn't move... :-)

[Vincent Waldon]

Congrats man.. a long journey, and I know I speak for all of us when I thank you for documenting it along the way... we've all learned a ton!!

[arb]

Thanks !!! I had forgotten about that. You remind me. My temp gauge is at room temp, showing past 250 degrees. When it warms up, it moves, but hits the stop peg. I think I'll just pull the bezel and reset it.

Also, my Chrysler linkage makes the shift pattern up side down. So R is lower left side and 5 OD is lower right side....  I can live with that. Its a little tricky finding 1st gear rather than trying to start in 3rd - hard on the clutch ;-)

[arb]

The hood got installed last night, and I jumper the alternator exciter line to the aux fuel pump feed. Now I don't have to charge the battery each night.

I had a fuel delivery problem on the way to work, or so it seams. After driving about 30 minutes at 70 mph, we hit stop & go traffic on the freeway. Typical Detroit City congestion. After a few minutes of that, I could hear the aux fuel pump hammering. This usually means its pumping air. Next, I was loosing power. I had to stop under a bridge because it stalled - rain showers. No air in the lines... Cycled the aux pump, it stopped hammering and went to normal. Hummmm. The car started right up on the first revolution. Hummm. It ran for a few miles and repeated. I exited the freeway - in the hood now. The cycle of fuel starvation / pause repeated for 8 miles until I got to work.

I'm thinking I got some water in my fuel from one of the fill-ups. I'll drain the water separator when its time to go home... maybe a new filter is needed too.

[Sierra94]

Check your fuel tank filler cap so itīs "breathing" so you donīt end up having vaacum in your fuel tank.

My GMC diesel went nuts when the breather hole was covered up. The truck stalled and as soon as I let it idle for a while I could drive it like normal a couple of miles again and then it just stalled again, over and over. I unscrewed the filler cap and there was a huge vaacum buildup in the fueltank.

Just a thought. Great project btw  

[arb]

Check your fuel tank filler cap so itīs "breathing" so you donīt end up having vaacum in your fuel tank.

My GMC diesel went nuts when the breather hole was covered up. The truck stalled and as soon as I let it idle for a while I could drive it like normal a couple of miles again and then it just stalled again, over and over. I unscrewed the filler cap and there was a huge vaacum buildup in the fueltank.

Just a thought. Great project btw  

Still having fueling problems. On the way home last night - same thing. It ran great until 5 minutes into stop and go. I stopped and check the cap - no vacuum. It is a vented cap, and not plugged. Again, air bubbles in the line from the aux fuel pump to the fuel filter. I cracked the breather on the filter and the air came out. The rest of the drive was normal with the aux pump on.

This morning, the stop and go started much sooner. Again, aux fuel pump on for trip and it started making noise due to air. Stopped. waited a few, checked oil as the dip stick was loose so there was some oil spray. Ran the aux pump for 10 seconds - cleared the air. I was able to drive until the end of the trip where more stop & go... this time I had the aux pump off the entire rest of the trip. No change. Still had fueling problems.

Since I ran 100% new fuel lines / hoses to the bottom of the tank, I'm thinking the old aux fuel pump might be the problem. I'll by-pass it tonight to see if that's the problem.

[arb]

Great news and not so great...

First, I solved the fueling problem. Before I left work yesterday, I removed my aux fuel pump from the circuit. I simply disconnected the fuel line supply and connect the fuel filter in line to it. No problems. So, either the electric pump has an intermittent air leak, or it has some restriction.

Second great news, I'm at 260 miles and my fuel gauge is just coming off full. I verified the 20 gallon tank shows exactly half tank when it is at 10 gallons. So, fantastic mpg.

Bad news, I have developed some intermittent oil leak near the oil cooler. This location is apparent from the spray pattern. It started yesterday on the way to work. I thought it was the oil pressure gauge line where it connects to the filter casting. I tightened that, but the leak came back on my way to work today, requiring a painful purchase of 3 Q dyno oil at a gas station for $8... they had Mobil - 1 but the $9 per quart was not possible today.

[arb]

Problem solved. I did not have an oil leak. I have not fabricated a proper breather / oil separator yet, so I have a 1 m long hose coming off the valve cover vent, going to the highest point in the engine bay, and then down behind the rear of an inner-fender. I had same synthetic batting in the base of it to collect the oil spray. It worked at first, but when I thought I was leaking oil, the batting had become a wad and plugged the vent, pressurizing my crank case and spitting all the oil out the dip stick. It was not ejecting the dip stick like some have seen. So, this weekend I'll make the proper part and switch back to full synthetic.

Mileage seams very high. I am at 335 miles and still above 3/4 tank. I'll take a road trip this weekend and measure it accurately.