1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan

[dillenger1]

"Boo" ..for roofing and "yahhhh" for conversion

[arb]

I'm getting too old to be doing roofing in 85 degree sun. A small breeze would have been a big help, so the job is not done yet. I could not stay away from the project with it so close to being done, so I finished the trans mount Saturday after the sun went down. Here it is ready to be bolted to the trans.

Here it is mounted from the driver's side view.

And again from the center firewall view.

Had the flue Sunday and yesterday. Hope to get more done tonight after the sun sets. I have about 5 days before it gets wet in my garage :-)

[arb]

I like diesel work much better than construction. But, I can't have water dripping on the tools - When Ike blew through Michigan 10 days back, I had such water from the 3 old layers of shingles. It will be a couple days before its done. The engine is almost ready to be dropped in.

[arb]

No more shingles, my garage and engine are dry !

I moved the gas tank into the garage last night to remove the high pressure in tank pump. I hope to use the pump's pickup tube and screen. More photos to follow and suggestions requested !

[arb]

OK guys, I have learned that it does not matter if I have personally done more than a dozen re-roofs in years past, when you pass 40 the toll on your body is beyond the expected !!  This, even if I now own roofing nailers and compressors. Oh Well. In the words of my Dad - Bert Arbogast - "Its hell growing old"

So, I have taken apart my stock Caravan fuel tank sending / pickup unit.

I first rotated the locking ring...

WOW !! This allowed me to se that the sending unit is part of the high pressure fuel pump / return fuel unit. I require 2 of these 3 tasks.

Notice the screan / 2" x 2" mat at the end of the unit. This is actually the HP pump's return system.

I decided to remove the HP pump and make my own pickup line and replace the pickup line with a return line... and the new pick up line would use the unit's return line - sort of a reversal of tasks. :-)

Here you can see some of the local guys at GoodYear still make fuel lines sold in USA as "Made in USA"

"There is no replacement for displacement"

What might be of interest here is the fact that I made a pick up line of 5/16  coated brake line for the pickup line and that I made a flaired fittting to connect to the factory return line inside the fuel tank.
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[arb]

I destroyed the new oil filter getting it off so I could remove some material from the bellhousing. Good thing I did this before it is installed in the Caravan.

I used a flat file to remove the 1/4"

[arb]

One last coat of rust prevention paint to the top side of the fuel tank.

Currently I am fabricating the mounts for the A/C compressor and the alternator. I did not get the VW alternator with this engine and the Chrysler alternator has a serpentine pulley. The Chrysler engine has an aluminum cradle for the compressor and one end of the alternator. Using this would place the alternator much lower than I would like - just below the water pump.

It has a longer side plate than the VW engine would allow for, so I cut it off with a sawall.

Next I cut some 4" C channel for a mounting plate for this cradle. It will be attached to the VW alternator mounting bracket as well as the side engine mount I am making.

[arb]

Back to the parts store...  I had selected a DL7078 alternator from Autozone as it has a life time warranty and cost $45 plus a $10 core. The web site shows the regulator to be internal. It was spec'ed for a 1985 F-150... I got it home an realized it was an external. Since I want a single wire alternator setup, so I took it back and got a DL7127M - $5 more for the core, but can be done single wire. Its a 63 amp unit.

The stock alternator for this engine would have been 65 amps and cost $102 plus a $20 core.

[arb]

Last night I did some fabricating of the A/C compressor - Alternator mounts. First I cut the bracket from VW so new steel flats could be added.

I ran a steel tube through the bottom VW alternator hole for an alignment reference. From this and the flat spot the top VW bracket bolt holes goes through I had references for all three axis. No micrometer, but several squares proved to be within 1/16" in all axis. That should be close enough.
Next I bolted the Chrysler bracket to the 2 pieces of flat stock and tack welded all 4 corners to the VW bracket with a stick welder. After cleaning these dirty welds I switched to TIG and the rod for welding mild steel to cast iron. It seems to have worked well.

Flipping the assembly over I welded from the other side. Tonight I should have the alternator on the engine and only have the shifter and anti torque brackets to make.
Here's the other side of the assembly.

This new extention to the VW bracket will be triangulated to the front engine anti torque mount.

[arb]

Tonight was all about the compressor and the alternator -

Here it is bolted to the engine. Notice the trim marks where I'll remove metal:

I almost forgot about the compressor idler pulley - here is where it needs to be:

This metal will be used for the idler mount:

Here it is ready for the mounting plate to be welded on:

Before I get too much dust on the filter flange, I better put a filter back on. I almost bought another M-304 like I destroyed, but I found this new M1-204 in my collection - its the "Stock" VW diesel filter, but it about half the length of the M-304 I'll be using after this one has 5,000 miles on it.

[fatmobile]

Did you put a restrictor in the turbo oil supply line?
The turbo can't handle full oil pressure.
 Nice job, so the weird angled oil filter mount worked out better than a normal oil filter mount that points straight downward?

[arb]

Did you put a restrictor in the turbo oil supply line?
The turbo can't handle full oil pressure.
 Nice job, so the weird angled oil filter mount worked out better than a normal oil filter mount that points straight downward?

A restricter ? Could this be in the stock oil line ? I used the flexible line from a stock VW turbo and extended it with the brake line to the filter flange. What does this restricter look like ?

As far as it being better angled ? Humm. It prevents me from using the starter motor bolts for the side anti torque engine mount, but makes it easier to stablize the compressor / alternator mount.

[arb]

I found this new M1-204 in my collection - its the "Stock" VW diesel filter, but it about half the length of the M-304 I'll be using after this one has 5,000 miles on it.

[zukgod1]

Me either, I've had a few apart now and no restrictions there...

Just looked like the bearings did the restriction.

[arb]

My understanding was that the bearing type used in the turbo determined whether or not it needed a restrictor.  The journal type used in all VWs will take full pressure (and need it) while the ball bearing types require a restrictor both because they don't need the oil pressure to keep the parts from self-destructing and because they will pass enough oil to cause pressure loss in the rest of the system.

Andrew

That's my understanding too. Can someone explain better ?