Author Topic: 1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan  (Read 143949 times)

Reply #15August 25, 2008, 02:49:26 pm

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #15 on: August 25, 2008, 02:49:26 pm »
Did you make the CRX-squared that was in Car & Drive a number of years back ?

Reply #16August 25, 2008, 02:56:59 pm

914turboford

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #16 on: August 25, 2008, 02:56:59 pm »
No, but I read about it. I've done six major conversions: Liquid Cooled Mid Engine Bug, Ford 302 powered Mazda Rotary 4x4 truck, Mustang 5.0 EFI powered Mitsubishi 2WD truck, Mercedes turbo diesel w123 wagon 4x4, Camaro 3.8 V6 powered Volvo 245 wagon 4x4, 1974 All Wheel Drive Honda Civic. Now I'm building a single seat VW 1.6TD powered street car. You can read about these vehicles at engineconversions.org. We'd love to have a write up of your Caravan there, too.
Brian

Reply #17August 29, 2008, 10:56:26 am

arb

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temperature gauge ?
« Reply #17 on: August 29, 2008, 10:56:26 am »
OK, getting close to mounting the 1.6L in the Caravan...

I bought a new set of steam gauges for it. The oil pressure, turbo boost, and voltage are easy, but the temperature gauge is posing a real problem.. Being as important as the oil, I really need to know if a hose blows. The bulb is a tad larger than the stock fitting the stock temp senders screw into. How have other used a mechanical temperature gauge on our engine ? Is there a spot on the head to drill & Tap a 1/4" NPT ? Other ideas?

Reply #18September 02, 2008, 09:00:04 am

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #18 on: September 02, 2008, 09:00:04 am »
I guess no one has a mechanical coolant temp gauge. OK, I'll punt. I bought a 3/4" aluminum tube yesterday. I'll cut off 2.5" of it to modify my housing the 2 temp gauge sending units are screwed into. I've removed it from the head. I'll drill out the rear sending unit's hole to 3/4" and insert this short piece of tube into it and TIG weld in in place.

Next I'll drill and tap a 1/4 NPT hole into a piece of aluminum bar stock that's 1/4 thick. Then I'll cut the circle around it to form a plug for the end of this housing. It too will be welded in place. This will allow the temp probe to be mostly inside the head, while leaving me a 3/4 fitting for the expansion tank. This also means I'll have a cheap radiator hose to replace for the expansion tank rather than the more costly formed hose.

Reply #19September 03, 2008, 07:56:36 am

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #19 on: September 03, 2008, 07:56:36 am »
I tried to mount the TD oil filter flang to the block last night. I had modified it slightly. The clean side supply fitting for the turbo was a thread none of my auto stores had in stock, so I removed it and re-tapped it for 1/4" NPT. This allowed me to  use an inverted brake line elbow in it place. The oil supply now will use low cost high quality coated steel brake lines up to an inverted flare union. On the other side, there will be a flare fitting placed on the end of the OEM flexible turbo line. The GT15 retains it OEM fitting.

Then I tried to mount the flang, but its base is almost 1 cm taller than the stock flang, so I'll use some S.S. 8m x 1.25 bolts I bought for the manifolds. Tonight I hope to have the turbo on and oil plumbed. I'll be spinning up the oil pump with a cordless drill until I see lots of oil coming from the turbo's drain line. I don't like the risks of clamping on to the turbo for initial start up.

The question is, do I really need to scrap off the old flang gasket and use a new one ?

As always, if anyone wants photos posted, ask. Otherwise I guess you visualize what's been said.

Reply #20September 04, 2008, 08:10:34 am

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #20 on: September 04, 2008, 08:10:34 am »
OK, I mounted my turbo oil filter flange / oil cooler and ran a new brake line half way to the turbo. Interesting thing, the flange holds the filter close to the bell housing and does not allow the metal tube from the water pump to the heater core to be used. I guess I'll run a new hose from the pump to the heater core w/o a rusty metal tube between them.

I'll also have to check the filter to be sure it does not rub a hole in it from vibrating against the bell housing. I'm using the over sized all synthetic extended run Mobil 1 filter.

Reply #21September 04, 2008, 10:08:36 am

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #21 on: September 04, 2008, 10:08:36 am »
OK, I asked if people wanted photos, glad to do so. I just post a could on the first page and will upload many more tomorrow.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Reply #22September 10, 2008, 01:23:54 pm

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #22 on: September 10, 2008, 01:23:54 pm »
Getting real close to mounting the engine...

The trickiest part so far was pulling the power steering rack & pinion and replacing with a new manual rack. Dodge offered it up to 1990 - in the 1st generation caravan. Mine is 1992, the 2nd gen.  So, the only difference is the end of the shaft where the steering column connects. The 1990 has a slightly longer input shaft with a smaller coarse spline. The 1992 has a larger diameter fine spline.

I cut the end off a bone yard 1992 and drilled it out.



I cut the end off my new manual 1990 and ground it round to fit the hole in the fine spline -

I then slid this fine spline over it, then TIG welded it.




For extra safety, I drilled the U-joint / spline and ran a stainless steel bolt through them both.



I also added many photos to this thread.

Reply #23September 10, 2008, 01:35:07 pm

zukgod1

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #23 on: September 10, 2008, 01:35:07 pm »
Looks like it will work just fine to me.

What dod you do about your temp gauge? I'm looking for pics..
dan

99 Golf TDI (now CNG powered) , 82 TD Caddy

Reply #24September 10, 2008, 02:20:13 pm

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #24 on: September 10, 2008, 02:20:13 pm »
Here's how I got my standard SunPro mechanical temp gauge to work and eliminated one of the "formed" hoses:


I took a 3/4 slab of 6061 aluminum and hole saw cut a 7/8" plug out.

Then I drilled it with a 7/16 bit to accept the 1/4" NPT tap. I then removed the 2 stock temp senders and TIG welded this into the flange the heater hose connects to on the head - the one with the 2 temp probes for the glow plus and the temp light.


Man, what a low quality grade aluminum VW used for this. Really high in impurities.

Next I 3/4" drilled out the threads for the temp sensor at the rear of the flange. I put a 3" aluminum tube into this hole and TIG welded it there for the header hose. Now I no longer need the expensive formed header hose that goes from 1" to 3/4" or what ever it is...

Then I tapped the 7/16 hole in the flange and screwed the brass fitting into it that came with the mechanical temp gauge, with high temp RTV on the threads for added safety.


Reply #25September 11, 2008, 08:58:24 am

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #25 on: September 11, 2008, 08:58:24 am »
I had diesel smoke in the garage last night for the first time !!!

I wanted to primp my injectors before mounting the engine in the Caravan. So, I installed the starter and cables, fuel lines and filter/separator. The IP lines are loose at the injectors. I also wanted to prime the oil supply to the new turbo before starting. I cranked the engine for a few, but no fuel was moving, but I did primp the new turbo.


 I love those clear OEM lines.

Do you see why there was not flow ? LOL !! I felt a little foolish I cranked it 2 or 3 revolutions before I realized my mistake. That little red wire for the fuel cut-off solenoid was not powered !!  OK, I powered that and cranked on and off for a few minutes, keeping close tabs on the starter for heat. No luck. The IP was not pulling the fuel - too much air in every part I guess. I was thinking of installing a low pressure lift pump just in case I ever ran out of fuel it would be much easier to primp. Here is the setup - the fuel pump in sitting on the 5 gal tank:

It worked great !! The fuel pump slowly pushes the execess fuel out the IP fuel return line. Is it just me, or does that fuel look more yellow ?

While I was at it changing things, I did the primo GP wiring.


One more detail - notice how close the filter is to the bell housing ? It actually is touching. I love these over sized fully synthetic filters, so I think I should pull the filter and file down that corner of the bell housing as it could rub a hole in the filter.
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Reply #26September 11, 2008, 01:26:51 pm

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #26 on: September 11, 2008, 01:26:51 pm »
When I put the new head gasket on, I oculdn't find the studs locally, so I took 2 of the old stock bolts and cut off the heads, then used the cut-off grinder to cut screw driver slots in the tops.

Here they are in the block. They really helded aligning the block, gasket, head when I installed it.

Here's the magnetic puller removing these studs after the other new head bolts were installed finger tight.

Most of my valve cover studs where rusted beyond service. I had to cut the heads off the stainless steel bolts I used to make the studs.

Here's the installed look. I put red lock-tight on the threads of the stud into the head as well as on the S.S. nut.



Still looking for advice on the oil filter rubbing the bell housing. - Should I file off the corner of the bell housing so it doesn't rub a hole in the side of the filter ?

Reply #27September 11, 2008, 09:49:51 pm

giulianot

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #27 on: September 11, 2008, 09:49:51 pm »
have never seen the oil filter and cooler on an angle like that. All the 1.6td ive seen have the oil filter and cooler straight down , perpendicular to the car.  What shell was your 1.6  born in?
1990 cabriolet 1.9 aaz, kkk 24/26,  Giles pump, big  2.5" intercooler,  3 " P.P. downpipe

Reply #28September 11, 2008, 09:59:58 pm

gigaz2

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #28 on: September 11, 2008, 09:59:58 pm »
from the gearbox mounts it looks like its from a mk1 golf right?
as giulianot said, a mk2 oil filter would be pointing straight down.

but as you said a little grinding could also get you some slack, a few mm would suffice.
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Reply #29September 11, 2008, 11:06:18 pm

arb

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1.6L TD in a Dodge Caravan
« Reply #29 on: September 11, 2008, 11:06:18 pm »
Like the so called Rabbit turbo manifold I bought, I took the guys word for it the oil cooler / filter flange were for a TD IDI Rabbit.

That was before I found this group. I found many others, but this looks like the best so far.

Tonight I did the metrics for my engine bay and where to place the IDI. The main question is how high about the level centerline of the axles should the transaxle shaft flange be ? I am guessing about 2 - 3 inches to allow for wheel droop without them binding on the "K" frame. The K cars have a bit wider stance than the Rabbit.

Tomorrow I buy more argon.

 

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