tdi engine swap

[tammons]

I am interested in doing a tdi engine swap, not into another golf or anything, but into a different car all together. I can fabricate an engine adapter plate and motor mounts etc, as i have a milling machine and other various stuff, welders etc.

I eventually plan to run it on SVO or biodiesel if that makes a difference in the swap.  

The car it is going into is light at about 2500-2700 # so the milage should be around that of a golf.

I am still considering 3 or 4 differnet cars. I was originally going to do a plug in car, but the cost of the conversion, plus replacing the batteries is pretty high. A tdi conversion is high too, bet then again tdi golfs even used are not cheap.

A couple of the cars I am considering if I decide to build one I will use a VW bug transaxle, but like I said it really does not matter that much anyway since I can do an adapter plate.

I would like around 80-100 hp, but I have never touched a VW diesel motor.

Would I be better off just pulling a complete harness engine etc out of a tdi car, or is the engine really simple enough that i could splice in to the exsiting engine harness. I guess I could go mechanical ? and make it easier, but i am not sure what that entails.

Sorry about all the questions, but I have never worked on a turbo diesel before. Built a lot of gasoline turbo setups, but no diesels.

Ohhh and what a turbo charging an older diesel rabbit engine ?? That has to be a simple setup.

[zyewdall]

Where are you located?  I've been wanting to put a VW diesel in a subaru for a while, and finally got stymied by the lack of a milling machine...  Had to go other routes to get a biodiesel/SVO vehical for now.

From what I hear, the TDI is pretty complicated electronically. You need to get the TDI ECU.  It's been put into stuff that it's not supposed to go in (like vanagons), but they have to transfer the whole ECU with it.  They are rated at about 110HP and 180 ft lbs, but can be upgraded to about 140HP and 250 ft lbs.  I think that stock for the earlier ones was 90HP and 150 ft lbs.  I've driven a stock TDI Jetta, and it feels like you have about as much power as a 160HP subaru impreza because you have so much torque.

The 1.6 liter mechanical engines are really simple.  One control wire to hook up (fuel solenoid).  Plus the alternator, starter motor, and stuff.  They are rated at 55HP, 70ft lbs for the later versions.  Not alot of umph, but they seem to get around okay.  The turbo versions of the 1.6 are built differently (oil squirters for the pistons, bigger oil pump), so you can't quite get the same thing as a turbo 1.6 just by adding a turbo to a 1.6NA.   People do it, but you can't run it as hard as a real turbo.  The OEM turbo enginess are pretty rare in the US but can be found.  I think the horsepower is only boosted to about 68HP or so, but torque is better too.  Closer to 100 maybe?  It seems like they are alot better if you are concerned that a 1.6NA will be gutless.

[tammons]

S Florida, but machining anything even slightly complicated is a very tedious task. Just a square adapter plate like between a trans or torque tube and a bell housing would not me too bad, but a full bell to engine adapter would take a lot of time.

I am not a machinist either, just an amatuar so i have to triple check and check again everything and really take my time. Last year i built a full size english wheel. I machined the main anvil (a big steel wheel with roller bearings on each side) from a catapiller forged steel roller. Now its already round and had an axle through it, so all you need to do it cut the pockets for new bearings and turn the outside diam right Sounds simple enough. Took me over 8 hours. Whew !!

I called KEP today and they do make tdi to VW bug, bus, 911, 912 adapters, but like you said the real hurdle is the ECU and all the lockouts. I have been considering a few cars, but might end up going with a 944. A plus on that is that the audi 5 cyl TD engine is the same block the original 924 was based on so it bolts up to a 924 bell housing. Even though its not tdi, i still may go that route for simplicity.

If I were going the 911, or bug route i would go for a KEP adapter and a tdi.

Also there is a guy around that has a tdi engine running on a mechanical injection pump out of a fiat or something like that. I think he is still working out the bugs.

I guess I could save myself a lot of aggrivation and just buy a tdi jetta and be done with it.

[zyewdall]

I guess I could save myself a lot of aggrivation and just buy a tdi jetta and be done with it.

But that would be too easy :twisted:

[vwmike]

Wouldn't it be possible to just use a TDI cam plate and pump head on a 1.6 injection pump to make a mechanical TDI pump?

[tammons]

There is a guy 5 threads down that is running a mechanical pump.

just trying to find a motor is a *** and they are asking big $ even for total wrecks. also it will be a challenge just trying to get that thing mounted up properly. KEP does make adapter plates to a bug/911.