Gas to Diesel swap, almost there..

[steevz]

Alright, I got a mint 92 Golf. Not a speck of rust, not a dent. It's beautiful. Pulled the gas engine and all the sensor and ECU wires. Pulled all the automatic transmission junk.

Swapped pedal clusters, installed manual shift box and linkage, almost ready to drop the 1.6 TD into it.

For the instrument cluster, what the best way to get a working tach? Should I swap fuse box for my diesel fuse box? I take it all the lights and everything minus the gasser engine electronics will plug into it and I can just add the diesel engine wiring loom.

As for getting a cold start cable installed.. how does it remove from my donors dash? Does that black rectangle that holds the cable to the knob have a clip or screws? I haven't got my head into a spot where I could see it properly to remove it and it feel sturdy.

Thanks.

[ORCoaster]

Steevz   As for getting a cold start cable installed.. how does it remove from my donors dash? Does that black rectangle that holds the cable to the knob have a clip or screws? I haven't got my head into a spot where I could see it properly to remove it and it feel sturdy.

Isn't that clip similar to the one on the IP?  I thought it just slid off perpendicular to the cable.  Then the whole thing pulls out from inside.  Take the grommet through the firewall as well.  Keeps that cable from buzzing against the metal. 

I moved mine a bit back and was able to access it best from the radio area.  I didn't have one in at the time so that gave me a place to reach in with a pair of vice grip needle nosed pliers. 

Good luck.  DAS

[steevz]

Thanks.. I'll try just sliding it, maybe find a mirror if it gives me trouble. Right now I have both dashes fully opened up. No clusters or lower dash pieces. So I'll give that a shot. Thanks.

[Baron VonZeppelin]

The 92 Golf will have CE2 wiring.
I can't remember what your other car is right now for some reason. lol
But 89-92 Mk2 is CE2, 85-88 is CE1.

So probably best to just leave all the necessary exisiting wiring thats already with the 92 = intact. You'll either need to upgrade/downgrade the coolant outlets to the plastic ones from the gas engine - or adapt your wiring to go with the aluminum outlets sensors.

A gasser tach has to be converted to work with Diesel "W" alternator.
Some How-To's in General Section up front.
Dakato Digital convertor is what most use.

Or find a 89-92 TD Tach cluster - direct swap - plug n play. done.
One just sold here in classifieds section for $100
Think he has more coming for sale soon.

The cold start will be simple.
Can't remember for sure what type clip/retainer, its been a while.
But have removed a couple and don't remember much fuss.
Whole cable comes in thru the firewall and out thru the dash.

[rodpaslow]

The cold start, if you get a used cable make sure you get the end you pull on, it has a special clip (it's a pin clip with 1/2 round ends to hold it in place).  The cable itself is has a thread that holds it in place.  My gasser MK3 had the tang/hole and everthing there for it.  I expect the mk2 will be the same the hole will already be in the dash, you just have to run the cable to it and the ip.

I have a gasser MK3 changed to diesel, the only thing I had to do is run a wire from what used to be the coil wire (as it is on when you hit the starter) and my alternator already had the w wire.  I bought a dakota digital unit to condition the wire so the vw tach read correctly.  The coolant stuff was just changed over to aaz stuff (mine is 1.6td), but you won't have any problems with MK2 in that respect.

[steevz]

Ahh.. it's 85 diesel. So early Mk2, CE1 I guess.

Can I just put the tach into the gasser cluster? My diesel cluster's clock is screwed anyways.. Is using the diesel (CE1) fusebox out of the question now if I don't want swap ALL the wiring in the car, or are the plugs the same?

IF I can use my diesel fusebox can I swap the cluster's wires with the ones from the diesel car? Hope this is making sense.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Ahh.. it's 85 diesel. So early Mk2, CE1 I guess.

Can I just put the tach into the gasser cluster? My diesel cluster's clock is screwed anyways.. Is using the diesel (CE1) fusebox out of the question now if I don't want swap ALL the wiring in the car, or are the plugs the same?

IF I can use my diesel fusebox can I swap the cluster's wires with the ones from the diesel car? Hope this is making sense.

you CANT mix CE1 and CE2 wiring..

you get either FULL CE1, or FULL CE2.. not a mix-n-match of what you have laying around.. the connectors are 100% different between CE1 & 2..

[steevz]

So as Baron said.. I need to locate a CE2 diesel cluster then? Can't change the internals of the CE2 gasser cluster.. (swap tachs) ?

Edit: I might be SOL on some other wiring now when I take a second though.. All the sensors for the engine.. there are few but... they are from CE1 fuse box. So it looks like I need to get all new wiring or else change everything over? Even head lights, signals.. everything?

[R.O.R-2.0]

So as Baron said.. I need to locate a CE2 diesel cluster then? Can't change the internals of the CE2 gasser cluster.. (swap tachs) ?

Edit: I might be SOL on some other wiring now when I take a second though.. All the sensors for the engine.. there are few but... they are from CE1 fuse box. So it looks like I need to get all new wiring or else change everything over? Even head lights, signals.. everything?

i just recently installed a mk1 diesel into a 92 Jetta.. i used all the existing mk1 sensors, and just made my mk2 wiring work.. i think the hardest thing to do, sensor wiring wise, was cut the coolant temp connector off, and then crimp a spade terminal on the yellow wire that goes to the gauge..

[steevz]

Give that a shot. TY!

[R.O.R-2.0]

Give that a shot. TY!

if you need help with anything, just post up.. theres been a few of us who have very recently completed gas to diesel swaps in mk2 cars..

[steevz]

Will do, thank you. Before I started I figured.. mk2 to mk2.. other wiring should be the same..  Thanks for filling me in on the CE1 and CE2. Hopefully a2resource and myself will get it figured. Will update.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Will do, thank you. Before I started I figured.. mk2 to mk2.. other wiring should be the same..  Thanks for filling me in on the CE1 and CE2. Hopefully a2resource and myself will get it figured. Will update.

early mk2 cars had wiring that was almost identical to the mk1 american production cars..

[Baron VonZeppelin]

Leave EVERYTHING alone. lol
You can pull the ECU and its wiring - but leave all else as is.
Use the coil wire for your Inj Pump soleniod as mentioned.

CE2 cars had plastic coolant flanges with different type sensors/sending units. And just a lil bit different wiring to them. You can swap over to the plastic flanges and use those - or stay with your aluminum flanges and do small mods on the wiring ends (like RoR mentioned).

Your CE1 diesel tach will not swap out into any CE2 cluster, and be functional. I've already been there and had a look before.
Unless you are an electronics guru from he\\ -
and have to do some fab mod work too.

CE1 and CE2 clusters are not friendly to one another.
Backlight bulbs and LED's are about the only swappable items.

Best bet is to sell your CE1 TD cluster and buy a CE2 TD cluster.
Or trade someone.
Or get a Dakota.

An American CE1 MPH speedo head will plop right in to replace your KPH -
so its sell-able to USA folks. And USA folks want them too.
85-86 TD's were the only Mk2 Diesels we got with Tachs.
And they are SCARCE items here.

CE1 digi clocks can be replaced fairly easily from memory (gas donor).
CE2 digi clocks - a pure bicht.

You'd have to change out the entire fusebox and wiring and cluster from a CE2 Diesel car to get back the automatic GlowPlug feature and the Dash LED Indicator for Gplug.

OR make your own auto system and run an LED into one of the blank spots of the cluster LED's section.

[rodpaslow]

I'm not sure if you were looking for a CE1 diesel tach?  I have one from an 86 jetta I'd be willing to sell relatively cheap if you were interested in it.  It's a VDO unit.  The cluster had the older style with the upshift arrow in the cluster.  It has two connectors at either side of the cluster.  I have a CE2 cluster as well, but it's a gasser unit.