Engine Specific Info and Questions > Diesel Swaps

Vanagon Engine preferences.

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dennis:
Looking for informed opinions on a Vanagon project I have. The Vanagon is an 82 Westy diesel. I have an an air-cooled donor van which has a good transmission. I also have a complete Beetle with an ALH TDI engine. Also I have a good 1.6 TD engine that just needs to be freshened up. My Daily driver is a 98 Jetta with an AHU engine that I might use.  I could use an 8 valve gas engine. The 1.6 TD would be the easiest to install and use but I am thinking it might be asking a lot of it to push a 5000 lb vehicle around and keep the EGTs down. Just looking for opinions based on ease of installation verses performance.

Thanks

libbydiesel:
I've done several VW turbo-diesel into Vanagon engine conversions.  I've done the 1.6TD, 1.9TD (AAZ), Mk3 1.9TDI (AHU/1Z with mechanical pump) and the Mk4 1.9TDI (ALH with mechanical pump).  The 1.6TD really isn't any easier to do than a Mk3 TDI with mechanical pump.  I really like the ALH engine, but you will have more custom work for installing it.  Mk3 TDI will give the same performance and fuel economy with less work for the install.  The 1.6TD is also a decent engine.  It doesn't have as much power but it still makes for a nice van especially if intercooled and tuned well.  Considering the options you have, in that situation the easy choice for me would be to install the AHU at 50° using the diesel mounting parts, ditch the electronic engine management, and install a Land Rover 200/300 TDI mechanical injection pump.   

dennis:
Is that Rover pump pretty easy to com by?

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