I'm looking at building an M-TDI for a Toyota pickup swap, haven't found a truck yet but will ideally be pulling a 22re and mounting it to a stock w56 transmission and re-gearing the axles. I am definitely not looking to do anything too crazy with this build, just something more comparable or slightly better than the stock 22re at 115hp and 140ft/lbs.
I may have a line on a 1Z/AHU engine out of a 1997 VW, and am told will be sold with a mechanical pump... for a very reasonable price I might add!
I'm hoping to get anywhere north of stock 22re specs. My thoughts are to have the mechanical pump built for the application, maybe go with some larger nozzles, intercooler (any suggestions?), and the stock turbo (should be K03?), does this justify head studs?. I would like to get rid of the ECU, fully mechanical, and run the truck from the starter and fuel shut off solenoid. This being the reason I went with the 1Z/AHU rather than ALH. Now with the ECU deleted I should have no issues just getting rid of all sensors and just plugging the associated voids?
Are you looking for a solid axle front end Toyota, or possibly a solid axle swap? If so, the AHU or 1Z is definitely a better fit as far as front differential and high steer clearance.
The ALH block is stronger and the block alloy benefits in longer wear life in the cylinder bores, but you won't break either block, 1Z/AHU or ALH. The connecting rods are the only real concern if you plan to keep a small turbo for the instant throttle response and low rpm boost, but plan to up the fueling and install larger injector nozzles. The stock rods will hold 180hp-200hp and 250-270ft-lbs people will tell you, but that is by using a larger turbo which will not be building much of any boost at lower rpm's. The stock rods are capable of those power figures at higher rpm, but low rpm torque increases under heavier loads with more low rpm boost and fueling, and you are putting it into the danger zone as far as the stock rods are concerned. Forged aftermarket rods are definitely a plus, or upgrading to the best choice of newer pistons from a 2004+ engine which are made for the trapezoidal topped rods, also referred to as "cracked rods" due to the manufacturing process. these are much stronger, but you have to make sure when shopping that you are looking at rods from engines which use the same big end rod crank bearing journal size. The BHW and PD150 etc have a larger big end bearing journal than the ALH and AHU/1Z.
Head studs are a great idea for extra insurance, always, when trying to achieve more power.
Yes the ALH has a VNT turbo, you you can run those with an electronic controller and throttle position sensor (EGR model Land Rover TDI pumps have a throttle position sensor add-on). Some people have even rigged up a mechanical actuator cable for the VNT actuator that is controlled from a mechanical actuator on the accelerator pedal...
Myself, I am a fan of the ALH with a wastegate turbo still...
Stock TDI engines in the mechanical conversion range make I believe 90hp and 150ft-lbs. With a bit more boost and fueling, a healthy used engine, and proper tuning, you can easily get 110-125hp and 180-220ft-lbs, and come close to double the fuel mpg and fuel tank mileage range vs the stock 22R...
The Bosio-Fratelli DLC1019 Next Gen injector nozzles are my top choice when looking for significant power gains but still desiring a fair amount of fuel economy. The PP546 are the go-to for bigger power, but they will be more prone to some smoking under load and moderate acceleration, and a slight edge taken off of the efficiency of the engine due to the spray pattern with it's larger orifices. The PP520 are also great, just a small step down from the DLC1019 Next Gen.
You can get the 520 and others in an older version that is not DLC coated, DLC is a diamond-hardness coating that allows the nozzles to have a significantly longer wear lifespan, so it is a good idea for the long term.
Also you can look into a K03 hybrid using the diesel exhaust side and a K03 VW gas engine compressor side for a slightly larger compressor wheel and more boost. That's referred to as the K03/K03 hybrid. I have also heard of a K03/K04 hybrid, but I have no details on that. Some people don't care for mixing and matching of parts to build hybrid turbos, but others praise it. The AAZ 1.9TD's version of the K14 turbo may be the best overall of the old school wastegated turbos. With enough fuelling, it will have almost no lag, and it is capable of 16-17psi continuous boosting with an intercooler with no problems, with some reporting they occasionally hit up to 23psi intercooled with gains to be had, but also while monitoring the Exhaust Gas Temp gauge and not holding the pedal to the floor in this boost range for long periods. The K03 is said to only be good for up to around 13psi boost stock with the diesel compressor, but the diesel turbine side gives practically INSTANT boost, so this is great for low end torque. Refer to my comments about the connecting rods and excessive low end torque tuning...