50 degree 1.6 td into '86 vanagon

[Aaron R]

Hello everyone , first post in this awsome forum. Just the faq alone is a wealth of knowledge.  I am looking for any advice on a conversion I am about to start.
 
  I am installing a 1.6 td into an '86 syncro vanagon.  The engine is in my '84 jetta.  I have also purchased an '82 diesel westy with a tired engine for parts.
 
  These are the problems I am aware of :
 1 - molding the fuel tank with heat gun to clear the starter motor
 2 - modifying the engine mounting bars ( due to having 5 speed ? )
 3 - turbo oil return
 4 - custom intake and exhaust

  Is the input shaft in my syncro tranny going to be the right length?
 
  I already have a custom mount to clear the turbo. Are there any other issues I should be aware of or parts I will need to buy ?
  Thanks in advance for your time.

[Vincent Waldon]

Welcome to the board, and thanks for reading the FAQ *and* putting your location in your profile... you're already a model citizen and you just got here!!!

[Aaron R]

Thanks guys. I was reading posts for almost 4 hours last night. So much I didn't know. Fairly new to the diesel scene, vw 8v's were my favorite until my wife bought the jetta 4 years ago. I put an 8v in my '72 bus about 5 or 6 years ago with a Kennedy kit. Ithink it will get swapped for the diesel in my parts westy when this syncro project is done.

  Andrew, how impoortant is it to replace tho turbo with a smaller one?  

  Also, when you say aux oil cooler do you mean an external cooler with oil lines to and from ?  Is the stock cooler not up to the task?

[witoke]

I have just gone through most of this over the last year with an NA to TD transplant in my '82. It is a straight forward install although you may need to move the engine mounts on the bars slightly to accommodate the 5 speed but other interesting things will surface in time I'm sure.

I and others on the forum have found that both an oil cooler and an intercooler have been necessary to keep oil temps reasonable and to keep EGT's low. And Andrews right, you need the gauges to see where you stand once it's driving.

As for the tank, have you heard of anyone re-molding the tank to fit a diesel starter?

Good luck and this is a great forum for help and information. Huge base of knowledge and experience here.

[Syncroincity]

Hey, great, I have a lab partner!

Putting an AAZ into my Syncro starting this month (after being on jackstands for 2 years :roll: )

Got my motor from Montclair, I'll be doing a minor teardown to examine it, but it's claimed as a rebuild... Has new freeze plugs, at any rate.

I have a factory Syncro fuel tank, already clearanced for the starter. I just need a small laundry list from VW, like tank vents, input shaft seal, and the mounting bolts.

New Syncro trans sourced from VW getting a DV bellhousing, Syncro mount bars. I'm tinkering with Volvo hydraulic engine mounts, I'll probably take the bars to a local welder to fab some different brackets for them.

Fabbing an exhaust from 2.5" mandrel-bent stock into a Magnaflow muffler. My AAZ has an early-style 4-bolt turbo, like the 1.6TD, I'm not sure of the exact make/model.

Planning power mods to include air/water intercooling, pump tweaking, and KermaTDI/Boselli injector nozzles, after the motor is in and running.

Looking forward to watching your progress, and I'm really glad to find this terrific resource of VW diesel wisdom...

[Aaron R]

Thanks Andrew.   I'm heading to an import scrapyard next week and will be looking for turbos and intercoolers.  I was planning on running an intercooler anyways .  Also my turbo has 500,000 kms on it so I'll feel better about a newer one.    

Hey syncroincity ( syncronicity ? )   It's nice to see another syncro going diesel.  I'm not very far into my conversion yet,  still tons of snow and cold here, and mud :x .  I'll start posting pictures soon.  I was considering using an AAZ but my wallet didnt agree.  Since my 1.6 td only has about 7000 kms on it I'm just going to use that for a couple of years.  I know for a '94 golf that rearended a bus and smashed in the windshield and a pillars. 250,000 kms $ 1500.  I'm still very tempted.

Aaron

[arb]

I know for a '94 golf that rearended a bus and smashed in the windshield and a pillars. 250,000 kms $ 1500.  I'm still very tempted.

Aaron

Did you have to scrap any grey matter of the seats ? :-(

[Aaron R]

It was a mellow collision. No one was hurt.

[Syncroincity]

Aaron, any progress on your van?

I dismantled my trans yesterday to get the input shaft out for shortening, (on the Syncro, you have to take out at least one side-carrier to shift the differential out of the way, otherwise you can't get the input shaft out) and to put on the DV bellhousing. I'm also waiting for a de-coupler from Germany, so the nosecone is off too.
I've been thinking about gearing, with the gasser tranny it's gonna be way low... I'm on 235/75-15s now, and I'm considering going to 235/85-16s. Rubber gearing. I have to try it before I spring for a real re-gear, see if the highway revs are acceptable... might kill the crawling ability, though.

I'm going to try and chuck the shaft into my drill press for rotation, and hold a cutting wheel still at the 1/2" mark, then use a grinder
to restore the taper to the tip. Home machine shop

I bought a few AAZ things from Brickwerks to make life easier; their oil return hose, block bung, the throttle lever kit, and the Rover fuel pin... I had to route it to Paris, where my wife is visiting a cousin, they won't ship to N. America.

I was sifting thru the pile in the garage, & I have another set of Syncro mount bars, if you need 'em.

I picked up an A2 diesel tach from another member here, and transferred the guts into the Vanagon tach housing. Pretty easy, once you get the needle off the shaft. Replaced the red OXS LED with the yellow glow-plug LED. I want to find, or make a new light icon insert w/ the glo-plug element on it.

That's about it so far, I hope to really dig into some stuff this weekend.

[Syncroincity]

OK, good to hear... I suppose I just have to try it out & see how it feels.

Got the input shaft finished today; I gave up on trying to have the drill press running, I couldn't get it to stop wobbling. I rotated it by hand while using a Dremel w/ cutoff wheel, then a grinder to rough in the taper. Finished it by hand w/ files. Most of the trans is back together, bellhousing is on.

 I'm hijacking Aaron's thread, I'll have to start my own build journal.

[Aaron R]

Hi-jack all you want,  as I am not doing the 50 degree swap.  I've put my engine in at 15 degrees using the Kennedy kit from my '72 bay.  Also used a starter from Kennedy. The swap is pretty much done except for a few bugs to work out, and my intercooler is not installed yet.  I can even use my engine lid without modifying it.
I hope to get some pics up soon.

Aaron