After 600 miles, I got 2 cracked main caps. What the heck.

[CdnVWJunkie]

Ouch, sorry to hear about your misfortune Tony.  I followed your build.  Certainly a nice rig.  Fortunately, it sounds like you were close to home and able to salvage the weekend- although I'm sure you had "this" on your mind.

You mentioned going TDI.  What have you done with your gearing?

Nice job on the carrier bars BTW.  I don't need any at the moment but will certainly be contacting you when I do.

Rob

[R.O.R-2.0]

Go TDI just like that Green Double Cab you parked next to at Pacific Waterlands last year!!!

i posted pics of your truck, and that green one on the forum..

[theman53]

The VW crank being forged I wouldn't worry about it being bad at all. I would have it checked for straightness and have your pile checked by magnaflux and sonic and if it is good run it. I am using the 1.6 crank out of the precup engine that failed on me as it was 100% perfect. The #3 rod was bent in an S in 2 different ways from the precup being lodged in there too.

Check it and see, but I would be very surprised if it was damaged.

I have the 1.6 caps from the precup failed engine. You would only need 2 caps...I can get away with 3 as I only use that engine for mock up or template. If you pile checks out I would send you the 2 caps for 15.00 shipped...sorry I would give them away but shipping is a killer and I need the coin

[TonyTDTruck]

Ouch, sorry to hear about your misfortune Tony.  I followed your build.  Certainly a nice rig.  Fortunately, it sounds like you were close to home and able to salvage the weekend- although I'm sure you had "this" on your mind.

You mentioned going TDI.  What have you done with your gearing?

Nice job on the carrier bars BTW.  I don't need any at the moment but will certainly be contacting you when I do.

Rob

Rob, Yea it was a REAL good thing I wasn't out near Burns Oregon. Way out in the middle of no mans land in the Steens Mt. range where we were headed.
The DoKa came with a very low gear R/P 6.17. I went with a 4.86 but kept the gears the same ratio. It turns out that the gearing is really nice.
Let me know when you need carrier bars.

R.O.R-2.0 I'm leaning towards a TDI at the moment. I've lost faith in this motor. After 2-1/2 years of work and building the perfect motor I cant go 15 miles without it crapping out on us. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. I've built lots of motors like this starting with the Audi Fox 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 and 2.0 motors. Erics Green DoKa has a nice TDI in it. I will have to contact him soon about some input on building one. There is a guy in Canada that has one for sale with the wiring harness.

hillfolk'r, I found this place here in Oregon that has them. If I'm  correct about the engine type.
http://techtonicstuning.com/main/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_13_61_251&products_id=457

theman53 , Thanks for the offer. I'm in the middle of getting a set. if it falls through I'll let you know. I'm going to have a machine shop look at everything. Block, crank and line bore the thing.
I can't afford to have this happen again.

Here are some pictures of my truck after my canoe rack I built.









 

[Syncroincity]

Bummed to hear this, Tony. Hopefully the block didn't take a hit. Sounds like you got it shut down quickly.

[R.O.R-2.0]

have you considered getting a Mechanical pump built (or building one yourself, lots of good write-ups on here) for a TDI engine, then dropping that in there?

alot less hassle going from mechanical to mechanical, rather than swap in ALL the electronics as well...

[Gizmoman]

Man that is one sweet truck!

I've been nearly a year on my build and read every post here daily (gotta get a life ).
Obviously there's more problems posted than successes so the engine is hopefully more robust than it may seem.

Having said that though, for what I have in this build, I'd rather be pouring money into a TDI but for me, there's no turning back.

[wolf_walker]

I used to see a green one with TDI badge around Santa Barbara. So cool

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[TonyTDTruck]

Bummed to hear this, Tony. Hopefully the block didn't take a hit. Sounds like you got it shut down quickly.

Yea good thing I wasn't going too fast. I pulled over quickly and that saved the engine I believe. I'll know more in a couple of weeks when I have the components checked out. I'm in the process of removing the engine and next week I'll take it to a machine shop.

R.O.R-2.0 I've considered a MTDI but if I'm getting a whole engine, I might as well just use the whole thing. Chances are that I will repair this one with ARP bolts, new crank and rod bearings and use it for a while until I have the TDI ready to go. Or I just might go ahead and install the TDI this summer and sell the AAZ. Not sure yet what I'm going to do. The other big factor with the TDI swap is the exhaust and intercooler tubes. More custom pipe building. 

[libbydiesel]

If you go with a 1Z, AHU or AFN (1st gen TDI) then the strength of the block is the same.  You'd have to go with an ALH to get a stronger bottom end and with that, you'd have to redo all your mounting.  You'd basically be at square one with the conversion. 

Unless you are into the data-logging features of the electronics, they aren't a benefit over a properly built mTDI. 

[CdnVWJunkie]

The other big factor with the TDI swap is the exhaust and intercooler tubes. More custom pipe building. 

Technically your intercooler set up and exhaust should mount up to the AHU/1Z/AFN engine - that is if you'd go that route over the ALH.

[TonyTDTruck]

CdnVWJunkie , I thought the K14 and K03 were different animals. If this is true, it would get rid of a lot of pressure.
I'm still a novice when it comes to turbos. The only one I've worked with has been the K14. Witch seems to leak on occasion.
Anybody have pictures of the AHU turbo in place? Mentally I'm preparing to re-due some plumbing. 

Here are pictures of the K14 I took this morning as I begin the removal of the whole @#@%^&& thing.

[libbydiesel]

Tony, you can use your manifolds and turbo on an AU or 1Z.  I actually prefer the K14 by a fair margin over the K03.  Slightly more lag, but much better top end.  In other words, if going with an AHU or 1Z, DON'T use the K03 that came with them.

[TonyTDTruck]

Tony, you can use your manifolds and turbo on an AU or 1Z.  I actually prefer the K14 by a fair margin over the K03.  Slightly more lag, but much better top end.  In other words, if going with an AHU or 1Z, DON'T use the K03 that came with them.

AHHH, I've never been good with puzzles because they are so predictable, but in this case it helps to know what can be swapped from one engine to another. The K14 does have a lag I don't like but when it takes off it moves really well. How about the extra torque the AHU has? Will this help a bit on take off? Fully loaded in an incline, I have to use granny gear to get going sometimes. It works but it makes for quick shifting at take off. I guess I should be lucky I have a granny gear.
And what is the difference between AHU and 1Z?
Thanks

[libbydiesel]

The TDI will have better low-end torque than the AAZ.  The 1Z was a little earlier than the AHU and came in the early Passats.  I have heard they had weaker pistons.  They are very much the same, tho.