Diving in.

[icyhotpatch]

Ill look into it for sure. Ive always wanted a tdi I just have a hard time paying 9000 fir a car with 250000 miles on it.

[icyhotpatch]

Until I got on this forum ive never seen mtdi. M just refers to mechanical IP right? So its an 1.9l alh tdi with a mechanical pump like the ones from a mk1

I found a 91 jetta diesel I believe that is aaz. My problem is I like the mk1 body style. Dunno if I should get it because of the bigger engine or still get a mk1 gti and do a swap of an aaz or 1.6l. I just dont wanna be re doing head gaskets every two months

[8v-of-fury]

I meant to get a tdi turbo, the KKK-k03 or the Garret gt-15 and put it on the 1.6 MK1 you purchase. Was this not your original plan?? lol

$9000 is too much, walk away.

91 is not AAZ unless it was swapped. AAZ is the 1.9L engine found in the 1993-1997.5 Jetta's and 1993-1999 Golf's.

Everything that sucks about the 1.6's is fixed with the 1.9 aaz, and then their crap bits are fixed again with the 1.9 1Z/AHU.. and then AGAIN with the 1.9 ALH. M-tdi refers to a mechanically controlled TDI. There was no mechanical TDI sold in North America, except for maybe the marine/industrial engine.. but I have no proof of this.

There are 4 cylinder mechanical Direct Injected engines in the world, I am running my AHU 1.9L with a 2.5L Land Rover pump right now as are many others.. It is not stock, but it did run it in stock form with no issue. It is currently the Rover pump with a custom boost pin, 1.6 idle governor spring, AAZ cam plate and 1.6 delivery valves (why? I dunno, they fit lol).

[icyhotpatch]

My original plan is to get a mk1 with the 1.6l in it but I was just considering my options. a well thought plan can still be bad. Thought id run that idea by you guys. I just like the mk1 too much so I think im going to get it. The turbo is the part that makes me nervous like I said ive had no experience with them and having to replace head gaskets every two months is something I dont want to keep doing. Sell my second car and get a good condition mk1 rabbit or jetta in my area is my plan.

And it was a 97 jetta I saw on the road no idea why I typed 91. I wanted to buy a 2003 jetta tdi that had 250000 and they tried ssking thst much for it.

[icyhotpatch]

Got my cash might be getting a deal set up this week. For a project lots of new parts which is great.

[icyhotpatch]

So I am doing more research and found a few things. When I have this car I want to get 40+ mpg. Turbocharging and a 5spd transmission are two things I want to do. Im thinking of the k03 and then a sprinter intercooler.  Should I get arp head bolts and a metal head gasket? Good source for the good old Bentley manual? I would do pdf. I always have a phone on me. But I think before anything I am going to throw in a engine block heater. This is not my first diesel experience and I hate waiting around for them to warm up not to mention the unnecessary loss of fuel economy. Then I will do some visual modifications maybe. What manifolds will fit for turbo. I do not want the vehicle to run super loud so what do you guys think about some sort or muffler? Smoke stack? Haha had to. I like facts not that should work. Kinda drives me nuts. More so drives my wife nuts and then she drives me nuts.

[damac]

All I can add is my 5 year experiences with these cars.  I daily drive only turbo motors and have other cars that other family members drive.

The only time I have had a head gasket blow was about a year and a half ago.  A coolant hose broke and my brothers wife ignored the low coolant light a bit too long and the engine locked up   I limped that car home adding water every mile after getting car up to speed and letting it coast to a stop.  It was pushing it all out the reservoir.   This head actually made it without being warped and no cracks between the valves!  Engine still sits on the shelf because it was easier to start another build and swap what I had.

I only drive with stock offered parts and fueling/boost and have to say its hard to knock the reliability.  I have an 85 jetta and the rest are mk1 shells.

I don't smoke.  One cycle of the glowplugs is all need down into the teen temps during winter and my cars start right up with the cold start lever out.  Never even thought twice about a block heater.  Mine will run on their own and just put out a puff a smoke on startup and then run smooth although louder while they warm up.

the 85 jetta gets a steady 45mpg if not better.

my 79 rabbit im driving right now with a straight through exhaust is getting 44 all day long.  my commute is 95% highway of speeds up to 85mph, most of the time 75.  Just to keep up, and I don't feel like I am screaming my motor with fn tranny when cruising at speed limit of around 70, the car likes that.  so what would happen if i could go 55 we will never know


as far as power delivery i have been driving this lighter rabbit for almost a year and the car is definately good compared to small cylinder gas commuter cars as far as power delivery in higher gears, fifth gear is pretty useless for passing and accelerating fast.

i am kind of in the same situation as you and have searched these forums for many hours and still don't really have the right answer because of many opinions.  aaz, modding 1.6td, or going tdi.  i am leaning towards a tdi/tranny swap myself with some mild mods before the engine is transplanted.  i want mileage, but some roll on power on reserve if needed.

[icyhotpatch]

Ive never *knock on wood* blown a head gasket. Had leaky ones but replaced before it got too bad. Its soooo hard for me to just go for it when modifying engines. I think I might just do a swap to a 5spd and see how that plays out. EVERYONE gives me a hard time because I am in my 20s and drive like im in my 90s, slow and steady. 55mph is as fast as I ever go maybe 60. There is one road I take sometimes is 70mph. But even then I still only go 60 because I love to annoy people. James May is my hero.

How loud is you rabbit with the lack of exhaust?

I have a feeling that I will drive it stock for a year before I make any real decisions. But the governor mod and engine block heater might get done asap. People keep telling me these rabbits are painfully slow but they are just so fun to drive I do not know how you cannot.

[damac]

If you really drive like you are talking, why would you even think twice about a stock 1.6?

It does what you are asking and you can still do 70 fine on a flat freeway.

Conflicting information.  Around here its a safety thing at the end of the day.  With no turbo I am at the mercy of the road.  With turbo I have to attack things and rev the heck out of the car like a 2 stroke.  But I can get my way around the dopey drivers that hold others up in the slower lanes.  My only problem is the fifth gear thing.  I get to full boost with pedal down and the car might maintain speed on a big mountain and I cannot let off.  Boost lag, lack of response, etc.  But I can get some momentum to pass on flat ground or scream the car in 4th gear and have more leeway.

The open exhaust is annoying.  You really notice it on a walkaround out the back.  I can hear the turbo whistle when I barely gas it and am going slow in the city.  The front ends have always been the noisy part of the engine so I can still notice that.  But once you get aggressive on the road with a rabbit cage vs. say my 85 jetta there is more chasis noise so it kind of blends in and even with the window down in a wide open area I can't hear the turbo whining when on the throttle.  I can't say I have ever noticed a droning inside the car with the windows up.

I think in the future when I finally fix mine up I will put some kind of muffler.  But again I want to ditch the 1.6td

I never drive the non turbos now, even though I own some.  Night and day difference between the 2 setups with stock td parts, fueling/boost.

[icyhotpatch]

The ONLY reason I want to turbo it is to do it. No NEED only want. I understand concern for engines. I drive slow and steady and only get of the freeway if needed or running late for something. What would be interesting is (I know 8v talked about it) it to have a supercharger with electronic clutch and a turbo on a newer engine. Maybe I will do that for fun when I have a little more cash to throw around.
I know the front end was loud but I was more afraid of it being super ridiculous loud.
The only thing that I barely dont like about rabbit diesels is the fact I like music and its hard to listen to turns when you have that little engine purring.

Never driven a mk1 jetta at all. They look cool I could drive a coupe.

[8v-of-fury]

Swap in a stock 1.9L AAZ. (if you can that is) It will be the most worthwhile swap for you. Torque down low, power throughout the usable RPM band. They use the small k03 so it is power from idle to whenever you let off.

[icyhotpatch]

I can do a swap. With little trouble. Done a few old Ford Hot Rod engine installs before. For future reference how hard is swapping the cluster from a mk3 into a mk1. Doinggg a 2jzgte swap into a sc300 later this year.

[icyhotpatch]

I was talking to my one buddy about my prospected vehicle and my interest in biodiesel.  He says his dad sells it where he works. My point being: has anyone here ran B20 biodiesel in the mk1 n/a?

[ORCoaster]

I ran biodiesel in place of the WVO in my N/A 1.6 Rabbit for a while.  Got B99 right out of the pump.  They had B20 as well but it cost a bit more so I ran the cheap stuff. 

Once the weather started to drop in temperature the would ask if I knew the dangers of running the thicker stuff.  As they were pumping it in I showed them the heater hoses and after the tank was filled I took them to the engine bay to see the dual FPHE and filters.  Most of the younger guys were also into WVO and they always paid me a complement on the set up and using the B99.  Kind of a culture at the station about recycling and even though they sold straight diesel they really wanted to sell the raw product. 

I told them I would buy WVO from them if I could.  I finally found a source for that and only once in a while topped the tank with BioD after that.

[icyhotpatch]

Im interesred in all the green stuff just not too sure I want to spend the cash on it. I need 3 rabbits I think that would solve my problem.