Glad to see those side vent's gone!
I'm curious though why go with a VW Engine and not a imported Toyota Turbo Diesel?
Several reasons. TDI's have a MASSIVE tuning community. I want a decent amount of power and the folks on TDIclub are pros at massaging magic from these 1.9 liter lumps. I'll be looking at 190 hp and 350 tq with just a few mods.
Availability. While the BEW motor that I'm using isn't quite as common, TDI's in general are very common. I'm actually surprised no one else has done this swap yet considering just how common they are! 4bt weighs nearly 3x as much IIRC.
Familiarity. I currently own two other TDI's (ALH and CJAA) and am very comfortable working on them. Actually this brings me to another point. These motors are so fun and easy to work on. The ALH especially! I have VW-specific diagnostic programs already purchased as well. I used to despise VW's ... and then I bought one of their diesels. You need to drive one, they're stupendous.
Looks like that will be an interesting build. I live in Arvada and will be on the lookout for you.
Thanks for checking in. As the weather heats up (though it never really cooled off) in Phoenix, we grow increasingly excited for our move to CO. When it's finished, be sure to come by for a test drive!
Still waiting for the diesel
Hell ya man, I love your passion. As you might guess this is a very large undertaking with an equally large shopping list. I've rushed projects in the past, and while it does satisfy my impulsiveness I end up not enjoying the journey as much as I should because it's so hurried and poorly planned.
This is a truck that we don't plan on selling for a long time. It's a third vehicle for us, so we can afford to have it just sit for longer periods of time. When I did my original runner, it was my DD. Which meant if I couldn't finish a project in one day, I was walking to work the next morning. This time around I'm doing TONS more research, planning and networking. It's crucial that I have most of my parts gathered before dismantling a perfect running truck. It's also equally important that I have a good group of tradesmen as friends to assist with the technical details; wiring, welding, fabwork, etc.
The shopping list is quite extensive and requires lots of searching and legwork to gather. Here's a small snapshot of the big pieces I need before I begin the swap:
- Donor 2004-2005.5 TDI Car (Not terribly common and even harder to find in good condition)
- R150F Transmission
- Acme Adapters and Custom Flywheel
- Custom SBC Clutch
- VNT17 Turbo (for Cupra)
- Immo delete and Stage 3 Tune
- PD150 Injectors
- Custom Wiring Harness
Also keep in mind, while the diesel swap may be the most exciting part of this build thread (at least for me), the truck needs to be perfect, chassis and suspension -wise before I feel comfortable pulling the motor. In the end it will be a do-it-all truck; tons of torque for towing, amazing off road, etc. It's a labor of love that I've been looking forward to many years. The swap is stage 2 of this build, stage 1 is almost complete!
Stay tuned
Great minds think alike, long live the '02 sport thundercloud! We both returned to the game with one recently.
Interesting engine choice, they definitely have an excellent reputation. I will follow that with much intrigue.
3rd gen is best gen! I see we each left T4R's for a brief stint with Bavarian toys. Did you keep your Audi? Plans for your new runner?
