The good old engine debate....

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Jarvo
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The good old engine debate....

Post by Jarvo »

Evening all,

I have tried to read as much as I can about replacing my T25 engine. Most of the posts I read tend to be a few years old, so I thought I would go around the loop again. Let’s start with my current set up.

My van is currently an empty shell eg as light as it could be. I have changed multiple panels and had it resprayed. I have also had almost all of the electrics rewired. I am about to start sound proofing, lining, etc. Originally, my van had a 1.6 Diesel engine. At some point, I think it has been upgraded to a 1.9; however, no one can find any engine markings and we have looked many times. It does not have a turbo. The current engine has led to the throttle arm on the diesel pump having to be altered and the engine lid modded to be able to close it flush. When I bought it, it’s performance was terrible. I have since had the pump tuned by a T25 specialist and it runs much better. Buzzing around in day to day traffic is fine and it can truck along between 50-60 on the motorway, with the usual struggles on any incline. Remember, it is currently empty at present.

I am not a purist, looking to maintain an original engine. Equally, I am not an expert mechanic, more of a willing amateur, prepared to roll his sleeves up. I am looking for something which is simple, reliable and will comfortably handle a full van at 60/70 on the motorways. I have read and looked at the AAZ upgrades and they seem expensive for only marginal gains? So, I see my choices as:
1. Refurbish what I have or go for a AAZ type engine - can I get one and will it give me a decent motorway performance?
2. Upgrade to a later VW 1.9Tdi e.g. mk4 golf ajm engine or something later 
3. Bite the bullet with a Subaru upgrade, although I probably can’t afford this at present

So, while there are no right or wrong answers, I was hoping to get peoples opinions and experience please. What have you done or what would you do now?

Thanks in advance for your help with this.
84 RHD, 5 speed, water cooled diesel. No one knows what engine it is!

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DoubleOSeven
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by DoubleOSeven »

1990 Volkswagen Transporter 2.1 Manual
2005 Porsche 911 3.6 Manual
2012 Volkswagen Polo 1.4 Automatic

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R0B
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by R0B »

Stick a picture of your engine up.
Image
2.1 LPG/Petrol Auto Caravelle

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Jarvo
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by Jarvo »


Thank you, I will have a read.
84 RHD, 5 speed, water cooled diesel. No one knows what engine it is!

Jarvo
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by Jarvo »

Image
84 RHD, 5 speed, water cooled diesel. No one knows what engine it is!

Jarvo
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by Jarvo »

ImageImage
84 RHD, 5 speed, water cooled diesel. No one knows what engine it is!

Jarvo
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by Jarvo »

I promise it is a lot cleaner now than it was in those photos   :)
84 RHD, 5 speed, water cooled diesel. No one knows what engine it is!

Jarvo
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by Jarvo »

R0B wrote: 09 Nov 2020, 21:19 Stick a picture of your engine up.
Image
Here you go, thx Rob.
 
84 RHD, 5 speed, water cooled diesel. No one knows what engine it is!

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R0B
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by R0B »

One of the oil burner boys will know what engine you have. Stay tuned.
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colinthefox
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by colinthefox »

Engine number is on a flat on the side of the engine block under all that stuff in the highlighted area.
Image
Sandpaper the flat, then dust off, then use a wet finger to reveal the details.
Looks like it might be a 1Y, 1.9NA (non-turbo) diesel out of golf/caddy etc.
If it is a 1Y I can't offer much advice about it, but others can.
 
1.9D (AEF) pop-top. Aaaaahhhhh........that's better.
Image

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rollercoaster
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by rollercoaster »

Hi there, good question.
Three times I have had my motors swapped now,
tried the Subaru, 2.0 non turbo Golf AAG, and the 1.8Turbo 20v, all petrols.

First if its possible that this engine could work well then stick with it.

Then I would check where you are, the ULEZ emission zone is expanding massively,
and will be taken up in other cities, do you plan to visit places like that?
Some people have said that after changing their engines they have not met the requirements.
So far... my petrol conversions are ok in the LEZ but its a complicated and changing picture.

So if you are planning a vehicle to keep, it might be important to consider the implications 

After that a priority could be which mechanic/garage you plan to frequent,
and what kind of engines they understand, while it is likely to be reliable..
there may be a period of niggling problems to sort out.
It is prudent to choose a reputable converter that is also near you to go back to.

If you are really interested in how it drives there is no substitute for trying some,
no dont change it a few times, try out some vans that have conversions you fancy!

I actually dont have a favourite, they just have different characters.

 
Live as if you were to die tomorrow
Learn as if you were to live forever

Syncro Danbury 2.0 petrol AGG
 

Jarvo
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by Jarvo »

rollercoaster wrote: 10 Nov 2020, 11:41 Hi there, good question.
Three times I have had my motors swapped now,
tried the Subaru, 2.0 non turbo Golf AAG, and the 1.8Turbo 20v, all petrols.

First if its possible that this engine could work well then stick with it.

Then I would check where you are, the ULEZ emission zone is expanding massively,
and will be taken up in other cities, do you plan to visit places like that?
Some people have said that after changing their engines they have not met the requirements.
So far... my petrol conversions are ok in the LEZ but its a complicated and changing picture.

So if you are planning a vehicle to keep, it might be important to consider the implications 

After that a priority could be which mechanic/garage you plan to frequent,
and what kind of engines they understand, while it is likely to be reliable..
there may be a period of niggling problems to sort out.
It is prudent to choose a reputable converter that is also near you to go back to.

If you are really interested in how it drives there is no substitute for trying some,
no dont change it a few times, try out some vans that have conversions you fancy!

I actually dont have a favourite, they just have different characters.


You have been busy 😀 Are these all in the same van, or presumably you have had a few vans?

How much easier was it to install the AAG engine compared to the Subaru? 

Thanks for your advice and feedback.
 
84 RHD, 5 speed, water cooled diesel. No one knows what engine it is!

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rollercoaster
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by rollercoaster »

Ha ha! all different vans.. 
and its all very easy if you get someone to do it for you,
having said that, you may find a waiting time to book it in.
And the Subaru I found frustrating as it took the man 6 months to install.
Even then when I got it back it needed more work..

So I learnt my lesson and now have two vans!
Hopefully at least one will be on the road as I prefer to drive them,
rather than tinker.

I was thinking about what I said about favourite, or what I might recommend.
The AAG was by far the cheapest/easiest and simplest conversion.
The motor is way fast enough, comparable with a good original petrol.
There is a lot of info and support, its been done often enough.
It fits under a standard engine lid, and suits your gearing (did mine anyway, from a JX)
If you like facebook theres a lot of AAG activity on there.

Specifically if you compare to Subaru, 
In an ideal world I would prefer a Subaru but its not as simple as that.
I think the cost is going to be higher, depending on your converter.
And mine had issues with sump clearance, exhaust, power steering, and more.
Just my experience though. Others may have had a cheap and easy time of it?
I also never found someone who was familiar with the motor...
Which is a worry as you are unlikely to get hold of a low mileage one.

Where abouts are you anyway?
 
Live as if you were to die tomorrow
Learn as if you were to live forever

Syncro Danbury 2.0 petrol AGG
 

Jarvo
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by Jarvo »

rollercoaster wrote: 10 Nov 2020, 18:26 Ha ha! all different vans.. 
and its all very easy if you get someone to do it for you,
having said that, you may find a waiting time to book it in.
And the Subaru I found frustrating as it took the man 6 months to install.
Even then when I got it back it needed more work..

So I learnt my lesson and now have two vans!
Hopefully at least one will be on the road as I prefer to drive them,
rather than tinker.

I was thinking about what I said about favourite, or what I might recommend.
The AAG was by far the cheapest/easiest and simplest conversion.
The motor is way fast enough, comparable with a good original petrol.
There is a lot of info and support, its been done often enough.
It fits under a standard engine lid, and suits your gearing (did mine anyway, from a JX)
If you like facebook theres a lot of AAG activity on there.

Specifically if you compare to Subaru, 
In an ideal world I would prefer a Subaru but its not as simple as that.
I think the cost is going to be higher, depending on your converter.
And mine had issues with sump clearance, exhaust, power steering, and more.
Just my experience though. Others may have had a cheap and easy time of it?
I also never found someone who was familiar with the motor...
Which is a worry as you are unlikely to get hold of a low mileage one.

Where abouts are you anyway?

Nr Manchester. I have a local VW guy who is brilliant. But like you say, things take so loooonnnng, his waiting list is always increasing.

Just a point of clarity, you mean AGG engine, as per your signature? 2L petrol. I think this is the route I am going to take, an engine similar to that. How was the electrics/loom etc? That’s the bit I fear most. 

Whereabouts on Facebook? I’m not a massive user, but it is really useful for this kind of stuff.

Thanks again for your help.
 
84 RHD, 5 speed, water cooled diesel. No one knows what engine it is!

lefty67
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Re: The good old engine debate....

Post by lefty67 »

If you go down the diesel route then it might be worth having a chat with AW Engineering at Darwen, Lancs. They supply remanufactured vw diesel engines and are familiar with t3s. I had my aaz from them, not cheap but very happy with the engine and the service.
http://vwenginerecon.co.uk/
1.9td AAZ

T25 - an adventure before dementia

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