1.6TD JX watercooled intercooler

[Wedgbury]

After a bit of advice which I'm sure everybody won't mind

Looking on the forum and after speaking to a few people the engine change to a 1.9TDI is wavering.
It seems that the diesels have a tendency to wear out the gearboxes but then I suppose they are producing about twice the HP and torque. Plus you have to find someone to fit one quicker than 6mths! Don't want to change to Petrol.

The JX pottles along nicely but as always could do with a bit extra, especially on long hills. So is it worth fitting a watercooled intercooler to the JX.
I have seen several people have fitted them to TDi's but has anyone fitted on to a JX. Possible done before TDi's came along and would it be worth while.
A good article is the one below and this seems to have increased the output but well within the limits of the gearbox.

http://vanagon.com/info/vehicles/lightw ... ro_16.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Any advice appreciated.

[ratinyho]

Check the link..

http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/VehicleSpec ... diesel.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The two engine codes RA and SB are mechanically similar to your JX. The extra 10bhp they have over the JX is from different fuel pump and injectors. I believe they run almost identical turbo boost pressure to the JX to. The intercooler in itself will add next to zero bhp on it's own. I say that because i actually have a standard Jx with what i believe is a factory fit charge cooler setup and iv'e also previously had a JX fitted with the RA/SB spec injectors and fuel pump minus the intercooler and imo the difference is in the pump and injector upgrades, the charge cooler is to keep the boost cool.

[clift_d]

I'm not sure that's borne out by what others have found. If you take a look at Bernd Jäger's site he has some info about intercooling the JX, and he reckons you can get a good deal extra out of a decent 1.6TD engine by doing it.

[ratinyho]

I'm not sure that's borne out by what others have found. If you take a look at Bernd Jäger's site he has a some info about intercooling the JX, and he reckons you can get a good deal extra out of the engine in this way.

He can reckon what he wants to sell his gear. Makes you wonder how Vw had 'just' the 80bhp from the Gtd motor with upgraded injector nozzles and pump plus the intercooler, yet this magic setup produces 90 odd with just an intercoooler.

For reference your welcome to drive my standard Jx with intercooler fitted anytime your swinging by South Wales

He does add this disclaimer on the advert though...


Between about 2400- 3900 U/min the engines produces 160 Nm
of torque. From about 2000 U/min on, boost already reaches 0,5 bar.

These figures ( power and torque output) will not be achieved by every single TD-engine. The more worn the engine, the turbo and the injection pump, the less output you can expect.

[clift_d]

Oettinger also used to do an intercooled tuned version of the 1.6TD which had a water-air cooler and some pump tuning mods. They obviously also felt there was a performance benefit to fitting the charge cooler.

[HarryMann]

There is.. but the intercooler allows a bit more fuel and boost whilst keeping EGTs in check.

The JX advantage is it has a very short boost hose. Fitting an intercooler increases this tract significantly. So care there... i went quite large diameter to reduce losses.
Then finding a good front IC rad of adequate size.

Just fitting a charge cooler with no pump or boost mods WILL help in hot and high situations at least but Ratinyo is right... alone not much diff at typical OATs.

And that statement about a worn turbo... have never known worn leaky seal turbos to deliver anything but normal boost... the blades would have had to be toast to affect it much. Certainly when cruising... maybe a really bad one comes on song a bit later.

[HarryMann]

So if you fit an IC and then up the boost a bit with a W/G bleed then the LDA 'should' add the requisite fuel... also up the fuel at the main screw and it'll then go 'significantly' better!

[keith]

Y view is that a jx will never pull a heavy synco up a long climb at the pace of modern traffic....thats why people fit tdis

[syncropaddy]

I have a GTD injector pump doing nothing in the VW section of the shed if anyone wants to try anything on their JX

[HarryMann]

Got one but yet to fit thanks Andrew

[HarryMann]

Keith.. yes but tdis are getting a bit of a rep for damaging gearboxes.

[keith]

Surely that depends on how you drive them. Ive had mine 4 years and its spot on.

[wolfbus.uk]

I have a GTD injector pump doing nothing in the VW section of the shed if anyone wants to try anything on their JX

I could use it for my JX if you want to sell it.

Interesting thread, took my JX syncro on the motorway today for first time. It was okay, I could outrun most lorries at a push so often sat behind a faster lorry around 57-58mph. After the run the oil was burning hot, been meaning to fit an oil cooler & that job just got promoted to urgent.

The problem with TDI ing my syncro is also that at 3200rpm I am doing 56mph. So unless I drastically increase the gearing of 3rd and 4th a 1.9tdi is going to be completely overkill for my needs & be revving far higher than it was designed to. Even with taller gearing do I want to be going 70mph in 25 year old 4x4 van with mud tyres? No, not really.. ever. That's not what a 16" syncro was designed for either.

Anyway it left me thinking today, what engine would fit in my syncro that is somewhere between a 1.9tdi & 1.6 JX td? To be honest I really love the JX engine thus far, it feels & sounds like a sweet little engine, just a little underpowered for hard runs and on steeper hills but perfect for rural driving. So I will try to upgrade it before considering replacing.

Did VW make a reliable 1.9TD? Or what about the later 1.6SDI engines? (although think I remember hearing they were crap) Is it possible to detune or retune the 1.9TDI engine so it performs better with lower gear ratios?

[Winchweight]

Keith.. yes but tdis are getting a bit if a rep for damaging gearboxes.

Any comment from the gearbox guru (Aidan), because no one told us this before our recent TDi conversion?

[wolfbus.uk]

what does yours rev at doing 60mph Keith?