1.9TDi conversion...why so costly?

[Rogue Trooper]

I have been looking at this convertion and a whole car can be bought for £400, so why are the quotes for the convertion so expensive?

Confused of Amesbury!

[silverbullet]

Tdi scene tax?

[ELVIS]

Don't know what has been quoted but you see some forum posts where people reckon you can install an AAZ say for 3 or 400 quid.

If you sit down and do a complete /comprehensive shopping list it gets very spendy in parts alone. Start adding up everything from new clutch kit (I always do them if engine is out as £100 spent while engine is out already is better spent than doing it in a years time when its not ) oil, all filters, O rings and gaskets for coolant system, Cambelt kit(same as clutch, especially if you don't know service on it-takes minutes whilst engine is on a stand so actually saves you mend getting it done then) , glow plugs etc etc its very very easy to get into four figures even by doing the install yourself.

Only loom on the market I've seen even worth considering in Syncro Andys, pure wiring porn. Front and rear end is £350 IIRC.

Then exhaust adapter/downpipe mods , then factor in x hours@ £50/hr.

Starts to add up.

[racebiz]

And don't forget the all important upgrade on your standard gearbox if you want to get the best from your TDI - budget for another 1500 - 2000 depending on what you have done.

[discipleofsketch]

I have been looking at this convertion and a whole car can be bought for £400, so why are the quotes for the convertion so expensive?

Confused of Amesbury!

Short answer - labour, and optional parts.

Don't know what has been quoted but you see some forum posts where people reckon you can install an AAZ say for 3 or 400 quid.

I know you already know this, but in case others don't (and apparently many people don't, looking on certain facebook groups!), an AAZ isn't a TDi (Turbo Direct Injection), just a TD (Turbo Diesel) - much easier to install as it almost literally bolts in place of a JX, use existing throttle and wiring, exhaust downpipe mods and job's a goodun.

Tdi on the other hand will need a lot of wiring as it has an ECU, electronic throttle (i.e. fly by wire rather then cable on a mechanical pump), custom engine mount, bespoke intercooler set-up etc.

There's much more labour, so if you're paying someone else to do it, that's where the bulk of the Tdi install cost is.

After that, you get what you pay for - if you want to go the full shebang and have a reconditioned/rebuilt engine (as some installers insist on), uprated tdi clutch, either flipped passat A4 gearbox or rebuilt gearbox it is going to cost a lot more than a basic install of a tdi bolted in with nothing more than a service and new timing belt.

Mine was done on a budget, mates rates really, so I won't reveal the price as it's not realistic commercially - but i'm running a new jx clutch, standard petrol 5-speed box and as a result I have a bus that only cruises comfortably at 65mph (will zip up to illegal speeds for overtaking if required), and i've had to deal with a few maintenance issues (e.g. failed water pump) that probably wouldn't have cropped up on an engine that has had a few hundred quid chucked at it before being installed. The jury is out on how long the JX clutch will last, but it doesn't slip, I don't go off road and I don't drive like a boy racer. I'll update this thread with a progress report once in a while

I'll end up spending all that extra cash eventually - I want an aidan rebuilt T3 4-speed box and tdi clutch, but I couldn't afford to do it all at once, I just urgently needed to replace an oil burning 1Y engine and this approach made it affordable, and a massive upgrade to boot (what hills? )...

[keith]

I also think its a bit like laser eye surgery......would you go for the cheapest deal.....or would you go with someone who has a reputation.

Mario did mine about 3 years ago this christmas.....and i can honestly say its been the best money ive spent.
Aidan did my box too.
I think i have a reliable, future proofed, powerful and economical conversion.....but it wasnt cheap.

[scimdiesel]

I've done first a petrol to aaz and then a aaz to tdi conversion. The first to remember is the everything costs twice as much as you thought and takes twice as long as you think. As your on the job, gaskets oil pump, water pump, thermostat, timing belt, gallon of semi, antifreeze, bunch of stuff from halfrauds on sunday afternoon, wthermostat housing, exhaust either adapter or custom, engine mount, starter motor adapter, tdi gearbox shaft or jx, then a throttle solution. Plus all the stuff you thought was fine but now you've taken it apart its not worth refitting, probably most of the water hoses. Then there's there loom to sort out, even if your confident and do it your self it takes time to clean the loom down to what you need, add fuses and relays. Mines a perverse sort of hobby and the costs have mounted. I do love it but!!! Any business doing it need to pay rent, rates, feed the family/ cat, order parts, public liability insurance do the job. Also there's a risk that if it does not work out as per plan you'll be knocking on there door expecting free repair or at least you pay parts and them labour. This is why some insist on rebuilding engines and changing what is considered neccessary to limit risks to you and them.. Others have been slammed on here for doing budget installs because some of the used parts are not up to scratch which is blamed on the installer. You pay your money and take your chances. Personally I get pleasure out of doing stuff myself and only have myself to blame. But I totally appreciate how much it costs for a professional conversion.


Forgot to mention.... Some sort of intercooler air to air or water to air solution. Mines as simple as it can be but I spent probably £ 100 on silicon hoses and hose clips and joiners, £2o on a intercooler,

[ZsZ]

As described above, changing the engine is a lot of work. My tdi install took 3 weekends (about 50 working hours) without messing with the electronics.
It was a low cost project, I bought only the engine block with head, water pump and injection pipes. All possible JX parts I had were reused (turbo, manifolds, alternator, etc.) but a mechanical injection pump and an uprated clutch was needed though. And they were expensive here, and I think they are more expensive in the UK

[VirginAtlantic]

I've been working on my mtdi conversion since March and this weekend i get to fit the unit

it's a 1.9mtdi ahu engine with up graded injectors and turbo.

hopefully by Christmas I'll have it on the rolling road. I would say my installation is marching towards 4k mark inc tdi gearbox upgrade by Adian Talbot.

Whilst doing my converstion i thought it might be a good idea to remove the rear bumper off the van. Only to discover more issues so my hand revisited the pocket again

[busbuddy]

I have been looking at this convertion and a whole car can be bought for £400, so why are the quotes for the convertion so expensive?

Confused of Amesbury!

just from my experience....

the engine swap takes just one day, from jx out to tdi in can be done in a day BUT

then comes the wiring, you can sort it yourself but add up all the hours of internet searching and price that up

then comes the turbo pipework, you will think that you can use bits of donor car pipework and bodge it but bodge it will be

then comes the exhaust, bodge or decent work, your choice

clutch and brake pedal switches

engine mounts, bespoke or swap to jx turbo

throttle pedal decisions

etc,etc





i, personally, did my tdi install for under a thousand pounds BUT

i had room to fit massive 255/55x18 tyres to change the gearing whilst i saved for an aidan box, i fabricated all my new mounts/exhaust and did all the manual conversion work myself

if i was to get someone to supply a new regeared gearbox, tdi input shaft, oil pump, clutch, timing belt (its stupid to skimp whilst engine is out), engine mounts, exhaust, wiring, throttle pedal, intercooler pipework, etc...then i would not expect any change from £4k



its like anything in this world, you pay for a bloke to do it because you cant/dont want to....an electrician would charge £50 to come and change the fuse in your kettle plug but the fuse is a pound

[mazz]

As many will know are carry out a lot of T3 and TDi conversions , this is how it's evolved for me over the last three years.
All our work is based on reputation, there fore every job has to be trouble free and at the same time covered by a 12 month guarantee, my customers are spending a lot of money with me and expect there vehicle on collection to be fit for purpose, if your doing the job yourself you only have yourself to blame if something goes wrong, in my case it will be my company who is at fault, this is why our conversions have evolved to come with a fully rebuilt engine, all seals replaced, cyl head overhaul, new turbo and the following new parts.injectors, clutch kit, Cambelt kit, oil pump, tdi starter adapter, starter motor, alternator, out put flanges,intercooler, all pipe work and even improvements over some of VWs original designs, in fact the only parts we do not change end up being the fuel pump, ecu and not always the MAF sensor. I really do not see how it is possible to warrant your product in any other way, if you do have a used engine thrown in the back of your van and it does run trouble free for the next twelve months, it's more luck than anything, but let's say the rear crank seal is shot and the customers drives 200 miles home to find his new block paved drive has a deep water horizon covering it, he is not going to be best pleased , and that onus falls onto the installer.These donor engines are at newest 14 years old, and we have noticed a lot more problems with supplied units this year as your choice of units becomes limited.
So why so expensive, simple it's cost of parts and in our case 40 hours labour install time.
You really have to differate between a company offering you a warranted complete and professional install and doing it yourself on your driveway