1.9 Tdi upgrade , issues , solutions

[dcworm57]

I’m considering 1.9 Tdi upgrade to my 1.6jx westy . It’s now on Brickwerks high lift kit and I’m told by various sources that 1.9 Tdi wont work on this set up because of the driveshaft angle . I have seen some westys with 1.9 Tdi engine upgrades so how are they doing it . What are the gearbox options for this , do they need to be heavily modified etc . Some people have suggested going the 2.0 GTI  route but I’ve heard that these can very thirsty .. 
Any suggestions or advice please ?

[Oren Kipnis]

There should not be any major problems with the modification.

With the engine, I would recommend using a kit from Ultimate Engineering, which will make life easier.

For the transmission, I would recommend a "TDI input shaft", and to use a dual mass flywheel. You may also wish when dealing with the transmission to go for a different set of pinion and crown wheel to enable cruising at lower RPM.

As long as you will not push the Westy to the limits of the TDI, I don't see any problem.

Good luck,

Oren

[dcworm57]

Hi Oren
So do you think I can use the original 5 speed gearbox just as long as I change the gear ratios slightly. You don’t see any issues with the drives shaft articulation?

thanks 
Dave 

[cobblers]

If you use the original gearbox, the driveshaft angle will remain the same. You'll have to be very gentle with the gearbox though, they are ill equipped to deal with the torque that a TDI will produce, both the overall torque and in particular the torque spikes.

Many people use a passat gearbox with the TDI engine, it's a cheap way of installing a much stronger gearbox. In order for the van to not end up with 5 or 6 reverse gears, the passat box must be installed upside down.
This comes with many of it's own drawbacks, and one of those is that the driveshaft flanges on the upside-down gearbox are very high up.
On a van with standard height suspension, the angle of the shafts is borderline OK - Ideally the van would be lowered. Raised suspension is an absolute no.

[Simon Baxter]

Engine won't matter, it doesn't change the driveshaft angles, I think you have been ill advised there (presume Social Media)
That's taking for granted it's a Diesel to start with.
If you're going from petrol to Diesel, so long as you swap the gearbox mount bracket and the rear part of the linkage to match it'll be fine.
Use a DMF or the gearbox will be noisy as hell at idle and it's life will be shortened.
Info here - https://brickwerks.co.uk/tech/t3-techni ... s-dmf-smf/

The TDI produces it's grunt lower down the rev range so you need longer gears to make the best of a TDI. If it's lifted and with taller tyres you might get away with it.

TDI isn't a cheap conversion but they are great when in and running right. Mine will happily sit at 70mph and return about 38mpg, if I slow down then I get about 42mpg. That's lowered and with factory front spoiler but running 8 1/2" rear wheels. It also doesn't have "stuff" bolted all over it like Buckaroo and it's not rammed with useless tat either.

Get your gearbox code, find your gear ratios then find one of the many online gear calculators to work out your revs at a given speed.



See, doesn't really look much different to a JX.


GTI are hhmm... okay. surprisingly economical for what they are, I could manage about 28mpg on my empty double cab if I kept the speed down.

Also, you have to remember, who is going to maintain it? who's going to fix it when it's broken? are they going to have the patience to put up with the wrong engine in the hole and it's associated idiosyncrasies?

Personally, if you rely on workshops I'd stick with the JX and just make sure it's set up properly.
Read here - https://brickwerks.co.uk/tech/t3-techni ... esel-page/
 

[cobblers]

Also, you have to remember, who is going to maintain it? who's going to fix it when it's broken? are they going to have the patience to put up with the wrong engine in the hole and it's associated idiosyncrasies?

I keep trying to tell this to people. Putting the engine out of a Mk4 golf in your van isn't going to make a garage any more likely to want to work on it. If they're intimidated by a WBX or a JX then they're going to have kittens when confronted with the massive snake of slimy electrical tape the terminates in an AHU ECU and ignition barrel with a key taped in the middle of it which has all been stuffed behind one of the back lights and now one of the 3000 blue preinsulated blue crimp terminals has fallen off and the thing won't start.

Finding a garage willing to work on a stock T25 is hard enough. As soon as they see it's got an kind of engine swap in it, they'll run a mile if they have half a brain.

[dcworm57]

Engine won't matter, it doesn't change the driveshaft angles, I think you have been ill advised there (presume Social Media)
That's taking for granted it's a Diesel to start with.
If you're going from petrol to Diesel, so long as you swap the gearbox mount bracket and the rear part of the linkage to match it'll be fine.
Use a DMF or the gearbox will be noisy as hell at idle and it's life will be shortened.
Info here - https://brickwerks.co.uk/tech/t3-techni ... s-dmf-smf/

The TDI produces it's grunt lower down the rev range so you need longer gears to make the best of a TDI. If it's lifted and with taller tyres you might get away with it.
TDI isn't a cheap conversion but they are great when in and running right. Mine will happily sit at 70mph and return about 38mpg, if I slow down then I get about 42mpg. That's lowered and with factory front spoiler but running 8 1/2" rear wheels. It also doesn't have "stuff" bolted all over it like Buckaroo and it's not rammed with useless tat either.

Get your gearbox code, find your gear ratios then find one of the many online gear calculators to work out your revs at a given speed.



See, doesn't really look much different to a JX.


GTI are hhmm... okay. surprisingly economical for what they are, I could manage about 28mpg on my empty double cab if I kept the speed down.

Also, you have to remember, who is going to maintain it? who's going to fix it when it's broken? are they going to have the patience to put up with the wrong engine in the hole and it's associated idiosyncrasies?

Personally, if you rely on workshops I'd stick with the JX and just make sure it's set up properly.
Read here - https://brickwerks.co.uk/tech/t3-techni ... esel-page/

Thanks very much Simon this is a big help …

[HappyCamper]

Hi guys. I have an Autosleeper poptop with the 1600 normally aspirated engine. It was desperately slow. but I'm not generally in a hurry when I'm in the van. Only hills were the main problem. I would have probably stuck with the old engine, but on my way home from a 500 mile trip at Christmas, it blew the coolant hose from the head to the heater. where it reduces. The AA sent a local garage out and he clamped the 2 ends of the hose and filled up the coolant. About 30 miles further on it blew the hose from the pump. I managed to shorten it and filled up with water. Within a mile it blew the large 4 branch hose, ripped it apart. Van was transported home but now it won't start, so looking at mmy options. The 1.9 tdi sounds like a solution, but Simon says that is an expensive route. What is needed to do this conversion in the way of parts. Also the passat gearbox was mentioned, being turned upside down. How does that change anything. Thanks.

[Rik]

Hi guys. I have an Autosleeper poptop with the 1600 normally aspirated engine. It was desperately slow. but I'm not generally in a hurry when I'm in the van. Only hills were the main problem. I would have probably stuck with the old engine, but on my way home from a 500 mile trip at Christmas, it blew the coolant hose from the head to the heater. where it reduces. The AA sent a local garage out and he clamped the 2 ends of the hose and filled up the coolant. About 30 miles further on it blew the hose from the pump. I managed to shorten it and filled up with water. Within a mile it blew the large 4 branch hose, ripped it apart. Van was transported home but now it won't start, so looking at mmy options. The 1.9 tdi sounds like a solution, but Simon says that is an expensive route. What is needed to do this conversion in the way of parts. Also the passat gearbox was mentioned, being turned upside down. How does that change anything. Thanks.

Swapping to a Tdi is fairly complex. You'll need a turbo setup with exhaust and intercooler etc, ecu, electronic throttle, new gearbox and more. Going to a na 1.9 (1y, aef) is a lot simpler swap, while providing you with some extra power. I'm looking into this swap myself, but havent been able to find a good donor vehicle with less than 300.000 kms.

[Oren Kipnis]

Hi guys. I have an Autosleeper poptop with the 1600 normally aspirated engine. It was desperately slow. but I'm not generally in a hurry when I'm in the van. Only hills were the main problem. I would have probably stuck with the old engine, but on my way home from a 500 mile trip at Christmas, it blew the coolant hose from the head to the heater. where it reduces. The AA sent a local garage out and he clamped the 2 ends of the hose and filled up the coolant. About 30 miles further on it blew the hose from the pump. I managed to shorten it and filled up with water. Within a mile it blew the large 4 branch hose, ripped it apart. Van was transported home but now it won't start, so looking at mmy options. The 1.9 tdi sounds like a solution, but Simon says that is an expensive route. What is needed to do this conversion in the way of parts. Also the passat gearbox was mentioned, being turned upside down. How does that change anything. Thanks.

You can try the 1Y engine. This is the 1.9 litre version of your current 1.6. Totally mechanical W/O electronics. Take the short engine (block, cylinder head and pump) and transfer all the rest from the current engine. The 1.9 will deliver some more torque and supposed to be more reliable. The 1Y was in production from 1989 until 2001 and fitted to various VW group models.

[HappyCamper]

Thanks, I'll start looking at that.