Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,

New to the forum, after some advice on of there is any good mods to the 1.6d

I have recently got a t25 1989 vw camper. But not driven it yet, read a lot about the engine struggling up hills.

Maybe next year I will change the engine over but for now want to see if I can make the 1.6 better.

I'm a mechanic so know my way about engines, but not massively knowledgeable on the vw

Thanks in advance

Hello and welcome.
Most of us with 1.6NA engines have been through the same thought process.
You can improve airflow through the intake tract, but that's usually at the expense of a lot more noise.
With improved airflow you would be able to proportionately increase fuel delivery, too much and you will get more smoke.
You can increase the maximum revs on the governor, but that's at the expense of reliability.
Overall you might get around 10% more power using all of the above.
You can't add a turbo, as the materials of the engine won't stand the higher temperatures.
Higher lift/longer opening cams are out as the pistons would strike the valves.
Then you realise it's probably not worth the downsides for the limited power increase, so you're into engine replacement,
There are plenty of 1.9NA diesel engines available (Code AEF or 1Y out of Polos/Golfs/Felicias/Caddys). These can be cheap and give 25% more torque. My favourite is the AEF. These options would be less work and expense than trying to squeeze more power out of the 1.6.