Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,

I have a 1.6td hightop westy camper, 1990 5 -speed. The engine is using about 2 litres of oil every 100mile!....

So i'm thinking of dropping something a little livelier in. I'm not a mechanic but no the basics, although a mate who is a mechanic will be doing the work........

Questions:

What would be the best replacement engine, that will;

a) Be more powerful, pull up hills better, quicker off the mark, feel more modern, pull all the kit and tribe nicely around the UK and Europe.

b) Fit in ok without to much money being thrown at it, be compatible with exhaust gearbox, wiring loom and all the other bits.

I'm thinking along the lines of a TDI 110,115, 130 or similar out of a golf, bora, A4 etc. Possibly even a 2.5TDI out of a quattro!

Any feedback and help much appreciated. My limit is about £1000 all in.

and any suggestions of good engine suppliers who may take mine in px??

Cheers,

Woodman.

you havent read the very first post in this section on here then???

Its title is a clue...

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=194

Yes I have. Although the information has some relevance it does'nt directly answer my questions.

Thanks.

You will not get a tdi in for £1000

Hi,

Can pick upa TDI for £250-400 and helping a mate to fit we reckon it can be done for around £1k. Just trying to way up the extrra costs of sorting the gearbox and wiring etc, so its right.

Thanks.

) Fit in ok without to much money being thrown at it, be compatible with exhaust gearbox, wiring loom and all the other bits. (AAZ 1.9td and a DK gearbox.)

woodman wrote:Hi,

Can pick upa TDI for £250-400 and helping a mate to fit we reckon it can be done for around £1k. Just trying to way up the extrra costs of sorting the gearbox and wiring etc, so its right.

Thanks.

Your budget will go on the gearbox and there is no way it will be any use without taller gears. A 115 or above engine is a massive job, and will require LOTS of fabrication.

Thanks all,

Taking into account your comments and after speaking with a mate, I've decided to go down the 8v 1.8 GTI route. Hes done his and is chuffed ith it and works out fairly cheap. Because its a westy I have an underslung LPG tank for the cooker, I was hoping I may be able to use as a duel fuel LPG/Petrol. Does anyone have any exoerience of this conversion?

Thanks,

Woodman.

the westy tank wont be any use as a fuel tank for the engine... unless you dont want to go far on it... and its prob pretty rusty and doesnt have the right takeoffs in any case...
Speak to Gasure about what they can offer..

okay so a tdi is out of the £1000 budget,but haven't you totally overlooked the AAZ?,which with a little simple fuel boosting a really satisfying drive?...I don't know a thing about the gti lumps in vans,but in something weighing twice as much as the car it was designed for,wouldn't the torque (and definite economy)of diesel be a better choice?

I've heard nothing but good things about the AAZ swap,whats so good about the gti route?

Changed my mind again and commited this time too!! defo going down the tdi route. Have purchased a fine motor with all bits r'qd thats done 70k miles... I'll post when shes together.. and the best thing, its just squeeing within the £1000 budget!!!!!!!!

Changed my mind again and commited this time too!! defo going down the tdi route. Have purchased a fine motor with all bits r'qd thats done 70k miles... I'll post when shes together.. and the best thing, its just squeeing within the £1000 budget!!!!!!!! Very Happy

good stuff,
but PLEASE do not overlook doing the gearbox,otherwise its not worth the bother.I know I did one!-its in the wiki on here,
also worth reading on brickyard in diesel upgrades section,but I see you're already in there! ha!!

Right then... I am now about 3000 miles in, with our TDi conversion. The vans cracking, and pulls like a steam train. Even though the 1.6td box is still in, the van cruises nicely at 115kmh.

My budget was a grand and TBH it went to about £1400. The engine is a 72k TDI 90bhp with FSH and as sweet as a nut. Starts on the dot every time, does not smoke at all even booting it up hills, has not used a drop of oil and has totally transformed the bus.

Would I reccomend changing to TDI without the box? Yes. Especially if you have a limited budget. Dont get me wrong, I'm sure a box with a higher 5th gear would be better, but really its about 10 times better than a JX engine and is a pleasure to drive.

I'm sure some of you teccys will tell me this and that but, Im chuffed to b its with it and with the budget I had, glad I went down the TDI road and not the GTI or AAZ in the end.

PS: Also theres no need to cut a bit out of the boot lid witha TDI as you would with the AAZ.
PPS: The surgeon who did the transformation knows his stuff too and has done a cracking job...

Cheers.

Lets see some of the pictures then.

Excellent - that is good news.

What TDI did you use?

Looking forward to seeing it!

Ringo