VW Diesel Vanagon: Turbo Installation

  Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 02:28:30 -0400 (EDT)
  From: taylor_b@pacbell.net
  To: robertc@snowcrest.net, vanagon@lenti
  Subject: Re: Noise, smoke, engine death, Quantum TD transplant soon
  Message-ID: <970528022828_-697456478@emout20.mail.aol.com>
  
robertc@snowcrest.net writes
So, here is the question, what do I need to do in order to put a Quantum TD into a Vanagon diesel?

From my experience of using a '85 Quantum turbo, intake,and exhaust manifolds on my '83 camper, I would suggest the following would cover the significant points:

  1. Transfer your vanagon diesel oil pump pickup*, and oil pan to the td engine. Adapt or extend the turbo oil drain into the oil pan. I drilled a hole in my vanagon oil pan and put an angle fitting for this connection. The object is to allow gravity to drain the oil exit at the bottom of the turbo. You will probably also use your vanagon valve cover, and oil dipstick. *I would try to use the td oil pump, with the vanagon pickup if possible.
  2. The turbo diesel boost enrichment attachement on the td injection pump will probably interfere with your engine cover. For the vanagon the factory solution was a different boost enrichment actuator than on the Quantum or Jetta models. Since it is diffiult to obtain in the U.S. you must either have a elevated engine cover to clear the boost enrichment actuator or you can run the td engine with your vanagon injection pump, which would reduce the td engines power. I have been running mine for about two years with the vanagon inj pump, and the fuel delivery tweaked up a little to take advantage of the boost, but I have been thinking about finding a Td injection pump to get better fuel delivery control.
  3. You will need to get a muffler shop to fabricate from the turbo exit a "u" turn around the outside of the engine sound cover and connect to your existing vanagon muffler. I put a larger diameter system on at the same time but would not reccomend as it has been troublesome with getting a proper mounting that did not break muffler brackets.
  4. Air intake plumbing, I am not sure what the original Quantum TD pipes look like but I think you will have to make a combination of hoses to connect from the turbo inlet to your air filter. Since the vanagon diesel air filter won't work, you may be able to mount the Quantum air filter housing in place of the air intake elbow that leads up to the air vent on the driver's side of the car. I am using a round cannister type air filter with 90 deg elbows at each end.
One thing that I have found by experience is the engine intake noise is extreme without a long pipe going up to the air vent. Any back seat passengers will complain when driving @ 65 on the freeway.

Well thats what I remember as the most signifcant items. Based on my own experience, I think the improvement is worthwhile. Hope this helps.

Brent

Questions and answers

  From: taylor_b@pacbell.net
  Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 01:26:26 -0400 (EDT)
  To: jag@cs.rochester.edu, vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu
  Subject: Re: Turbo Swap-QuantumTD-Vanagon
  
Regarding my '83 camper with '85 quantum TD turbo and manifolds jag@cs.rochester.edu Martin asks

>how did you connect the oil feed?

The oil feed line runs from the oil filter casting to the turbo. I removed the oil filter casting, and had a hole drilled and tapped in the top of the casting and used the factory solid metal line which runs around the back of the head and down to the turbo. If you have the correct TD oil filter casting, you could probably avoid drilling and tapping for the oil line.
>How long did the whole project take you?
I think I spent on and off about 4 months. This includes trying to find the correct pieces, getting the turbo rebuilt, trying to figure out what to do with the oil return, I experimented with an electric pump to return oil to the sump, etc.
>How many miles do you have on it since the conversion?
Around 15k, One trip to Baja at Christmas this past year, many 150 mi weekend trips, commuting plus a vacation from California to Oregon. It has been pretty reliable with the following exceptions; a rear main seal leak during the first year, and a recurring muffler support breaking. I have never had the engine out of the car or the head off the engine. It is a factory remanufactured CS long block with about 95k since install.
>Any figures of what the improvement was (smoke limited torque? hp? Or in indirect figures: acceleration improvement and max speed?)
Because of lack of boost enrichment, and the desire to avoid overstressing the non TD long block, I am running about 8 psi max boost, and I have also backed off on the fuel delivery adjustment. I keep an eye on exhaust gas temperature, particularly when climbing steep grades. Subjectively speaking, the car can accellerate to merge on the freeway easier, the top speed (with 5 sp) is 75 mph plus, typically run 65 mph. The smoke on accelleration is reduced, the gas mileage runs about the same- 28 mpg typ.

An estimate for the horsepower would be about 58, note that the 85-90 Jetta has a 68 hp td, and the '91 Jetta Ecco diesel without boost enrich. and with a cat.converter has 58hp.

> Which oil pump?
I would try to use the td oil pump, with the vanagon pickup if possible. I haven't tryed this, but I would think with the oil squirters and a later hydraulic lifter head that you would need the larger capacity pump.
>>...In Germany people are already swapping in TDI engines (90 and 110 hp). ... TDI engines become availible in the boneyards.
I was considering this but was deterred by a $3500 price tag for a junkyard TDI motor. When you add misc. fabrication and likely a different transaxle gearing to match the power, you could spend $5000 on this kind of a project. Used gas motor are much more plentiful and you could probably buy 4 of them complete for the price of one TDI motor. Keeping this in mind, I would still prefer a TDI motor.
Brent