Heh :->. I come from a different background, where I have seen many people swap Mercedes diesels into everything from Toyota 4Runners and Jeep Wranglers to a 1989 Astro van (this last swap I have seen in person -- it was done by the guy who's work I pictured in the first post). I'm wondering if the diesel you sat in had bad injectors, motor mounts, engine shocks, maladjusted valves, or other common delayed maintenance issues that make diesels shake like the dickens.splatterdog wrote:80's vw diesel? Wow. Last one I experienced, at idle and parked, the dash was bouncing like driving over washboard. Better add a lot of dynamat.
Consider me more of a realist than naysayer. I know, if you don't have something nice to say... But, I've never done(or seen) a diesel swap. Seen lots of swaps. To gas that is. Many domestic 80's diesels got converted. All were bolt in deals. Over the years, I've also have had to convince lots of people that alternators, water pumps, tires and other essentials are a good idea. Elective surgery such as this conversion is way out of most peoples grasp, in ability and/or finances. Finding a machinist will be the easy part. Finding an auto shop to touch it before,during,after will take a miracle, unless you bring a blank check. Many would turn it away completely stock, just because of it's age.
Sorry if I come across as a glass half emtpy kind of guy. Being inundated with broken cars, some with broken owners, for half my life does take a toll!
My most radical coversion, a mazda engine in a mazda. The owner was waayy over his head. It was a 3 rotor in a rx. After over 150 hours it was time to finally add coolant and soon attempt start. Too bad the owner had leak tested the engine with straight water and didn't fully drain it. A middle segment had a ruptured water jacket a couple inches away from the drain plug that was't utilized. Nothing like starting over after all that time and money. Working on it for months between regular cars sucked too. Was frequently waiting for parts or money. And he thought it was close to running when he handed it off to the shop. A better project at this same shop was stuffing a 502 crate engine in to 81 cutlass. It was a total beater at the beginning with a 3.8 v6. I started after the initial build(built the exhaust system though), but got to add a supercharger and nitrous to it. The one nice thing on projects is a client that doesn't ask how much, just when will it be done..
Good luck!
I do appreciate the warning against how crazy a swap can easily get. I'll be starting college this fall for a mechanical engineering degree, so I should gain access to all sorts of machining and other tools during those four years that would make doing the swap much more affordable. I'd probably start by buying a VW diesel parts car and keeping the motor, and then trying to acquire a T4 (this will be the hardest part, given my location). I have garage space, so the project could stretch over multiple years if necessary).
I've been reading your swap thread, and it looks really cool :->. I can understand the benefits of an engine that... fits. I guess I'd just like to see if I can get the engine to fit. If I can, then almost all repair parts would be commonly available around here, which is something I'd like to achieve.CathodeRayTube wrote:My Diesel T4 project is still slowly progressing, and will never be abandoned...i have been busy with many things lately so it has been dormant for a while, however in the last several months i made much progress. In a nutshell, Im using the 1N-T toyota Turbodiesel ordered from Japan, which is essentially the toyota counterpart to the VW 1.5/1.6...It is 1.4L, Indirect injection, all-mechanical, and was purchased for $1600. It was originally in a 90s JDM Tercel. I gave up on the VW plan a while ago (but not the whole project) because it was so much easier to stick with toyota parts and order the toyota engine. The 1N-T will bolt up to the T4s tranny with no adapter, and only minimal modification to the flywheel (diesel bolt pattern drilled in stock 3A flywheel), and a modified oil pan to clear the front differential case and steering hardware. I am currently actively working on the custom oil pan, and hope to have it running on a stand soon. Stock starter also bolts to the whole thing fine.
Custom engine mounts will also be in order, but thats relatively simple also. The 1N-T is also actually smaller/shorter than the 3A, so i have plenty of space for everything. I have verified that everything will fit together with the simple mods above, its just a matter of time/motivation and weather (no, not even money), until i have the car running & driving with the new engine.
. I like their uniqueness, economy, simplicity, and clatter. I like that my Mercedes doesn't need a battery to start, run, or shut down.
