Also interested in any info people have on this swap. I have a 99 ZR2 S10 I was thinking about putting a BHW into. My main concerns with such a swap are the wiring (yeah you can do standalone but ideally Id want as many of the stock controls to work as possible), and the weight of these trucks.
I think a BHW paired with a BV43 and a tune can come in around 190hp/350tq, which is pretty much inline with a stock 4.3 v6 (around 200hp/200tq), but will the MPG and lower end torque make such a swap even worth it? Especially considering that just the adapter alone for the engine to a chevy trans is over a grand. ( I guess you could do some fab work to get the VW trans installed, but again $$/time)
In your case the lighter weight of a 2 wheel drive truck will definitely help, especially a regular cab. But the question (to me at least) still remains, what is the benefit of going with a tdi vs doing a "simple" v8 swap, considering you can basically piece together a plug and play kit for the most part going the v8 route?
Don't get me wrong im a diesel geek as well (my Passat is insanely fun) , but when you can build up a v8 with 3-400hp and get a nice torque band in the low end range for towing if you get the right cam, whats the point of a TDi in such a truck? Especially if you have to pay a lot more to do it?
Curious to see some responses.