BobZ's TDI Smyth G3F Beta #9 Build

'Back to working on some engine systems: With the engine in the back now, the 2300 pound G3F doesn't need power steering; unlike the earlier ALH engines where one can remove the power steering pump and use a shorter accessory belt, the BEW TDI in #9 needs a pulley to get sufficient belt wrap on the AC compressor. I was going to leave the steering pump in place, powering a hydraulic water pump for the AWIC, but time constraints with some new work projects necessitated a simpler route. I bought EAA Engineering's steering depower line kit some time ago. They have since added an idler that replaces the pump on 4cyl VW MKIV engines. Dave at EAA Support indicated it should work on my BEW. It fits perfectly, uses the stock belt and the idler pulley and bearing are replaceable! I'll use a Bosch electric water pump for the intercooler.

Here's a link to their web page: EAA Engineering MKIV VW steering depower/

Depower kit installed on #9:

'Finished cutting the parking brake cables to length, mounting interior hardware and modifying the original MKIV p-brake lever assembly to accept the Lokar hardware. The Wilwood MC4 calipers and Lokar cable kit worked out well, everything looks stock inside the car and was simple to adjust. Max brake apply at about 3/4 travel on the lever, caliper unclamped with rotor clearance when released: success!

Final parking brake result:

A little progress on the suspension: The Audi TT front suspension components I'm using both on the front and rear need some way to anchor the sway bar ends. On early TTs the end link attachment point was on the front of the control arms and could use basically the same link as the MKIV VW. After the first year or so Audi moved the link attachment to the strut and deleted the mounting boss on the control arm (none of mine have the bosses). Since the G3F uses coil-over struts there's no provision to attach the sway bar link as on the original TT struts. I found Dorbritz Designs sells custom bolt on sway bar mounts for MKIV VWs, to be used with their air strut kits. I rolled the dice in the hopes that they would fit on my G3F struts and they actually bolted right on, quite securely! The image below shows the mount bolted to the passenger side rear strut with the TT link bolted to the sway bar at the bottom (on the strut there's a bolt in the mount where the top of the link will eventually fit). It's about 3.5" too long so I'll need to shorten it (and rotate the top ball section 90º) or buy/make adjustable links. There's plenty of clearance to axle, brake lines, etc.. The other three corners should work nicely as well.

Audi TT sway bar end link attachment with bolt on strut mount:

Here's the test fit of an old link I modified/shortened. Cut away ~3.5" of the original link, rotated the joint end 90º and welded both ends into a sleeve. It fits fine both front and rear with the Dorbritz strut mounts; checked for suspension and steering travel without issues. TT control arms with sway bar bosses are getting harder to locate; this modification would work well on a MKIV using plain TT arms and sway bar. I'll modify a set of new links the same way and check another item off the build list.

Please keep the updates coming, I've finally added this to the TDI conversion list

G60ING said:

Please keep the updates coming, I've finally added this to the TDI conversion list

Click to expand...

Thanks, I will! It's been a long snowy winter and the glacier encasing the hangar is finally thawing...

It's been a while, so time for an update: I've been spending quite a bit of time finishing up system plumbing (A/C, heat, fuel lines, etc.) but since it's nearing first start-up I wanted to get some progress posted on the engine. My tune is MAF-less, so I mounted a K&N Apollo filter assembly directly to the GTB2260VK (there will be a pre-filter on the main element), it will also be supported with a mount to the boss on the engine mount . There's plenty of room for intake hose routing between the timing belt cover and the frame. You can also see the PCV vent hose in the top image; this will be routed into a BMW air-oil separator with suction air supplied by a fitting on the K&N air cleaner base.

The radiator on the G3F was originally intended to be vertical and the bottom of the fuel tank was only about 3/8" above the bottom of the k-member. I'm planning on an eventual skid plate, but wanted additional clearance for both the radiator and fuel tank. I made a pair of sheet steel parts to angle the radiator, and also raised the tank with spacers. Here's the result of the radiator angle bracket installation and fuel cell level increased with 1" HDPE spacer blocks. The bottom of the tank is now a bit above the top of the k-member and the control arm bolts can be accessed without interference from the tank mount. There is room for a skid plate to pass under the tank now and mount to the k-member.

Front right side view:

Ryan P. at Darkside Developments now makes a stainless drain line for the Garrett GTB2260VK, so I repurposed the -AN fittings to other projects and installed his line. Plenty of axle clearance, nice quality and perfect fit as I've come to expect from their parts. Now fabricating a mount for the K&N Apollo filter, finishing up fuel lines, modifying/re-welding the VW fuel filter mount to fit the engine bay and finalizing the A/C lines. It will be nice to see this project come to life!

GTB2260 drain line

New work projects have been taking their rightful priority position, but here's a quick update. There are still a few items remaining prior to first startup: rear heater hoses, BMW air-oil separator lines, coolant reservoir mount and align and tighten the rear k-member. It's slowly getting closer to go-cart stage!

Current engine compartment:


Current front under-hood compartment:

Back to some additional progress on details: mounts for the coolant reservoirs. #9 has two liquid cooling systems: one for the engine and one for the turbocharger air-water intercooler. I'm using the same MKIV spherical reservoirs for both. I formed some mounts from .060" aluminum stock to support the reservoirs at their normal mounting points (I have a template, but there's no way to easily upload a PDF to the forum to share it). The engine bottle mounts to the stainless steel fire wall; the AWIC bottle will be on the left frame rail near the strut mount. I salvaged the original formed coolant hoses from the Jetta, cut and spliced them to create reasonably presentable routed lines (not shown yet). I'll keep chipping away at the to-do list...

Coolant reservoir mounting:

Back from a prolonged work break: now targeting completing engine bay plumbing, exhaust, turbo oil lines...then AWIC pump and associated lines to the heat exchanger radiator, I'll get back to checking each remaining component off the list, one at a time. I've been planning out the changes/upgrades to the body during the work hiatus; there will be many modifications to Mark's original design to bring it more in line with my vision of a sports roadster.

Hangar dog is wondering when she's going to get her promised first ride in this eternal project: This is the year Maddie!