RWD TDI Engine Swap

I've been reading thru TDI Club forums and viewing a few other sites for couple months, trying to improve my knowledge of VW TDIs and decided it's time to toss a couple questions to the TDI Brain Trust.

I've been looking at a project that would include using a TDI motor in the conversion of an old, relatively light, Ford pickup. I'll basically be starting from scratch with a IFS rolling chassis, so I'll have good mechanical access all around. Having read Matt Whitbread's Swap Guide, I've been watching for a 2000-2003 Jetta or Beetle, and managed to just miss one a couple weeks ago. There's just not a lot of these cars coming up around my area.

Regarding a RWD conversion:

1) I assume the best and most economical option is to find a complete running car so as to have not only a motor, but wiring harness, instrument pod, and all accessories. Is this a sound assumption, or would I be just as well off find a motor (to rebuild or already built); buy an aftermarket harness; and source various accessories as I go along?

2) As this is a RWD conversion, should I instead be seriously looking for an '04-'05 Passat, since the engine was originally mounted longitudinally?

3) Are the Passat 2.0L BHWs supported as well as the earlier ALH engines? And can they achieve similar MPGs?

I'm wanting to end up with a daily driver, that I wouldn't be worried about taking on a 500 mile jaunt across the country. Any thoughts on engine sourcing would be appreciated. Winter's setting in and I need something in the shop to work on.

Thanks

Why does it need to be rwd? What are you trying to build? What is the use and goal of the vehicle.

I'm looking to put the TDI in a 1936 Ford Pickup. I'm starting with a new aftermarket chassis with independent front suspension and rear axle drive. Some say "Put a Ford in a Ford", but the '95-'06 Ford Galaxy van (Euro) was sold with a VW 1.9L TDI. I know folks have swapped the TDI into Jeeps Cherokees, and Toyota and Ford pickups and there are transmission adapters available to accomplish this. I'm looking to build a daily driver with can turn-out decent mileage and turn a few heads at the same time.

I’d go with something without an injector pump mainly for packaging. More power being a benefit but at the cost of a few mpg.

There are a couple adapters out there. It should be a neat setup.

I’m a fan of getting donors that run and are banged up or have bad transmissions which is common the the Passat BHW and other VW automatics.

TLOHM said:

I'm looking to put the TDI in a 1936 Ford Pickup. I'm starting with a new aftermarket chassis with independent front suspension and rear axle drive. Some say "Put a Ford in a Ford", but the '95-'06 Ford Galaxy van (Euro) was sold with a VW 1.9L TDI. I know folks have swapped the TDI into Jeeps Cherokees, and Toyota and Ford pickups and there are transmission adapters available to accomplish this. I'm looking to build a daily driver with can turn-out decent mileage and turn a few heads at the same time.

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My son-in-law.has a 1934 Ford suicide two door hot rod with a Toyota V-8 hemi engine in it. A very rare engine!
So I suppose anything can be done if you're determined enough.
Good luck.

Yes the Passat BHW would be a good choice. It does sacrifice some MPG's to an ALH but the stock torque, beefier internals and longitudinal platform makes for an easier starting point

I would not use the VW gauge cluster. Go with good old fashion round gauges for temp, oil, volts and tach since your building from scratch it would keep that "rod" look. You will need a tune to delete a bunch of sensors so then the TDI just becomes a stand alone system just looking for a key input... that's it.
Doesn't matter if you start with a North South engine or East West, the blocks are the same so mounts are easy to build on all of them.

I thought I'd need to include the VW gauge cluster to incorporate on-board diagnostics and any security items. Getting the electronics right on the build is my main concern and the reason I've been looking for a donor car to get all the parts and components off a single vehicle.

You would still have the OBD2 port for diagnostics.
Security?

I see no advantage to a Passat engine just because it is mounted longitudinal. It is a front-wheel drive. The engine in an 04 or 05 Passat is the same engine that's in the same year Jetta (BEW 04, and maybe BRM in the 05, not sure on that one). Obviously, the 1934 Ford has rear wheel drive.

All the VW in-line 4-cylinders (gas or diesel) from 2004/05 (maybe 06) have the same bolt pattern on the transmission end all the way back to 1974.

I tend to agree with not using the Jetta Cluster, although that's what I did in my 84 Vanagon. As Evguy1 said, you should use the rat rod style gauges. But, if you stay with a completely electronic TDI engine, the cluster can be incorporated with the rest of the electronics. The cluster will show you when the check engine light is on. Also, some Diagnostic Test Code issues cause the Glow Plug Light to flash, such as issues with the accelerator pedal and associated circuits. You could locate the cluster (chopped down) near the ECU (under the seat, behind the seat, under the dash, etc.

In my Vanagon, I incorporated about everything I could, including the Cluster, from the Jetta electrical systems........... didn't need to, but that's what I wanted to do. I mounted the OBD port on the bottom of the dash where it is very accessible. I keep a Scan Gauge plugged into it at all times.

The non-Injection Pump engines (MK4 era) are the BEW and BRM engines. The BEW has Cam issues, especially if the correct oil has not used. If you buy one of those engines, the cover needs to be removed to check the Cam Lobes for wear. The BEW engine, stock, is about 130 HP as I remember, whereas the ALH engine (with Injection Pump) is 90 HP. A Stage 1 tune with everything else stock, is good for about 115 HP. I had the Immoblizer function deleted in the Engine Control Unit (ECU).

Me, I prefer the ALH engine......... simple and can be modified extensively. Also, they were made from 1998 thru 2003.......... lots of parts out there.

As for an adaptor, not sure, but I suspect it wouldn't be a major endeavor to fabricate one from scratch.

I have a running 2004 Passat with a bad transmission I will sell the whole car minus the wheels and tires for $500. It has already had a balance shaft delete doing. Runs perfect.

evguy1 said:

I would not use the VW gauge cluster. Go with good old fashion round gauges for temp, oil, volts and tach since your building from scratch it would keep that "rod" look. You will need a tune to delete a bunch of sensors so then the TDI just becomes a stand alone system just looking for a key input... that's it.
Doesn't matter if you start with a North South engine or East West, the blocks are the same so mounts are easy to build on all of them.

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How would you go about pulling that off? I'm looking to alh swap my hiace and want to keep the stock cluster but am concerned about splicing in the inputs from the vw harness. For instance, does the vw ecu need a speed signal and a tach signal from the cluster to run?

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oilhammer said:

I have a running 2004 Passat with a bad transmission I will sell the whole car minus the wheels and tires for $500. It has already had a balance shaft delete doing. Runs perfect.

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That’s the best deal out there. The balance shaft delete is worth 3x the asking price if I remember right. The BHW is different than the Jetta/golfs of 2004-2005 in that everything is geared towards more power. This is worth his asking price and then some.

HiaceTDI said:

How would you go about pulling that off? I'm looking to alh swap my hiace and want to keep the stock cluster but am concerned about splicing in the inputs from the vw harness.

That's where you dig in and school yourself on the wiring system of both the Toyota HiAce and the TDI engine you plan to use. I don't know if the TDI cluster processes any data such as info from the GP harness or when showing the GP light is on, Check Engine Light, or any data that can be obtained from the OBD circuits connected to the engine management systems through the ECU. It may only pass it on via the ECU.

For your cluster

For instance, does the vw ecu need a speed signal and a tach signal from the cluster to run? Not for an ALH and I doubt a BEW engine needs those signals to run. I know one guy doesn't use the vehicle speed sensor (VSS)but the cruise works fine (in a VW Vanagon with an ALH engine). The tach info likely comes from the engine speed sensor via the ECU. So, when the signal goes to the ECU it's purpose there is obviously satisfied and doesn't matter if it passed on to the Tach in the cluster. I can start and run the ALH engine in my 84 Vanagon with the Cluster unplugged (I installed the TDI cluster with most of the bells and whistles)

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I suggest if are really planning to do a TDI swap that you start a Thread to pose your questions and allow followers to chime in...

AndyBees said:

I suggest if are really planning to do a TDI swap that you start a Thread to pose your questions and allow followers to chime in...

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I have:
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...5&share_fid=6491&share_type=t&link_source=app


Tdi in a hiace van??

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I know the mounting points are the same for the BEW, BRM and BHW. My preference for the BHW is it starts out with more torque, has beefier internals and it has the manifolds going the direction you would want for a RWD car.

Well, I took Oilhammer up on his offer and towed it down last Sunday, (Nov 24). Not the prettiest car anymore, but she's got the a running engine, which is what I'm after. Have disassembled the front-end, but have yet to disconnect the tranny and free the engine from the frame. Hope to pull it out next week. Will plan to start taking some photos and start a Thread as I begin the actual build.

Thanks to all for their thoughts above. I'll be looking for plenty of assistance as I go forward.