BHW TDI from a 2005 Passat
and
01E 6-speed code FTL from a C5 A6 2.5 TDI
swapped into a
2001 Audi A4 Avant quattro (originally 1.8T 5 speed manual)
Miles driven since complete
2500
Build thread
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=405110
(careful before you go down the rabbit hole... it's a LOOOONG saga)
Mods
(I'll just cover the TDI/01E-specific stuff here, not the chassis improvements I made)
- engine rebuilt from bare block
- block magna-fluxed, machined and blueprinted: line-bored and honed, deck milled straight to even out the combustion chambers (they were off from the factory)
- deck height milled to the lower range of specification for a 3-hole head gasket to
minimize compression ratio
- oversized BHW pistons (81.5mm), skirts anti-friction coated, tops Gold Coat ceramic coated (by SwainTech)
- Integrated Engineering Tuscan rods
- rotating assembly spin-balanced to within 3 grams @ 4", all components static-balanced to 0 grams
- cylinder head exhaust gasket-matched and very lightly ported
- 3-angle valve job
- cylinder head milled to restore combustion chamber volume after 3-angle valve job
- combustion chambers ceramic coated (by SwainTech)
- Colt Cams stage 3 cam
- Darkside Developments high-lift valve springs, anti-friction coated (by SwainTech)
- OEM valves ceramic-coated on faces, valve stems anti-friction coated, exhaust valves ceramic-coated on backside.
- custom-fabricated bronze valve guides
- injectors with Bosio R783 nozzles rebuilt and calibrated by DBW
- cam journals drilled for doubled oil flow using OEM cam bearings (
not Franko6-modified bearings)
- exhaust manifold ceramic coated (by SwainTech), drilled and tapped for EGT probe and EMP gauge right before the turbo
- custom GTB1756VK turbo with billet compressor wheel, turbine housing ceramic coated
- top-mount pusher-style vacuum VNT actuator on a custom bracket, tucked in under the EGR cooler
- 4 bar MAP sensor
- Apikol side-mount intercooler for B5 A4 1.8T
- silicone intercooler elbows up to the plastic intake line
- MANN Pro-Vent 200, draining directly back to the oil pan
- 1.8T AWM oil pan: has a port for turbo oil return, which I use for the Pro-Vent oil drain. Also has accommodations for the oil temperature/level sender, which I've transplanted from my 1.8T to keep my instrument cluster happy
- BSM delete kit with BRM oil pump gear
- radiator from a B5 A4 1.8T automatic car
- 01E transmission cooler lines made up of a combination of different cars' lines and connected to the factory B5 Passat location on the front clip
- South Bend 228 mm Stage 3 Endurance clutch and flex plate with OEM DMF, rated for 425 ft-lb torque
- JH Motorsports solid short-throw shifter and all associated shifter upgrades
- BuzzKen 2.5" downpipe with high flow cat
- 2.5" Techtonics Tuning exhaust
- brand new BHW wiring harness, modified to accommodate a B5 Audi A4
- ASV housing drilled and tapped for a boost gauge
- modified B5 Passat TDI bare fuel pump shoved into the original gasser Audi A4 surge housing
- fuel tank filler neck drilled out to accommodate truck stop nozzles
- all gasser evap stuff removed and capped
- fuel line T under the hood to accommodate an inline fuel pressure gauge
- GKN front axles for manual-transmission TDI B5 application (130mm flange tripod inners)
- transplanted the fuel cooler rail from the B5 Passat TDI (bolts right in)
- transplanted the front subframe from the B5 Passat TDI (bolts right in)
- relocated battery to the trunk, added a cutoff switch and a battery charger where the battery used to be
- FrostHeater intended for a B5 Passat TDI (bolts right in)
- aftermarket 2-piece driveshaft (with center bearing)
- custom Malone tune, 1000 rpm idle
- custom turbo inlet pipe
- everything else on engine is 100% OEM, including EGR and all associated bits, airbox, etc.
Impressions
This is now the greatest car I've ever owned. I've owned 17 cars (classic muscle cars, GM cars and trucks, Ford cars and trucks, a Toyota, a Nissan, Audis and VWs), this one for the last 5 years as a 1.8T gasser. I constantly look for excuses to drive it. It can instantly go from smooth and relaxed to fast and relentless. Montreal traffic doesn't stand a chance. I currently get around 40 mpg at 70 mph on the highway, and this keeps improving as the engine breaks in. If I'm REALLY pushing it in 90+ degree heat, the EGT *might* reach a maximum of 1450f. Boost is smooth and instant. Oil consumption has been zero so far, but it's only been 2500 miles and one oil change. Thanks to the 3.889 final drive and 0.56 6th gear, rpm on the highway is nice and low.
Issues since going on the road
- No cruise control in any gear. Malone has been unable to resolve this yet. This drives me absolutely bonkers. I hope it gets fixed soon.
- No A/C. This is an issue with the Malone tune which is currently incompatible with climatronic. Has not been resolved yet. I have a temporary solution kludged up, but I really hope this gets fixed soon.
- turbo exhaust vanes are over-aggressive when the engine is sill cold, presumably to "encourage" the exhaust to go through the EGR valve. This causes the engine to choke and sputter unless I'm super-gentle with it until it reaches operating temperature. I wish there was a way to change that behavior
- One of the brand new Shaftec axles was defective from the factory. Replaced with GKN, and now everything is fine. Front axles for this setup are difficult to find, but ID Parts recently started carrying them for a reasonable price.
Things I'd do different
- probably stick to a stage 2 cam rather than a stage 3
- stick with OEM valve springs rather than the high-lift variety. It took a bit of work to make sure the installed height was right, but turns out the 3-angle valve job gave me just enough extra height to make it perfect without having to grind down the seats
- no more ceramic coating on the back side of valves. It covers the seating surface, and I had to re-lap all my exhaust valves to get them to seal again
Mods for the future
Drivetrain-wise? Probably nothing. This 17+ year old car already has 280,000 miles on it. I built this setup to last another 280,000 miles. I may tweak other aspects of the chassis, but the engine and transmission are near perfect for my needs already. I *may* buy another FTL 01E and rebuild/upgrade it in case the existing one ever fails... I installed it "as is" and it probably already had 200,000+ km on it from its previous life in the UK. But so far it's been absolutely flawless. I bet the transmission cooler and extra fluid capacity have something to do with that. Maybe I'll get a WaveTrac limited slip differential for the rear end someday... first I'll see how EDL handles the torque from a built TDI in winter.