1.5D Suzuki Samurai BUILD thread

highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
Figured I would start a thread to document my Suzuki Samurai build project, and I hope to bring you lots of pics. At the moment (all plans subject to change) i plan on putting a naturally aspirated 1.5 liter VW diesel engine out of a late 70's rabbit into my 1987 Suzuki Samurai convertible. A 5" lift kit, mud terrains, custom bumpers and roof rack, rear locker, new interior, high performance clutch, and maybe a transmission rebuild are all in the works for this project. All of that of course after the body is patched up and painted and the diesel motor is in. I plan on making biodiesel to run in this vehicle and that is one of the main purposes for this build.

As it goes now i have the motor tore down and am in the process of rebuilding it. I had hoped to swap a 1.6 liter motor, but the one that i purchased has cracks in the head between the valves. So i will try the 1.5. I got both motors for $50 total, from a friend of my dad. The Samurai convertible i got for my birthday last year from my parents.

The samurai as it sits.


Some rust issues.




Interior, i do not have a top for it yet


I recieved my acme adapters kit a few days ago. Shipped very quickly. This kit includes the transmision adapter, modified flywheel and pilot bearing, motor mounts, alternator mount for the samurai alternator, and instructions to do the swap including wiring the glow plug relay. From what i have heard they have very good customer service and stand by their work.


Today i started cleaning the block best i could, and ran a hone down the cylinders. The cylinders still are not as nice as i would like and the block needs more cleaning. I still need to order the re-ring kit and get a head gasket and timing belt for complete rebuilding.







If anyone has any advice on rebuilding these engines let me know, this is my first complete rebuild of an engine with multiple cylinders.
 
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compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
If you find a source for oversize pistons let us know. I have a friend with a 1.5 that he's rebuilding, but he simply can't find pistons.

-Jason
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
I spotted this little turbodiesel (probably a VW) a few weeks ago in AZ:

 

highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
compu_85 said:
If you find a source for oversize pistons let us know. I have a friend with a 1.5 that he's rebuilding, but he simply can't find pistons.

-Jason
I have not been able to find oversized pistons either, so i am going to try and clean up my cylinders and hope that i can get away with factory sized replacements.
This is the kit that i am thinking about.

http://www.performance-auto-parts.com/engine-rebuild-kits/engine-rebuild-kits-volkswagon.php

i am still searching though and i want to see how well my cylinders come out before i order a kit.
 
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highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
owr084 said:
Try sending Franko6 some pictures of your 1.6 head. I'm sure he has rebuilt worse. The man can work wonders ;)


Yeah i have heard of people welding them back up and getting some miles on them, i just want a clean motor. The 1.5 had less than 80,000 miles on it when it was pulled from a car and sat under a tarp for a couple years.


TdiRacing said:
I think you would be happier with a turbo as well.;)
I'm not going to lie i am a little worried about the power output of the 1.5 in a lifted samurai. But at the same time i am excited to see the fuel economy.

dieseldorf said:
I spotted this little turbodiesel (probably a VW) a few weeks ago in AZ:

Nice ZUK!
 

highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
Didn't get much done today, tried honing the cylinders again, but its taking a really long time because the stones i'm using are not very abrasive. I did organize all the parts from both the motors that i had torn down so that i have a neat area to clean parts and reassemble engine.

 
Joined
Apr 3, 2008
Location
The Promised Land
TDI
93 2.5 Tdi (AAT)
just a quick link for ya ! loads of Samurai (SJs over here ) being run around my valley.
Loads of info for suspension mods / rear disc brake (using suzuki stuff ) / rocklobster transfer cases ( using 'mixed' internals for mega low box) etc etc .

http://forum.difflock.com/

click on Suzuki banner (obviously!:D ) but also 'custom builds' . lots of ideas/pics/info etc .

Give me a shout if you struggle to understand the terminology/english :D
 

Scott_DeWitt

Vendor
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Location
Texas USA
TDI
2000 Audi A4 1.9TDI quattro
compu_85 said:
If you find a source for oversize pistons let us know. I have a friend with a 1.5 that he's rebuilding, but he simply can't find pistons.

-Jason
I question the use of the 1.5 in anything. I still have a few brand new 1.5 blocks removed from 70 era rabbits that threw rods as the customer was driving off the lot.

As plentiful as the 1.6 diesels are it would be more reliable to use a 1.6, or use 1.6 internals in the 1.5 blocks.
 

highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
I have a 1.6 all torn down. Can i use the internals, such as crank, rods and pistons in the 1.5 block with the 1.5 head and injector pump? I noticed that the 1.5 and 1.6 have the same bore, where does the extra displacement come in? Pistons? Rods? I was also wondering about swapping oil pumps and water pumps. I am guessing that they would have to have a higher volume.

If i can use the 1.6 parts, that means i can order oversized pistons for the 1.6 and have my block professionally bored and fitted for the pistons which would be super cool.
 
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Scott_DeWitt

Vendor
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Location
Texas USA
TDI
2000 Audi A4 1.9TDI quattro
The 1.5 suffered from wrist pin failures and rod/rod journal failures from what I remember.

The 1.6 is a 1.5 with a different crank ( longer stroke, larger rod journal) stronger connection rods and pistons with larger wrist pins.

I believe that the 1.6 internals will fit into a 1.5 block, but can't remember as it's been 20 years since I've messed with any of that stuff.
 

TurbinePower

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Location
Upstate SC
TDI
None
Scott_DeWitt said:
The 1.5 suffered from wrist pin failures and rod/rod journal failures from what I remember.

The 1.6 is a 1.5 with a different crank ( longer stroke, larger rod journal) stronger connection rods and pistons with larger wrist pins.

I believe that the 1.6 internals will fit into a 1.5 block, but can't remember as it's been 20 years since I've messed with any of that stuff.
Unless the 1.6 rods are shorter than the 1.5 rods, I would go out on a limb and say no, you can't put 1.6 internals in a 1.5 block and head assembly.

Despite being the same bore, 1.5 and 1.6 pistons are not interchangeable, and apparently the 1.6 pistons are slightly thicker and have a slightly taller crown height. Combined with the longer stroke, the piston probably rests much higher than a 1.5 piston at TDC.
 

TurbinePower

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Location
Upstate SC
TDI
None
highflyin250x said:
I have a 1.6 all torn down. Can i use the internals, such as crank, rods and pistons in the 1.5 block with the 1.5 head and injector pump? I noticed that the 1.5 and 1.6 have the same bore, where does the extra displacement come in? Pistons? Rods? I was also wondering about swapping oil pumps and water pumps. I am guessing that they would have to have a higher volume.

If i can use the 1.6 parts, that means i can order oversized pistons for the 1.6 and have my block professionally bored and fitted for the pistons which would be super cool.
The oil pump from a 1.6 fits on a 1.5 and is larger. The waterpumps are identical for early engines, then the move to 30mm hub water pumps occurred at some point during the 1.6 production years. The 30mm pumps don't seem to have any advantage in flow or size; I put one in a 40mm hub pump housing and have had no problems with it.
 

highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
I'm going to try and mess around with it soon. I remember standing a complete piston rod assembly from a 1.6 and 1.5 next to each other and not seeing a length difference, but i also wasn't really looking. I will check it out, but it makes sense that it wouldn't fit.
 

TurbinePower

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Location
Upstate SC
TDI
None
highflyin250x said:
I'm going to try and mess around with it soon. I remember standing a complete piston rod assembly from a 1.6 and 1.5 next to each other and not seeing a length difference, but i also wasn't really looking. I will check it out, but it makes sense that it wouldn't fit.
It's only going to be a couple millimeters at most. Not exactly something you can spot on a wink.
 

06SpiceRedTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2006
Location
Longview, WA
TDI
2006 Spice Red TDI Jetta, 2006.5 DSG Platinum Gray TDI
I have had very bad luck with the 1.5 d, These motors are prone to Headgasket leaks due the use of non TTY head bolts, cracked blocks as a result of boring the block OS (This caused me to have to scrap a NOS VW factory rebuilt motor with only 10k miles on it), and also have issues with the oil return from the top of the head, both of these issues were solved in about mid '81 or '82 I believe, I have heard of people using the TTY Gasoline head bolts for the 1.5 and there is an official VW fix for the Oil return issues. I think you would have much better luck with the 1.6 block if it has the 12mm TTY headbolts in the long run. BTW the cracks between the valves are normal occurance on the 1.6 and I was told the only thing you really need to worry about is how true the head is.

You can find all the answers to your questions about the 1.5D at http://www.vwdiesel.net/phpBB/
 
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Scott_DeWitt

Vendor
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Location
Texas USA
TDI
2000 Audi A4 1.9TDI quattro
From what I recall, the early 1.6 diesels had 11mm head bolts. The 12mm bolts didn't come about until 83 with the 1.6td. I think in 85 all 1.6's had the 12mm TTY bolts.

Your right and I forgot to mention that the 1.5 had 10mm head bolts. Overall the 1.5 was a POS.
 

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
I wouldn't worry too much about the 1.5L. The stock Zuk engine only has 62 hp and 79ft-lb torque, so it's no power house. Still, mine has enough grunt to move it effectively, it's just lacking on the road.

Mine was a little rougher than yours when I started, and it turned out well. I scrapped the rusted out rockers (or lack thereof) with a metal blade on a Skil saw and replaced it with some 3"x4" square tubing. I welded the ends closed and added some fittings, and now they're my air tanks.

Mine is on 32x9.5 Swampers, 5" SR lift, 2" body, 3" cutout fenders, GRS-1 (4.2:1 low range), rear locker, Ramsey 8K, snorkle, Pony carb, Jeep alt & exhaust, Raider gauges, lawn edging flares, wheeled hard & put away wet.



 

06SpiceRedTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2006
Location
Longview, WA
TDI
2006 Spice Red TDI Jetta, 2006.5 DSG Platinum Gray TDI
Scott_DeWitt said:
From what I recall, the early 1.6 diesels had 11mm head bolts. The 12mm bolts didn't come about until 83 with the 1.6td. I think in 85 all 1.6's had the 12mm TTY bolts.

Your right and I forgot to mention that the 1.5 had 10mm head bolts. Overall the 1.5 was a POS.
Cylinder Head Bolt; 11x98mm
For models with production date through 4/1981. 10 per car. Also need 056103377 washer.



after 4/1981 uses the 12mm head bolts. Easiest way to tell is pull the valve cover the 11mm bolts have a 6pt hex head and the 12mm TTY bolts have a 12pt. All of the 1.5D's used the 11mm head bolts.
 
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highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
Thanks for all the info. Both my 1.6 and 1.5 have 11mm head bolts. I am not sure what to do because i want to use this samurai to get me back and forth to school (200 Miles) on biodiesel. So i kind of want a 1.6 for the power and reliability, but i was hoping to get a motor together cheap. I am always looking for motors for sale locally, but at this point i think i may still try rebuilding this 1.5.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
I have seen the 1.5 "guts" put into a 1.6 block. Everything works. The height of the pistons above the top of the block has to be measured to determine the correct thickness choice for the head gasket.

The 1.5 engine is far smoother running than the 1.6. My first VW Diesel was a 1980 model Rabbit. The 1.5 was very smooth.

However, this is my advice based on personal experience.

In 1990 after 290k miles and a lot of rust, I junked the Rabbit. Then, in 1995, I decided to "rebuild" the 1.5 engine to install in my 1981 Jetta using the Rabbit tranny.... gearing issue if you use the 1.5 engine with 1.6 trannys. Typically, the 1.5 come with a 4-speed that was geared much lower than the trannys that come in the 1.6 (some 4-speeds and some 5-speeds)

Anyway, as I learned, the 1.5 block is weak. The head bolt holes on the flywheel end of the block are notorious to crack (split).

The splitting happened to me. I had had the engine bored 0.020 thousanths oversided........... brand new pistons! Complete head job rebuild too. I only got about 2700 miles when the head bolt hole split out.... blown head gasket resulted immediately. Later, I learned that this issue with a high milage 1.5 block was typical. Also, I was well aware of the required torque procedures for the head bolts... followed everything as required.

I knew the block, it never had been over heated. I used new head bolts, cleaned the bolt holes, etc.... did it all right.

So, I do have the 1.5 pistons ... 0.020 oversized, with rods! Of course, when I disassembled the engine, I removed the rings. However, I believe I have a set of new rings somewhere in my "parts collection."

Hope this advice is helpful.
 

highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
This information is helpful. However, i want to try the opposite. 1.6 internals in a 1.5 block. I placed the crank and a couple rod and piston assemblies in the 1.5 block and just snugged it up. I saw that the pistons were above the top of the block a good amount (didn't measure, but most likely more than a head gasket could compensate.

I found another N/A 1.6 in a golf at a local junkyard for $400. I may go try and see if i can get it running. Also take the head off and make sure it's not cracked like my other. Looks like it has 230k on it :(, so we will see.

My summer class is now over so i will have more time to work on this thing. I want to start on the body while i figure out what to so with the engine situation.
 

highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
So i started cleaning the body yesterday by giving it a heated pressure washing. The little 1.3 gasser wouldn't start for me after sitting outside this winter. I don't know what's wrong with it and do not feel like putting any time into getting it running... moving it around to work on it shouldn't be an issue.


Didn't get to much done. Just started taking stuff like seats, hood, and dash out. I bent the tip of a screw driver trying to get the doors off. Alot of Philips head bolts holding this little zuk together.



I am also seeing a lot more rust then initially. This is really going to put my welding skills to the test.
 
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highflyin250x

Active member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Location
pa
TDI
samurai 1.6 n/a
I really wanted to get the body off today, but while i was double checking to make sure everything was detached it started pouring rain.

 
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