90 Corrado to 96 1Z TDI Swap

[DieselFan1984]

I'm following as I'm fixing to do this exact same thing as soon as I get all the parts and donor vehicle that I think I will need. Then start the tearing apart process.

 

[UFO]

I may just install the N18 valve, but not hook up the vacuum hoses and see if the code comes back.

For reference I found a tech writeup for the ALH N18 that states that the resistance should be between 14 and 20 ohms. 20 ohms being a warm engine. I did a quick search of resistors and a 15 ohm 10w resistor would be about perfect (P = V^2/R).

At 14V constantly, you will have 13W in that resistor. I would get one in an aluminum case rated for 25W and bolt it down. On the other hand, the N18 is not that active, so 10W should work ok.

 

[greasyrides]

Updates: I removed the fuel tank and did some mods to make it work better as a diesel tank. I had already expanded the fuel filler nozzle which is well covered elsewhere. I'm using a MKIII TDi fuel sender in the Corrado tank, so the retaining ring in the bottom of the tank had to go. A hacksaw blade and patience got it out without damaging the tank. I'll post pics after this weekend.

I grabbed some parts so I could work at home in my free time. I rust treated and painted my fuel tank straps and rear sway bar so the rear of the car can go back together this weekend. Also made my custom Boost Gauge pod and hybrid B4/A2 airbox (based off of GTiTDi's design). I think both turned out pretty decent.

I think one of my check engine codes was due to the MAF facing the wrong direction when I was using the cone air filter...I'll find out this weekend for sure.

 

[GTiTDi]

Nice work! I found that hotglue worked well to hold the airbox together, but I am sure epoxy will work too! It's all about the homemade pieces!

EDIT!!! DO NOT USE HOTGLUE....use a plastic welder...hot glue can become dislodged and cause FOD to the impeller blades if you aren't running a MAF....

 

[greasyrides]

Updates

I found some time to work on the car this weekend and cobbled together an exhaust and the intercooler piping. I'm real happy with the intercooler pipes, I only had to add 1 silicone reducer and 1 pipe to the existing Corrado setup...which is far less connections than the Passat ever had. I tried and tried to use the stock fan, but it just will not work. I got it to fit, but it would probably rub through the lower radiator hose, so I'm going with a slim electric fan instead.

Fuel Tank Pictures: Modified filler neck, retaining ring cut out of inside of tank, and Jetta TDI (A3) sender installed.

How it sits now. I took it for a short test drive and everything feels pretty good so far.

 

[G60ING]

I love my spal fan http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...t-part-two&p=46543018&viewfull=1#post46543018

here are some old pics of the Spal fan installed:

I had to have the lip trimmed off the fan shroud so the blades would not hit it. It looks very factory.

 

[myke_w]

I love my spal fan http://forums.vwvortex.com/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=46543018

Hi Frank, can you fix this link? I'm landing at an edit page for your thread.

 

[G60ING]

Hi Frank, can you fix this link? I'm landing at an edit page for your thread.

Fixed: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...t-part-two&p=46543018&viewfull=1#post46543018

 

[greasyrides]

I'm debating between two fans currently, since I can't find a definite CFM necessary to keep the 1z cool. I will have AC, and it gets pretty hot here in the summer time.

The Derale is a two speed fan, but has a high current draw. Swept blades are good for noise too.

The Mishimoto has a low current draw and probably will be plenty on all but the hottest of days when sitting in traffic with AC blasting. It is also 1/2 the cost of the Derale.

Any advice/experience on the CFM requirement for a tdi with AC? I know that's a bit of a vague question, but I'd rather not grossly oversize the fan.


First choice Derale two speed fan: http://www.etrailer.com/Radiator-Fans/Derale/D18212.html


Specs:

• Overall dimensions: 12-3/4" wide x 12-3/4" tall x 2-5/8" deep
• Mounting dimensions: 8-1/4" wide x 11-5/8" tall
• Maximum cubic feet per minute:
  • 1,450 at high speed
  • 1,000 at low speed
• Power draw:
  • 21 amps at high speed
  • 15 amps at low speed

It may be overkill though, and seems to draw a lot of power.

Second choice Mishimoto 12" fan: http://www.amazon.com/Mishimoto-MMFAN-12-12V-Electric-Fan/dp/B00368OVC6

CFM: 933.5, Fan Diameter: 280mm, Fan RPM: 2095, Number of Blades :10, Current: ~8A, Volts: 12.25V, Amps: 5.7

 

[Houpty GT]

I don't even have a fan on my Corrado for the last 15 months. It stays cool with very little motion. I turn the AC off in the city also. I have some slim fans that I plan to put back on since the AC can pop if it is left running in park and the motor will overheat if you park it for 15 minutes. I did not even think it would run hot but I found that out when I was changing 3 tires on my friends G60 Corrado with 2 flats (had to put 14" rims on the rear). The point is that not much is required of the fans.

 

[greasyrides]

Thanks Houpty, I'm thinking I'm just gonna go with a single speed fan and mod my stock shroud like Frank did. Although the 2 speed fan is nice, the current draw is pretty high and I could put that money elsewhere in the car.
I did notice that the car doesn't climb past about 160 when idling, but that doesn't mean anything since my Golf will never heat up unless I drive it.

 

[G60ING]

My fan pulls more than enough CFM to keep the TDI cool. I have both the high speed and low speed fan wiring connected together to trigger the fan. I chose to use the corrado g60's fan&A/C wiring because its a simple relay circuit. The Corrado's radiator could probably be cut in half and still provide more than enough cooling. the TDI runs very cool. Building heat up is often its biggest issue.

 

[G60ING]

Oh and if you want to buy a quality fan then go here and find the specs you are looking for: http://www.spalusa.com/store/main.aspx

 

[greasyrides]

Updates and Questions

I've been swamped lately and have not had much time for the car, although the finish is in sight. I'll start with a few questions:

I'm getting an error code, P1161 which I believe is the Manifold Temperature G72 Sensor. The car stalled on a quick test drive when shifting from 1st to 2nd at low speed...I suspect this was the culprit but I guess it could be anything. It did restart right away which is good. Is there an easy way to test the G72 sensor? I had to lengthen the wiring going to the sensor so that will be my first thing to double check.

2nd question: What causes the low speed fan to kick on for the cooling system? Is it the temperature sensor on the radiator (Corrado) and if so, what is the temperature it should kick in? I wired the single speed fan to run at both low and high speed, but it only runs if I kick on the AC. I allowed the car to get up to 195F and the fan still does not kick on.

3rd question: I have a flashing coolant light. Could the flashing coolant light be caused by anything other than low coolant in the reservoir? The coolant level is at max, but I still get the flashing light all the time. I have a spare reservoir I can try in case the sensor is funked up.

And a few updates:
I installed a Derale fan on the stock shroud, thanks to Frank (G60ing) for inspiration. I went with the Derale due to cost, noise, and size. I was able to flatten the lip on the stock shroud and this fit quite nicely.

I flushed and installed all of the AC components. I have not had it vacuumed and filled, but everything got a thorough flush, then dried with compressed air, and I put in new O-rings and installed the new drier. Custom AC hose from condenser to compressor cost me $100 to have fabricated, but they did a great job.

Hope to get some helpers this weekend so I can install the hood and last few bits.

 

[G60ING]

The G60 Corrado radiator fan switch controls the fan speeds. I remember that I had to add back in the G60's Fan after-run switch and the relay under the dash. Take a look at the whole Fan switch circuit in the corrado's bentley.

Take a look at the wiring schematics for the fan switch and the coolant bottle. (sorry for unhelpful response on these but thats really the best answer in my opinion) Use a multimeter and test the circuit from one end of the wire to the other and make certain you have it wired correctly.

 

[Houpty GT]

I believe the light also comes on for overheating. I had to move a wire in the fuse block on my car to get the light to go out. I still have the Corrado body harness in my car so that may be what my problem was.
You can check the resistance of the coolant bottle to see if is good. You can also use a wire brush to clean the metal rods to get it to work again. Short out the connector to see if the light goes out and it will let you know if that is your problem.

 

[greasyrides]

I checked the wiring diagram and the fluid level sensor on the coolant bottle is the only thing that can activate the dash light. I tried my spare bottle and I still got the flashing light after about 30 seconds of running. Car never got hot, and I monitored temperature using scangauge. I'll try shorting the leads and see if that does it, if so I'll just order a new bottle.

I fixed the coolant fan issue, I had done a poor job soldering the leads together so the low speed fan power did not have a good contact. The G72 Intake temp sensor has not thrown a code after I cleaned it and the contacts.

I still have a big issue though: The car will start and idle just fine. When I go for a test drive, it will stall at low speeds when getting under load...like 2000rpm going up a slight hill. After it stalls, sometimes it restarts instantly, other times I've had to crank a few times and get the Relay 109 symptom of no glow-plug light. The Relay 109 is new. I'm not sure if the stalling is fuel related or due to an electric signal.

When I have time, I am going to check the Relay 109 to see if it gets hot, and clean the contacts. I also will replace the fuel filter, since currently I have the fuel thermostatic tee plugged and the fuel return line bypasses the filter. If that doesn't resolve it, I will check that the fuel cutoff solenoid is functioning properly. If need be I will run a jumper from the positive battery terminal to the fuel cutoff solenoid.

Last thought on the stalling: I never checked the timing after I did the timing belt. Could incorrect timing cause it to stall under slight load, consistently around 2000 to 2200 rpm? The car starts right away and doesn't smoke, so I feel the timing can't be that far out of spec. I'll try to get my hands on a VCDS to verify.

The pressure is on, as I need to move the car in less than a month to our new home. On the plus side, I will have an awesome garage at the new house as opposed to a 30 minute drive to my current garage. Very excited about having a proper work space at my home for once!

 

[G60ING]

Is the ECU getting the VSS signal?

 

[greasyrides]

Not sure. I'll verify this using the scangauge to see if I get a MPH reading. The speedometer works, and I recall doing something with the blue/white wire...I just don't recall what specifically and I only can find a "before" picture of my work.
If the ECU is not getting the VSS signal, would that cause the car to consistently stall at light load?
Thanks for the help and ideas.

 

[kbroen]

I'm just finding this thread, I'm also contemplating this route for a project . Although I am still in the research phase of what conversion to do. This is a great thread. How did the project end? The last post was quite awhile ago.

 

[greasyrides]

I wouldn't say the project "ended" officially, although I have not put much work in the car in the past year (even though I now have a garage and a lift). It is perfectly drivable, and I drive it on nice days. I still have a giant list of things to fix on the car, but priorities in life have shifted in the past year.

 

[Jayg]

I wouldn't say the project "ended" officially, although I have not put much work in the car in the past year (even though I now have a garage and a lift). It is perfectly drivable, and I drive it on nice days. I still have a giant list of things to fix on the car, but priorities in life have shifted in the past year.

Done is better than perfect. Enjoy driving it and get to all the little things eventually. Cheers!

 

[kbroen]

driveable is some level of completion. it may not be what your original plan would have called done, but I'd say its a pretty damn good goal to achieve considering what you've accomplished.

What kinds of things do you have left to do?

 

[greasyrides]

Most of the "issues" I'm still having with the car are either general Corrado gremlins or typical B4 tdi issues.
I currently limit driving to nice days since my wipers do not contact the windshield very well (Corrado issue). Also I badly need an alignment, but I've been putting this off since I know I need new control arms (one has a slight bend from the donor car). When I assembled the front end I did a "driveway alignment" so I'm sure my camber is off, and the steering wheel is not centered. There is never enough free time and money to do everything you want/need to do.

One day I hope to have most things sorted, and I'm sure then I will get the Mod bug and search for more power (turbo, injectors, tune, real exhaust, LSD).

 

[G60ING]

For the wipers dremal the stop points on the wiper arms.

 

[greasyrides]

Yeah, I have a spare set I was intending on doing this to. I probably need to put regular framed blades on also, the curved frame-less ones (Rain-X) just don't match the curvature of the windshield well.

 

[G60ING]

Its probably because they don't have a enough pressure because of the stop points on the wiper arms. Time will tell

 

[greasyrides]

Thought I would bump my old thread since I did some major updates to the car in the past 2 months.
I put on new control arms, ball joints, and sway bar end links...got the car aligned and it rides very nicely now.

I got a good deal on some bolt-on power upgrades thanks to this forum. It wasn't the route I intended on going, but for the $/power I couldn't turn it down.
I upgraded to a Kerma K03/K04 Hybrid, PP764's, and a Malone Stage 4 (custom) tune set to 21psi with 3 Bar MAP. The torque is great now, and it comes on very quickly. Top-end power could be better, but I wasn't expecting too much from this small turbo.

So a few updated pictures:
When we got our new house, for months I was dropping hints about getting a lift. Wife finally told me I HAD to get a lift when she came home to find me working under a car using junk wheels as jack stands. I got the MaxJax by Dannmar...sooo nice. If you have a low ceiling this is pretty much your only choice in a 2 post lift.

I had the "Joy" of replacing the thermostat on the car. Also had to get a new radiator neck, since mine crumbled.

Hybrid Turbo with new oil line and EGT probe in the best location I could drill.

Malone Chips and 3 bar Map

 

[kbroen]

Ride is looking very nice. Your car looks to be a job very well done. I'm envious, I'm still in the stages early enough that a swap is a glint in my eye, so even if I manage to talk the wife into it, I've a long road ahead.

 

[greasyrides]

Installed a 2nd flex pipe today and replaced all of the exhaust hangers. I paid an exhaust shop two weeks ago to fix a few things, but they did a terrible job and made the vibration in the car worse. Sometimes if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself. Anyhow, the car idles much better now that the exhaust isn't hitting the body in several places. Not perfect, but tolerable at idle and much smoother past 1200 rpm.
My welds are ugly, but they do the job.