An actual vr6 TDI!

TDIMeister

Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
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Canada
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Cool find! It's a research ("Versuch") engine sitting in the VW Museum in Wolfsburg (not the Autostadt, but the one preceding it that still, I believe, exists separately). I visited there 20 years ago and but didn't see it then.

Lots of discussions on the subject here going back a long time, below are some links for a trip down memory lane. I'm sure it will arouse a lot more renewed discussion.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=1402654#post1402654
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=2851065#post2851065
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=3658780#post3658780
 

greengeeker

Vendor
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Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
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2002 Jetta GLS
Hey Dave! Yes, I've seen many threads over the years of people speculating how this could be done. I ran across a FB post where someone stumbled into a "back room" at the museum and found some gems (this being the only TDI).
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
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maine
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2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Is it direct injected? Either way, I'd love to hear it running at full song.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
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... None :S
Does that sheet say it's making 125kw / 167 HP? That seems quite good for an IDI motor! Even the later Mercedes 3.0 24v 6 cylinder motors were 177 hp factory.

I wonder if it had a turbo?

-J
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
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Location
maine
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2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
It would never make 170 hp from 2.4L without a turbo. Well, I suppose a supercharger could, but VW never made much use of those on diesels.
 
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TDIMeister

Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
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Translation of the German text:

Auf Basis des in der Entwicklung befindlichen VR6 würde bereits früh eine Diesel-Version erprobt. Der aufgeladene Zweiventilmotor mit 2,4 Liter Hubraum, siebenfach gelagerter Kurbelwelle und Verteilereinspritzpumpe entstand erst nach Wirbelkammerverfahren (noch keine Direkteinspritzung). Der hier ausgestellete Motor war indes nie in ein Fahrzeug eingebaut. Er diente lediglich als "Prüfstandaggregat".

Anfang der 90er-Jahre wurden ähnliche Motoren mit 2,8 Liter Hubraum in TDI-Konfiguration versuchsweise in den Golf und den Bus T4 installiert. Für den Einsatz im Passat 6 vorgesehen, aber dann verworfen war ein 3.0 Liter-VR6 TDI mit ca. 230 PS un 650 Nm.
On the basis of the development of the VR6, a Diesel version was tested early on. The turbocharged two-valve engine with a displacement of 2.4 liters, seven main bearing crankshaft and a distributor injection pump came to being at first with a swirl chamber process (no direct injection yet). The engine exhibited here, however, was never installed in a vehicle. It served only as a "test bench unit".

In the early 1990s, similar 2.8-liter engines in TDI configuration were installed in the Golf and T4 buses for research purposes. Intended for use in the Passat 6 but then rejected was a 3.0 liter VR6 TDI with about 230 hp and 650 Nm.
 

adamss24

Veteran Member
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Nov 2, 2005
Location
Great Britain
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audi a4 2.5 tdi 98 quatrro 6speed
I have seen the other day a weird little engine on a vw polo, 1.4 l IDI with the injector pump fitted on the gearbox side as per the t4 2.5 tdi...Never seen one before, i have pictures but i don't use a hosting site...it ran great, a bit clackety-clack but nice and stable ! The old boy that has it is also driving from time to time an very tidy old audi 80 with the 1.6 Td engine and also a t3 van with a nice 1.9Td in it ! I offered to buy the audi but he wouldn't budge...
 

TDIMeister

Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
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Still waiting for the first post here proposing a project to build a Diesel VR6. :D
 

mrchill

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There are endless posts on building a vr6 project...just all prior to these pix which are only very recently posted.
 

1.4TDI PD

Well-known member
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Jul 12, 2017
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slovenia
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2.5TDI V6, 3.3TDI V8,3.0TDI V6,1.9TDI PD100
I have seen the other day a weird little engine on a vw polo, 1.4 l IDI with the injector pump fitted on the gearbox side as per the t4 2.5 tdi...Never seen one before, i have pictures but i don't use a hosting site...it ran great, a bit clackety-clack but nice and stable ! The old boy that has it is also driving from time to time an very tidy old audi 80 with the 1.6 Td engine and also a t3 van with a nice 1.9Td in it ! I offered to buy the audi but he wouldn't budge...
Yeah one guy i know has an audi 80 1.6TD with a power steering and an automatic airconditioning. I joked the other day that his airconditioning has more electronics then the engine.:) I kinda like the sound of old diesel engines.
 

TDIMeister

Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
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There are endless posts on building a vr6 project...just all prior to these pix which are only very recently posted.
Chill, CHill! :D I know that, I should have been more clear to state that someone would propose such a project in this thread! The last posts of this sort seem to be at least 5 years old! :)

With how far we've come along in the aftermarket, it's no longer a major barrier to have a set of custom pistons and high pressure fuel rails made. We can even have a small run of custom cylinder heads reverse engineered and cast! Common rail injection with a stand-alone ECU and one of many CP3 HPFP options would seem to be the way to go.

Or it might be cheaper and easier just to ask the VW Museum to sell its test mule above for the sake of science! :)
 
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[486]

Top Post Dawg
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Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
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02 golf ALH
Chill, CHill! :D I know that, I should have been more clear to state that someone would propose such a project in this thread! The last posts of this sort seem to be at least 5 years old! :)

With how far we've come along in the aftermarket, it's no longer a major barrier to have a set of custom pistons and high pressure fuel rails made. We can even have a small run of custom cylinder heads reverse engineered and cast! Common rail injection with a stand-alone ECU and one of many CP3 HPFP options would seem to be the way to go.

Or it might be cheaper and easier just to ask the VW Museum to sell its test mule above for the sake of science! :)
just stuff the injectors in the plug holes, head's already flat on a VR iirc

pistons'd be a bit heavy, with all the crown they'll need to make decent compression
 

greengeeker

Vendor
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Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
Chill, CHill! :D I know that, I should have been more clear to state that someone would propose such a project in this thread! The last posts of this sort seem to be at least 5 years old! :)

With how far we've come along in the aftermarket, it's no longer a major barrier to have a set of custom pistons and high pressure fuel rails made. We can even have a small run of custom cylinder heads reverse engineered and cast! Common rail injection with a stand-alone ECU and one of many CP3 HPFP options would seem to be the way to go.

Or it might be cheaper and easier just to ask the VW Museum to sell its test mule above for the sake of science! :)
I didn't look very closely but yes, the head is completely different from the gasser 12v vr6. Still cross flow but the ports look like they're stacked to make room for the injectors.

Also...just looked up the location of this museum (might have to stop by on my next supplier visit :))...Dieselstraße 35, 38446 Wolfsburg Germany. Best street name ever. :D
 
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