Anyone done a Eurovan TDI Conversion?

goodies

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Dec 14, 2009
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Long Beach, CA
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I'm buying my neighbor's 1993 Eurovan for a song. It's in great shape with the original 2.5L 5 cyl motor and 140,000 miles. It should last a while longer but it gets horrible fuel economy (17-20 mpg) so I'm naturally considering a TDI. I've heard the 5 cyl diesels & TDI's drop right in, the TDI needing a new ECU. I'm wondering if the 1.9L 4 cyl will work. I looked around on-line without luck. Anyone done this or familiar with any other TDI swap-in with the Eurovan?:confused:
 

Scott_DeWitt

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Texas USA
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2000 Audi A4 1.9TDI quattro
goodies said:
I'm buying my neighbor's 1993 Eurovan for a song. It's in great shape with the original 2.5L 5 cyl motor and 140,000 miles. It should last a while longer but it gets horrible fuel economy (17-20 mpg) so I'm naturally considering a TDI. I've heard the 5 cyl diesels & TDI's drop right in, the TDI needing a new ECU. I'm wondering if the 1.9L 4 cyl will work. I looked around on-line without luck. Anyone done this or familiar with any other TDI swap-in with the Eurovan?:confused:
The Type IV came with both 4 cylinder and 5 cylinder engines. The 5 pots are nice but very pricey as a conversion. If you opt for the 5 pot get a 151HP 2.5.
 

k_harley

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Oct 26, 2006
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Lowell, MA
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2006 Jetta TDI, 2005 Audi S4, 1997 Audi A4 Race car, 2004 Passat TDI 6MT 4motion
I thought about it for a while and yes, the 5 cyl tdi is a good option, but good luck finding one. There is one fellow on here who has one be might give up.

There was one guy who put an aaz in a 93 t4 on ebay a few months back. Must have been slow as #&$^!

I thought about using an AHU or 1Z, you just need a couple of mounting parts from europe to make it work, not sure about wiring though. IC would need to be custom or from europe. Not sure about transmission, looks like the stock 5 cyl one would work from a parts diagram, but this is just an educated guess.
 

mogly

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MKIV TDI + B5.5V AVF/01E
Scott_DeWitt said:
The Type IV came with both 4 cylinder and 5 cylinder engines. The 5 pots are nice but very pricey as a conversion. If you opt for the 5 pot get a 151HP 2.5.
It's a T4. Type IVs were air cooled! :D

There were three different power levels offered in the 2.5L. 88, 102 and 150 HP IIRC. They came in both auto and standard. The 150 HP version only came in the long nose version of the T4/Eurovan ('97 + for us here in NA) due to the large FMIC. There's only floating around here in Ontario with a mechanical pump put on and it's actually a Syncro. Got to drive it for a short while. Eurovans are great vehicles. Too bad VW never saw it fit to bring in TDIs here in them.
 

lupin..the..3rd

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USA
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Passat B4 1996
k_harley said:
I thought about using an AHU or 1Z, you just need a couple of mounting parts from europe to make it work, not sure about wiring though.
Wiring on AHU and 1Z is so simple you can just DIY your own harness.

intercooler is easy, pick any intercooler you like then add your own mandrel bent tubing. Any good exhaust shop should be able to bend up some custom tubing for you very inexpensively.
 

Pat Dolan

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Martensville, SK
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2003 A4 Variant, 2015 Q7
If you go four cylinder, I think the Mexican market has the right bits. Your gearbox should now have a bolt pattern that fits the 5 cyl, which would be a fairly easy bolt in and should use same mounts. However, if you do so, be sure to import EVERYTHING for the engine - flywheel, clutch, starter, ecu, pedal, etc. to accomodate the swap. It will drag out months and nickel and dime (make that hundred dollar and thousand dollar) you to death if you try to do it bit by bit. You might want to bring the gearbox as well, since the gasser final drive won't be right.

I have driven T4 tdis in Europe and Taiwan, and it is pretty much one of my favourite vehicles of all time.
 

rotarykid

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1997 Passat TDI White,99.5 Blue Jetta TDI
There's a guy in Charlotte NC that did a swap out of B4 into one of these about 5-6 years back . It took about a week to do the mechanical and electronics . About a month to get it working flawlessly . There' was a guy on theSamba that done several of these also .

That blocked is drilled to hold motor mounts in many different application use . If you have the skills & knowledge it's not that hard of a swap . The main issue is the gearing difference to many rpms . With gasser gearing the highway rpms will be just too high for sustained highway use at todays speeds , above 55-60 mph . If you can get a TDI / diesel lower rpm final drive geared trans the transplant can work .
 

caddywompus

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Nov 28, 2006
Location
Corvallis, Oregon
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2000 Eurovan 1.9 TDI AHU 5-spd syncro
I just bought my first Eurovan this past weekend (wife made me do it) and the next logical step for me is a TDI conversion. It seems to me that the 1Z/AHU 4-cyl engine platform is the ticket in terms of availability of parts here stateside, and from what I've learned through several Vanagon TDI conversions, that makes all the difference.

The crux of the 4-cyl eurovan conversion seems to be the passenger side engine bracket: that one is a different part from the 5-cyl engines that came in these and it is shaped like a big "L" and basically makes up the spatial difference over to the eng. sidewall since the 5th cylinder isn't there. All other eng/tranny mounts appear to be universal between the 4 and 5-cyl eng. families.

Here's a pic of this mount from ebay.uk where the 4-cyl T4 seems more common than anywhere else, including the fatherland where the 2.4l and 2.5l rules the land. I've been hunting high and lo for the part # for this mount and have struck out on all counts (US ETKA, VW dealer, and vagcat.com). If any one can come up with that it would be much appreciated and if anyone is in the UK and could dig some of these out of the wrecking yard, I'd be happy to send over some money.

thx,
justin
 

golfgtioz

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Joined
Dec 26, 2009
Location
carlisle , uk
TDI
VW T4
hi , ive just been doing and some digging and found this site

I've just started a 1.9tdi (1z) conversion on my own t4 ( or eurovan as you guy's call it ) so if you need any pointers dont hesitate to give me a shout

if your going from a 2.5 petrol to 1.9tdi there are many other bits you will require along with the engine mount .. not an easy conversion from petrol
 

caddywompus

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2000 Eurovan 1.9 TDI AHU 5-spd syncro
Thanks guys. Hey golfgtioz the link you meant to post never made. Great if you could re-post that.

So far in my research I've found that one of the tranny mounts is different as well, p/n: 02B409905K. From scutinizing the euro ETKA, I can only find two engine/tranny mounts that differ between the 4-cyl and 5-cyl eng platforms, and that's the main thing I'm concerned about intially.
 

golfgtioz

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VW T4
caddywompus said:
Thanks guys. Hey golfgtioz the link you meant to post never made. Great if you could re-post that.

So far in my research I've found that one of the tranny mounts is different as well, p/n: 02B409905K. From scutinizing the euro ETKA, I can only find two engine/tranny mounts that differ between the 4-cyl and 5-cyl eng platforms, and that's the main thing I'm concerned about intially.

the only different gearbox mount will be between the 2.5tdi's , almost all the t4's run a 02 type gearbox apart from the 2.5tdi 102bhp with runs a non vw gearbox hence the different mount .. the 2.5tdi 88 bhp gearbox will fit a four cylinder diesel

what you would need to fit a golf 1Z engine into a t4

1.9td sump and oil pick up pipe
1.9td or 1.9d dipstick and tube
1.9td inlet manifold ( you might be able to use there golf one )?
1.9td exhaust manifold and turbo
4 cylinder engine mount ( you will need to enlarge the holes on the block from m8 to m10 )
diesel gearbox ( 1.9td , 2.5tdi 88 bhp , 1.9d )
engine wiring loom from the golf ( = 3 sockets from the fuse box G1 G2 F )
clocks inc white looms
intercooler and pipe work ( i used a vw t5 intercooler and the golf ic pipes )
1.9td fuel pipes

plus many other bits n bobs , basically you need to be starting with a 1.9td then you have all the bits you need
 

caddywompus

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2000 Eurovan 1.9 TDI AHU 5-spd syncro
I got the chance to look at a T4 today up on the lift, and now I see what eng. brackets/mounts are 4-cyl specific more clearly. Here's what I can figure as far as 5-cyl vs. 4-cyl eng./trans. supports from ETKA/dead reckoning on the 2.5l gasser in the shop:

028199207E--4-cyl eng. passenger side bracket
701199201G--4-cyl eng. rubber mount for above bracket (ETKA lists a diff. p/n for the 5-cyl, but the pics look identical)

02B409905K--4-cyl eng. to trans. support for pass. side funky axle extendo thing on the 02B tranny where the axle bolts up to

golfgtioz you mention needing a diesel gearbox. Is this a gearing thing only, or do the 5-cyl 02B trans. not have the correct 4-cyl mounting holes in the bellhousing? From what I've read, all the trannys from this generation of T4s have both 4-cyl and 5-cyl eng. bolt hole patterns in the 5-spd bellhousing.
 

caddywompus

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BTW, I checked with a reputable Mexico City based VW parts dealer from the samba (Antonio Trejo, partsvw at hotmail.com) and he says that the 4-cyl T4 was never sold in Mexico, and the parts are not available from the dealer. I have a friend from the Vanagon TDI conversion world who is traveling in Germany right now and he checked with the dealer there and they can get the parts but didn't have them in stock (sound familiar?).

Also, ecstuning.com based in Ohio lists these parts in their online database and if I can't find source them any other way I'll try to go that route.
 

golfgtioz

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carlisle , uk
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VW T4
if you want more info there is a forum I'm a member of over here in england .. theres lots of folk who have done or doing this conversion and we're always a helpful bunch

to view the technical articles you must first become a member ( £10.00 ) per year subscription but its will be worth every penny / cent in time and money saved

http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/index.php

engine section
 

therabbittree

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I too have been thinking of a TDI conversion I have two complete tdi setups to mess with MK4 and MK3.. I had a nice 2003 eurovan that a deer totalled I lamost bought it back from insurance to do a swap..but tehy wanted Big $ for the wrecked van. The trans mounting issue is good to know.. i thought maybe the trans belhousings could be swapped.? IE a T4 bell housing 02b swapped onto a car tdi trans o2a ..that and making sure all the other t4 stuff worked ie climate contol, cruise etc etc...
we loved the t4 but hated the vr6 and auto trans....argh...there was german 2.5L tdi t4 on ebay and craigs list this fall .. it was Goingfast.coms's it ended up being shipped back to german as the owner was returning to german for a while etc..he may bring it back etc ..nice van ..too many decals and high $. I love the sprinter vans but crazy $ for nice ones...a VW crafter nose on a '07 and up passenger sprinter would be awesome by they are too much $
Thanks
Deo
 

Tagazou

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Good friend of mine has his 1992 E-van 2.4D done with 1.9TDI AHU with VNT-17 and AHU complete harness.
 

X@V

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Good friend of mine has his 1992 E-van 2.4D done with 1.9TDI AHU with VNT-17 and AHU complete harness.
I would like to have some infos...

My friend has a '94 T4 2.4D and he wants to put a AHU inside. The 2.4D tranny is horrible (3200rpm @ 60mph) and we are looking for a 02A trans instead of the 02B. Would it be possible?
 

Agent V

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Ste-Madeleine, Quebec
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Eurovan
No... The bolt pattern is the same (there is a second set of holes on the bell housing of the 02B to accept a 4 cyl.) however, the 02B has been "reclock" so that the engine is at the good angle to fit in the Eurovan. The engine in the EVan is parrallel to the firewall (the angle is probably somewhere in the range of 25-30deg) , that is why you need the 02B. Everything inside the tranny is pretty much the same, but the Evan ring and pinion are way bigger and the ratio is totally different than a car.

Agent V
 

k_harley

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Lowell, MA
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2006 Jetta TDI, 2005 Audi S4, 1997 Audi A4 Race car, 2004 Passat TDI 6MT 4motion
I wonder if the VR6 02A would work, it appears to have the same forward tilt that the eurovans have. The gearing would also be pretty good. There would be a lot of complications though, with shift linkage, mounting, axles, etc.....but would be cheap and readily available.

Im looking into getting an 02B from a 2.5 TDI van from europe with taller gearing. That or just the 4.2 or 3.9 ring and pinion that came in them if I can muster up a part number somehow......
 

Agent V

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Ste-Madeleine, Quebec
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Eurovan
I believe that the VR6 02A is somewhere between the 4cyl and the EVan.

As for ring and pinion, I know these 2 possibilities on the Evan. 18/83 or 17/72. The first part number is 02B409143C, the second one is 02B409143H. What is very common here in North America on the 2.4D is the 18/83.

Agent V.
 

k_harley

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Lowell, MA
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2006 Jetta TDI, 2005 Audi S4, 1997 Audi A4 Race car, 2004 Passat TDI 6MT 4motion
Yes, I finally found the differential section on vagcat. I kept looking in the transmission section not seeing it, then realized the differential was with the axles, etc.....

It would be the 02B409143Hthat Id want to use. Vagcat estimates around $300 usd I think.

Whats your source?
 

k_harley

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Lowell, MA
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI, 2005 Audi S4, 1997 Audi A4 Race car, 2004 Passat TDI 6MT 4motion
Hey, get a group buy together Ill buy one and cut shipping in half!!!
 

Agent V

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Ste-Madeleine, Quebec
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I will check the price for a couple of them, and I am working in a better way to ship here. It might take a week or 2 to get the answers. I will get back to you as soon as I know more.

Agent V
 
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