.:R32 to .:R-TDI Build Thread

Thesteve151

Member
Joined
May 25, 2014
Location
Tyler tx
TDI
2000 jetta 1.9l ALH
Hey any word on if this car is still out there?
I have ran across this one a few times and this seems to be the only one that has done the swap.
I have been pondering the thought of doing this myself one day. Especially now that my Jetta alh tdi 6 speed has a little body damage on the rear quarter panel.
 

mazzystr

Active member
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Location
Holly Springs, NC
TDI
2004 Golf GLS Tdi (BEW)
BTW - you can process your own biodiesel from veggie oil and pour it directly into your tank for a petro-free ride with no mods, no heaters and no engine issues. Check it out:
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_processor.html
You CAN be a fast badass and "hug trees" at the same time - no slow lane for us.....
I spoke with KermaTdi about running bio in a 150-200hp BEW tdi. He said don't due to abnormal wear and tear on the engine guts.

Any insight on that?
 

Eletrik

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Location
Grand Isle
TDI
2001 Jetta
I spoke with KermaTdi about running bio in a 150-200hp BEW tdi. He said don't due to abnormal wear and tear on the engine guts.
Any insight on that?
Hi - yes. He appears to be confusing bio diesel with veggie oil effects. Bio diesel when made according to standards has no ill effect on engine internals. It wont hurt injectors or pumps. It wont gum up, create waxy buildup, or any of the other bad side effects straight veg oil has. This is because the refining process removes all the damaging components of the fuel out via chemical bonding and separation. This is why you see municipalities running bio in their fleets and not grease. Grease (veg oil) will ruin internals such as turbo's and injectors over time.
 

oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
Hi - yes. He appears to be confusing bio diesel with veggie oil effects. Bio diesel when made according to standards has no ill effect on engine internals. It wont hurt injectors or pumps. It wont gum up, create waxy buildup, or any of the other bad side effects straight veg oil has. This is because the refining process removes all the damaging components of the fuel out via chemical bonding and separation. This is why you see municipalities running bio in their fleets and not grease. Grease (veg oil) will ruin internals such as turbo's and injectors over time.
Keep believing that dream. Anyone who regularly works on these cars, injection pumps, and injectors knows the truth.... Seldom does biodiesel, even commercially made, measure up to the dream.

Heck, even petrodiesel can be 5hit in this country.
 

Eletrik

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Location
Grand Isle
TDI
2001 Jetta
I am one of those people who works on these cars. So I know. I'm there. The only complaint I have about bio diesel is the reduced combustibility. There is a reduction in power and mileage due to the reduction in volatility. Given we are talking about properly processed bio diesel (meets standards, properly filtered/separated etc.), the claims about damage to injection system and engine internals is completely false. Those are unsubstantiated rumors and opinions with no factual basis. All engines eventually wear out. But because of the stigma against alternative fuels, when an engine running on biodeisel fails, many like to blame the fuel when in reality it can be attributed to typical and predictable failure also seen on conventionally fueled engines. I have seen failure due to improperly processed fuel. But that is not a problem with the technology, that is a process and compliance problem. That is a people problem, not a product problem. The technology itself lives up to the claims. So according to the skeptics flawed logic, petroleum fueled engines are also prone to failure because of the fuel they run. This logic is also flawed - of course. The reality is, all engines are susceptible to failure no matter what the fuel used. It happens when you have reciprocating weights flinging around a pressurized metal case at thousands of RPM's. Failure is inevitable. Bio diesel engines are no more prone to failure than conventional fueled engines. In fact, they are LESS prone thanks to lower combustibility. Which manifests as lower operating temperatures and pressures = less wear and tear. Other benefits are lower cost, and sustainability. It's essentially carbon neutral. So I know it's no dream. It's reality and it works. Your negative view on bio diesel has no actual merit as you have presented it. Unless you can present actual scientific data to support your claim, no one has any viable reason to align themselves with your viewpoint on the matter other than personal opinion/bias or emotional disposition - none of which will stand up to proper scrutiny.
 
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oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
And why do all the fuel injection shops disagree with you? Seems like they would encourage bio use if it was so magical. Ask drivbiwire. Call diesel fuel injection service.
 

Eletrik

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Location
Grand Isle
TDI
2001 Jetta
And why do all the fuel injection shops disagree with you? Seems like they would encourage bio use if it was so magical. Ask drivbiwire. Call diesel fuel injection service.
1. I have never, ever in my career heard anyone refer to bio diesel as "magical". That is an emotionally based, derogatory statement with no supporting argument. What is so "magical" about processing veggie oil into bio diesel? What is so mysterious or magical about burning something that is combustible as a fuel? On what basis do you make this "magical" claim? In fact, I would counter and say it is hardly magical at all! It's a complicated process to make requiring knowledge of chemistry and math, and the end result is - as I mentioned before - slightly less power and efficiency compared to the stuff we pump out of the ground. So....... where is this "magic"????

2. Again, I fear you are confusing veggie oil with biodiesel. Veggie oil does wreck havoc on injector systems, as I mentioned before. Where is the evidence that biodiesel does this same thing? You reference "ALL" the fuel injection shops as disagreeing with me. That is presumptuous. A simple google search proves you wrong. There are plenty of valid credentialed supporters of biodiesel out there, including gov't and state agencies.

3. Bio diesel is not readily available - yet. Not because it does not work, but mostly because of unsupported public perceptions such as yours. It's superstitious stigma that the industry has a hard time shaking. This is why we see mostly blends of biodiesel at the pumps and not the straight pure thing. This is completely due to lack of knowledge - as per your example of not fully understanding the difference between bio diesel and veggie oil. It's a common mistake, and because one is derived from the other I have some tolerance for it as this is an easy error to make. I would only suggest that
if you choose to be in opposition to biodiesel that you first fully understand what it is so that your objections have merit and are not purely errors by association.

"Is biodiesel good for my engine?
Yes, biodiesel can actually extend the life of your engine. Biodiesel has superior lubricating properties that reduce the wear of vital engine parts"
http://www.biodiesel.com/biodiesel/faq/

"Biodiesel promoters say it can do everything from ending our petroleum addiction to halting climate change. The words "ideal," "perfect" and "fantastic" are used frequently in discourse about the stuff.

Truth is that even with the puffery deflated there’s a lot to like about biodiesel.

....It's a better engine lubricant than the petroleum-based stuff, an advantage with the now-required ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel."
http://www.edmunds.com/autoobserver-archive/2008/01/biodiesel-the-good-and-the-bad.html

I could go on and on and on with this, including data - to underscore my point here. But you have a computer and you can google. So rather than take the word of some mom-and-pop diesel mechanics, or predisposed and biased sources, ask those who have actually done the research. The opinions of DFIS are based on their experiences with veg oil, not proper biodiesel. http://www.dieselfuelinjectionservice.com/

Be informed, not misinformed. There is nothing magical about biodiesel. It will not save the world, cure cancer, or provide a unifying theory of physics. People get carried away because they are excited that there is a renewable fuel that they can make in their backyard that is cheap and sustainable. It's worth getting excited about, but there is no magic here. Don't succumb to the hype.
 

cumminsfromthecold

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Location
HumCo
TDI
'84 Toyota 1Z 4WD x-cab
Re. bioDiesel in an R32 TDI swap

Off topic but I can't resist.

When I blow up the 3.2 VR6 and put a TDI in the R, I will do it with the intention of running bioDiesel. I'll have success, I reason, because after 10 years of running it in as high a blend as possible, I've figured out a few things. (Context: I sold biodiesel for 3 years commercially and I have worked on TDIs (not to the extent of either of you, by any means) for 10 years, with the help of oldpoopie and others here, I must add.)

I am sensitive to fuel flow restrictions. I drive more attentively than most and I notice this and know what's happening. When it gets cold and I have over B20 in the tank (I work to avoid this and watch weather and top off on D2 when conditions dictate), I usually detect the issue and change the fuel filter soon thereafter.

My biodiesel producer supplier (locally) filters the fuel to 2 microns and insists on stringent water separation and methanol recovery. These are key.

I have a PCV bypass/oil dropout set up on one and no EGR on the Toyota. This certainly helps with the intake manifold drama which eases wear and tear on the other interconnected systems.

I drive all three cars harder than most and they rev higher than most. Not stupid high or to redline often, but they breathe and cycle. I let the car cool down after driving workouts to prevent injector coking.

I've cleaned the fuel tank pickup on my (and others') cars. Bad D2 or bio, I don't know.

This is also significant - I don't let D2 sit in the tank (or IP) without bio mixed in. Even in minus 17F, there's 5% bio in the tank helping to reduce that IP seal shrinkage. Yes, bio swells seals, and yes, switching from B100 to B-zero is hard on the IP. Lots of people do this, again, being less particular than I am. Viton internals from DFIS may get me the 2nd 180,000 miles on the '99.5. Time will tell. I got 180,000 on the original IP conscientiously using seasonally, temperature appropriate bio blends. 276k on the '99.5 and running strong. Original turbo.

All this is to say that driving style and attentiveness matters as you and everyone on here knows.

It's important to remember that original (and now very dated) data on bioDiesel comes from a 12.7L 1991 Detroit Diesel C Series 60, four-stroke, turbocharged, inline six-cylinder. I'd love to see '03 TDI data.

There is a learning curve with bio, especially in cold climates. I wish there wasn't, but there is.

You both make valid points. I assert that the average Portlandian, putting in whatever bio blend, straight D2 at times, never exceeding 2500 rpm, primarily city driving, inattentive to cold, the car's performance, and regular maintenance, should not build an RTDI. :D

It is worth noting that bioDiesel blends higher than B20 are now illegal in CA, thanks to the Alternative Diesel Fuel legislation pushed through by big oil (Neste and others) and probably because of old emissions data.
http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/adf/20151222adffaq.pdf
and
http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2015/adf2015/adffinalregorder.pdf
The law includes language allowing what's called B20 to actually be B6-B20. Amazing. Bummer. :mad:

FWIW
 

Eletrik

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Location
Grand Isle
TDI
2001 Jetta
Thanks for the sharing of your experiences with bio diesel. The one thing that stands out to me is the fact that the data most people look at concerning bio diesel is pretty outdated. The stigmas formed are often based on old data. The process has been improved over time, and the materials newer vehicles use (o-rings, etc) are far better than they used to be 15 20 years ago. Problems we used to see on older vehicles are no longer prevalent with newer applications. You are also right about extreme cold conditions. I find a circulating coolant heater and special bio anti-gel additives are a must. With these additions, I find performance and reliability to be similar to regular petro diesel.
 

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
tor was

1.
"Is biodiesel good for my engine?
Yes, biodiesel can actually extend the life of your engine. Biodiesel has superior lubricating properties that reduce the wear of vital engine parts"
http://www.biodiesel.com/biodiesel/faq/
"Biodiesel promoters say it can do everything from ending our petroleum addiction to halting climate change. The words "ideal," "perfect" and "fantastic" are used frequently in discourse about the stuff.
Truth is that even with the puffery deflated there’s a lot to like about biodiesel.
....It's a better engine lubricant than the petroleum-based stuff, an advantage with the now-required ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel."
http://www.edmunds.com/autoobserver-archive/2008/01/biodiesel-the-good-and-the-bad.html
I could go on and on and on with this, including data - to underscore my point here. But you have a computer and you can google. So rather than take the word of some mom-and-pop diesel mechanics, or predisposed and biased sources, ask those who have actually done the research. The opinions of DFIS are based on their experiences with veg oil, not proper biodiesel. http://www.dieselfuelinjectionservice.com/
N = 1, but personal. I had run 5% bio here in Anchorage for about 80 k km [50k miles] and began having problems. By the time I got a VAG COM hooked up to see, the #1 injector was fully plugged closed. I cannot verify that the use of quality biodiesel [ I trust the source very much] did this, but my local guru was so flummoxed with the plugging that he could only recommend that I stop using the biodiesel. For information, the #4 injector was partially closed, but he was able to dissolve the plugging with the methods he uses [solvents and ultrasound] so it did not also need to be replaced. Again, n = 1, so t's just there for anyone to look at and conclude away. :D
 

Turb02

New member
Joined
Aug 31, 2021
Location
Minden nevada
TDI
Mk4 golf
Instrument Cluster

Instrument Cluster


In my wagon, I had a German FIS TDI instrument cluster (flashed to a UK firmware for MPH and MPG) as well as OEM MFD navigation. The FIS cluster is the one with the full-height digital display (much like and Audi cluster). If properly interfaced with the OEM navigation unit, navigation directions and radio information will show up in the instrument cluster. To interface them, it requires specific wiring as well as a “TMC” box. The TMC box is used in Europe for receiving traffic conditions and transmitting that information to the navigation unit. There is also a particular TMC box that doubles as a traffic info reader and a converter for the MFD navigation data to pass to the instrument cluster. It took many months of searching, but I ended up finding one a few years ago, and I really liked the setup in the wagon, so I figured I might as well transfer it to the R-TDI.

One issue I had with this is that I really like the way that R32 gauge faces look.



This is how my TDI FIS looks:



You might think that I could simply transfer the gauge faces from the R32 cluster and install them on the TDI FIS, but you would be incorrect. The R32 tachometer reads to 7500 RPM (TDI reads to 5500 RPM) and the speedometer reads to 180 MPH (the TDI one reads to 160). This would make the scaling incorrect and the cluster would be useless. Fortunately, I found a pretty good solution.

Some while back, I found an FS thread with B5.5 passat TDI gauge faces that came with a “.:RTDI” decal. The B5.5 Passat gauge faces actually look just like an R32. The only issue is that there are these circles around the fuel level and coolant temperature which fit into the Passat cluster housing, but will not look right in a MKIV cluster housing.



I ended up using the Passat tachometer face (with .:RTDI decal) as is. I then cut the portion of the R32 gauge face with coolant temperature and fuel level, cut this section from the Passat gauge faces, and super glued them together. It turned out great!



And here it is with the navigation interfaced:



Many thanks to Brian, he’s a guru of this OEM+ MKIV wiring!

How did you get ahold of the gauge cluster covers I would lobe to do something similar
 

3L3M3NT

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Location
Sturgeon Bay, WI
TDI
04 Jetta GLS TDI, 04 RTDI
How did you get ahold of the gauge cluster covers I would lobe to do something similar
Your best bet to get a custom cluster made is to reach out to Matt Litke on Facebook. Here's his business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ClustersbyLitke/

If you don't have Facebook, his email is: clustersbylitke@gmail.com

Another place that I considered having them custom make me new dial faces was: https://xtuners.com/

One other thing that you could add to your cluster to really set it off would be to add a ColorMFA in place of the factory FIS/MFA. http://colormfa.ru/en/

Good luck and hope you can get a custom set of dial faces made for your cluster.
 

3L3M3NT

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Location
Sturgeon Bay, WI
TDI
04 Jetta GLS TDI, 04 RTDI

danielhf

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Location
Seattle, WA
TDI
None anymore...
I believe that Danny sold the car about 3 or 4 years ago when he was moving to San Francisco or somewhere in California if my memory serves me right.
Let me see if I can find him for sale thread.
Found it after going through his most recent posts.
https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/fs-2004-r-tdi-—-4motion-pd150-tdi-in-r32.486988/
Well, not quite a year late to the party here. I had this car when I lived in the Bay Area, and successfully drove it right back to the Midwest and had it in Chicago for a while. It became a very hard car to own as a daily without a garage in Chicago, so I ended up selling it to a guy in NJ in 2017. This was definitely the best car I've ever owned and would love another big turbo AWD TDI in the future.

Since, I've moved around a bit more (Seattle, currently) and I've had a MK6 Golf R for few years. I definitely miss the TDI Club community and this fantastic board.
 
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