The mk3 1.9L TD power-quest

[Greg Roles]

I agree with the businessman above, I always equate a turbo to a heat pump: more fuel = more heat = more spool.

Glad someone is tinkering on diesels, I'm having withdrawl anxiety ( but very busy on other projects all the same! )

[Jarred]

Can't wait to get fiddling with my TDI!

[thestu]

loving your build dude! some good work is going on

[gldgti]

Thanks for the comments guys.

The "more fuel = more energy = more expansion = more spool" equation is pretty logical, but preventing too much smoke on spool is the hard part. The way the pump delivers fuel seems to change depending on whether it is because of an increased accelerator setting, or alternatively a max fuel screw adjustment.

Like a lot of things to do with cars, tuning the VE pump is half science and half an art form, it seems.

[gldgti]

little update:

some long overdue maintenance is beginning on the diesel this weekend, starting with the infamous heater core!

While I have the dash apart I will be moving my stereo head unit out, and moving my oil pressure, exhaust gast temp and boost guages to the stereo hole with my fancy new mk3 guage cluster courtesy of Carformance!

Then, i have the following new parts to fit:

> 280mm front disks, ATE Premium One
> OEM rear disks
> VR6 heavy duty front strut mounts
> Provent 200 (also courtesy of Carformance)

I'll have to wait and see how the heater core job goes, its going to be massive and I don't think my chances of getting the brakes done this weekend are looking much good.

[gldgti]

got my provent installed, plus strut tops, front brakes and new headlights. next weekend I will attempt the dash.

[Greg Roles]

Pics dude! C'mon...

[Jarred]

did you ever get it dyno'd?

I'm hoping to get mine done april 9, at the melb dyno day.

[Preen59]

Nice!!

I can't wait to get back up your way and check out the new deal. Good stuff, dude.

[gldgti]

i did get it dyno'd jarred, theres a plot a few pages back. I will probably go to the sydney dyno day in a few weeks too.

Greg, I'll get some pics up this weekend I promise - I'm very happy with the provent install, even though I havent driven the car all week so I don't know if it catches anything yet. I'm sure it will though

[gldgti]

BAH!

Spent ALL DAY Saturday pulling the dash apart to get the heater matrix out (okay, so I was helping a mate replace control arm bushings in his e46 330ci aswell...). Its every bit as bad as everyone said it would be.

Today I pressure tested the old matrix and found that it didn't leak at all until about 16psi. Unfortunately, the new heater matrix that I got from GAP was not quite what I needed - a LHD matrix is actually different from a RHD one - the pipes are a bit longer and flange to the firewall is slightly different on our RHD mk3's. So, after a bit of thought, I folded back all the steel tabs holding the plastic end tank onto the new core, and swapped the old plastic tank onto the new core. After I'd finished I pressure tested the new assembly to over 30psi, so I'm happy that the end tank swap will be fine.

After a rather more relaxed day today putting everything back together (I also refurbished the little air deflector flaps inside the HVAC system after ofcourse all of the foam matting blew out of the vents over the past few years) I set to work re-installing my gauges with the new 42DD gauge holder.




my new duel chamber headlights


and my provent 200




I made a bracket for the provent straight off of one of the charge pipes, for lack of anywhere else really good to put it. For now I have a little clear PVC pipe with a tap in it coming off the drain so that I can see when its cought some oil and dimply drain it under the car.

One more weekend to do the rear brakes and giver her a tidy up and I'll be happy.

[Preen59]

Nice work, dude!!

[gldgti]

did well on the dyno today, 88 odd kw at the wheels. the car made 80 on the first run, and about 86 on the second (foot further into the carpet i reckon) - the nice man operating the dyno and my car offered that it "NEEDS MORE FUEL!" so with a screwdriver and spanner i turned the fuel screw in 1/4 turn and she made 88kw - i'm quite happy with that.

I can hear the turbo surging below 3k now so i'm a little concerned that its at a kind of tipping point. I think a better manifold would help flow mroe air at low engine speeds and improve the turbo situation, cos i dont like it surging like that.

anyway, pretty good number from the old girl. made about 230nm, which is 40 up from the last time on the dyno

[Preen59]

Well done dude. I'm impressed!!

[Jarred]

good work!

My relatively standard TDI (not mechanical, basically all standard) made 75fwkw's. I'm looking forward to upping that in the future though...