Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 21:18:47 -0500
Reply-To: Karl Mullendore <tdiguru@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Karl Mullendore <tdiguru@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Subject: Re: Conversion? JETTA ENGINE?? Now Some TDi Comments (Shortened
Version)
Kind of feels weird to stumble onto this discussion. I agree, the
electronics aren't that complicated (at least on early TDI's) and I would
certainly do a conversion that way IF a customer asked. But Frank and other
anti-mTDI folks seem to misunderstand where I and others that prefer that
approach are 'coming from' - simplicity and ease or repair. The mTDI is
sometimes considered a 'fake' TDI: too many are unaware of the fact that VW
itself sold fully-mechanical versions in the LT trucks (albeit an MWM Brazil
engine) and in other non-automobile applications. My 1990 Iveco (Fiat) is a
mechanical direct0injection diesel. And there are tons of other vehicles
using mechanical TDI systems from the factory. The fact of the matter is
that these systems DO work, and work well. That VW didn't sell one for small
automobile use doesn't mean that an experienced pump builder couldn't zero
in on a proper pump setup for the smaller VW diesels, and in fact that is
what I and others have done, and done well. The main reason that I and
others prefer this route is one of simplicity and, ease of diagnostics and
repair should we be somewhere in the world without access to parts or time
to mess around diagnosing multiple failures. I do disagree with the premise
that all ailments of the TDI electronics are easy to diagnose using VAG-COM.
I've had two eTDI's at my business in the past year where VAG-COM was unable
to pinpoint the failure. It took old fashioned troubleshooting skills to
nail them and multiple days. You cannot get a much simpler fuel system than
the mTDI- a pump and a set of injectors. In addition, the MTDI system is
less picky about static timing adjustment and small inlet fuel air leaks.
These can wreak havoc on the eTDI controls. I have a small fleet of customer
mTDI vans out there - the latest ones as powerful and clean-running as the E
version. Many hours have been spent developing and testing this concept, and
to further offer proof to non-believers, I have recently purchased an engine
dyno that will be set up to test my pumps fully.
Now, once the new common-rail TDI's (what VW should have been building for
ten years!) are more common here and available as used engines, I might be
swayed into building one of those 'real' electronic TDI's into a Vanagon. Or
Audi. ;-)
Karl Mullendore
www.westyventures.com
>>
>>> Also, on my list of prejudices,
>I cannot understand the m-TDi
>>> approach.
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