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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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