Thread: T4 Tdi Conversion

Ok, so I was lucky enough to come across a real cheap accident damed 2002 model TDI T4 with 77,000kms on the clock.

The body was rooted, but the running gear etc is all good. After umming and aahing for a while as to finding a van for the conversion, the choice was made.

My work van is a 2L 4 cylinder 1993 build van, but is very straight and completely rust free. I ideally wanted a later van, so I didn`t have to swop dashes etc, but after looking at all the rusty and battered cheapies around, I am gonna do my one. It also has no power steer or A/C, so am gonna fit that from the donor car too. Phew.

Stage one of stripping the TDI was completed a couple of weeks ago, as I needed the space, so the shell had to go.

Here is the whole front subframes and engine and box of the TDI, on a trolley ready to go.






Stripped my van out pretty fast. Uuuh oh, we are in it now....





Withe beau the crazy American to help, anything is possible

Did the timing belt before we put it in. Safety first

Engine hanging in by a few bolts....



loverly power steer



AC Unit, Booster, MC, Shift linkages are in



Diesel exhaust system and the rear disks and axles for good measure, mine was drums.



Starting to look like a van again.



Wiring



Wiring

Finally dash, I`m gonna have the TDI clocks, cool blue faces and the badass steering wheel and airbag system



Front end coming together



Modified the airbox, as my guards dont have louvres, power steer bottle is a tight fit



Gonna finish the inside, fit an amap and stereo to combat the diesel noise and hopefully finish it tomorrow.

that looks awesome Matt
should be a good power increase over what you had...

top work.. looking good..

should be sweet to drive when its finished!
Diesel will be sweet for pulling that crazyass trailer of yours

Did you fix the back door?

btw.. you need a fully sick bonnet scoop for your intercooler man

Great work loon, looks like a lot of work. I wouldn't like to pay to have that done. How long in hours did it take? You have become the resident expert on how the TDI comes apart. Thanks for taking the time to take pics & sharing it with us all.

Originally Posted by mollins

btw.. you need a fully sick bonnet scoop for your intercooler man

damn you beat me to it! baha. best thing about a diesel: leaving the douchebag in a fully sick mobile behind you in a cloud of black smoke

i bet its finished now i left beau at 10:30 ish he did night shift and i bet its emac pics please

Thanks jets, glad someone is reading this.

Forgot the camera today. Car is 95% finished. Got to find a few bits of plastic trim and bolt a few things back together.

Got it registered today! Yay. Blue slip with change of engine capacity and fuel type. No engineering required as the vans were sold with those engines

Got the AC regassed yesterday. Thanks Oli. It is freezing. It also comes out of all the vents, not jut the inner two like on the early vans.

Rear brakes started scraping bad on the way back from rego. The pads are cactus. Couldn`t drive it any further like that. Will get some disks and pads tomorrow and make it sweet.

It took two VW mechanics a week of long hours, late nights and lots of coffee and v energy to do the conversion. I would want big dollars to replicate the feat for a customer.

Yes I changed the door Mollins. It seems that the rear wiper was an option, as the donor door did not have any wiper. It did have provision for the motor to be mounted though. A holesaw sorted it

First roadtest today. It doesnt seem much faster than the 2L, but you dont rev it the same and it has loads of midrange torque that the 2L did not. Should tow the trailer well, but not get me in trouble by going too fast. Engine is not as noisy as it was with no carpet, but could have just been drowned out by the scraping brakes.

Finishing it tomorrow and bringing it home hopefully.