d24t swaps

[coronan]

Hello,
I wandered over here researching diesel engines for a swap I'm considering.

I have lots of experience with the 1.9l vw TDI.
But i'm looking for something a little more tow worthy. But still retain 30-40 mpg. Cummins are great but too heavy and overkill for what i need.

It looks like Jason has achieved great power with the D24t. Had it on the dyno yet?

1. What are long block dimensions?
2. Weight?
3. Average MPG stock?
4. How hard is it to get parts? Sources?
5. What are common failures of this power plant??? Recommended MODS?
6. Where can I find a long block on the west coast?

THANKS!!!

[v8volvo]

Welcome to the board!

What are you trying to repower? TDI and D24T are pretty different setups in many ways, despite their common lineage they end up fitting and working pretty differently so your space constraints and power demands will determine what makes more sense.

D24T pluses: smoother/quieter/nice noises, good power, no engine management = simpler install, probably cheaper to acquire if you can find one, and pretty reliable/cheap to keep on the road if it's in good shape and you take care of it. Also much more unique than TDI, if you like that sort of thing. Minuses: much bigger and heavier, some parts a little harder to find, power band might not be what you expect, mileage not as good, and arguably less mechanically robust in stock form. Also a little more tricky to work on, a couple more special tools needed, slightly more routine maintenance (valve adjustments etc). Stock TDI engine is generally a little more forgiving of abuse IMHO, and imposes a far lower cooling load than D24T -- IDI D24T running at WOT rejects a lot of heat and if you don't manage it well it has issues pretty much immediately. For this reason I don't know if I'd look at the D24T as a great tow rig motor if there are hills involved. "Tow worthy" is not exactly the first name that comes to mind. ;)

Stock D24T makes similar power numbers to a stock TDI but with much different delivery characteristics: TDI makes lots of torque in the low end while D24T is strong in the top end but not much grunt at low revs. A warmed up TDI is fun because of how it responds in low and midrange, while a warmed up D24T is fun for the way you can wind it out and listen to it scream while still making power past 5k rpm.

D24T is capable of pretty good MPG, but highly dependent on what you are talking about putting it in and not in the same league as TDI. If it's a vehicle suitable for towing (e.g. pickup or 4-wheeler), 30+ mpg may be wishful thinking. Mileage in the low to mid 30's in a Volvo is possible but higher than 35 is rare and if you're talking about a larger vehicle, probably should be thinking lower. Indirect injection and considerably smaller per-cylinder displacement than TDI. I think a TDI will always beat it on mileage no matter what it's in or what you're doing.

D24T does do a pretty good imitation of a luxury car engine if you don't have a loud exhaust on it; very refined and civilized. The 4cyl TDI can't match it there. Probably not your #1 concern though. :)

Overall the TDI provides same or better power potential and better mileage, in a much more compact and lighter package -- it is probably the clear logical choice in most situations where all else is equal IMHO. I think the main reasons to choose the D24T would be because it happened to fit nicely in a particular application, or you already had one ready to use or could get one cheap/free, or just liked the way it looked/sounded/worked.

Let's hear some more details about your project, sounds like fun!