2.0TD into 1987 VW Quantum Syncro Wagon

[Nevadan]

Originally Posted by RedArrow

All that progress is amazing and great to see!

You probably know how long this takes! I hope to have all the wiring done in 1-2 days and get the engine in place, then I'll start on the cooling system and piecing together hoses to make everything fit.

[RedArrow]

Is this worth mentioning here?

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/i...Anull%7D%22%7D

[Nevadan]

So.....there was a thread on another site 8-9 years ago that said the 2.0TD swap into a QSW was easy. I'm here to tell you it's not a simple "take out the old engine and put in the diesel". There's a lot of "LITTLE" things that take a long time to do.

Example: The TD starter is much bigger than the gasser and although it fits properly in the block it doesn't fit correctly in the bell housing and a portion of the starter rubs against the flywheel. I bolted the starter up and tried to turn the engine over by hand and it wouldn't budge.

Before modification, starter rubbing on bell housing cast aluminum ridges and on flywheel.


After modification, ridges ground off with a Dremel tool that barely fit in there. I was dreading having to pull the engine back out.


Modification to the starter, about 1/4 inch ground off the face where it was rubbing on the flywheel.


Comparison of gas starter vs diesel.

[Nevadan]

After completing the battery cable routing into the engine bay I added two junction boxes, from the 1998-2004 VW's, one to power the original supply at the fuse/relay box under the dash along with the glow plug solenoid and then route to another box on the driver's side to power the 70 amp fan relay and a headlight relay I'll install later.

First junction box on the passenger side firewall with the glowplug solenoid in place.


Second box on the driver's fenderwell to power the fan relays. Also a wire from the original harness which powered the fans and I'm not sure what else.

[Nevadan]

I mated a 70 amp Audi fan to the original QSW fan shroud, cut, filed, riveted, bolted, riveted, bolted, etc. I think this fan could move the car on flat ground if the radiator wasn't in front of it.

[Nevadan]

There's plenty of space behind the head, injection pump and vacuum pump; much different than the 2.4 in the Volvo. Of course that's where the battery was sitting also.

[Nevadan]

I don't fully understand why the snub nose mount didn't line up properly, probably because I changed it from the stock QSW to the one off the Audi 200, I just thought they would be in the same final location on the body/grill. Had to cut and relocate the mounting nuts, will fill in the holes later.

[Nevadan]

I got very lucky in finding a piece of exhaust pipe off a 2014 (or so) VW TDI wagon that had the correct bend to fit the stub from the manifold down to the pipe under the body. It required on cut and reweld to get the angle correct. I had to tack it in place to keep the proper alignment. The union/clamp from the VW fit perfectly over the existing QSW pipe.

Completed pipe with a tab welded on (which took over an hour to get it correctly located. These custom tabs and brackets take WAY more time than I thought) to secure that part to the original support off the transmission.


In place, tab support visible.


Bolted in, tucked up tight with plenty of ground clearance.

[Nevadan]

I had to move the radiator forward about an inch to inch and a half so the main lower support bracket had to be extended and a new side mount made. I'll say it again....these brackets take so much longer than I thought. If you're off 1-2 degrees on alignment it won't fit.

[Nevadan]

Because of the misfit between the starter, flywheel and bell housing I messed up the threads on the starter. I installed some M12 X 1.75 Time Serts to solve the problem. If you have never used these they work perfectly, if you have used them you know how good they are. They're expensive but they SOLVE the problem. It's hard to see in the picture but the new threaded holes are the insert that replaces the bad threads.