VW LT31D D24+TIC conversion

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Hello!

I thought I would start a thread on my conversion of this beast of a machine. The plan is to do this in multiple steps, starting with just installing the turbo, basically doing a D24+T, get that to work as it should and then go on from there.

This is still or camper so everything has to work and be reliable. I also have no garage to do this in, so the majority of the job has to be done in the driveway with the engine still in the van.

One problem is that Swedish MOT laws basically just says "No fun allowed". Luckily, as this vehicle is more than 30 years old, it is completely tax exempt and only has to MOT every two years. So one part of this project will be to create a simple MOT-kit, basically a turbo-delete-kit for the MOT.

Attached is an image of the beast it self and the power snail.

More to come!

[v8volvo]

Thanks for sharing your project here, fun to see it. That is a lot of vehicle for one of these engines to motivate! I can see why you would want to add more power and response.

So you are saying that in order to pass MOT you will need to fully remove the turbo addition every two years, send it through inspection that way, then put the turbo parts back on again? Wow. They must be very detailed in their inspection if they are going to pop the engine covers off in the interior and go that deep to notice an upgrade like this, even on something this old.

I guess it's probably a good thing in some ways for keeping the roads safer. There are a handful of states here in the US that have some very basic safety inspections, mainly just for tires, brakes, exhaust integrity, and rust, and sometimes emissions also. Then there are a few others that inspect the emissions components only and ignore the condition of the rest of the vehicle (California and other west coast states best example). But most of the country has no inspections at all. Here where I live, there are no inspections required AND the speed limits are 80mph (130 km/h), with the actual speed on the highways usually more like 95-100mph or greater. It is common here as a result to get passed on the highway by a vehicle with bad tires or serious rust or a smashed windshield or other major safety problems, doing 100+ mph on mountain roads, endangering its passengers and all the other vehicles around it. We don't even require winter tires here during cold months, so sometimes you even see them driving that kind of speed in the snow, on bald summer tires! Deadly. And that is all without mentioning the many diesel pickups operating with all their legally required emission controls disabled and blowing black toxic smoke on nearby vehicles and pedestrians, with no reaction at all from authorities even when it happens right in front of them. Anyway, I guess I'm just saying that as inconvenient as your MOT inspections may be, perhaps you are lucky to have them in some ways. We would benefit from having and enforcing some more rules here.

Looks like your camper is in very nice shape, I understand rust is usually a problem with many of these but yours appears to be a great starting point. We look forward to seeing your progress. Are you going to install a TD injection pump also? And do you have any plans to strengthen the cooling system? Be aware that adding the turbo and more fueling to use the extra air will increase the cooling demands and will find any weak points that may exist in your cooling system now. Whenever someone is increasing the power of these engines we always recommend a complete checkup of the cooling system and refreshing where needed.

[binary___]

Originally Posted by v8volvo

Thanks for sharing your project here, fun to see it. That is a lot of vehicle for one of these engines to motivate! I can see why you would want to add more power and response.

So you are saying that in order to pass MOT you will need to fully remove the turbo addition every two years, send it through inspection that way, then put the turbo parts back on again? Wow. They must be very detailed in their inspection if they are going to pop the engine covers off in the interior and go that deep to notice an upgrade like this, even on something this old.

I guess it's probably a good thing in some ways for keeping the roads safer. There are a handful of states here in the US that have some very basic safety inspections, mainly just for tires, brakes, exhaust integrity, and rust, and sometimes emissions also. Then there are a few others that inspect the emissions components only and ignore the condition of the rest of the vehicle (California and other west coast states best example). But most of the country has no inspections at all. Here where I live, there are no inspections required AND the speed limits are 80mph (130 km/h), with the actual speed on the highways usually more like 95-100mph or greater. It is common here as a result to get passed on the highway by a vehicle with bad tires or serious rust or a smashed windshield or other major safety problems, doing 100+ mph on mountain roads, endangering its passengers and all the other vehicles around it. We don't even require winter tires here during cold months, so sometimes you even see them driving that kind of speed in the snow, on bald summer tires! Deadly. And that is all without mentioning the many diesel pickups operating with all their legally required emission controls disabled and blowing black toxic smoke on nearby vehicles and pedestrians, with no reaction at all from authorities even when it happens right in front of them. Anyway, I guess I'm just saying that as inconvenient as your MOT inspections may be, perhaps you are lucky to have them in some ways. We would benefit from having and enforcing some more rules here.

Looks like your camper is in very nice shape, I understand rust is usually a problem with many of these but yours appears to be a great starting point. We look forward to seeing your progress. Are you going to install a TD injection pump also? And do you have any plans to strengthen the cooling system? Be aware that adding the turbo and more fueling to use the extra air will increase the cooling demands and will find any weak points that may exist in your cooling system now. Whenever someone is increasing the power of these engines we always recommend a complete checkup of the cooling system and refreshing where needed.

Thank you for your comment, and yes, this is allot of steel for a 40 year old N/A IDI diesel to handle.

Well the MOT over here is done in a manor of "Will this car be safe for 2 more years" in my case. Normally you MOT cars every 14 months. That MOT guy puts his signature as an expert and says "Yes, I think this vehicle will be safe until the next MOT". They can be very thorough, checking the entire body and frame for rust damage, checking the expected lifetime of your brake pads as well as checking how well the brakes perform. They even check for play in bushings and stuff like that.

I think the big difference in mindset is that our government has a 0 death goal. Also, free healthcare through taxes and environmental concerns. As I understand it, the US does not really care about the environment in that way and it is up to you to pay out of your ass when the brake pedal falls through the floor and you plow through a buss stop full of people, not the state.

Back to the vehicle at hand, I have the TD pump, and I will be installing a dynamic timing spacer and a boost pin in it. I will also install an oil cooler and a nice and big intercooler. The temperature will be monitored very closely at all times

The bus is actually in great shape except for the sliding door. I will probably fix it as the doors are starting to get rare without any rust on them.