I may have a line on a cheap diesel Caddy with a dead motor. A TDI swap seems the most logical solution.
However, I know squat about anything VW. Educate me! Where should I start reading up on the ins and outs of Caddys and TDIs? Is this a relatively common swap? Is there a recipe out there?
I can't help with your question, but just happened to see this one for sale. Cool looking trucks. 
TDI motors and swaps are grossly overpriced these days. but rebuilding, or picking up a used and in decent nick NA 1.6L motor isn't expensive at all.
do you know off hand what's wrong with the motor? "a dead motor" can mean so many many different things.
naterkane wrote:TDI motors and swaps are grossly overpriced these days.
Yep. You are looking at spending some serious money on a TDI engine, it is virtually impossible to spend less than $1000 - and that's just for the engine itself. Once you have the correct trans, ECU, axles, etc etc it is a pretty expensive proposition...and it isn't quite the "bolt it right in" affair a lot of people think it is.
It has been done though.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=281944
If you sit with a pile of cash and a trailer hooked up to your truck while you refresh your craigslist search every 10 minutes, you can eventually find a wrecked tdi jetta for $1500. By the time you do all the work it needs (new turbo, injectors, timing belt, cam, litters, etc) figure another $2k. You would likely get 60 mpg though. I know someone who has one with an aaz 1.9 and he likes it, I bet the tdi would make it a lot more fun.
I would do a AAZ before I did a TDI. I actually don't mind the 1.6 for cruising, I averaged 52mpg with a camper shell on my last one. Finishing up another one now so we will see if it does as well.
My Cousin paid 1700 for the engine, electricals and transmission out of a wrecked Beetle. Plan is to drop in in to a 1984 Rabbit. He tells me the TDI from the mid-90's Passat is a good/better choice as a swap into the Rabbit or Caddy. They can be found complete but are pricey like all the other TDI.
I had a feeling the TDI swap would be pricey. I thought it sounded like a fun concept, but I'm not wedded to it.
What's the engine with the highest fun:dollar ratio that's the best candidate for this swap?
Oh, and I believe the water pump failed on the original motor, and it overheated. I could be wrong about that, though.
You could probably get away with a new head on that engine but the best bang for the buck is an ABA swap.
Screw the ABA swap. Make mine a 16V every time....Oh wait. I did!
Even the lowly 1.8 16V out performs the ABA, A 2 liter 16V in an A1 Chassis will demolish an ABA swapped car.
ABA's are cheap and plentiful but the passat 16V unit is almost as cheap. It has plenty of torque and makes 20hp over the aba.
I yanked an overheated 1.6 diesel out of the above caddy and installed a 1.9 16V with Megasquirt, a TT race downpipe and full exhaust and not much else and laid down 156hp on a Dynojet. I have never seen an ABA come anywhere close to that number.
16V's like boost too. Every local 16V makes more hp than the 20V's at the same psi. Want more? Install the forged 1.8T pistons in the 1.8 16V turn up the boost and make 300 at the wheel and never have traction.
Right, but he said Best fun : dollar ratio. 2.0 16v are getting scarce and a ready to go aba with harness and whatnot is what...$200?
Silly me, I thought he meant a Cadillac with a bad diesel. There are a few of those around, but I couldn't fathom putting that wee beasty VW motor in one.
