Sorry it has been soooo long since the last update. First, the good news, I have the TDI engine running now and hope to have her out for a test drive this weekend - just need to mount the accelerator pedal and secure some of the wiring. It has been a struggle to get to this point - and the troubles were compounded by my inexperience with TDI electronics. So here is the run down of last two years.
Mounted the turbo boost control solenoid and vacuum reservoir to the coolant reservoir bracket - nice to have them all tucked away.
Bought a used rear shift linkage off the Samba and cleaned it up and painted it and installed it with new bushing and it actually seems to line up and shift well. The transmission was relocated with the TDI install kit and I was lucky to guess the switch from European linkage to the US linkage would work.
Next, I spent way too much time trying to get the TDI engine started. It would crank but not deliver enough fuel to fire off - it would just occasionally partially fire a cylinder. For the longest time I thought is was an air lock at the injection pump inlet . The air can be hard to get rid off. I used a might vac tool to pull fuel through the fuel lines hundreds of times and eventually went with a clear fuel line and convinced myself the air was gone. Turns out one of the connectors to the coolant temp sensor was not fully seated and the ECU was reading the temp 260 deg C, so the ECU was limiting fuel thinking that engine was overheated. I could see that coolant temp reading on cheapie OBD scan tool, but did not put two and two together. Once I plugged in the connector, she fired right up.
Next challenge was that the clutch would not disengage at all. I was really worried that I would have to remove the trans to fix this. There is a slave cylinder on the transmission and there are several different style brackets to mount it and slave cylinders and different clutch levers for gas and Diesel engines, but only the Diesel part was available to buy. My problem was the slave cylinder was only moving the clutch with the last 1/4" or so of its travel. I bought another used slave cylinder bracket off ebay but it was the same as the one I had. It took some study to figure out that I could pretty easily mod one of my clutch levers to make it adjustable. I drilled and tapped the arm for a bolt and welded the ball to the end of the bolt. And I went with new master and slave cylinders and the clutch seems to be working well.
And then there was the problem that the engine would not rev at all when I pressed on the accelerator pedal - it would just idle. This was strange because the scan tool showed the throttle position moving from 0-100% when I pressed on the pedal. After a bunch of continuity checking of the wiring, moving pins around the connector and then back where they were originally I was still no closer. I poked a big hole in my finger before I wised up and bought the proper VW connector extraction tool. Finally, I spent some time on the TDI forum and found that the guy who sold me the wire harness and accelerator pedal sent me a pedal for a gas engine and I needed the Diesel version of the pedal - they are similar but the TDI ECU does not respond properly ot the gas pedal. So I just got the proper part for $80 off ebay and she revs great now.
Right now the only problem left is that the alternator is not charging. And there is quite a bit a wiring to do for the instrument cluster and gauges.
It was frustrating making such slow progress, but I was able to get a bunch of other stuff done while I was either pissed off at the TDI engine or mulling over next things to try, or waiting for divine inspiration. Should have more progress to report soon.
is next...
