Vanagon average fuel consumption

There's a thread at thesamba.com (the vanagon forum) where members list their fuel average.

I took the data and visualized it.

If the information was too incomplete it was ignored.

If an MPG was rated "x to y MPG" or if the MPG was given in city and highway driving the value in use is (x+y)/2.

If the MPG is listed in different speeds an average is calculated or the MPG closest to 65 mph is used.

There are a lot of different engines swapped into vanagons and they are taken into account.

MPG is Miles per Gallon, which is opposite compared to l/100 km. When using MPG a higher value is better.

To get a l/100 km-value out of an MPG, divide the value with 235.22 (235.22/25 mpg = 9.41 l/100 km).

Enjoy!

New injectors makes a difference

Before we went on a small camping trip I replaced the injectors (finally). I suspect that the old injectors were really bad, one was probably leaking compression too. It seems these nozzles can be pretty much Scheit and still deliver heaps of power.

Anyway, as written below the new nozzles are a tiny bit bigger. If that is making a difference or not, I don't know. But there is a uge difference...

One of the copper rings was stuck. I was forced in the end to get it out with ugly tricks. Unfortunately I damaged the injector seat a bit but I think it doesn't really matter.

How is the engine now? When running cold it still knocks a bit at idle but more distinct than before. When it's warm idling is very smooth. I had to adjust the idle as it ran pretty high.
There is WAY more ompf! It didn't smoke when giving full pedal before. Know it does for real! Remember, the nozzles aren't that much bigger.
And best of all; the engine is noticable quiter. High way is now a comfort ride even for the people in the back seat.
I'll retard the pump a tenth or two which will loose a little bit of revving happiness but it will make it even more quiet.

If you can you should replace the nozzles.

Injector info

This is very good info about injectors, check the Bosch item ID when you order new nozzles.

It's all a copy from the detailed site, http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/multi/TDI-nozzle-FAQ.htm

.158 injectors: DSLA 150P 672, OEM on the 90 hp auto transmission mk4 ALH 1998-2003 engine, actual measured size is .138mm.

.184 injectors: DSLA 150P 706 (some say France) OEM on the 90 hp manual transmission mk3 AHU/1Z (post smoke recall for the 1996 passat) 1996-1999 engine and the mk4 ALH 1998-2003 engine, actual measured size is .170mm.  Remember that if you have this size nozzle and replace them with ".184" .170mm actual size nozzle you will see an increase in power because of the size difference.

.184 injectors: (Euro market: DSLA 150P 357)/(US market: DSLA 150P 442) (sprint 357/442 or PP357), OEM on the 90 hp manual transmission mk3 AHU/1Z 1996-1999 engine, actual measured size is .185mm.  Similar to the "smaller".184 injectors used in later cars except it has a larger opening and was used in injector bodies with lower opening pressure (190 bar) used with different ecu programming pre-smoke recall in the 1996 passat.  PP357 should give about +5hp, +10ft-lbs over comparable sprint nozzles with less smoke.

.205 injectors: DSLA 150P 520 (sprint 520 or PP520), found on the 110 hp Euro AFN/ASV engine, actual measured size is .205mm.  These are the stock nozzles found on the 110hp Euro cars which also used a larger turbo and different ECU to account for more fuel.  PP520 should give about +10hp, +25ft-lbs over stock nozzles and about +5hp, +10ft-lbs over comparable 520 sprint nozzles with less smoke.

I have the second .184 injectors, hopefully getting some extra push. :)

Engine coming out soon for an upgrade

I'm ripping the power plant out soon, the new gearbox is going in and I'm going to make a new air filter box, retard the pump timing a bit and finally replace the nozzles. I have a "diesel knock" and it's the third nozzle that seems worn out or dirty. Time to change!

Winter tires setup for sale

These have been around for a while in my utility room. If anyone's interested give me call or send an e-mail.

The rubber is in very good condition.

Armrest resto

I started slowly today with the upholstery. I will make covers for the chairs but the arm rests are pretty worn so I will replace the fabric. I found out that one of the two I have is broken. Not good, but in one way it doesn't matter, two are missing and now when one is cut open I can copy it by some  reverse engineering.
Once again, here are the colours I'll use. Not really correct with this lousy camera but you'll get the idea.

Interior rework

Finally time to work on my own bus!
There are a bunch of major upgrades coming this spring. New red paint, roof rails, new trans and a long term plan to rework the entire interior. There's really nothing that is worn or bad but I miss that 'how nice' feeling. I have the sewing stuff, been doing upholstery before so I'll do it my own this time as well. On top of that I'll be in the house and not the workshop when doing it so the family will see me more often. I hope for some sunny evenings soon so I can do the work on the teracce. :-)
These are the colours, might not be correct with a smart phone camera but you'll get the idea. They are extremely tough fabrics and will stay fresh for years to come.

I really like "French stiches", which is a triple seam. Looks good, easy made and super strong. I will use this seam on all exposed areas, and then a straight double seam on all other places.
The thread itself is a heavy duty polyester thread that is impossible to break by hand.

Done - again! :-)

Took the camper out today and had it running real hard for more than an hour. The new transmission is not super different but noticable better. The gears are tighter and the top RPM is about 170 rev's lower. The only thing I noticed afterwards was a tiny coolant leak at the oil cooler pump. The clamp was sitting bad so a realignment was enough to fix it.

Next week the adapter for my Passat trans will arrive. Time to start the gearbox swap! At last!

Fuel line reinforcement

If you have an air leak in the fuel lines you can't clamp it. The vinyl hose will shrink because of the force. The solution is simple, get a plumbers copper pipe 'end pipe'. They are pushed into the copper pipe for the same reason, to avoid leaks because if clamping to hard. Guess what... ...they work in the vinyl hose too. :-)

The starter mod

If you're going to use an old vanagon starter to a TDI, you need to grind off the nose. Otherwise it will hit the flywheel.

Worn out clutch bearing?

The understatement of today...

mTDI IDI hybrid

Runs really well!

EDIT: Important note to others. The engine was pretty noisy, and my own mTDI is pretty noisy as well. I decided to retard the pump a bit more. My own setup that is a copy of the Land Rover spec is 1.4 mm, and now I backed the pump to 1.32 - 1.35-ish.
Maybe, but very much maybe, I noticed a slightly slower acceleration. But the torque is still equally crazy and the engine is less noisy. It's actually a uge difference regarding the noise.
If you go the Landy-pump route, try a lower setup which seems to fit the VW engine better.

Gearbox makeover

Jespers camper is back and the blown head gasket is replaced. I'll swap the transmission at the same time. The slave cylinder bracket is loose and needs a better support and the other box has a little bit better gear ratio.

012 gear box adaptor

Got this from my new friend Tim in England who started the adapter process before me, instead of doing all the work once again I'll buy one from him instead. Time to setup the gearbox in the mill and prepare!

> Photo attached.

> 50 degree Drilled tapped and ready to go with dowel positions for accurate engine and gear box location.

I tought I should make a list...

...of things to do on the bus. Oh man it grew. Crap...

Camper summary

It was very greasy. VERY greasy...

A lot of time was just cleaning, but it gives some figures anyway how much time it takes when something unplanned happens. I started saturday by disassembling everything from the TDI. Sunday I was ready to mount the Land Rover pump after some milling of the TDI mounting bracket at my friends workshop. Monday was supposed to be the day to get the JX out and to take all the parts needed, but here the greasy surprise occured and I had to clean everything - from the engine compartment and all the way into the oil pan. I didn't have the parts needed removed from the old engine until tuesday noon, and now I had to go back to the office. From now on all the extra work had to take place night time after the kids were asleep. But late late late friday night I started the TDI.

I actually had to take the gearbox out once again, I forgot to remove the two pegs from the flywheel and everything got stuck. That was another extra 2 hours crawling under the van. Two minutes to fix the problem and the rest was a long bad language exercise.

Saturday, one week later, the bus was on the street again. Happily rev'ing. Sunday, had to fix a few minor issues that irritated me.

Yesterday, 4 hours of workshop cleaning...

In total, I would say about 60-70 hours to make it happen from that I started to work with the donor engine until it was all done. But it also inludes a lot of other things that I did on the way:

• New water pump
• New alternator belt
• New timing belt and tensioners
• New oil and filter
• New turbo return line (fabricated)
  
  
• Alternator tensioner regreased
• Head cover retightened
• Oil cooler retightened
• Thermostat houing swapped and retightened
• Coolant ports swapped and retightened
• Panic fixing of a halfly broken clutch
• CV joints relubricated
• EGR removed
• New engine support, left side
• Plenum (smallest ever) to connect turbo and intake
• Customized oil stick, kept the TDI stick this time
  
• Swapped the oilpan
  
• Customized the filter housing to fit the TDI turbo
• Added a gate for the oil cooler pump sensor
• Replaced the battery cables and connectors

That's about it. That and a lot of oil bomb cleaing takes 65 +/-5 hours.

Left side motor mount

A TDI turbo sits further back than the 1.6 turbo and conflicts with the motor mount. A new one has to be made. I choose to fabricate it, mount and add the exhaust mount at last. Easier to get it right when everything is in place.

Fitting the old filter with the TDI

The TDI has the turbo in a different position and the old filter and hoses doesn't fit. But I do as I use to do, cut and reweld the tubes to fit!
It's easy with a soldering iron and the leftovers as welding material. Now everything looks like factory standard.

Getting back in

Well, didn't make it saturday to monday. Too many things on the way took hours to fix and then I had to get back to work.
Thursday evening and finally it's getting back in. Running tonight?..

Greaseworks

Scheit, it took me hours to clean this sscchheeit.

Fresh engine?...

...not.

Timing tool...

...á la diy super cheap. Proofs it works once again.

Timing time

Almost done with the engine.

Hard core water pump

My default parts supplier has a really nice water pump. Solid iron impeller kicks ass...

So it begins...

Mate the two objects, and you'll have an mTDI.
Is the bus drivable on monday? Wish me good luck...

Jesper switching time

Tomorrow one of my friends swing by with his bus. The plan is to shovel in an mTDI as fast as possible. Will it run on sunday or monday?

I haven't cleaned the workshop yet. Better start early tomorrow...

New mTDI coming up

Got a Land Rover pump with the mail man today. The entire package was covered in diesel... :)