Started installation

[CzDavec]

 Finally got some time off from work and after all the obligatory honey doo jobs.I have gotten back to the project.Stripped down the 1.6 turbo diesel engine and installed the acme kit.Fantastic kit!!! Everything fits like it is supposed to.Then I pulled the samurai eng and trans ,cleaned the trans up and modified it for the VW engine.It mated up to the adapter perfectly,Again great work ACME!!! It is a pleasure to find a well engineered kit like this! Finished setting the engine and trans back in last night.Looks great.Now on to the time consuming part, hooking everything up.Should have the Rad and fans in today with the plumbing and be started on the wiring and fuel lines. Anybody have some good tips for these I would love to hear from you! Also does anyone have any tips for the initial startup of the diesel eng? As I have zero experience with diesel engines I would like to hear some pointers.On gas engines I always prime the oiling system and make sure either the carb bowl is full of gas or with injection make sure the system has pressure. Any pointers for this?? I will keep you posted as to how it goes,hope to be running this week.

[ShuDuck]

sounds good. any pics? For startup I unhook the solenoid and crank it some seconds at the time until i have oil pressure. Then I loosen the connector to the most front injector. crank it a little until I get fuel out of it. Then I tighten it up, connect the solenoid and start it.

[CzDavec]

Well its in and finally running.Had a hard time getting the fuel system primed and bled. Got some real good help from Diesel Injection services in SanBernardino Ca.Lou is a good guy and really helped out when he could have just made a quick buck.
 On initial startup it was very hard to get started and had a very rough idle,would smooth out then run rough again.If you revved up the engine it would run good then quit when the throttle was released.I was ready to replace the injection pump as the engine had been sitting for a couple of months.After rechecking the timing and going through all the steps in the Bently manual for troubleshooting I was very frustrated and figured a pump rebuild was in order.Lou said since the moter is way higher than the fuel tank in the samurai ,unlike in the Jetta and they are hard to prime/bleed in the stock setup ,he said to use a small booster fuel pump to augment the injection pump,Just needed a couple of PSI and rebleed the system and try again before doing anything drastic like replacing or rebuilding the pump.
 Well long story short,got even more air from the system and the engine fired right off and runs like a top. Great torque and pull !! Glad I did it. I have about 50 miles on it and seems to be fine.
 I will load up and post some pics of the setup as I altered a few things and built a custom Radiator for it. It runs right around 180/185 degrees and the fans only cycle when in traffic or going slow.So far so good!

[westcoaster]

I pressurised the fuel tank using the shop air. This forces the fuel up through the feed line through the fuel filter and into the injection pump.

I attach the shop air on the fuel return line.

[vwzzuk]

For starting them the first time, I just bottle feed them above the pump with a gallon of fuel while cracking the injector lines. Works great and is pretty fast.

If your pump has been sitting for any time, you most likely will have trouble with it until you clean the crap out of the return system and purge the air out of the system. Can take a while of revving and idleing with the throttle. If that fails, usually a good dose of diesel purge will clean it up and dissolve the varnish and plugged up internals. Use a vacuum pump at the return line until it flows free. That will save you a pump rebuild. Feed the injection pump the diesel purge until its clear out the return. Its saved me many a pump rebuild and is great for maintenance once a year.

[CzDavec]

Thanks for all the replies and tips.The Zuk is running strong,I really like the power and torque of the diesel.Here are a few pics of the installation.It runs nice and cool, The rad is custom built from a chevy camaro core cut down about 4 rows,with the tanks being formed on a sheet metal brake,I used standard avail. fittings for the plumbing.Fans are from Summit and are 12" with 1100cfm ea.and used a painless wiring fan controller also from summit.
 I could use a few ideas for the plumbing on the wastegate and breather.I know stock they plumb back into the intake but I am not sure that I like having the breather dumping back into the air intake. What have you guys done with this? After I finish that off it will be off to the DMV to reregister as a diesel. "Ahh, more fun fun with bureucrats!"