TDI 𝙻?𝚎?𝚖?𝚘?𝚗? Lime build!

[k1n3k]

One with the hat sitting there too.



Neat! Now its time for some paint!
I did the rock sliders and armor plates as well. They were built years ago, just needed some paint. 

I did cheapo rustoleum bed liner on the sliders and snorkel. Krylon rattle can on the aluminum. I know, its diamond plate.... I did it because its what I had, The original built of this rig was when I was unemployed for like 6 months, diamond plate was in the corner of the shop, and I needed some aluminum. Now I can't replace it because its part of the machine!











And now for a bit of assembly!



So, truthfully I'm not thrilled with the added height. But I had that filter on hand and I decided to use it. I have an odd superstition. Any time I buy samurai parts, something happens with my job. remember how I mentioned I built this one when I was unemployed last time? The day before I got fired i bought $3600 worth of parts. I had to call around and cancel so many orders. I still bought 600ish worth so I could get it running, but it made the build much cheaper. That sort of thing happened 6-7 times. no joke. Everything from getting fired, getting raises, job offers.... you name it. every time I bought parts, without fail, something would happen with my job. I was lucky so far, but the injection pump broke that streak. I got told I'm getting laid off at the end of september... So the build will no longer enjoy a huge supply of cash to back it up. So its going to be a lot of "if its needed, its scratch built" type of deals. I have the rest of the expensive parts on hand to finish it though. smaller stuff will have to be built. So, there will be a fair bit of fab work to get the little things. I need to do some gauge plates for the dash vent holes next. I have a boost gauge and EGT gauge that need a home, and I've never used the vents. Stay tuned for that adventure!

 

[k1n3k]

Back at it again. Being as I had an air filter figured out, I wanted to go ahead and get it running! Except, it had other plans. 
I decided to pull off the old turbo and swap it. this poor bugger has had an issue with puking oil out of the exhaust since I got it running on the floor. I had assumed that it was the unknown condition turbo that was leaking. I had bought it in an airport parking lot with the owners word it was a skookum choocher. Turns out he wasn't lying, the turbo is fine. I popped the manifold off to swap the new (possibly sketchy) rotomaster turbocharger on. It's running an AHU manifold and turbo, so the snail sits under the manifold. upon removal, it drooled oil all over the floor and down the side of the motor from the exhaust port. 




When I had it running last time, some interesting noises occurred during one startup that sounded like a fluid filled combustion chamber that wasn't quite full. After rubbing a few neurons together, it was surmised that there is an oil leak somewhere oil should not be leaking from. Being as oil runs downhill, it had to be from a source above the port. that narrows it down to the valve guide.
The valve guides are a known failure point on these motors, so I elected to pull the head to inspect. No major carnage was found, but time had for sure taken its toll. This engine started quite nicely when cold, and it also seemed to not have bad blow by. The bottom end is likely fine.



Note that the combustion chamber is full of oil. That was from the valve guide, not pulling the head.

No scoring or ridges on the cylinders and the piston protrusion is .0395-.0400 across all 4 cylinders. No bent rods! That also means the 3 hole gasket was incorrect. It needs a 2 hole, maaaaybe a 1 hole. 



The head got torn down and given a thorough inspection and cleaning. The ultrasonic cleaner is an absolute lifesaver!






So after it was nice and clean, it was time to inspect it! And oh boy, there were some issues. First off, its bowed up in the middle about .004". the bow is not the end of the world, but its nowhere near flat either. I Also found a scratch through the fire ring on one cylinder.. Not sure if that is from me or not, but I doubt it. I had ran a file across the surface to highlight any low spots being as I knew it would need to be machined. 





The valve seats were also eroded, the valve sealing surface is pitted, and the guides are about as tight as a hotdog in a hallway. combine that with the bow and non-flat head, she needs a a rebuild. The cam and lifters are also on their way out, It was easiest to buy a new head. the price was about dead even. So I ordered one from idparts. 

So while I wait for that, I started with the roll cage. Had to modify the side plates a bit. This is the drivers side. I want the VIN visible. 



As of right ow, both side plates are in place and the first tube is in. 

BONUS PIC! The new guy in the shop found the tig welder....

 

[k1n3k]

Well I'm not gonna lie, I'm getting really, REALLY close to ripping the diesel out of this rig permanently. Its been giving me nothing but problems. Between the injection pump leaking and now the head, its just not worth it...

With the head being toast, I bought a brand new, never used head. Its an AMC brand head. It came fully dressed, so I thought I could bolt it on and go. Turns out I was wrong. So maybe someone on here can shed a bit of light. I'm stumped. 

I pulled the old head, cleaned the carbon off of #1 and #2 pistons, measured protrusion of between .039" and .040" with a dial indicator. 
I used a 2 hole gasket. 
The old head only had a single super sloppy dowel, so I made a couple new ones. the are a nice slip fit. 
I reinstalled the head, torqued the head bolts, and then I installed the timing belt.
While I had the head off, I made a mark on the bellhousing and flywheel for TDC. I set this with the dial indicator, splitting the difference between .010 btdc and atdc. 
I then locked the cam with a cam locking plate. 
Installed the belt, tightened the tensioner, tightened the cam, then set the IP pump timing to Giles' spec. 
I then tried turning the motor over with a ratchet on the crank pulley. it goes forward of TDC maybe 100 degrees then hits a valve.it will also go backward about 20 degrees past TDC and hits a valve. 

I then used a piece of wire and the indicator to check the TDC mark, it seemed fine. I ran through the timing procedure a few times. still the same.

ok, so I pulled the head, cleaned off all of the carbon thinking that was the issue,
measured protrusion on all 4 cylinders, got .0395" across the board,
I also measured the valve head protrusion from the head while closed. Intake is at .034" and exhaust is .020"
double checked the TDC mark, went with ANOTHER 2 hole head gasket,
yanked the ARP studs from Diesel Zuk's old engine, and bolted it all together again.


Timed it the same way, and same results.

I then pulled the cam, verified the lifter are not hung up and the plungers move freely, and verified the engine turns freely with no cam. 
Thinking that its possible the new cam was possibly ground wrong, a used cam from an AHU was installed and the timing was, again, set the same method as usual. 
The valves are still hitting. 
I'm stumped. I have no clue what is going on here. I timed this thing with no tools by simply eyeballing it before, and had no issues. Where am I going wrong? Here is a quick vid on setting the timing, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbvG6qnMXGQ

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[k1n3k]

Found the problem.... Turns out the 3 new bolts I ordered for the injection pump pulley (stock ones for the ALH) were just a bit too long.... They were hitting the timing pin boss on the landrover IP. 


[smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif]

Only took a week and two headgaskets to find it....

 

[melbakid]

Found the problem.... Turns out the 3 new bolts I ordered for the injection pump pulley (stock ones for the ALH) were just a bit too long.... They were hitting the timing pin boss on the landrover IP.


[smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif]

Only took a week and two headgaskets to find it....

The nice part is at least you found the problem and are able to correct it without too much trouble!!  

 

[NoMoreMondays]

It?s worth it.  Punch it home. 

 

[k1n3k]

54 MPG? Daaaaang! I am positive my junk wot get that good of mileage, But, I bet it will still do 30 MPG which is way better than the 17 MPG it was getting with the 1.3.
So after I got the engine to turn over after shortening those 3 bolts, I finished assembly. 

The starter magically stopped working. It was fine before I pulled the head... So fixed that. Disassembled, cleaned the contacts in the solenoid, reassemble. Done and dusted. 

Then started to bleed the fuel system. It bled fairly quick. 
Test fire time! 
Fire it up, engine SCREAMS to 5k+ RPM. 
Shut it down, adjust low speed stop. do this like 3 times until the idle speed is about 900 RPM. maybe a total of 5 seconds of run time combined with all of the starts/stops

With it started, and finally sitting at idle, i jump out and OH SWEET JESUS THERE IS A LAKE OF OIL
In the total 15 seconds of run time at this point, it pumped ALL of the 5 quarts of oil out onto the floor. there is an oil galley with a threaded plug in it on the back side of the head under the vacuum pump. Turns out the new head does not come with that plug in it... [smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif] [smiley=cussing.gif]

So then I went ahead and retrieved the old head from the dumpster, and pulled the plug out of it. Fixed. It took a full 5 quarts of oil to get the level back to where it was. So at least the oil pump works and the galley is clear of debris...

I then fired it up, again.

This time I can play with it a bit. The accelerator isn't very responsive, and it smoked pretty good at idle. White smoke, didn't clear up as it warmed. So with it running, I cracked the lines to the injectors one by one to check cylinder contribution as well as bleed off any remaining air. Turns out cyl #1 was barely firing if at all...

So I pulled the injector, dissassembled, ran everything through the ultrasonic cleaner, and then reassembled. It now ran much smoother, but still a bit of haze at idle. 

I ran it for a while to test the fans and check for leaks. After giving it a few good revs and letting it sit at 2500RPM for a few min, it seemed to have stopped hazing and ran even smoother. I'm thinking that it just had air in the lines.

I did test drive it yesterday. No bueno. The clutch slips any time the turbo builds boost. Its totally undriveable. I think when it dumped 5 quarts of oil in 15 seconds, a good portion ended up in the bellhousing and drenched the clutch. It also smokes like  freight train, so I may have to back the fuel screw out a bit. 

A new centerforce clutch is on the way, as is a bearing splitter... I guess if I'm going to pull the transmission, I might as well rebuild it while its out. 

 

[NoMoreMondays]

I too am hoping my clutch holds up.  I got the ceramic puck on one side, kevlar on the other amazon special.

 

[k1n3k]

It should be fine. I think Giles got a bit carried away on the pump, I'm betting its over the 110hp target, and I'd also bet the torque is pushing 220+ ft lbs. before he rebuilt the pump, it was fiiiine. Also the oil bath didn't help. if you're still rocking the stock tune on your ECU, then its around 155 ft lbs and the stock clutch should be fine.

 

[k1n3k]

So, update!

It lives. the rear driveshaft has vibes. its just too much angle so i'm building a CV shaft. Fun part is a standard double cardan CV is not going to work, the driveshaft is so short that with the added length of a double cardan the angle is not improved at all. I've ordered a non-plunging 930 CV, and will be building a shaft with a 1310 yoke and slip joint on the axle end, and a Mercedes Benz driveshaft CV head on the other and a custom flange on the t-case. That should take my running angle down from 26 degrees to 16. the CV joint is good to 40 degrees so it should be happy. 

Some other findings include: the throttle cable is not ideal. the housing is too short, so when the engine moves forward (another issue) it pulls the cable. I'm ordering a new Acme cable to fix it.

The engine moves front to back a lot more than i'd like. the mounts are too compliant in those directions. I'll probably add a crossmember then use a stock samurai shackle and bushings to lock it down. 

It for sure needs more air. I think the k03 is just being asked to do too much. I can watch the EGT go from a happy 750 to not happy 1300+ if I try to push it above 60mph. that is opening the wastegate at that point as well. An intercooler is next on the list, that should get the density up enough to help that. Once it is intercooled, i might try pushing it to 18psi. if the turbo handles it, then i wont swap. if it is not happy still, then I'll re-do some cooling lines an swap in a k24. I really like the instant spooling of the k03 though.

I built a gauge pod for the EGT, boost and water temp gauges. So far the toyota radiator seems like its working nicely.

 







I also took the wife out last night to the west desert, we found a BRUTAL hillclimb that there is no way it would have climbed without the doubler, lockers, tires and lift. it was easily the steepest hill i've ever climbed, but it scooted right up it. we grabbed a couple pics from the trip.

 

[Suzuki_dude]

It for sure needs more air. I think the k03 is just being asked to do too much. I can watch the EGT go from a happy 750 to not happy 1300+ if I try to push it above 60mph. that is opening the wastegate at that point as well. An intercooler is next on the list, that should get the density up enough to help that. Once it is intercooled, i might try pushing it to 18psi. if the turbo handles it, then i wont swap. if it is not happy still, then I'll re-do some cooling lines an swap in a k24. I really like the instant spooling of the k03 though.

Calculator shows you can move more air at 10psi with an intercooler than 18psi without. That's why I always push for them. Considering how a stock TDI is 12psi with a small intercooler, you're likely moving same or less air than stock did. Turn it down to 15ish and cool it as good as you can and you'll be way better off.

 

[k1n3k]

Calculator shows you can move more air at 10psi with an intercooler than 18psi without. That's why I always push for them. Considering how a stock TDI is 12psi with a small intercooler, you're likely moving same or less air than stock did. Turn it down to 15ish and cool it as good as you can and you'll be way better off.

Yeah, thats one thing that always surprised me. Gale Banks had a really cool demonstration where he showed the intercooler added more to charge density than the turbocharger itself did by cooling the hot charge air. hence why the intercooler is higher on the list of priorities than swapping turbos. The only issue I have is where to put it. Lots of room in front of the radiator, but I hate adding heat there and blocking airflow.

 

[Suzuki_dude]

Yeah, thats one thing that always surprised me. Gale Banks had a really cool demonstration where he showed the intercooler added more to charge density than the turbocharger itself did by cooling the hot charge air. hence why the intercooler is higher on the list of priorities than swapping turbos. The only issue I have is where to put it. Lots of room in front of the radiator, but I hate adding heat there and blocking airflow.

You may be adding heat up front but the engine will run cooler with an intercooler. Made a huge difference on my sidekick when I had to temporarily remove mine. Rad 100% exposed to -25c air and it warmed up twice as quickly. If you're worried about airflow go with a tube and fin over bar and plate.

 

[Diesel_Zuk]

Have you considered a water to air cooler? I believe I saw somebody run one before. Not sure how practical it is in this application vs air to air, but an idea?

 

[k1n3k]

Have you considered a water to air cooler? I believe I saw somebody run one before. Not sure how practical it is in this application vs air to air, but an idea?

I've considered it, but it seems like I either have to do a lot of shenanigans to hook it to the engine cooling, or its going to require a dedicated radiator. either way it seems about the same amount of work as just doing an air to air.

If you're worried about airflow go with a tube and fin over bar and plate.

do you have any links? I'm not seeing any on summit racing. with the large, long, steep hills we have around here airflow is important when its 105* outside.

 

[bunruh]

If you are crammed for space and can't quite get a large enough intercooler, you could also use water/methanol injection to help with the temps.

 

[Suzuki_dude]

do you have any links? I'm not seeing any on summit racing. with the large, long, steep hills we have around here airflow is important when its 105* outside.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/233832843391?fits=Model%3ABRZ&hash=item367186087f:g:Ic4AAOSwPFhhTi26

This one is tube and fin. I was going to use it but I wanted bar and plate. But like I said before, the engine will run cooler with an intercooler. I don't think you'll have any cooling issues covering the rad with any sort of intercooler.

 

[k1n3k]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/233832843391?fits=Model%3ABRZ&hash=item367186087f:g:Ic4AAOSwPFhhTi26

This one is tube and fin. I was going to use it but I wanted bar and plate. But like I said before, the engine will run cooler with an intercooler. I don't think you'll have any cooling issues covering the rad with any sort of intercooler.

Thanks! I'm on the fence trying to decide how much I want to mess with the intercooler at the moment. I'm really, REALLY considering yanking the engine out of the samurai and swapping in a 1.6 16v gasser in to it. The TDI is nice, especially the 30 MPG it gets, but the lift and width SUCKS. I'd be a lot more fond of it if the whole thing were 4 inches lower and 8 inches narrower. Combine that with the radical drive shaft angles, the added weight, and added noise, It's seriously got me thinking. a 1.6 16v would let me lower it a LOT without worrying about oil pan clearance, I could then swap 31's on it that would clear at full lock and full flex, it would basically fix my rear driveshaft issues, fix the exhaust crossover issue, still let me run the doubler, and probably be more reliable overall not stressing the drivetrain as much in the super low gear ranges. Realistically, it makes enough torque at idle right now it can snap a shaft. Even worse, the doubler has the big gear reduction rather than the transfer case. I rather run 6.4 gears in the transfer case, and 1.8 gears in the doubler rather than the 4.24 gears in there now. I can't do that without killing the highway speeds. And on the highway it still is limited to 65MPH because of the samurai transfer case.

Now I just need to get my wife on board with diesel swapping her sidekick being as its the one with a good motor...

 

[melbakid]

Now I just need to get my wife on board with diesel swapping her sidekick being as its the one with a good motor...
[/quote]

Good luck with that! [lol]

 

[k1n3k]

Now I just need to get my wife on board with diesel swapping her sidekick being as its the one with a good motor...


Good luck with that! [lol]

She's on board with it! though I might be getting a 1998 sport 4 door sidekick. its a nice little kick thats already set up the way I want

So if that pans out, the samurai might stay diesel. We'll see.