Jump to content
Ultimate Subaru Message Board

tdi outback


jettyrat
 Share

Recommended Posts

Well, first off...the VW diesel engines are 3+ inches longer than an EJ engine.

 

Additionally, the flywheel of the VW protrudes way beyond the block in the back. VW trans has a very deep bellhousing to match this.

 

Now to put one in a subaru....even if length wasn't an issue.....you'd need an adapter 4~5 inches thick.

 

 

I have a friends who is a VW diesel specialist. He bought an old brat and we looked into putting the VW diesel in it pretty seriously for a while.

 

It could be done.....

 

But it would take a very thick adapter plate, and alot of modification of the front end, relocating the radiator. As far as I know, nobody currently makes an adapter plate for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I own 2 TDI's.

 

Folks are putting them in Samuri's and stuff for rock crawlers. Never seen one to see how they do it.

 

VW offers no affordable AWD diesel options. That's why I'm one of those that would love to see the Subaru diesel make it here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is just a theory. If vanagons came through with TDI and i belive some did, and you can put a 2.5l in a vanagon then why not a tdi in a outback ?

 

Vanagons did not come with TDI. TDI engines are straight 4 (or vr6 in other markets). Vanagons had a diesel variation of the flat 4 gas engine common in older Volkswagens and Porsches. These are a very similar configuration to a Subaru motor, which is why a Subaru swap is so perfect.

 

With a custom adapter plate, you could put a Vanagon diesel in a Subaru.... but it would not be a TDI...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I own 2 TDI's.

 

Folks are putting them in Samuri's and stuff for rock crawlers. Never seen one to see how they do it.

 

VW offers no affordable AWD diesel options. That's why I'm one of those that would love to see the Subaru diesel make it here.

 

Yeah my buddy builds them, Acme adapters. Really some of the best set ups, with great mpg!

 

And VW tdi is old news when it comes to Subaru. You can buy an imported EE20 turbo desial for 5k$ and it will bolt up right up to any Subaru, same bell housing as the EJ. I'd do it but don't have that kind of money...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may have issues fitting it under the hood, even leaned way over like in a vanagon. It's pretty tall from the crank centerline to the top of the valvecover. The 1.6d's are pretty gutless too. You'd also need to make a custom oil pan and pickup to clear the front crossmember.

 

A friend of mine did a 1.9td swap into his vanagon. I'm trying to convince him to turn up the boost and injector pump but he's hung up on this reliability thing. The 1.6td that I helped swap into a Rabbit and "adjusted" downright hauled. You have to put in an EGT gauge and watch it if you turn up the pump but damn is it fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks for the input guys, lookeed at that boxeer site that seams the way to go but i don't know how the gearing in the trans would work. The fuel milage is the big thing for me put about 25k on a year that is just for work, i have 2 suby's now 99 outback and 98 forester and 2 boys that are vw motorheads, we use my suby's for hunting and surf fishing on the east coast, i love to seethe look on people when u come rolling out on the beach with the suby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A TDI with a tune with a haul will really haul. Then there are always injectors and turbo upgrades.

 

You'd likely be getting a chip tune to do immobilizer delete anyways.

 

Best TDI website I've found is tdiclub.com FYI.

 

I've fixed/flipped a lot of Subaru's. But I have 10 VW's. 7 air cooled's, 2 TDI's, and the GTI I was almost killed in I hope to part soon.

 

If I'm able bodied again I'm thinking of throwing a 95,96,97 2.2 I have laying around into my street legal buggy.

 

And I've thought about a TDI into a Subaru but those are expensive engines to play with.

 

I haven't done an engine conversion since late 70's when we put a Buick V6 into the back seat of a VW bug. That thing would fly! Put disc brakes on the front to have some hope of stopping it. We actually installed AC to cool the radiator. No emissions crap computers or FI then on what we used back then.

 

Made a lot of money with that car. Then we sold it before we killed ourselves driving it or by disgrentled loosers.

 

Put a few Corvair Monza engines into offread tube buggies IIR with 327 4 barrel carbs. Those would really move too. Problem was always keeping the front end on the ground at all. Usually we'd get an 8" steel pipe and fill with cement for a front bumper as a start. Put on one of those individual wheel locking brake setups on. A lot of fun. Now no place to run something like that. Then againmy neck couldn't take that anymore anyways. Heck - I'm worried about driving the streel legal buggy much.

 

A TDI Subaru would be good, but that engine would need laid over a ways but that's been done in other conversions.

 

Kennedy adapters were always the proven, common adapters back in the day and I believe they still exist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vanagons did not come with TDI. TDI engines are straight 4 (or vr6 in other markets). Vanagons had a diesel variation of the flat 4 gas engine common in older Volkswagens and Porsches. These are a very similar configuration to a Subaru motor, which is why a Subaru swap is so perfect.

 

With a custom adapter plate, you could put a Vanagon diesel in a Subaru.... but it would not be a TDI...

 

 

This is not correct. Volkswagen never made a Flat 4 diesel.

 

Early vanagons were all air cooled, flat 4cyls. Later ones had either a Water cooler flat 4 (wasserboxer) OR an inline 1.9 diesel tipped way over on it's side. This made them smoke like cheech and chong. Many of those diesel ones are also synchro 4wds.

 

Granted, that is actually not a "TDI" just a 4cy volksy diesel. "TDI" didn't start till late 90's

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is not correct. Volkswagen never made a Flat 4 diesel.

 

Early vanagons were all air cooled, flat 4cyls. Later ones had either a Water cooler flat 4 (wasserboxer) OR an inline 1.9 diesel tipped way over on it's side. This made them smoke like cheech and chong. Many of those diesel ones are also synchro 4wds.

 

Granted, that is actually not a "TDI" just a 4cy volksy diesel. "TDI" didn't start till late 90's

 

Really? Thanks for the clarification. A friend of mine used to daily drive a diesel vanagon westy. I'm sure he told me it was a boxer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is not correct. Volkswagen never made a Flat 4 diesel.

 

Early vanagons were all air cooled, flat 4cyls. Later ones had either a Water cooler flat 4 (wasserboxer) OR an inline 1.9 diesel tipped way over on it's side. This made them smoke like cheech and chong. Many of those diesel ones are also synchro 4wds.

 

Granted, that is actually not a "TDI" just a 4cy volksy diesel. "TDI" didn't start till late 90's

 

That's not correct either...

It was a 1.6L diesel 4cyl leaned over at a 50 degree angle. The angle didn't make them smoke, the fact it was a 48-52hp diesel in a 4000lb vehicle so it had to be floored all the time made them smoke.

 

The 1.9L's were canadian or european, the US didn't get a 1.9L diesel until the TDI came out.

 

There were 1.6 Turbo Diesel (TD) engines in Jetta's and some Golf's starting in the mid 80's. These are indirect injection engines (IDI) and are run by a fully mechanical injection pump. The later Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) engines have a computer running the injection pump. They started in the mid 90's.

 

I'm personally a fan of the TD's. The mechanical injection pump is easy to modify and with some washers stacked in where springs were on the governor assembly, the max power screw backed out a bit, the boost pin rotated to the more aggressive ramp, and the spring tension lowered on the boost aneroid it will about double the fuel going in and keep fueling up past redline. It's meant to rev to 5k rpms and the turbos on them are sized big enough you can turn up the boost pressure without running out of it's efficiency range. It goes from being pokey do downright fun to drive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

I stumbled across an article when I was digging up TDI performance stuff (And of course now I can't find it...) of a 98-99 or so TDI Golf that was pushing close to 400hp, was a circle track car in Europe, even with that much power it still would do 40+mpg. Did manage to find this http://blogs.dieselpowermag.com/6678967/diesel-car-reviews/tdi-19l-220hp-and-400-lb-ft-to-the-wheels/ but it's not the same car. (Similar list of mods)... After looking at that Acme Adaptors site, I'm thinking TDI + Samurai frame + Subaru body :-) (Was originally going to put a Subaru body on a Samurai frame, but use an EJ22 or EJ25) Now I just need time, $, and space!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I stumbled across an article when I was digging up TDI performance stuff (And of course now I can't find it...) of a 98-99 or so TDI Golf that was pushing close to 400hp, was a circle track car in Europe, even with that much power it still would do 40+mpg. Did manage to find this http://blogs.dieselpowermag.com/6678967/diesel-car-reviews/tdi-19l-220hp-and-400-lb-ft-to-the-wheels/ but it's not the same car. (Similar list of mods)... After looking at that Acme Adaptors site, I'm thinking TDI + Samurai frame + Subaru body :-) (Was originally going to put a Subaru body on a Samurai frame, but use an EJ22 or EJ25) Now I just need time, $, and space!

I like the way you think.

cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...