The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction

[MrDave]

The Rabbit TDI Project
Part 1: Introduction

For about 10 years I've been looking for a Rabbit pickup. Last year, I found one about 3 hours drive away from home.
About 2 miles away from where I was supposed to meet the guy, the transmission in my GLI died: stuck in third.

So I bought the truck and drove it home.

1982 Rabbit pickup, 1.6L IDI diesel, 5speed.
Top speed: 120 kph, depending on wind direction
~80kph on some of the local hills...

The body of the truck was great, but the engine was lacking. I have a JH/ABA hybrid engine in the GLI, so I'm used to
having torque and power, I knew the engine had to go.

3 months previous, my parents purchased a 2002 GOlf TDI with a slush box. Hmmm....

Started lurking in the forums at TDIclub.com, and was quite intruigued by the performance potential of the TDIs.

Maybe I should leave the truck as a diesel...

Last summer I went to a whack of VW enthusiast gatherings (read: VW shows) Met Cam from CWS Tuning in Regina (www.cwstuning.com), said he had a TDI engine from a 2002 Jetta, low miles (~2200 kms). Hmmmm....

For those that don't know, Cam has a fantastic 1.8T Rabbit.

So I bought the engine and picked it up on Labour Day weekend, 2002.
Poetic justic, the old truck bringing home it's new engine.

Months and tears and scraped nuckles and an empty wallet and a maxed out borrowing account later,
and it's running under it's own forced induction diesel power.

Mmmmmmm, forced induction diesel power.....

Stay tuned...

-Dave

Out with the old,

Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Installing the Engine
Part 3: Transmission
Part 4: Wiring 1
Part 5: Speedometer and Cluster
Part 6: ImmobilizerIII
Part 7: Drive By Wire
Part 8: Intercooler
Part 9: Intake and Exhaust
part 10: MFA and Cruise Control
Part 11: The Dash
Part 12: The Little Things
Part 13: The End (for now)
One Year Later
Dyno results
Who Needs a VR6
TDI Rabbit

Modified by MrDave at 1:54 PM 8-13-2003


Modified by MrDave at 10:07 PM 4-25-2004

[adamrules]

cool.

[88JETTEXTREME]

I want to do this so badly into an A2 Golf or Jetta it would be the ultimate daily driver. So how does it run? Are you happy is there more pix? Dave

[MrDave]

More pics coming later.

Runs good, still working out the bugs and gremlins.

If you're wanting to do an A2, see what this guy has done:
Project TRQMNSTR

[Modified by MrDave, 10:45 PM 4-2-2003]

[dumbestified]

i dunno which I want more... your sweet Caddy or your sweet Bobcat.

[MrDave]

Besides the truck, the first picture also shows a riding lawnmower and some saddle trees...

-Dave

[ArpyArpad]

i recently saw some pics of someone taking a tdi out of a new beetle and putting it into an a2 . dont remember where i saw it though.

whoops! nevermind, that site you linked has those pics.


[Modified by ArpyArpad, 12:49 AM 4-5-2003]

[Jeff@TheQuadShop]

Thats a bad A2 link...do you have the correct one?

[MrDave]

Websites come and go.

That website has been idle for well over a year, and I've heard
that the project has been idle for some time as well.

Here are some links to a different cars:
http://www.album.ee/?o=300002220
http://www.cwstuning.com/gallery/MK2tdi

-Dave

[mikeyworks]

Resurection....of an older thread....but this one cannot die.

In fact, I saved each page as its own PDF so I can keep it for my files.

Mr. Dave, expect e-mails one of these days as I would love to do this to my Caddy too!!!!

Mikey

[urogolf]

AWESOME JOB!!
any updates to this?

[MrDave]

Updates?

Follow the links in the first post.

Beyond that, daily driven, turned over 82,000 kms on the conversion this morning.

-Dave

[SlientG60]

I'm hoping to score a TDI anytime soon.

[kfen]

Is it possible to do this project with a Rabbit gasoline pickup? I am thinking of picking up a totaled 2002 tdi golf.

[MrDave]

Wow, back from the dead.

Simple answer: yes.

Remove the fuel pump at the back and figure out your fuel plumbing, everything else is pretty much the same.

Project update: daily driven, recently changed the timing belt, currently at 106,000 kms on the swap, running 55mpg (Imp) on my current tank of fuel.

-Dave

[kfen]

Thank you. I am on the hunt for a rabbit.

[punkvideo81]

Hey MrDave,
Been interested in doing a TDI Rabbit ever since readng your posts. I found this deal for $2000. Do you think it sounds good?

1996 Passat sedan. It was a wreck I picked up to use the engine and electronics for customer conversion, but he found a newer engine he decided to use instead. The car has 120K documneted miles, has been sitting two years since the accident. Five-speed. It was hit on the left front, unfortunately breaking the intercooler, but I have a spare in usable condition I can give you. The only other broken part is the starter. I did swap out a starter from another TDI long enough to verify the engine ran well and sounded in good. I've already removed the front bumper structure, radiator and support, so pulling it shouldn't be too difficult at all. There are still quite a few parts you can sell from the car to recoup some of the money too.

[SuperChicken13]

Lol, I read this and was like "WTF, another one?!"

[B166eR - VW]

Sorry, had to bump.. Is this baby still on the road?

[MrDave]

Just about ready for it's 250,000km service. (that's 250k since the TDI went in. About 450k on the shell)

-Dave

[B166eR - VW]

amazing. I would love the same for this A1 Jetta Coupe I have.

[diive4sho]

If anyone has these pages cached or if you have pdf's can you send them to Brandon@baak2basics.com
We are about to undergo a TDI swap into our auto-x car.:p

Thanks!

[MrDave]

If anyone has these pages cached or if you have pdf's can you send them to Brandon@baak2basics.com
We are about to undergo a TDI swap into our auto-x car.:p

Thanks!

Try the internet archives:
http://web.archive.org/web/200704291...read?id=778864

-Dave

[MKIGTITDI]

How long did it take for you to complete the entire swap into your caddy? Im looking at doing this myself and im planning on a couple of months with daily work on it.