Ok to swap diesel tranny and engine for gas in cabriolet/rab

sticer · Post by **sticer** » Sat May 29, 2004 4:27 am

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I have the opportunity to gat a cabriolet in pretty decent condition, except blown engine(gas). Tranny is good and was rebuilt a couple of years ago. I really want to make this a veggie oil burner so I want to put a diesel engine in it. Anybody out there with experience doing this that can let me know what is involved?

1lowcab · Post by **1lowcab** » Sat May 29, 2004 11:57 am

wow, that would be a big project! people have swaped diesels to gas so it can be done. you would need a diesel doner car for all the parts.
that would be cool to see a turbo diesel cabby!

1lowcab · Post by **1lowcab** » Sat May 29, 2004 4:48 pm

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=923129

heres a little more info on it.

sticer · Post by **sticer** » Sun May 30, 2004 3:00 am

Thanks for your reply. I called the junkyard to see about the diesel transmission and I was told that they didn't see any difference in the transmissions from their computer (ie no specific transmission for diesel). I suspect, though, that they are different as I believe the diesel needs a different gearing than a gas engine. Anyone out there know?

1lowcab · Post by **1lowcab** » Sun May 30, 2004 12:00 pm

theres no real difference in them. vw made close ratio and wide ratio transmissions and the diesels got the wide ratios. heres a page with the trans codes and ratios http://www.scirocco.org/gears/

sticer · Post by **sticer** » Sun May 30, 2004 2:29 pm

Blades · Post by **Blades** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 11:01 pm

depends on the current transmission and what diesel engine you plan on installing

Give me more details !

I have a close-ratio in my asmatic diesel !

BigDaddy90Cabby · Post by **BigDaddy90Cabby** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:31 am

Did you ever do the swap?? we,,,, ok I wanna know

pdaoust · Post by **pdaoust** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:55 am

hey, here's a question. I'm new to this thread (and forum, for that matter), and I would like to know what you folks think of doing the swap, but keeping my auto tranny? It's the stock 010 TNA three-speed, with ratios of 2.71, 1.5, and 1.0. I'm not familiar with the physics and statistics surrounding various gear ratios and economy/power, but I've fallen in love with the auto tranny in my new Cabrio, having previously been an avid (but quite unskilled) stickshift driver.

Mind you, I know some MkI diesels sold in Canada had the exact same gear ratio, so maybe it'd be okay... I just wonder how the car would perform, that's all.

gull · Post by **gull** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:21 am

If you don't find the answers you need here, you might try the Audi-VW Diesels Yahoo Group. They know diesels, and there are people there who have done diesel swaps into various vehicles.

pdaoust · Post by **pdaoust** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:58 am

Sweet. Thanks for the pointer!

Post by **Briano1234** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:03 am

pdaoust wrote:Sweet. Thanks for the pointer!

I have some experience with the rabbit diesels, bought 20 years worth, and I have swapped a diesel blown for a diesel...if I can be of assistance I will be more than happy to assist.

pdaoust · Post by **pdaoust** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:27 am

Wow, thanks for the offer. Well, for the time being I'm in the planning stage, just trying to figure out if this is do-able. The issue I'm most curious about right now is whether my 010 TNA auto tranny will be appropriate for a 1.6l diesel from a Mk1 or MkII, or whether I should just swap out whatever standard tranny my donor car has. (I just really want to have automatic shifting.)

Post by **Briano1234** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:04 am

pdaoust wrote:Wow, thanks for the offer. Well, for the time being I'm in the planning stage, just trying to figure out if this is do-able. The issue I'm most curious about right now is whether my 010 TNA auto tranny will be appropriate for a 1.6l diesel from a Mk1 or MkII, or whether I should just swap out whatever standard tranny my donor car has. (I just really want to have automatic shifting.)

The auto tranny should be doable, and the fuel tank you an leave the transfer pump in to augment the injector pump, you can remove the inline filter and the inline pump, as you will be hanging the fuel filter off the right strut tower.

The Diesels came with a optional automatic tranny, I know cause when I bought mine (ordered it) I had that option, I just can't remember which one it was to be truthfull.

As far as the veggie oil from what I have seen is that you still have to start it on dino diesel then when the engine gets up to temp you can then switch it over. I was reading up on it a while back as I had a similar thought about buying a old diesel rabbit and doing the same. I do under stand that you have to have a preheater in the bio tank to keep the oil from gelling....actually cowagulate in the tank.

pdaoust · Post by **pdaoust** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:47 pm

It's encouraging to hear about the tranny. Thanks!

yeah, I'm not too interested in going with straight veggie oil, because I live in Canada and I'd always be wrestling with gelling problems... there's a guy about an hour's drive away from me that sells homebrew biodiesel (which has a lower gel point than veggie oil) for about $0.15/litre ($60/gal). So I figure if I buy a donor car for about $1000 - 1500 it will pay for itself in fuel savings in about half a year. Not bad, eh?

One clarification request: I wasn't quite sure what you were saying about the fuel tank and transfer pump. I'm assuming you meant I can keep the fuel tank (I've heard as much before) and the transfer pump inside the tank, right?

Topless Rabbit Forums

Ok to swap diesel tranny and engine for gas in cabriolet/rab

Ok to swap diesel tranny and engine for gas in cabriolet/rab

Thanks for the info and tranny?

Thanks again eom