just a question, why are you locating it behind the engine and infront of the firewall? Seems like there should be plenty of room elswhere in the engine compartment? otherwise I enjoy your stick to it ness on this project and creative talent
Build Another Prado in Montana
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- #822
Good question, and probably one I should reconsider. One of my main goals with this swap is to declutter and simplify the engine bay as much as possible, while prioritizing serviceability of any normal wear components or routine maintenance items. The intercooler isn't something that should have to be serviced often, if at all, so I figured I could take advantage of the extra space behind the engine by putting it there. However, the more I look at it I realize that it may be more work for a less than optimal intercooler than it is worth. I need to repopulate the engine bay with some of the other engine related components and see what kind of space I have left, and if it makes sense to find an off the shelf intercooler that will mount somewhere else in the engine bay.just a question, why are you locating it behind the engine and infront of the firewall? Seems like there should be plenty of room elswhere in the engine compartment? otherwise I enjoy your stick to it ness on this project and creative talent
- Thread starter
- #823
I pulled the air filter housing out of my Jetta to see how that would fit in the Prado. It does fit, just, but the inlet and outlet are in totally the wrong places. Upon further measurement I realized that none of the Donaldson filters I was considering will fit either, so I'm thinking the best option will be to design a filter housing around the stock Passat filter. That will allow me to put the inlet and outlet right where I need them, and the filter size is just right for the space I have.
I also started un-modifying my radiator. Since the front mount intercooler no longer fits, the radiator can move back to its original location so I needed to revert the RH side mount bracket to stock. With only about 4 hours of TIG practice on aluminum it isn't going to win any prizes, but I think it will hold up just fine. I'll go back over it to fill the keyholes and weld the entire seam before reinstallation.
I also started un-modifying my radiator. Since the front mount intercooler no longer fits, the radiator can move back to its original location so I needed to revert the RH side mount bracket to stock. With only about 4 hours of TIG practice on aluminum it isn't going to win any prizes, but I think it will hold up just fine. I'll go back over it to fill the keyholes and weld the entire seam before reinstallation.
- Thread starter
- #824
The postman delivered the alternate accessory bracket and related parts, so I bolted them on.
Unfortunately when I went to install the AC compressor I discovered that it interfered with my new motor mount bracket by about 3/4". I think there is just enough room to move the mount back by that amount, but it will be tight. I could also get an AC delete pulley, but I'd really like to retain the possibility of getting the AC system working again.
This discovery took the wind out of my sails this afternoon, so I finished welding up the radiator mount instead. Full weld on both sides of the seam.
Unfortunately when I went to install the AC compressor I discovered that it interfered with my new motor mount bracket by about 3/4". I think there is just enough room to move the mount back by that amount, but it will be tight. I could also get an AC delete pulley, but I'd really like to retain the possibility of getting the AC system working again.
This discovery took the wind out of my sails this afternoon, so I finished welding up the radiator mount instead. Full weld on both sides of the seam.
- Thread starter
- #825
A friend dropped off a couple of old Volvo air filter housings, one from a 240 and one from a turbo 760. Unfortunately they were both too deep to fit so I started drawing up a custom air filter housing that takes a stock Passat air filter.
I had some leftover 0.080" thick aluminum sheet from work, so I started fabbing up the parts. The old Di-Acro brake is working pretty well after a quick tune up.
The Fireball Tool fixture plates and fixturing tools are really handy.
I had some leftover 0.080" thick aluminum sheet from work, so I started fabbing up the parts. The old Di-Acro brake is working pretty well after a quick tune up.
The Fireball Tool fixture plates and fixturing tools are really handy.
- Thread starter
- #826
My TIG welding has improved some but still needs plenty of work, don't look too close at the welds! I got the bottom half of the filter housing welded up, then put a piece of 1/4" plate across the opening and welded it on.
I cut a hole in the 1/4" plate for the filter element to fit in.
I cut a hole in the 1/4" plate for the filter element to fit in.
JDM Journeys
Moderator
It looks good from far! And I'll bet it ain't far from good either...
Nice work!
Nice work!
- Thread starter
- #828
This afternoon I got the top half of the air filter housing put together. I think it turned out ok but I'll know for sure when I get some latches on it and can test it for leaks around the filter. It fits pretty much exactly as I intended it to. The lid will clamp on with some adjustable over-center draw latches.
I'll plumb the inlet to the factory location in the fender, considering a snorkel to help reduce dust ingress since I no longer have the benefit of a cyclonic type filter.
I'll plumb the inlet to the factory location in the fender, considering a snorkel to help reduce dust ingress since I no longer have the benefit of a cyclonic type filter.
- Thread starter
- #830
Yesterday evening @2gbFlashDrive came over and helped me pull the Prado into the shop and remove the engine. I cut the LH motor mount bracket off the frame and moved it back about 7/8", then cut apart the engine side bracket so I could modify it to fit. There is just barely enough clearance between the motor mount and oil cooler, but now the AC compressor fits and has enough space to bolt manifolds on.
- Thread starter
- #831
I had planned on welding and painting the motor mounts on Friday afternoon before leaving town for the weekend, but unfortunately that didn't happen. I spent the weekend selling a friend's FJ60 and wrenching on my Mercedes W116.
The FJ60 is now with its new owners in Seattle, and the Mercedes made the 300 mile drive back home to Bozeman without incident. New Giubos and a center support bearing in the driveshaft solved some vibration issues, it is an absolute dream to cruise down the highway in. 15.5mpg isn't a lot of fun these days, though.
This evening after work I finally got around to pulling the engine back out and welding up the mounts. They were a bit too hot to handle afterwards, so tomorrow I'll slap some paint on them and then the engine should be ready to go back in for the last time! I'm much happier and more confident about the mounts this time around, they're made of 1/4" steel instead of 1/8", and the rubber isolators will be much easier to replace if that's ever needed. The isolators are from a 1st generation 12-valve Cummins, they ought to hold up to the 2.0 TDI!
The FJ60 is now with its new owners in Seattle, and the Mercedes made the 300 mile drive back home to Bozeman without incident. New Giubos and a center support bearing in the driveshaft solved some vibration issues, it is an absolute dream to cruise down the highway in. 15.5mpg isn't a lot of fun these days, though.
This evening after work I finally got around to pulling the engine back out and welding up the mounts. They were a bit too hot to handle afterwards, so tomorrow I'll slap some paint on them and then the engine should be ready to go back in for the last time! I'm much happier and more confident about the mounts this time around, they're made of 1/4" steel instead of 1/8", and the rubber isolators will be much easier to replace if that's ever needed. The isolators are from a 1st generation 12-valve Cummins, they ought to hold up to the 2.0 TDI!
- Thread starter
- #832
A step forward and two steps backward today. I got the frame and motor mount brackets painted, will let it cure for another day before trying to reinstall anything. The paint goes on blue/gray but dries black.
Putting together my accessory drive I discovered I somehow ordered the wrong serpentine belt, ended up with one for a non-AC model TDI. Went to install the thermostat housing and found that it won't fit. The original BHW thermostat housing won't work with the BEW accessory bracket, but the BEW thermostat housing doesn't fit with the BHW hard coolant line. Luckily pretty much all 4-cylinder, 8-valve water-cooled VW engines use the same thermostat housing mounting flange, so I may be able to find something that will fit. Otherwise I'll look into getting an aftermarket cast aluminum ALH thermostat housing and doing a cut and weld job on it.
Putting together my accessory drive I discovered I somehow ordered the wrong serpentine belt, ended up with one for a non-AC model TDI. Went to install the thermostat housing and found that it won't fit. The original BHW thermostat housing won't work with the BEW accessory bracket, but the BEW thermostat housing doesn't fit with the BHW hard coolant line. Luckily pretty much all 4-cylinder, 8-valve water-cooled VW engines use the same thermostat housing mounting flange, so I may be able to find something that will fit. Otherwise I'll look into getting an aftermarket cast aluminum ALH thermostat housing and doing a cut and weld job on it.
- Thread starter
- #833
The engine is reinstalled! If all goes well I shouldn't have to take it out again, at least not for a long time.
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- #834
Finally started working on the wiring harness today. I kept telling myself it was going to be pretty straightforward, but every time I looked at it I backed out. Took the plunge this afternoon and it turned out to be pretty simple after all! I started by going through the two ECU plugs and snipping every wire that wasn't needed for a basic, standalone harness.
These harnesses have a series of plugs connecting the engine bay harness to the vehicle harness, I traced all the wires back from those into the engine harness to see what they corresponded to on the ECU, then snipped and labeled them. Only some will be retained at all, like the throttle pedal wiring, CAN-bus and OBD K-line. Everything else got cut out, leaving me with this:
At this point I need to mount the ECU, fuse panel and glow plug relay so I can fit the harness to the engine bay layout and get everything adjusted to the correct length. Beyond that it is just a matter of hooking up a power relay, grounds, ignition trigger and the throttle pedal.
I also discovered that the cheap Chinesium EGR delete pipe I bought doesn't actually fit my intake manifold, the bolt pattern is significantly different.
These harnesses have a series of plugs connecting the engine bay harness to the vehicle harness, I traced all the wires back from those into the engine harness to see what they corresponded to on the ECU, then snipped and labeled them. Only some will be retained at all, like the throttle pedal wiring, CAN-bus and OBD K-line. Everything else got cut out, leaving me with this:
At this point I need to mount the ECU, fuse panel and glow plug relay so I can fit the harness to the engine bay layout and get everything adjusted to the correct length. Beyond that it is just a matter of hooking up a power relay, grounds, ignition trigger and the throttle pedal.
I also discovered that the cheap Chinesium EGR delete pipe I bought doesn't actually fit my intake manifold, the bolt pattern is significantly different.
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- Thread starter
- #835
Another intercooler mockup, the core I was considering (6"x6"x2.9") physically fits in the space but can't be installed or removed without moving the engine. There is also a 6"x6"x2.5", and I have a 6"x6"x2". Thinking I'll probably start by modifying the old 2" thick intercooler I had built for my first 2L-TE to see if it will be sufficient, and if not I can always upgrade to the 2.5" core.
Built a bracket to hold the ECU, got to make use of my bead roller finally.
Started on the bracket that the coolant reservoir, power steering reservoir, ECU and fuse panel will eventually mount to.
I need to build a heavy duty extension cord to go from the NEMA L14-30 receptacle to a NEMA 6-50 receptacle to run my welder outside the box truck and be able to tack stuff in situ in the engine bay. The only 6-50 receptacle I have right now is inside, my welder leads don't reach out of the truck.
Built a bracket to hold the ECU, got to make use of my bead roller finally.
Started on the bracket that the coolant reservoir, power steering reservoir, ECU and fuse panel will eventually mount to.
I need to build a heavy duty extension cord to go from the NEMA L14-30 receptacle to a NEMA 6-50 receptacle to run my welder outside the box truck and be able to tack stuff in situ in the engine bay. The only 6-50 receptacle I have right now is inside, my welder leads don't reach out of the truck.
- Thread starter
- #836
The bracket (so far) installed with the coolant reservoir. The reservoir turned out a little higher up than I had anticipated, and I couldn't quite tell if it would contact the hood insulation so I put a couple of dabs of grease on the cap and closed the hood. No grease got on the hood insulation so its good to go.
- Thread starter
- #837
Finalized the ECU mount bracket after a couple of revisions, it still needs a bit of high density foam to cushion and clamp the ECU in place. It will also get new hardware, I just gave it a test with whatever old M6 bolts I had at hand.
Yesterday I worked on a mounting solution for the main power distribution panel and glow system fuse. Got it folded up on the finger brake and was going to give it a coat of paint but the rain turned to snow so I called it quits for the day.
An intercooler, heat exchanger and some related parts are also on order. There was a sale on a 4"x8" round pass through core so I decided to try my luck with fitting it somewhere in the engine bay. I may be able to modify the end tanks to fit it behind the engine, but otherwise I think it should fit across the front of the engine by the upper timing cover. Not ideal from a maintenance standpoint but I can put service loops in the coolant lines so it can be moved out of the way without disconnecting the cooling system.
Yesterday I worked on a mounting solution for the main power distribution panel and glow system fuse. Got it folded up on the finger brake and was going to give it a coat of paint but the rain turned to snow so I called it quits for the day.
An intercooler, heat exchanger and some related parts are also on order. There was a sale on a 4"x8" round pass through core so I decided to try my luck with fitting it somewhere in the engine bay. I may be able to modify the end tanks to fit it behind the engine, but otherwise I think it should fit across the front of the engine by the upper timing cover. Not ideal from a maintenance standpoint but I can put service loops in the coolant lines so it can be moved out of the way without disconnecting the cooling system.