- Thread starter
- #81
LH engine side mount. It is a crazy looking piece!
Bolted in place on the engine:
Bolted in place on the engine:
Builds Another Prado in Montana (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter AirheadNut
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #82
Once the engine was hanging in place it became apparent that the RH mount was too low down on the engine to reach to the top of the rubber mount, so I made a new on using a pattern of holes further forward on the block, just under the turbo.
RH frame mount:
Engine side gusseted:
At this point it was getting pretty late at night, but I decided to press on because I needed to take the Cruiser down off the jack stands so I could use them to help a friend put an OME suspension in his Tundra the next day. Some more fiddling around getting everything lined up and making sure that the transmission was not crooked, and at 11:47 PM the engine finally sat in the engine bay by itself!
Right now everything is just tacked, so it will all have to come out again and get fully welded and painted.
RH frame mount:
Engine side gusseted:
At this point it was getting pretty late at night, but I decided to press on because I needed to take the Cruiser down off the jack stands so I could use them to help a friend put an OME suspension in his Tundra the next day. Some more fiddling around getting everything lined up and making sure that the transmission was not crooked, and at 11:47 PM the engine finally sat in the engine bay by itself!
Right now everything is just tacked, so it will all have to come out again and get fully welded and painted.
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Nice work Airhead. I still can't wait to see how this goes.
- Thread starter
- #84
Same here! I'm getting really anxious to get it on the road and see how it drives. I still need to figure out the gearing/tire issue, and get upgraded injectors to go with the stage 2 tune.
A really elegant installation. Plus, it's crazy how much room you have left over. You could fit another engine in there!
I couldn't believe his extra room either. With the 2LTE and intercooler in mine the engine bay is packed. But, it sort of makes sense. My VW engine bay was tiny with that thing in there sideways. It will be much easier to work on. And ,a timing belt will be a cakewalk compared to when it's in the VW.
- Thread starter
- #87
I was going to use some of that extra room to install a large air-to-air intercooler between the radiator and AC condenser, but I discovered that the radiator can't move back from its stock location due to the mount for the cross brace on the frame:
I could offset the radiator a couple of inches to the LH side of the vehicle and get it to squeeze in, but I'm not sure thats the best way to go. I am now leaning toward a water-to-air setup, as I already have the core and pump.
One happy discovery was that with the engine positioned the way it is there is now room for the stock TDI vacuum pump to mount on the rear of the cylinder head, so I won't have to buy an electric vacuum pump and wire it in.
I could offset the radiator a couple of inches to the LH side of the vehicle and get it to squeeze in, but I'm not sure thats the best way to go. I am now leaning toward a water-to-air setup, as I already have the core and pump.
One happy discovery was that with the engine positioned the way it is there is now room for the stock TDI vacuum pump to mount on the rear of the cylinder head, so I won't have to buy an electric vacuum pump and wire it in.
Seeing that the front of the engine is now behind the front axle, I think you may have the only mid-engined Land Cruiser in existence. Should do wonders for handling in the twisties. 
- Thread starter
- #89
Time for another update! I have mostly been working on intercooler and radiator mounts. After talking to several people about the radiator clearance issue I decided to take a brave pill and get to work with the angle grinder. The radiator now fits far enough back to get the intercooler in front of it. I plan on adding some reinforcement to the frame.
A couple of pieces of scrap angle iron turned the shop press into a makeshift press brake:
And my right arm got a workout drilling two 3-in holes in 16ga steel with the hand crank drill press:
The angle grinder was put to work again to cut off one of the radiator's mounts to allow enough space to get the intercooler pipes through:
A couple of pieces of scrap angle iron turned the shop press into a makeshift press brake:
And my right arm got a workout drilling two 3-in holes in 16ga steel with the hand crank drill press:
The angle grinder was put to work again to cut off one of the radiator's mounts to allow enough space to get the intercooler pipes through:
- Thread starter
- #90
Test fitting the radiator with its new mounts:
Test fitting the intercooler to make sure that the inlet and outlet pipes fit through the holes:
The finished product ready for paint:
Test fitting the intercooler to make sure that the inlet and outlet pipes fit through the holes:
The finished product ready for paint:
- Thread starter
- #91
I also took the engine out again to finish welding the engine mounts:
Gave them a couple of coats of paint:
Gave them a couple of coats of paint:
- Thread starter
- #92
Welded up the mounts on the frame and painted them with POR15
- Thread starter
- #93
The Prado saw the light of day for the first time since February 22nd when I loaded it onto a trailer and took it to a local exhaust shop to discuss options. It turns out the starter interferes with the turbo outlet so badly that it isn't possible to get a pipe to the turbo. There were two options: find a smaller starter (mine can't be clocked) or figure out a way to have a higher mounted turbo. I didn't really want any smaller of a starter as mine is already significantly smaller than a stock TDI starter. Luckily I happened to have a GT1749VA from a 2005 Passat TDI, which when used with the Passat manifold brings the turbo up and away from the engine. I hopped on Ebay and bought a used manifold and a turbo cartridge. The slightly larger turbo should be good for about 4-5psi more than the VNT17, so maybe there is a power increase in the future 
- Thread starter
- #94
Well, a lot has been going on in the past couple of weeks, though not much progress :\ A BHW exhaust manifold from a 2005 Passat arrived in the mail, so I pulled off the stock turbofold and fitted the new manifold. Unfortunately it brought the turbo into conflict with the steering shaft. I also tried mounting the manifold upside down (the bolt pattern is symmetrical) but that didn't work either because the exhaust manifold has a bulge that interferes with the intake manifold. The other options are to find an old VW 1.6TD exhaust manifold (mounts turbo above rather than below) or make a custom manifold. I will also have to clock the turbine side of the turbo relative to the CHRA to get the oil ports vertical.
I also received a new CHRA, so I tore the turbo apart to clean it and see how a VNT works! Hot side off, needs some cleaning:
A bit of time with a brass brush and solvent and things are looking nicer:
The vane assembly:
Putting it back together. At this point a minor catastrophe struck: there is a tiny split pin in the CHRA that acts as a dowel pin to line up the actuator arm with the actuator ring. When I was gently wiggling the two parts trying to get the pin in its hole the pin broke off. Now I have to drill out the remains of the pin and reuse the old one. I will need to drill a new hole in the turbine housing as well in order to clock the turbo so it can be top mounted.
I also received a new CHRA, so I tore the turbo apart to clean it and see how a VNT works! Hot side off, needs some cleaning:
A bit of time with a brass brush and solvent and things are looking nicer:
The vane assembly:
Putting it back together. At this point a minor catastrophe struck: there is a tiny split pin in the CHRA that acts as a dowel pin to line up the actuator arm with the actuator ring. When I was gently wiggling the two parts trying to get the pin in its hole the pin broke off. Now I have to drill out the remains of the pin and reuse the old one. I will need to drill a new hole in the turbine housing as well in order to clock the turbo so it can be top mounted.
- Thread starter
- #95
The carnage:
Also, my plan for clocking the VNT turbo: TDIClub Forums - View Single Post - '99 Audi A4Q/2.0TDI Conversion
In other news, I finished the intercooler and radiator mounts and got them in for (hopefully) the last time. I also fitted the fan shroud, trying to find an electric fan that will work with it.
And my Dyna R452 5th gear set arrived. This should gain me some significant overdrive and put the TDI right where it wants to be on the highway.
Also, my plan for clocking the VNT turbo: TDIClub Forums - View Single Post - '99 Audi A4Q/2.0TDI Conversion
In other news, I finished the intercooler and radiator mounts and got them in for (hopefully) the last time. I also fitted the fan shroud, trying to find an electric fan that will work with it.
And my Dyna R452 5th gear set arrived. This should gain me some significant overdrive and put the TDI right where it wants to be on the highway.
I think we need to change your handle to "PerseveranceNut" . Marveling at your tenacity to see this thru. 
It's a lesson for me. Well done and keep at it. I hope you get 80 mpg for all your work. LOL
It's a lesson for me. Well done and keep at it. I hope you get 80 mpg for all your work. LOL
It's quite normal to run into problems like these with such a project, but you're tackling each and every one of them like a pro well done!
On a side note, just a little heads up on your overdrive mod. Seems like the cluster gear you got there is for the later type R15#, and if I'm correct the box you're using is the earlier type, right ? Hope I'm wrong but I just felt like sharing this with you so you could check thoroughly and maybe saving you some unnecessary work hours.
well done!On a side note, just a little heads up on your overdrive mod. Seems like the cluster gear you got there is for the later type R15#, and if I'm correct the box you're using is the earlier type, right ? Hope I'm wrong but I just felt like sharing this with you so you could check thoroughly and maybe saving you some unnecessary work hours.
It's quite normal to run into problems like these with such a project, but you're tackling each and every one of them like a pro
On a side note, just a little heads up on your overdrive mod. Seems like the cluster gear you got there is for the later type R15#, and if I'm correct the box you're using is the earlier type, right ? Hope I'm wrong but I just felt like sharing this with you so you could check thoroughly and maybe saving you some unnecessary work hours.
The earlier type clustershaft has a 30mm 5th journal while the later type is 28mm. Another difference is the synchronising part on the cluster gear is closer to the actual gear on the earlier type then the later type, thus suggesting different hub/slider/shift fork designs.
- Thread starter
- #99
You are exactly right. My plan is to swap my early 28mm countershaft with a later 30mm one. From what I can tell all of the other bearings and ratios are the same, so it should fit fine. I will just have to get the later synchro and springs. I believe the slider and hub are both the same. In the photo above the hubs aren't pressed on all of the way, so there is a much bigger gap than normal.
- Thread starter
- #100
Well, it's been WAY too long since I've updated this thread, but unfortunately this thing called work keeps getting in the way...
A couple of weeks ago I sold the tires that came with the rig in preparation for getting larger ones. I had to pull the Prado out of the garage to take the wheels off and put on some spares while I had the tires demounted. Once outside it became apparent that the spare set from my brother's HDJ81 had the wrong backspacing and interfered with the front calipers. So the Prado has been sitting outside while I wait to get the new tires. 
It doesn't look half bad on 33's though!
I also started work on the exhaust manifold:
Preheated the 1/2" header flange:
And welded it up:
It isn't the prettiest thing out there, and I will probably have to get the face of the flange machined due to some warpage, but it should work. Now I need to make a flange for the turbo and figure out exactly where it should go on the manifold.
A couple of weeks ago I sold the tires that came with the rig in preparation for getting larger ones. I had to pull the Prado out of the garage to take the wheels off and put on some spares while I had the tires demounted. Once outside it became apparent that the spare set from my brother's HDJ81 had the wrong backspacing and interfered with the front calipers. So the Prado has been sitting outside while I wait to get the new tires. It doesn't look half bad on 33's though!
I also started work on the exhaust manifold:
Preheated the 1/2" header flange:
And welded it up:
It isn't the prettiest thing out there, and I will probably have to get the face of the flange machined due to some warpage, but it should work. Now I need to make a flange for the turbo and figure out exactly where it should go on the manifold.
