[Vwdiesel] New to list

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

> I have heard that these engines are damn near bulletproof so i did not
> hesitate in purschasing the car with all that milage on it.

  Not quite bulletproof.  If you let the coolant get low, or timing belt too
tight
or the pump bushing gets worn, then they're pretty fragile.  Running the
right oil is much more critical for the engine's health than with a gas
engine
also.

>    Now i have never owned a diesel before so upkeep with this car is a whole
>  new world to me. I need to replace the fuel filter and i read that filling
>  the filter when changing it with ATF helps to lube the injector pump and to
>  also clean the injectors and pump, is this true sounds wacky to me. Also, I
>  was told it would not be a bad idea to put 2 stroke oil or even motor oil
in
>  my fuel when i fill up, again is this for real???

  Don't fill it with ATF unless you have good reason to.  Once in a great
while won't hurt anything but running Stanadyne fuel additive is the best
thing you can do if you want to run an additive. Marc in Spain came up
with the 2 cycle oil thing and it does seem to work.  Better mileage,
quieter running, less smoke and more power!  :)  Best anyone has come
up with, it has an ingredient in it that looks to be similar to some polymer
that when used with gas, makes for more even burning.  Don't use motor
oil unless it's for emergency fuel.  BTDT!

>    Is there any other maintenance issues that any of you could enlighten me
>  with it would be greatly appreciated..

  Adjust the valves, make sure to replace the timing belt about every 60K.
Don't overtighten it and the "90 degree twist" method used on the gas
belts DOES NOT PERTAIN!  Use a DIESEL RATED oil.  Generally a
15W/40.  Set your pump and cam timing properly.

The other thing is this i am new to
>  diesels, but i'm not new to turbo's. I have built and modified many
>  turbocharged gas engines, but never a diesel. Seeing as how my car came
>  equipped with a turbo the thought of modding it has crossed my mind many a
>  time. I would very much like to put an intercooler on it, from what I
>  understand intercooling a diesel has the same effect it has on a gas
engine.

  Yes, and no.  On a gas it keeps the charge cooler so you can run more
timing and slightly more fuel.  On a diesel it simply increases the air
density.  This equates to more complete burning, better power, less
smoke and run cooler.  It makes room to turn up the fuel and get even
more power.  :)

>  I also wouldn't mind turning up the boost some, but the part that gets me
is
>  this a diesel runs by detonation which IS VERY BAD WITH A GAS ENGINE!!!  I
>  have no idea how to tune a diesel engine, from what i gather you can pump
> all
>  the air you want into a diesel it wouldn't make much difference unless you
>  supply it with extra fuel.

  Again turning up the boost will do the same as adding an intercooler.  It
adds more power but the real gains come from using the excess air by
adding more fuel.  More boost means more heat so an intercooler starts
becoming mandatory or the increase in temp will partly defeat the higher
pressure because of the decreasing density from the heat.

For tuning a gas engine i usually use a air/fuel
>  ratio gauge and for extreme applications i use an EGT meter, but with a
>  diesel i keep reading about looking at the smoke coming out of the tailpipe
>  as an indicator as to how rich or lean the engine is running, is this
correct
>  for diesel tuning or is there a more precise  method??

  The pyrometer is the FIRST tool on hopping up a TD. It's not an extreme
tool.  It can diagnose bad injectors, loss of fuel, several things once you
learn to read it and the "normal" readings under each condition, for your
car.  Pretty much anything goes, so to speak, so long as you keep your
smoke down and the EGT below ~1200 F post turbine

I am very excited to
>  be learing more about making a TD engine more powerful i enjoy learning new
>  things especially anything to do with cars. So any info that any of you can
>  give me would be greatly appreciated.

  2 1/2" exhaust with a  LOW restriction muffler.  Unlike a gas engine,
diesels don't like back pressure and it really cuts back on the turbo.

>    Lastly one of my VW friends was at Waterfest last year and he said that
>  there were some really well done and modded TDI's running around are any of
>  you on this list??
>  Sorry, for the long winded post, but i just want to understand my car as
>  completely as possible. Thank's in adavnce SAUL.

  Welcome to the list and prepare to sit back and learn about more than
just VW diesels!  ;-D  Do first things first and it's doubtful anybody here
will tell you how to turn up your pump until you have a pyrometer.  It's
just too easy to damage your engine otherwise.  A good place to shop
for gauges, rebuilt injectors, K&N filters, Stanadyne etc, is
www.dieselpage.com.
     Loren