Club 80-90 Forums

How does it drive?
Does it sound revvy and feels like it needs another gear?

What size wheels does it have?

It does look like a mechanical fuel pump - if you get someone to sit in the cab and pump the throttle can you see a lever moving back and forth on top of the fuel pump? Most TDI's have an electronic fuel pump and are "fly by wire" so you wouldn't see anything moving on the fuel pump itself.

Regarding the gearbox, if it's a 4-speed it's likely to be a standard T25 gearbox - will be very revvy above 60mph, but if you have a fully loaded high-top camper maybe that's not an issue?

Any gearbox from a front wheel drive car will need to be flipped (otherwise you'll have one forward gear and 5 reverse), and the engine will need to be lowered to avoid the drive shafts being at daft angles.

Hi guys,

Just an update! I took my van to my friend who is a 'Transporter Whisperer', knows all models inside out and has owned many of these T25s with converted engine, doing many himself.

He basically tells me its an AAZ engine from a Golf or Passat, so a 1.9TD not TDI.

The invoice quite clearly states 110hp TDI from a Passat, so the previous owners were 'mis-sold' it seems.

Regarding the gearing, he also tells me to just enjoy the 4-speed box. It is a cruiser for holidays anyway. I do prefer the pace compared to my PD130 Golf Sport which can feel ridiculous sometimes.

It has the standard 14" wheels.

The fuel pump is quite obviously a manual now, one of the main characteristics my friend Dean pointed out to me as an obvious AAZ engine.

Thanks to everyone that's chipped in so far!

So it's a bit of good news/bad news.
The good news is that the AAZ won't lunch the gearbox and the ratios will be fine.

The bad news - well there really isn't any. A TDi really would need a gearbox update which is not cheap.

There are lot of people driving AAZ engined buses, enjoy yours.

Not surpising the company was dissolved. Hopefully they're not still in business under another name. They either knew it wasn't a TDI or didn't know the difference - either way not good.
As for your van: the AAZ TD is a well thought of engine and at least one of the reasons some people fitted a TDI with all its complications was because it was getting harder to find a really good AAZ.
And the TDs and pre-PD TDIs are arguably better for a T3 in that their legendary strength and longevity more than make up for their relative lack of (unnecessary in a T3) pure HP. Though they can be tuned.

Titus A Duxass wrote:So it's a bit of good news/bad news.
The good news is that the AAZ won't lunch the gearbox and the ratios will be fine.

The bad news - well there really isn't any. A TDi really would need a gearbox update which is not cheap.

There are lot of people driving AAZ engined buses, enjoy yours.

You're right! I don't feel hard done by in any way really. I prefer the idea of a simpler engine.

Thanks for all your help too!

sweetaswesty wrote:Not surpising the company was dissolved. Hopefully they're not still in business under another name. They either knew it wasn't a TDI or didn't know the difference - either way not good.
As for your van: the AAZ TD is a well thought of engine and at least one of the reasons some people fitted a TDI with all its complications was because it was getting harder to find a really good AAZ.
And the TDs and pre-PD TDIs are arguably better for a T3 in that their legendary strength and longevity more than make up for their relative lack of (unnecessary in a T3) pure HP. Though they can be tuned.

Speak to me about tuning potential!!!

I wasn't sure if this included the ECU, but I'm guessing that plastic box in the last pic is just that?

It does seem a tad suspect that they're now out of business. He paid the best part of £2,000 for the conversion and it's been to the alps and back three times, and toured Spain and the UK numerous times.

you don't have an ECU, the plastic box on the bulkhead is a junction/relay box that all T3's have.

Google VW IDI Tuning!

looks like a 90/110 VE 1.9 TDi to me

My favorite was the ASV coded one which was happy with 11mm pump and .216 nozzles giving 155 @ wheels for 250k miles in my A3

Great in a T3 I would think

if yours is a 90 hp unit just fit .2 nozzles and it will go to 110 hp or .216 to 128 hp

so easy to tune and bulletproof if you keep the oil clean and cool.

Cobra88 wrote:looks like a 90/110 VE 1.9 TDi to me

My favorite was the ASV coded one which was happy with 11mm pump and .216 nozzles giving 155 @ wheels for 250k miles in my A3

Great in a T3 I would think

if yours is a 90 hp unit just fit .2 nozzles and it will go to 110 hp or .216 to 128 hp

so easy to tune and bulletproof if you keep the oil clean and cool.

Huh? You’re saying it looks like a TDI???

I’m confused. What makes you say it is?

it's a TD I think, it says TD on the rocker cover label, there's no electrical wire to number 3 injector and no electrical wiring to the pump and no ecu anywhere obvious
on the crank case underneath it will have 1.9 cast into it and say diesel or td, if it's 1.9 and has a turbo it's an AAZ or similar, the actual engine code is stamped on the block below number 3 on the top but is notoriously hard to find and harder to read

It is definetly an AAZ 1.9TD engine. You can easily tell by the shape of the injectors, the cylinder head, the rocker cover and the diesel pump. Not a TDI in any form.