Is a Di engine turbo conversion possible?

[sebringbmw]

Hi Guys

I just had the timing belt and waterpump done as well as the clutch and the van runs really well now - its a non banana manifold BTW!

I was wondering if it is possible to do a turbo conversion on the exisiting engine and the parts i would need.

Has anyone on here done this conversion?

Q

[FredTransit]

You can't just slap a turbo on a regular DI. The pistons are different.

[MrMPuk]

Apparently you can but I can't find the post, If I remember correctly it was transit goeff that did it and had no problems.

[FredTransit]

Many, many years ago a mate of ours at the time had a Mk2 LWB and stuch a rover turbo on it. Went like a train. Until it burned two of the pistond out. Lo and behold he repeated the process, and it happend again!! I wouldn't recommend it!

[100ps_drw_hicube]

jay has done it but i cant see it lasting AS long as a proper turbo lump as the turbo engine is lower compression like you fred i have also seen the results of a turbo on a n/a engine

[transitgeoff]

you can just bolt a turbo on a di, just use a transit turbo as there low blow, ive done it and the van stayed round me for over a year and towing bangers from Essex to Mildenhall,no problem, turbo di hasnt got lower compresion pressure because if it did it wouldnt start,diesels rely on compresion to start,if you lowered it it wont fire

[motorwise]

you can just bolt a turbo on a di, just use a transit turbo as there low blow, ive done it and the van stayed round me for over a year and towing bangers from Essex to Mildenhall,no problem, turbo di hasnt got lower compresion pressure because if it did it wouldnt start,diesels rely on compresion to start,if you lowered it it wont fire

I'd go for it as geoff says they're only low boost anyway - compression is lower on the turbos but only 2.3 ratios so not a lot of difference (20.6:1 non turbo and 18.3:1 turbo) - it may have a little bit more poke than a factory diesel as a result

[transitgeoff]

when i did the conversion i checked the autodata book and it stated that the compresion pressures were the same but the compresion ratio was different

[motorwise]

when i did the conversion i checked the autodata book and it stated that the compresion pressures were the same but the compresion ratio was different

you're right of course that should have read compression ratio is lower it's only set lower to probably preserve some reliability but as you've found in practice there's no problem - I've also fitted non turbo engines to a few different makes and models of turbo diesels with no problems at all just swapped all the bits over

[jay]

yeah mines a turbo Di in my luton van pulls a box trailer most days london and back fully loaded up. It does about 20-25 mpg. The engine in mine is just a normal Di (not a banana engine)and all i done first was just bung a turbo off a later di engine and connected up the oil pipes and made up the turbo pipes,I made a flange up to fit on the inlet manifold.later on i had my pump (which is a bosch pump no electrics)adjusted internally to make the fuelling richer at low throtle.(i had it done at a fuel injection place)and the van went very well.I have now done over 60000 miles on this engine (the engine has now been in 3 diffrent vans)god knows what the milage was before i got the engine as the van it came out of had gone round the clock.The one thing i would do is to put a intercooler in the van as it will help to keep the pistons cool.There are more people about and a few on this forum who have done this as well.

[motorwise]

I agree with the idea of adding an intercooler - preserves the engine and increases the performance - loads of intercoolers on e bay for silly money

[jay]

I used a standard series 1 rs turbo escort intercooler..I only used it as thats what i had hanging around.

[sebringbmw]

has anyone got pics of their conversions - and also more detailed write ups please?

how much do you think it will cost me to complete the project?

Q

transit@raj4.com

Thanks

[transitgeoff]

intercooler with bosch pump is good, epic with intercooler tried it,pulled great just couldnt come off the power,as soon as you did it started hunting like mad the only type of charge cooler i have ever seen on a turbo di, is water cooled, ive never seen a proper intercooler on a turbo di, i think its a myth myself