Thread: 300tdi towing

I recently used my 300tdi manual disco to tow our 5m dory ~1200 km as the starter motor on the 4BD1T 110 was a bit flaky. Never again!!!

Stock 300tdi. I could just manage to do the (110 km/h) speed limit. In 20-25oC if I pushed it too hard up hills the temperature started to climb...

that matters for this conversation?



td04 watercooled turbo, a three inch exhaust and a new head after my ex blew the first turbo past acceptable limits by failing to prove the tdi300 is air cooled and therefore does not need its coolant checked. New wheels and center on that with a new engine after she tried to prove that oil in the sump was an optional extra.

I might have neglected the waste gate hook up while installing the TD04 with the thing wound to closed well and truely and unlikely to open with anything less than 40psi inside the exhaust manifold type settings. Then I had a good long chat with mister Fuel injector pump that was decidedly stern and one way about his lack luster performance in the past, how it was no longer acceptable before correcting his behaviour to my liking.

other than that breathing wise

silicone this, later model intercooler that, a snorkle, a 35 psi boost gauge and an EGT long before that with a coolant-charge air inter cooler to come as a pre stage cooler. I also suspect that the Exhaust shop forgot to install the muffler i asked for but Im ok with that it was probably just a last minute oversite and they didnt bill me for the parts.

Sounds impressive is it still economical or is it a power house I can't wait to do some engine work.

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with all the other crap if I drive it just perfectly (and this is the beauty of small capcity high boost turbo or variable boost supercharged diesels) I can pull down 8-9l/100km for highway cycle and 10-11 in the city.

and thats almost always alwys 400kg+over tare and often running on whatever the hell I can get into the tank thats willing to perform a rough imperonation of diesle.


that said, with nearly free fuel in the tank... my right boot tends to have enough weight in it to satisfy a large fleets worth of abalone divers...

never let it be said that I am not out to find new ways to prolong tyre life that do not inlcude or imply the words "drive conservatively"

BLKNIGT

WE ON THIS FORUM have always appreciated your input.
how about some pics and a detailed writeup of your engine mods ?

i'm towing 1800 kg boat and trailer, plus weekend away gear, 120 liter fuel tank. really need the power you have.

am considering fitting a turbosmart eboost to dial in more boost for towing,
and an economy mode for commuting.
getting 23 mpg atm.
towing above 90 kph really needs a downhill incline, even a tiny one.
EGTs i stay below 600, use the auber unit, fits where the clock used to be.
also i have disconnected headlight washers and they now spray water onto
intercooler.

regards
OZ

Originally Posted by oztrax

BLKNIGT

WE ON THIS FORUM have always appreciated your input.
how about some pics and a detailed writeup of your engine mods ?

i'm towing 1800 kg boat and trailer, plus weekend away gear, 120 liter fuel tank. really need the power you have.

am considering fitting a turbosmart eboost to dial in more boost for towing,
and an economy mode for commuting.
getting 23 mpg atm
towing above 90 kph really needs a downhill incline, even a tiny one.
EGTs i stay below 600, use the auber unit, fits where the clock used to be.
also i have disconnected headlight washers and they now spray water onto
intercooler.

regards
OZ

Most likely not, some of my tweaks leave the "not reccommended" and "unsafe" lines looking very very small in the rearview. There's enough clues in how to do it in one of my posts here and no disrespect and call it a barrier test if you like but if you can't workout what's been done and the implications from the clues then you shouldn't be attempting those sort of mods.

Things like fitting up the td04 have been done before and is just another turbo refit, same same for the three inch and snorkel, the watercooled intercooler I'll write up when I get it fitted.


As an example, it's an old school mechanical turbo diesel, you don't need to have external boost management to run different driving conditions if you want it to be more fuel effecient you take the load off of it or back up on the right boot and the injector pump and turbo deal with it all for you.

thanks nite,
no offence taken

Have already tweaked IP (star wheel,smoke screw,turned pin around), in conjunction with turbo wastegate shaft adjust, boost comes on earlier now, without this towing and accelerating with boat was pretty poor.
Also realised aircon off and in my case turn 2nd alternator off allows more power to the wheels.

Exhaust has a hotdog at rear, other than that is standard.

Now i need to reduce egt for those long hills, intercooling improvements seems the go.

thinking of external boost control as my boost seems to finish at 13 ps ish.
thats with the wastegate shaft shortened, longer shaft length gave 15 psi but boost comes in too late for towing/accel.

my injectors etc are original, IP timing set to 0.068" lift, which is slightly advanced.

So u can see i am not scared of "tweaking" and so far this has yielded good results.

regards
OZ

Oz, 13psi sounds a little low to me, at least from memory. Anyone else want to chime on on that one? I was under the impression the 300Tdi pushed bit over 1bar (14psi). I can't be certain though, haven't gotten gauge on mine yet.

Chris