Turbo / efi advice for my 1991 Syncro with 82mmX96.5 wiseco.

[Sync]

Hello all. I'm new here.
I'm looking for help in turbo charging my Syncro.
I built a 2.4 ltr Vw Wasserboxer about 20000 km ago for my 16 " syncro.
I've since converted it to a westfalia camper and its heavier now.
It runs on factory ecu/efi.
I'm not that happy with how it's running ( very crapy and sluggish down low)
The engine is based on a DPR 82 mm crank. Go westy/wiseco 96.5 mm pistons and h beam rods and go westy custom cam shaft. I have AMC heads and stock hydraulic lifters.
There is a copper head spacer shim between cyl liner and head that sets the current compression ratio to 9.4:1.I was thinking I could increase its thickness to reduce the compression ratio. (What is a good compression ratio to achieve??? Generally here in Australia I can get 98 octaine and definitely 95).

I'm looking to turbo it and change the efi altogether. To date I've spent a lot and I want to keep my car VW. Can some one recommend a suitable turbo and aftermarket engine management system. Can some one post thru turbo set up pictures suitable for a Syncro?

I'm looking for a set up that makes my off road rig a beast!!!!( espically down low when driving in sand). And RELIABLE!!!

Please help.

Best regards
Hamish

[buildabiggerboxer]

its a BIG ask, a tiny turbo for good off road/dune work wont make a beast as you need instant spool up, many have turbo know how, but off roading one with a heavy syncro is very specialized, the two dont really go together. fastback has a turbo bus running well, but it wont off road, maybe he has some input.

[Sync]

That's sad to hear. I have a r32 mk 5 with a gt30 and I find it spools up relatively well.
Its limited to 10 psi boost.
I wonder if a super charger is better?
I wonder why my car doesn't impress me when driving around town? A real pig to drive.
I'm thinking the factory efi is just old and struggling.
If I can't fix it I'm thinking going a Subaru diesel or simple ej2.5 but that breaks my heart as i only ever owned vws.

[buildabiggerboxer]

I would guess it has a fueling problem if its as bad as you say, it sounds un pleasant to drive, but yes, you've got my attention now and supercharging would be an option for torque off road, if a bit specialized, it would need a good search on the forums for info as to a suitable 'charger, that or why not just fit dual twin choke carbs?

[Steve Arndt]

What size tires do you have? (gearing change)

I have an 80x96 Rocky Jennings engine in my Syncro. John at aircooled.net also does. He is planning on turbo + megasquirt for his bus. He was the only guy on the net 10 years ago with a turbo syncro wasser.

[Sync]

I'm running 750mm OD Tyres.
6.17 rnp and 0.77 forth.
Tonight I just drove 1000km 10 am till 11:30 pm.
It rained on and off - I noticed late in evening when it was cool and wet my engine at 3800 rm in forth gear doing roughly 115 km/h was a pleasure to drive. Also once or twice down low in tragic it felt like a beast.... I'm wondering if fueling is a issue to. I'm going to try and change my o2 sensor this week.

I'd like to know more about rocky jennings turbo wasser boxer Syncro- where can I get pics and specs from?

As I did my long drive tonight I was wondering a tdo4 Subaru turbo and water to air intercooler and then I was wondering what to do for a efi system- is the mega squirt easy and affirdable??

My friend used a modified Mitsubishi magma distributor to pic up crank TDC and fire cylinders from a single coil and running a wolf 3d ecu on a 2.4 air cooled bus motor.

I've just picked up a vr6 adapter plate and flywheel but as I drove tonight I felt sad as I believe in my wasser boxer and wondered what if u could turbo and run a after market ecu to additionally fix the fueling issues. I was thinking to just slightly decompress my 2.4 wasser boxer by installing a thicker head cyl copper gasket.....

[Sync]

Tragic above was supposed to read 'traffic'.

I do have a set of 48Idf carbs that I was saving for my 84.5x94 oxyB

[E_bug]

Dont bother witn the o2s,
Try to check your efi system thoroughly and you will find the problem.

[Steve Arndt]

Actually a slow responding O2 sensor can make them sluggish. Simply try unplugging the sensor and test driving. This defaults the ECU to run at a safe but rich AFR.

When John at aircooled.net ran his van with a turbo he used the stock ECU. He hooked the airflow meter to the inlet of the turbo. The system automatically adjusts based on airflow and it worked ok that way. The issue is the stock ECU attempts to run closed loop near stoich 14.4 all the time. That isn't good when on boost.

Tencent on the forums has figured a work around for that by using a wideband O2 with programmable outputs to feed to the stock ECU. You can "shift" the signal to the ECU towards lean, which will command more fuel to richen towards stoich. This works I hear.

John also made a pressure boost switch that tied into the throttle switch. The system goes richer when the full throttle switch is activated, so you can trick that for more fuel.

A programmable ECU is the best way to go.

[Sync]

Wrt to tracing efi faults.I can only check the throttle position switch continuity my self at home.
Apparently a scope is required to test the exhaust sensor and the MAF sensor I'm a little lost with.
Whatever is wrong is temp influenced.

[Joe vw]

Don't lower your compression it will make the low end worse. Having 1mm deck height is more important than the actual compression number. What camshaft are you running? Exhaust?
I run a Turbo from a 80's Volvo 740 an am very happy with the power output. I used the whole LH 2.2 injection fom the Volvo including ignition with knock sensing. It adapts perfectly, runs consistantly better than the Digifant and gets better milage as long as you drive normally.
While you will have to build the exhaust and intake plumming, every wire that the Volvo needs- the waterboxer needs, so the wiring harness must be arranged to fit the layout of your vanagon.
Towing another vehicle on a trailer it will accelerate like a stock 2.1
I have a hard time driving another naturally aspirated vanagon.

[Sync]

Hi there joe- is there any way I can see your work on your engine bay?
Do you have a build thread?

[Joe vw]

This is how it looks now, at one time I tried a single blow through carb -that failed, I was unable to calibrate it for all conditions.
With the LH my wideband registers 14.7 A/F all the time untill on boost 12-12.5 also decel fuel cutoff

[Sync]

Is that a stock disy and did u modify restrict the advance movement?
Was it difficult in understanding the Volvo 2.2 wiring harness and integrating it to the van and knowing what Volvo parts were needed?
What does LH stand for? Correct me if I'm wrong but 14.7 is leaner than 12.5 so your results sound good and therefore long lasting.

[Joe vw]

Is that a stock disy and did u modify restrict the advance movement?
Was it difficult in understanding the Volvo 2.2 wiring harness and integrating it to the van and knowing what Volvo parts were needed?
What does LH stand for? Correct me if I'm wrong but 14.7 is leaner than 12.5 so your results sound good and therefore long lasting.

If you decide to take on this as a project I reccomend you purchase a wrecked or running volvo 740 turbo. you will need time to dissect the harness and controll units from the car, unfortunetly the harness IS integrated with the rest of the under hood and under dash wires. While this may sound overwhelming the wires are all color coded and there is extra wire so you will need to cut and splice the harness. Carefully study the wiring diagram and you will see there are not that many wires (the colors don't lie) And remember ONE wire at a time and you will do fine. Componant locations are in the Volvo manual. I reccomend the TURBOBRICKS Volvo forum and a Volvo 740 turbo factory manual.
Stock 2.1vanagon distributor plugs directly to the volvo harness.The coolent sensor also plugs right in. Eliminate 1 unused wire in the volvo harness and the other 2 wires fit into the stock throttle switch connector and it plugs right in. Nock sensor bolts to the AC bracket boss on top of the water jacket on the left side.
The stock 2.1 vanagon distributor has no centrifugal advance. It is a hall effect, locked out, computer advance controlled unit, the same as the Volvo 740 has. The only setting is initial timing setting. The volvos ignition controll (EZL with Knock sensing) unit is separate from the LH controll unit (you need both), unlike the ignition integrated VW Digifant unit.
LH version 2.2 is the Bosch fuel injection used by Volvo, Saab, Mercedes and Porsche in the mid eighties to early nineties.
The main sensor is the Airmass meter that uses a hot wire element to calculate Air Fuel ratio -still used on newer fuel injection systems.
The main reason to use this system is, it is not over-complicated or integrated (system-wise) with other systems like newer cars.
This system is not an OBD2 system so there are no trouble codes, but the base mixture can be checked with a simple Led tool.
there are also upgrades that can be done to the LH system to add more boost but I don't reccomend it because, as it is, the engine eats transmissions.
14.7 is ideal for fuel economy in a heavy van at cruise. 12 to 12.5 is good for boost under load
Just a note: SAAb used this same system on the "classic" 900 turbo untill 1992 or 93 but it's knock sensor limited boost unlike the Volvo that reduced ignition timing, also Saab used a centrfugal advance distributor wit a boost retard diaphram. This diaphram can be adapted to the 1.9 waterboxer distributor.
This is the next system I will be installing on another waterboxer upright conversion (check my old posts)