TheSamba.com :: View topic - OFFICIAL: Boxeer.com 2.0 TDI CR engine review thread

Thu Mar 21, 2019 3:12 am

Im back in jersey with the van!!

First off Nashville is not like Jersey...this is my Uber Driver...he proceeded to tell me about the gun in his glove box and how he would shoot your ass if he needed to. Later we talked about cow tipping and driving four wheelers...

At Boxeer HQ.

First thoughts:
WTF....its a different van. Most of the drive back i road at 60-70mph. While going 70 I easily have the power to pass people as needed. The engine is no louder then the WBX I had. There are no real vibrations that are any worse either. It actually sounds wonderful when its driving.

My RPMs at 70 are 3150. This is due to the spacing of the gears. I wanted more room in 1st and 2nd for traffic and around towns where most of my driving will be done. The beautiful thing is that I can do about 15mph in first and up to 30 in second. SOOOOOO much better then originally needing to get to 3rd by the time i crossed through a traffic light/intersection. This spacing makes bumper to bumper traffic much better. Thanks Matt for the recommendation.

As of now the only cons are i need new wiring...My battery cables and Aux battery stuff is junk and needs to be re run. Staying at a rest stop on the way back the second night (same as the first) I had my fridge going and propped heater. I woke up and the van would not start. I called Greg and with a few questions he told me it was the battery. I guess the pull from the Aux drained down the engine battery. It appears I need a good 12.5v to get the engine to turn over. Like he said when I was leaving. "remember it is still a Vanagon".

I am more then happy with the trans and engine. It was worth every penny.

Plans to upgrade:
put my T3 sway bar in that is sitting here
Re-do all battery wires
Re-do my Aux battery set up
Better brakes.

I will get some more pics up in the next week or so. Let me know if you have questions.

Mon Apr 08, 2019 3:32 pm

BEFORE:

AFTER:

2000mile report ->
I am still baffled by how much different it is...i do not think I was prepared for it. It has been worth every penny. My gas milage is around 23. This is lower then though but I am hoping that the engine just needs to break in. I recently re-did the grounds and power cables...moved the battery and put in 4 gauge wire. I have had no issues since. I recently updated the race capture software and we are rolling with that.

This thing is like a big cumbersome go kart to drive and is so fun! its peppy and quick, but still a vanagon.

I put some sound dampener in but I dont even know if its been helpful. The engine is not very loud and does sound great...i do get a vibration noise at 3250 RPMS regardless of the gear.

As for ground clearance Im gold...I am not planning to do crazy off road trips sooo its pretty good.

Thu May 16, 2019 7:25 am

That’s a nice van, Ian!

I am definitely sold on this conversion for our syncro. We had a 2003 Jetta TDI and loved the torque/reliability/mpg. Our current 2.1 is strong but still doesn’t cut it.

I am getting close to pulling the trigger, selling my two buses to fund this. Family trips gets the priority above a line up of vw’s!

My question/curious is the DIY part. I am handy and do a lot by myself. Based on reading some stuff, it seem to be fairly easy and straightforward with manual that comes with the kit? Anybody here had done it and can share their experience? What’s hardest part of this, etc? You know the saying - it’s only as good as the installer/installation??

I intended to have my local vw shop double check my installation and fire it there to be on the safe side too.

Second question- how’s the AC? My lady is hoping it would improve by a lot? Talking to some subie guys and was surprised to find out their ac isn’t good either....

Here’s one of ours. Cheers!

Thu May 16, 2019 7:42 am

Nice van. I really like the color.

Sun May 19, 2019 10:13 am

THANK YOU for this thread. I am actively searching for alternatives and reliability is my main need. My 2.1 blew last week so I need to make some choices.

I have some questions on the Boxeer conversion (VW). I sent an email to Boxeer via their site and also posted on Instagram comments and have not received a reply yet (will update if I do).

1) Do these engines include all cooling parts necessary? Is the radiator the only portion of the cooling system that will carry over? Asking because I would want to replace everything before spending this much coin on a new engine and want to protect my investment.

2) From the time you paid for the engine, how long did it take for them to install it? If you subtracted the transportation time, how long did you have to wait? Do they have an inventory of these engines or do they custom build each one (implying that it will take a long time)?

3) Will you need to upgrade to big brakes given all of the new power?

4) With the oil pan being exposed, would it make sense to put a skid plate underneath it just to be safe?

5) I see your tablet control system. Does that mean that your existing gauges are obsolete?

6) Did you need a new gas tank/fuel lines now that you are diesel?

Thank you in advance for any help here.

Sun May 19, 2019 2:29 pm

1) Do these engines include all cooling parts necessary? Is the radiator the only portion of the cooling system that will carry over? Asking because I would want to replace everything before spending this much coin on a new engine and want to protect my investment.

-Once you do the conversion you are good to go. There are no other cooling parts you need to upgrade to my knowledge. As of now I have done nothing besides pick it up and drive back.... I have about a hair shy of 5000 miles on it.

I do have a slow coolant leak that we found and are in the process of fixing but its no major thing and not stoping me from driving.

Battery and upgraded battery wires will most likely be needed. I put in all 4gauge stuff and a bigger battery and have had no issues since.

2) From the time you paid for the engine, how long did it take for them to install it? If you subtracted the transportation time, how long did you have to wait? Do they have an inventory of these engines or do they custom build each one (implying that it will take a long time)?

It was about 60 days. The major lag time was shipping the van, shipping the trans, shipping the trans back. If I didn't upgrade the trans I would have gotten it probably 3 weeks faster. I was impatient, and wish i was not...He did not get enough time to test it and probably would have found the coolant leak if i was not in a rush.

3) Will you need to upgrade to big brakes given all of the new power?

No. I am putting in a big break kit because i traded my old engine for credit with a semi-local Vanagon guy sooo why not.... That being said if you are causing 70 and slam on the breaks you better hope your not tailgating. But if you drive like a normal person driving a big box you will be fine.

4) With the oil pan being exposed, would it make sense to put a skid plate underneath it just to be safe?

the question really should be...do you plan on driving off road a bunch? that should be your measuring stick.

5) I see your tablet control system. Does that mean that your existing gauges are obsolete?

All normal gauges work as they should. I fond the coolant leak because my normal gauge light came on. When I am just driving around town i dont hook up the tablet. If Im driving more then 30min I hook it up...

6) Did you need a new gas tank/fuel lines now that you are diesel?

Greg converts this. A new tank is not needed, the old one needs to be cleaned out..I am not sure of the lines.

call me if you want to talk 609709zero244

Sun May 19, 2019 2:33 pm

deadwesty wrote: That’s a nice van, Ian!

My question/curious is the DIY part. I am handy and do a lot by myself. Based on reading some stuff, it seem to be fairly easy and straightforward with manual that comes with the kit? Anybody here had done it and can share their experience? What’s hardest part of this, etc? You know the saying - it’s only as good as the installer/installation??

Second question- how’s the AC? My lady is hoping it would improve by a lot? Talking to some subie guys and was surprised to find out their ac isn’t good either....

I can't comment on either...i need to hook up my AC this week. As for the instal im not that handy to try this...i would rather have a pro do it...

Sun May 19, 2019 2:36 pm

5000 mile update:
Overall could not be more impressed. I have a small coolant leak that we are in the process of fixing. Greg has been helpful with this so far.

I was also doing my MPG wrong...i forgot to figure the speed on the GPS is different then the one on the speedometer and odometer. Once I figured out the calculations i have been consistently getting 27mpg!!!!

this engine runs sooo smooth. Its great!

Mon May 20, 2019 8:28 am

@ianNJ, thank you so much, really solid info.

I have spent many thought cycles on this. The price of admission for the Boxeer seems steep but when you factor in that you will likely not need to upgrade other systems, the reliability, the performance, no core charge, no shipping charge, etc. etc. etc, it really is not too bad.

Mon May 20, 2019 11:20 am

WestyWanderlust wrote: @ianNJ, thank you so much, really solid info.

I have spent many thought cycles on this. The price of admission for the Boxeer seems steep but when you factor in that you will likely not need to upgrade other systems, the reliability, the performance, no core charge, no shipping charge, etc. etc. etc, it really is not too bad.

Its an investment for people keeping there van reliable and strong for a long time. New engine make the van SOOO MUCH BETTER TO DRIVE!!! IMHO

Mon May 20, 2019 10:10 pm

Great to hear of the success of Greg's Boxeer TDIs. I agree that the TDI completely transforms the vanagon, and makes it a real road trip beast. I just got back from a 9 hour round trip "long weekend" 6pm friday departure, sunday afternoon return. Driving on I70 where the speed limit is 75 is actually doable all day in the TDI. Mpg does take a hit with the higher speeds, as drag coefficient increased effect is not linear with speed, and our vans are decidedly not built for higher speed aerodynamics. But all is good.
Enjoy!

Thu Jul 18, 2019 9:48 pm

Hello Elnatron,
I’m getting an ‘84 Westy from a good friend and am interested in installing the Boxeer Engine.
How’s it working for you, now that you’ve had some time to live with it?
Also, how is the engine access for maintenance, etc.?
What, if any, are the down sides?
As long as parts are plentiful and the engine is easy to work on while it’s in the van, I don’t see a down side. Having a VW motor in the van makes more sense than having a frankenstein mobile.
Any more input you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Eric

Thu Jul 18, 2019 10:14 pm

Quick semi related question for you Ian - do you have any photos of how that battery is supported in the engine bay? thinking of relocating my battery for my subaru conversion

Thanks!

Sat Jul 27, 2019 4:24 am

Hey guys just an update....

All is well. I am getting a solid 29-30mpg normally in "town" with average speeds around 45. On the highway with average speeds around 70 im closer to 26-27mpg.

Everything at 8k miles is running as should. The coolant leak was taken care of and there are no issues with it now. I am about to replace the rest of my bushings and having new custom break lines put in and then I should be driving a new van for the most part. Oh! and working on the AC lines....

Baltik - There is a trey that is part of the kit that the battery sits. You may see pics on my instagram or earlier in the thread. Not sure.

Eric - Nate just sold his westy. I know it was pretty solid with 20k ish miles on the kit. He had been all over with it.

As for engine access everything seems ok. As all motors there are some tricky parts. but truth is I have only needed to do an oil change. We had that coolant leak as mentioned above and needed to take the intercooler off but its all right there for you.

I stopped at Van-Again yesterday to get the new bushings. He did this video below. Sound is not the best but you can get the point.
https://youtu.be/eMpCua0D2Qk

Thu Aug 01, 2019 8:52 am

Hello Ian,

I've been reading your discussion thread with a lot of interest. I'm the person who bought Nate's 84 Westy in June. This is my first Vanagon, so I'm in steep learning curve territory. The drive down to Northern Virginia from Maine went perfectly, the engine just hummed along and rolled up and over hills without any effort. The Boxeer TDI seems to be a strong performer and Nate certainly had good experience with it.

Since I got it home I've encountered a starting problem. Engine turns over, but will not start. I have reasonably mechanical skills, but not self sufficient, so I was stumped. I've had some email exchanges with Greg at Boxeer and just had my mechanic send off the ECU for a diagnostic test and any needed corrections. Keeping my fingers crossed it is that simple (oh please, oh please...)

All this is just to hopefully begin to add to the community discussion in a helpful way and benefit from the wisdom/experience of other more mature van owners! Thanks for all the great info to date, its been super helpful! :)

Mon Aug 12, 2019 6:05 pm

Scottgb2 wrote:
I've been reading your discussion thread with a lot of interest. I'm the person who bought Nate's 84 Westy in June. This is my first Vanagon, so I'm in steep learning curve territory.

The battery may be low. I had that problem....it needs to be around 13v with that. Turn on your race capture prior to trying to start. then see where the battery is at. I know mine will not start below 12.5

also give me a ring tomorrow!

Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:48 am

Can you please explain your setup to get the display on your tablet for the engine. I'm by wire and have a BDII plug. I'm driving in the dark. Very nice setups.

Tue Aug 13, 2019 1:51 am

XXX/Rx/RnR wrote: Can you please explain your setup to get the display on your tablet for the engine. I'm by wire and have a BDII plug. I'm driving in the dark.
Do you have any gauges at all?

Not OP, but based on what's displayed on the tablet, I think you need these two components, assuming you're OBDII, and probably a few other sensors.
https://www.autosportlabs.com/product/racecapturetrack-mk2/
https://www.autosportlabs.com/product/obdii-legacy-adapter/

I'm digging these CR TDIs. 8)

Tue Aug 13, 2019 5:36 am

Hey Ian, thanks for the suggestion on the starting problem. Here's the lasted info:

After sending the ECU down to Greg at Boxeer, he ran a diagnostic and determined there is a fault in the ECU caused by a shorting problem in the wiring harness. Either the wiring harness was rubbing against something or a previous electrical modification/splice exposed the wires and frayed the wire casings. The current wiring harness was the early set-up that had the ECU mounted in the engine bay rather than inside the van. This placement could also expose the ECU to water/moisture and required a waterproof bag be placed over the ECU. Even with the bag, there was a tendency for water moisture to build up inside and cause problems. Greg has since redesigned the harness which allows the ECU to be placed in the van within the bench seat box as I understand it. I imagine your ECU is mounted there as you have a recent build.

In discussion with Greg, we agreed the best course of action is to have him rebuild the wiring harness to the new design which will allow me to mount the ECU inside the van. This is going to take some time to complete, but I like the redesign with the ECU protected from water exposure and the updated wiring harness configuration. It should be the fix that will prevent this from ever happening again.

Although this has been an unexpected bump in the road to my Westy wandering, I'm taking solace in the fact this all came to light while I was at home and not on a road trip out in the Wyoming wilderness! :shock:

Will keep you updated on the progress. On a side note, I previously lived in the Cherry Hill area of Jersey for 18 years, hoping to get the van up and running in time to do some kayaking in the Pine Barrens and maybe spend a day at LBI while we still have some summer weather!

Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:56 am

Has anyone with this setup experienced any of the High Pressure Fuel Pump issues that are known to occur with the VW CJAA/EA288 engines?

Reading up on the issue in the TDI forums makes it seem pretty catastrophic, and also highly variable as to who/what/when/where it actually happens. Some people blame poor fuel, while others say it is a mechanical failure in actual the pump. Some people experience it at 15,000 miles, while others don't see it happen until 100,000+ miles (and yet some never see it at all). Regardless, if it happens, metal is released into the fuel system requiring most fuel related parts to be replaced.

I'm personally leaning toward this conversion and am not trying to incite any drama by trying to bridge issues from this kit and other VW builds. I'm also aware that any moving engine is going to be susceptible to failures, but the fuel pump issue seems like a silent killer.