1994 300tdi performance mods

[mark300]

hi, i am new to this site,and so far just looking round it i have found it to be very friendly and helpfull. 2 months ago i purchased my 300 tdi es auto its a 1994 and love it to bits.i have had 6 v8 classic rangers over the last ten years, passed my test in 89 in between that and now, i have had various performance cars like 3 door cosworth,subaru impreza etc. but keep going back to 4x4 yes im hooked, i am now spending my spare cash on little mods to the disco, so far i have added full set large wind deflectors,bonnet guard,rear ladder,genuine top box for camping,rear step,clear indicators all round,and have just ordered a replacement k&n,and just waiting for my hiclones to come. when my budget allows it will be the suspension then performance intercooler next but i am spoilt for choice with the amount of them on offer, can anyone give me any guidance on this matter,i want a direct replacement unit if poss and price please, also are there any other little performance mods i can do without going over the top and killing it.thanks,mark.  

[karlo]

If you do a search you will find the info you need on this site, here's a thread that might help.

 http://forums.mud-club.com/viewtopic.php?t=14770

[mud-club-matty]

you could turn the fuleing up

[mark300]

thanks for the quick reply guys, just been having a look at both your suggestions found it helpfull, i think im going to make a few friends along the way on here,thanks once again.  

[Xtremeteam]

you could turn the fuleing up

matt just be whesht

going too far with the fueling melts things

been there done that,

id advise giving the diaphram a wee tweek first as that gives you an increase in performance on boost before going onto the smoke screw,

Although as its an auto it will have a ECU controlled injection pump    so its not that simple,porny would be the man to speak to about tweaking the 300 autos as they are fly by wire & different to the normal 300 pumps

[mark300]

hi, you say it is ecu controlled,is it poss to chip or not that kind of ecu? :?

[Xtremeteam]

hi, you say it is ecu controlled,is it poss to chip or not that kind of ecu? :?

it is possible to chip,what age of disco is it?

porny is the man for 300 autos as he has more experiance of them than me,i can do the manual tdis no problems

[mark300]

its a late 1994 300 tdi es on a L plate,thanks

[karlo]

Although as its an auto it will have a ECU controlled injection pump    so its not that simple,porny would be the man to speak to about tweaking the 300 autos as they are fly by wire & different to the normal 300 pumps

Yeh mines a 95 Auto and its got an EDC pump!

[mark300]

hi karlo, do you know anything about chipping our model? is it poss? :?

[Budgie]

If money allows then I would tend to go for a full width intercooler as you'll get much better cooling and there is enough space for it behind the grill.
If you take the Disco to these guys then they will fit the intercooler and do the fueling and any turbo adjustments to match the new intercooler.  

One thing to add about making alterations to the fueling;
MAKE A NOTE OF EVERYTHING YOU CHANGE SO YOU CAN PUT IT BACK TO STANDARD IF IT DOESN'T WORK!!

[mark300]

hi budgie, ive seen these advertising silicone hoses on ebay, thanks for that, ill give them a ring in the week and drop it gently to her indoors  :lol:

[mark300]

ive checked my injectors and there arnt any wires going to any of them,does this mean it is the manual type and not edc?

[Xtremeteam]

do you have a air flow meter between the air filter box & the inlet to the turbo?

its a square bacl box approx where the shock turret is on the pas side,

[mark300]

no. pipe from air box goes straight to turbo  :?

[Jake]

Its got to be all the usual stuff for performance
Full width intercooler
Loose the egr (if it has one)
K&N air filter
Sports exhaust system
Tweeked fuel (but not too much)
All that will makea difference
But, at the end of the day, its still a big old slow Tdi pulling a load of weight around
Its never gonna be a rocketship  

[mark300]

hi, yep sounds like a normal type but just learning from you guys as i go, blocked the egr last week,already ordered k&n replacement and hiclones and have sent e-mail to alli sport about intercooler upgrade, i have cleaned the intercooler today- internally it was very clean but externally half the fins were blocked with dirt, is it rite that porny sets these up as he is quite local to me? all intercooler and turbo pipes are very  very soft can crush them in between finger and thumb, so that looks like another little job for me.i do like to tinker though  

[Xtremeteam]

hi, yep sounds like a normal type but just learning from you guys as i go, blocked the egr last week,already ordered k&n replacement and hiclones and have sent e-mail to alli sport about intercooler upgrade, i have cleaned the intercooler today- internally it was very clean but externally half the fins were blocked with dirt, is it rite that porny sets these up as he is quite local to me? all intercooler and turbo pipes are very  very soft can crush them in between finger and thumb, so that looks like another little job for me.i do like to tinker though  

K&N  :D
Hiclones  :?
Full size intecooler :D
sillycone hoses 8)

porny can set these up,as much as i hate to admit it id prefer he set yours up if hes local rather than some others  

other things to check is the motor doesnt have any sticking brakes & its all in good order,timing is correct along with valve clearances (basically make sure its set up before starting to fiddle with things)

[mark300]

dont know about timing or valve clearances,not that brave, think ill def get intouch with porny thanks  :)

[bezzabsa]

my RRC classic 300 TDi has the pump tweak and uprated intercooler - and I must admit its no slouch, doesnt smoke like a train either - unlike some modded 300's, also mines an auto

[mark300]

i was looking at the soft dash posh version myself but a bit out my price range compared to the disco. got another young one due may  :)

[karlo]

hi karlo, do you know anything about chipping our model? is it poss? :?

As others say its possible i keep meaning to talk to porny about cost to do it, it really needs an uprated intercooler as well to get the best from it.

The full width intercooler conversion is best although there is one available that fits in place of the original.

[SnakeLogic]

Mine's a 95 Tdi auto.  I've read many people suggesting an uprated intercooler, but when I look for one, they only seem to be available for NON a/c equipped cars.  Mine has a/c, and due to the brutal summers in Japan, I'd rather keep it.  Any help?

[Budgie]

Try Twisted Performance they do an upgraded intercooler that's a direct replacement for the one that's in there and should be fine with the A/C.  

[gords]

they only seem to be available for NON a/c equipped cars

AlliSport also do one suitable for the air-con equipped.

[SnakeLogic]

Snorkel advert also promise cooler air for better performance.  Would this IN ADDITION to any gains from an intercooler, and is an upgrade chip needed to realize real gains from the intercooler?  Anyone have any experience (good or bad) with these upgrade chips?

[Budgie]

If your Disco is like mine then it doesn't have an ECU so you can't fit a chip to it.
The snorkle will give a little extra, but that's mainly due to the "Ram-air" effect when the snorkle intake is facing forwards.
You need to combine the larger intercooler with a change to the injector pump fuel settings to get the best out of it, without changing the injector pump setting then it's just like having the normal intercooler on there.  

If you want a bit of extra power now, then there is a simple change you can make that will improve things.
On top of your injector pump you will see 4 screws. (see photo)


Undo these and carefully remove the cover.
Under the cover you will see a blue diaphram with a metal centre.
There should be a centre punch mark on the metal centre, take a note of where this is, so you can put it back to standard if you want/need too.
Now, ease the edges of the diaphram up to release them from the pump body and rotate the diaphram 90 degrees clockwise.
Reseat the edges of the diaphram and put the cover back on, re-fitting the 4 securing screws.

Now take it for a spin and see what it's like.  
We did this mod' to Gord's Disco in the middle of a camp site and I think he was pleased with the results on the way home.  :D

What you have done is to increase the amount of fuel allowed into the engine. If you go further than 90 degrees on the diaphram then you're just wasting fuel as there isn't the air to burn it with a standard intercooler.
If you notice some black smoke from the exhaust on full throttle then back off the diaphram a few degrees and see what it's like.  

[SnakeLogic]

Outstanding!  As soon as I beat this cold, I'm going to give it a try.  I imagine I'll have to set it back to original position to pass emissions inspection?

[mark300]

hi all, thanks for all the suggestions and info. had a reply from andy at alli sport today, he said its difficult to fit a full width cooler to air-con auto models due to the auto box cooler,they recommend option 1 upgrade as this is a direct replacement gaining over 50perc more surface area,wich gives 18-20 perc more power & torque giving around 135bhp, the price is £285+vat- free fitting and £68 for silicone hoses or £55 if i have them with the cooler. he said i would have to move the oil cooler before thinking about the full width. too much trouble with that option if you ask me. going for option 1. sounds enough for me  8) also mine is just the normal pump,no edc so they will give it a tweek for me

[Porny]

Never had my mentioned so many times in a thread  :D

hi all, thanks for all the suggestions and info. had a reply from andy at alli sport today, he said its difficult to fit a full width cooler to air-con auto models due to the auto box cooler,they recommend option 1 upgrade as this is a direct replacement gaining over 50perc more surface area,wich gives 18-20 perc more power & torque giving around 135bhp, the price is £285+vat- free fitting and £68 for silicone hoses or £55 if i have them with the cooler. he said i would have to move the oil cooler before thinking about the full width. too much trouble with that option if you ask me. going for option 1. sounds enough for me  8) also mine is just the normal pump,no edc so they will give it a tweek for me

Andy at Allisport is a nice bloke and knows his stuff....

The Intercooler you've mentioned is a good improvement, and is very easy to fit.... I'd happily fit it for you (and adjust your pump) if you bought it mail order, but there again Allisport isn't that far for you to drive.
Andy will check the boost pressure and adjust the pump (exactly as already mentioned) - and you should notice a definate improvement for your money.


Ian