what kind of power can TDI's make? I think my buddy told me that a chip will get them to like 300ft/lbs but other than that i'm not sure about mods to them.

 

How long do TDI engines typically last?
How often and hard is the timing belt work?
Any other major issues?

 

a tdi will last as long as you take care of it my mother has a tdi with over 600k on it trans rebuilt after 400 but motor is all original

diesel engines can make a lot of power and torque depending on mods and chip the factory tdi is rated at 90 crank horsepower i have moded with new injectors and timing controler and a boost controler and made right at 190 wheel horsepower and well over 250 ft/lbs torque and it pulls like a mother will kill most 1.8T with regular bolt on's and pass a gas station while doing it

timing belts are work with various special tools to preform

 

my girlfriend's has a ton of torque as is, but I would never drive a bug haha

190whp is pretty impressive with such few mods. what size injectors would that take? also, what psi are you seeing with full boost?

 

There are only a handful of TDIs in North America that are running over 175whp. Yes it can be done. The mods required are more then the injectors, turbo and chip unless you have a happy dyno Also remember that once you start cranking up the power on the tdi you will begin to develop drivetrain breaking levels of torque.

The mods required to get towards 200whp on the ALH (1998-2003) is to run large injectors, chip, turbo, Automatic transmission injector pump, a good FMIC and a good exhaust.

If you end up deciding to learn more about the TDI jump over to www.tdiclub.com there is a wealth of information there.

 

Its also good to remember that after a certain point in the power tuning department you begin to lose MPG and then you need to decide whats the point of driving a TDI. My car has 140-150whp with 275wtq while still getting over 50mpg. If I installed larger injectors and spent some time on the dyno I could easily crank out more whp but its a great daily driver setup that is reliable. VW transmissions and axles can only take so much power.

 

The TDIs are known for needing owners that perform the required maintenance. Timing belts need to changed when the manual says so and when you do this you need to replace:

The belt
the rollers
the tensioner
the waterpump (get the metal impeller)

most quality parts kits sell for $300 before you get in to the tools. The most important of which is the tool for locking the cam

Also you should know that the intake manifolds are known for clogging with carbon.
the EGR cooler is know for leaking coolant and to solve both of these problems you should get an EGR delete kit for about $120 + $40 for the coolant hose reroute.

Stock clutches will only handle the additional power of a chip or injectors, but not both. You would need to upgrade the clutch and flywheel to hold more power.

That covers the most common major maintenance items.