Pumpe Duse TDIs?

Newest thing you can get in a sedan, wagon, or hatch from VW with a diesel that'll for sure still be around post Dieselgate will have a PD engine.

I brushed the dust of my old TDIClub account and did some snooping. I'm not new to TDI, we're on our second, but they've both been common rails. I was already aware of the PD cam wear, and wiping lobes out issue. I figured it was probably blown out of proportion like the HPFP failures on the CR, but looks like it might really be pretty common, especially as the miles get up there.

Good news, there's quite a few aftermarket "more betterer" cams available, better profile, billet, through hardened, parkerized, chrome journals, etc. and there's "more betterer" modified cam bearings too.

So, replacement aftermarket "Stage II" cam, nitrided followers, EGR delete, down pipe, 2.5-3" exhaust, and either a mail order or Q-loader tune can all be done DIY for $1500-$2000. That more or less "bullet proofs" the engine, and gets you somewhere around here:

I know the A5/Mk5 chassis well, and A5 gets you a lovely DSG transmission to go along with your modded PD. Plenty of <100K mile '05-'06 Mk5 Jettas (hell of a lot better than the Mk6 IMO) available for $5-7K range plus mods, you're worst case $9K into a diesel geek's sooty, smoky, 50 MPG, oily dream right?

Am I missing something? Anyone have first hand PD experience?

That hp curve looks nice but the torque curve sucks! Needs bigger turbo. Thats some nice torque numbers though

My gut instinct is to yank off the Diesel head, install a 1.8t head to drop the compression a ton, and run ALL THE BOOST on pump gasoline with the super beefy bottom end. If it can't rev over 6000, so what? Neither can 1.8ts.

Putting on a bigger VNT turbo will pump the power up, but the cost goes up bigtime, and the DSG will likely grenade on you. This would be a manual only deal. My daughter has an '03 ALH auto with an econo tune and nothing else. Makes decent power, 40 MPG, and decent power.

In reply to Knurled:

Is that a thing, people do that?

In reply to TiggerWelder:

Really, my goal would be roughly stock CR power levels, since that's what we're used to, a little better would be alright too. Those aren't difficult numbers to reach, at only 140 HP and 236 Lb Ft. New cam and EGR delete would be more for long term reliability than performance. Though, if replacing the cam anyway, why not get a little better lobe profile and more lift? Tune would be as much for turning off the EGR as performance and MPGs.

Staying within the stock turbo's and DSG's comfort zone, one should be able to surpass stock CR power levels without trying real hard.