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Subject:The TriStar TDI Syncro lives! :-)
From:David Marshall
Date:Thu, 1 Apr 2004 18:55:52 -0800

I made a good 'all forward' effort to get the TDI (98 AHU) running in my
TriStar today - fired up first try a little after 10am this morning!  :)

Spent the rest of the afternoon making the truck road worthy and neatening
things up bit.

The first 1km test drive went pretty good - never left 2nd gear and the
power felt OK.  I have to adjust my throttle cable I think as I think there
is still some slack.  Still a bit of black and white smoke on start up -
gotta take it for a good burn.

The exhaust system is very simple!  Just a mandrel bent 2.5" U bend that
ends in a swept down tip to deflect any soot downwards.  No muffler and
although it is a tad bit loud outside, it is still not louder than a Dodge
TD at idle.  I may just leave it with no muffler!

Left to do is the brake and clutch switches and the glow plug and
malfunction indicator lights.  I think I will move the DLC up to the front
to make the VAG-COM operations a little easier.

Another big 'left to do' is an intercooler.  Right now I have a custom piece
of aluminium joining the output of the turbo and the intake manifold with
the G72 sensor and the high pressure line for the ECU coming from this.

Tonight after some pizza a 15km trip into town will potentially flush out
any immediate problems with the swap and give me a chance to get it into 3rd
and 4th gears and see what the custom gearing is all cracked up to be.

Looks like I may be able to go to Syncro de Mayo after all!   :-)

David Marshall

Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada  V2J 6Z3

http://www.fastforward.ca    mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775        FAX: (250) 992 1160

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