The blocks on all VW diesels are similar but not exactly the same as the
gassers.

There is one guy on the TDI-Conversion yahoo-group that has successfully
swapped in a Mercedes diesel, not sure if it's a four or five though.
Probably a four, the fives are huge.

Allan Streib wrote:

> OK, I had heard otherwise, not talking about the TDI but the diesels
> they put in the Jettas and Golfs in the '80s and early '90s.  I recall
> hearing or reading that they were fundamentally a gasoline engine
> block that had been converted to diesel.  But, I will admit that I
> can't cite the source of this, nor do I know that it was reliable.
>
> Has anyone ever successfully transplanted an MB diesel into a Vanagon?
> I'd guess they would be too tall.
>
> Allan
>