VW AGK Engine: Specs, Problems, & More

This engine was installed in the VW LT model from June 1997 to December 1998.
It's a 2.8L 4-cylinder TDI engine from MWN Brazil.
"Does anyone know anything about this engine, or where I can find information about it?"
VW self-study program possibly.
or publications in technical journals related to engine technology.
Just look for anything you can find anywhere.

Thank you and best regards.
Jens.

Hello Jens,

From your posts, as I recall, it seems you're planning to build a great expedition vehicle. One that's suitable for use in sparsely populated areas.
Even though performance and power are high on the list of requirements, you believe that a TDI engine is a good choice because a mechanically robust engine is generally the preferred option. In the areas where you're going, electronic engine management systems might be of little use if you need assistance. Consider contacting the manufacturers of such off-road vehicles to find out what engines they use and recommend.

Best regards,

Quote:

From your posts, as I recall, it seems you're planning to build a great expedition vehicle. One that's suitable for use in sparsely populated areas.

Almost, but not quite. The electronics themselves don't bother me as much; I would just prefer to keep them as minimal as possible. In that case, things like exhaust emissions are completely irrelevant, so features like EGR and catalytic converters are unnecessary.
The 2.8 TDI mentioned here is, incidentally, fully mechanical .

Quote:

Even though performance and power are high on the priority list, you believe that a TDI engine is a sensible choice, as a mechanically robust option is often the preferred choice.

Okay, so it seems that TDI engines are mechanically robust, and the problems discussed here in the forum are rarely related to the actual engine mechanics, except for cases where the timing belt has broken .

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Perhaps you could contact the manufacturers of these desert vehicles and ask them what components they use and recommend.

What kind of answers are you expecting? If you really push it to the extreme, you should go for an air-cooled pre-combustion diesel engine with a row of injection pumps. So, a real tractor engine . With my specifications, it would already weigh at least 450 kg . And there aren't really any manufacturers of desert vehicles; they just use existing chassis (Toyota HZJ, Land Rover, MAN, Unimog, Bremach, Scam, etc.) .
I'm also just looking for the best compromise } for ME, because the ultimate engine } doesn't exist. Even if it did }, I wouldn't be able to afford it }.
In this specific case, I'm looking for a diesel engine with a minimum output of 85 kW and 250 Nm of torque, which can be easily adapted to an Audi transmission. It needs to be able to pull a vehicle weighing 3500 kg (don't worry, it's not a VW bus) and itself weigh no more than half of that, resulting in a reasonable power-to-weight ratio.
There aren't many alternatives left, and a turbocharger is a must; a naturally aspirated engine is too slow and too heavy. TDI injection technology increases efficiency, so that's already a good thing. A simple TDI injection system would be great; it's been used in heavy-duty vehicles since the 1970s.

Regards,
Jens.

Hi,

Then why don't you get an older 1T or AAT engine?
No, you're not getting mine!

These are the oldest TDI models with a minimum amount of electronics.
With 85 kW (combined) or 88 kW (1T), and 265 Nm of torque in each case.
Mechanically, the 5-cylinder engines are very robust.
There are also few electronic problems. It uses a mass airflow sensor, not a volume airflow sensor – meaning it has a pressure relief valve --> which lasts forever.
And you can also easily attach them to an Audi transmission, since they originally come from Audis...

P.S.:
Specifically, the 1T engine does not have a catalytic converter or an EGR valve. It was installed in the Type 44 vehicles from 1990 until sometime in 1991. In the C4 model, the equivalent engine is the AAT, but with a catalytic converter and EGR valve. However, there was also a version of the AAT without a catalytic converter or EGR valve: the MKB ABP, I believe. This version was likely intended for export.
You could also install a 6-speed gearbox, as some of the engines - at least the AAT - were already offered with that option. In my imagination, I envision a finer, tighter gear ratio spread for challenging terrain compared to a 5-speed.

Edit:
'By the way, I also have some technical articles about these engines from MTZ, from a time long ago. If I remember correctly, the weight is around 200 kg.'

Hi Markus,

In my thread about AAT/AEL, I already focused on the 1T .

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P.S.: Specifically, the 1T model does not have a catalytic converter or an EGR valve. You could also install a 6-speed gearbox, as some of the engines - at least the AAT - were already offered with that option. In my imagination, I envision a finer, tighter gear ratio spread for challenging terrain compared to a 5-speed.

Well, that usually doesn't work, because the 6th gear in most transmissions is designed as an economy gear. Furthermore, the vehicle, as I envision it, has a reduction gearbox, so the gear ratio off-road is already reduced by a factor of 2.5 . But still, the idea of using a more modern transmission is okay, because a TDI engine puts a lot of stress on it, and the early transmissions in the 1T weren't really designed for that either . In other words, the transmissions in the 1T tend to fail quickly if you push the 1T a bit.

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Here's something else: I also have technical articles about these engines from MTZ, from, well, I don't remember exactly when. If I recall correctly, the weight is 200 kg.

Is there any way you could share this information with me? Perhaps a scan or a copy? I'd be happy to cover the costs.

Thank you and best regards.
Jens.

Hi,


I completely lost track of the thread about the 'diode trick for AAT/AEL'...
It's almost exactly the same as what I wrote here. Now I'm in a position where I look like a copycat .

I can definitely scan the articles and email them to you.
That's my responsibility. If you're interested, I also have SSP No. 145 related to the AAT.

As far as I know, the timing belt issue is more pronounced in the 1T model.
I'm not entirely sure if they always performed well, because there was no initial break-in period, or if the first generation (1T) had a slightly different design than the later models (which apparently also sometimes experienced cracks...).

Hi,

I checked the parts catalog (SSP) again. The 1T model actually didn't even have an air mass meter. Additionally, the following components were missing: EGR valve, catalytic converter, oil separator. Also, it seems that one or two pulleys were missing on both timing belts --> you can see this quite clearly in the SSP when comparing the parts.

@Jens 16syncro:
If I had your email address, I could send you some things.
Unfortunately, the upload via private message didn't work. Probably 8 MB is too much.

Hi Markus,

I sent you a private message with my email address.

Regards,
Jens.