What should I put in my Nissan Silvia S13? I want something potentially turbocharged and four-cylinder, but not an SR like every other car. So, what’s an option that hasn’t really been done before, and isn’t just different for the sake of being different? Well, I thought maybe a turbo-diesel could be the way to go.
Typically, when you hear anything related to a diesel engine (at least in the States), most people think semis, heavy equipment, or their uncle’s pickup with a 12V Cummins. But I started to think beyond that.
Over time, watching Scandinavian drifting videos, learning more about what BMW and Audi were doing in the ’90s and ’00s, and working as a mechanic, I started to wonder: why doesn’t anyone build more diesels for motorsports like drifting and circuit racing? Outside the truck scene, diesels seem to be off the radar for a lot of people. Meanwhile, we have engines like Mercedes’ legendary OM60x lineage and BMW’s M57 and M51. Granted, we don’t get all of these in the States compared to Europe, but luckily, we do have some options, like VW and their range of TDI engines.
After purchasing my S13 and spending a few months building the chassis, I figured I’d drive it as-is with the factory KA24 while I worked on my other project. But after a few track events, I was less than impressed. Between a tired, uninspiring engine and a misfire, I knew it was time to think about what came next. Partly inspired by the idea of a ‘low-power’ version of my OM606 E36 project, I eventually settled on a VW PD BHW as my engine of choice.
Volkswagen used an interesting fuel system on this engine. While some manufacturers moved straight from injection pumps to common-rail systems, VW used the Pumpe Düse system – an in-between of sorts, where the camshaft actuates the unit injectors to pressurize the fuel before it’s injected electronically. The PD BHW is regarded as a pretty reliable engine in your grandfather’s Passat, but what about a drift car? Well, I figured it would be a fun experiment, especially when paired with the challenge of fitting one into an S13.
I completed a mild build with an upgraded fuel system, added forced induction, and added extra insurance to the valvetrain and hardware. In a stroke of luck, a company began making an adapter for the Nissan CD009 6-speed manual gearbox, so one of those got the nod, too. With some custom wiring and fabrication, the vision came together. While it wasn’t a showroom-level build, I aimed to keep the swap as bolt-in as possible, retaining the factory S13 chassis harness and even the AC system.
After a few events, a couple of turbos leaving the chat, and some chassis setup, the car has performed well beyond expectations and only cemented my view of diesel as an incredible motorsport fuel. I mean, why not? No worrying about leaning out on track or having to buy special high-octane fuels that aren’t available at the pump.
What do you think about diesel motors, and what are some of your favorites?
Track Photos by: Jacob Pina – @pnwpina
