best engine pd or coman rail

[minty0_10]

just wondering thinking of changing my car at moment its a 110 coman rail engine. the car im thinking changing to is a 2000 130 pd engine apart from the obvious diffrence in performance is the pd as strong a engine as the coman rail.
any coman faults with them or anything i should watch out for.

[devonutopia]

PD is a common rail diesel engine as well to my knowledge. The difference is the 110 is a VE engine and has a different injection system than the PD (pump duse = shower) system which uses massive pressures for a better fuel delivery.

The PD130 engine is rock solid. I'm pushing mine to 300bhp on all standard internals except a performance camshaft. The 6 speed boxes too are mighty strong. (currently got one split open fitting a new diff to it)

[Col]

Tricky one.

My personal view (and I have a PD130) is that the common rail is a more durable overall package.

They are essentially the same engine, block etc but the PD differs in that that the unit injectors are cam driven. These I think are a weak point and I'm not convinced about their longlivity.

You read lots of stories, on here for example in the highest milage thread, about the old rotary pumped engines doing 300+k. I don't think we will see the same on the PD's mainly because they are so sensitive to the oil they use. It is such a fine line between the cam being wrecked or not by simply using the wrong oil.

There are a fair few reports of either head gasket failure or even cracked heads on the PD as well.

I do however think that if the materials used to assemble the unit injectors are sufficiently hard enough, which I doubt, that due to the PD's simplicity that in theory it should last for ever.

However...

The VAG group are apparently dropping PD technology in favour of common rail piazo controlled injection systems like citroen, peugeot and ford. At the time that PD technology came along in the late 90's it was years ahead of the competion but the competion have developed the piazo technology that VW are now adpoting.

Also, the older VW engines were never common rail, they were rotary pumped so comparisons within the range are difficult to make.

I really don't know where to conclude this as I'm just gurging out random observations but would say the the PD's now are still as good as almost anything out there but in the next few years things are going to leap on some more. Buying a PD compared to current common rail stuff is still a good proposition in my mind afterall I've recently bought my 2nd one !

[Dozz]

I found my old 110 a4 audi always did more mpg than the wifes 130 pd also if your planning on doing mega milage the old style engine does seem to have less problems

[minty0_10]

thats what i was thinking they seem to be less fussy on what oil they use to. but after driving a pd they there alot smoother drive. cant have it both ways i supose

[Dozz]

Well your going to have to do some soul searching Do you buy with ya heart or ya head hmmmm don't fancy your dilemma

[minty0_10]

ive already got both 260k 110 thats ive had for over 5 years and not had a days trouble with it.
or

repair and keep the 80k 2000 model i bought with light front end damage.

the older car is starting to show its age now but its been so reliaible..........