Date: Wed, 5 May 2004 11:30:37 -0400
Reply-To: Sam Payne <bungeegull@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Sam Payne <bungeegull@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Questions re. Audi 3A engine swap (after searching the archives)
Hi again to the list,
I'm finally getting back home and back to my engine conversion after 8
months out of the country. While away, I searched the archives for
information on the swap and the deeper I got into it them the more
impressed I was. The list is a great resource--I wouldn't know about or
attempt a conversion without it! Many thanks to all of you.
The Plan: My choices are based on Frank Grunthaner's excellent and
informative posts on engine conversions and Alistair Bell's excellent web
site (no blame to either if I screw the swap up, though). I own an '86
westfalia, 2WD, 4 speed manual transmission. I plan to install an 8 valve
Audi 3A with used diesel mounts and diesel bellhousing and to modify the
intake manifold injector ports so I can use the Digifant II management
system or the LH-Jetronic Saab management system. I want to put in a
windage tray, modify the oil pickup, and chip the ECU if possible. And
then bolt it up to a diesel transmission of either ratio. And then smoke
someone, anyone, off a red light in a fully loaded Westy. I'm doing the
swap to increase reliability and performance, to learn, and to have fun.
Hope to finish it this summer.
Questions:
**Fit: Frank G. wrote an intriguing post with 3A head measurements
suggesting that the engine compartment might not need to be clearanced for
the 3A engine as it has to be for the 1.8 vw engines, but he hadn't yet
tried mounting his turbo-ed 3A. I searched Dennis Atkins' and Simon
Reinhardt's posts too but neither mentioned it. Anyone try it?
**Transmission: My mounting parts are from an '82 diesel, van is an '86
Vanagon, manual. Scenario 1: If I bolt a 4 speed diesel tranny with the
diesel bellhousing to the Audi 3A, will the mounting points on the
carriers, frame and front tranny mount work out? How much of a PITA is it
to modify the transmission linkage? Scenario 2: If I have to use the
existing transmission for a while (the standard 2.1 WBX tranny) and bolt
it to the 3A engine via the diesel bellhousing, will all the mounts work
out?
**Input shaft length: I've read a lot about it but am still confused. I
need to use the original shaft from the gas WBX transmission (I bought
diesel parts, not the whole van). Tom Carrington has side-by side photos
of the gas and diesel input shafts on his site, showing that the gas shaft
is longer. Given that the diesel owners have been cutting 11-12.5 mm off
their input shafts, how much should I cut off the longer gas shaft?
**Engine management: 2 scenarios: 1.) Dennis Atkins used Digifant II
engine management from a RV Jetta to run his Audi 3A 2.0 engine without
using a 1.8 digifant cylinder head. How is this possible given the
displacement/design differences? If it is possible--and I want it to be--
does that also mean I could add the 1.8 digifant performance chip to the
ECU?
2.) If I go with the LH-Jetronic system from a Saab 2 liter 16 valve non-
turbo engine (which Frank G. likes) what modifications would need to be
made? I assume the distributor regearing and swap Frank did, and his
intake manifold machining for the injectors, but what else? Would it make
the wiring harness modification more difficult? Which is the best Saab
repair manual?
**Power Steering: Most of the recorded conversions have been to diesel
vanagons with manual steering, but my '86 has PS. Does anyone know
whether there's space for the power steering pump in a 50 degree 3A audi
conversion, and if so where to mount it?. The pictures I saw online of
post-conversion engine bays looked pretty packed, but it's hard to
tell....
That's it for now. Apologies if I have missed some easy answers in the
archives-- it ain't for lack of trying.
Sam Payne (in San Fran.)