Date:         Wed, 15 Sep 2010 06:10:51 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Inline gas VW Jetta motor swap. Progress, update.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  I am involved in swapping out an unknown-mileage VW inline (?00,000miles,
 plus appx. 60k of my own miles since I bought this van, already converted)
It was a '92 1.8liter, 8-valve, gas Cabriolet/Golf/Jetta/Rabbit  and I'm
replacing the bottom end with a 93 Jetta 2.0 liter ABA.

 The conversion is done as is a diesel Vanagon. It has a 5sp manual tranny.
I've had great service from it so far and no complaints.

  I found a low-miles Jetta motor (~100k miles) that came from a
rear-crashed Jetta, paid just $300 for it, complete, including all kinds of
parts I will soon re-sell..  PS pump, AC compressor, 90amp alternator, WP
and a bunch hardware to hang all that stuff and route all those belts.  I
am combining the 1.8 liter's head and all the intake components with the 2.0
bottom.    The  2.0 liter ABA motors have the intake on the 'upper' side of
the head, so they don't fit under the deck in a vanagon (at 55-degrees like
the diesel vanagon motors go in) unless you swap the intake to the 1.8 liter
style.
 This 'hybrid' inline VW motor configuration is fairly popular with the
Tuner crowd.  There are lots of 'how to' articles and conversion parts for
these things.  I have been greatly helped by a shop called Techtonics
Tuning, nearby in Oregon.  They sell some parts to facilitate this project,
though I could easily have made them myself..a couple of plates and a
bushing plus a good headgasket is what I bought from them and in return,
they've gladly given me tech tips as needed.


  As I was swapping all the parts between the 1.8liter block and the 2.0
liter block, it was interesting and instructive to have the two motors side
by side and to really *look* at everything and figure out what does what and
where and why.

 I re-installed the 'revised' motor last evening, without a helper.  That
job is probably better done with two people, but I just used 3 floor jacks,
a come-a-long and some pry bars and 2x4 levers.   Lots of patience is
required to do it alone, plus about a thousand sit-ups and crunches, getting
under the van, getting back up top, going under again, etc etc.
 The inline motors are fairly small.  I  carried the 'left-over' 1.8 liter
block across my shop, complete with water pump and pan, kinda like bale of
hay..

  So, it remains to connect the hoses and wires.   I am going to run a test
to determine the compression ratio to see if I'll need mid-grade fuel..The
1.8l head on the 2.0liter block is said to up the CR a little.  I will
likely run an oil pressure test also, since I combined parts from both oil
pumps and filters to get the configuration I needed.  The 2.0 liter block is
about 12mm taller than the smaller one, but I had no problems with the fit.
Once it's running, I'll be swapping on the "new" Jetta exhaust manifold,
with it's dual head pipe configuration.  So far, I have about $500 in this.
I should get back about half that from resale of the Jetta parts.

  I did find some spectacularly awful welding by the fellow who did the
original conversion.  He's a woodworker, not a mechanic...as you can see by
his welding if you click on the link to my Picassa web pics of the license
plate oil filler and dipstick abortion he made.  I am keeping it, since I
don't weld any better than he does...I should bronze it though....


http://picasaweb.google.com/dhanson928/OutstandingFabrication#

  Don Hanson