Date:         Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:10:56 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      2.0 ABA inline gas Vanagon. how it works
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  If you are tired of my posting on this recent engine upgrade, delete now.

  Short version:  It works very well.

  Details:  I combined my previous 1.8l gas '92 Cabriolet 8-valve inline
motor with a '93 ABA Jetta bottom end, then re-installed it into my 84 5sp
Vanagon low top camper.  The 1.8liter was in the van when I bought it about
50k miles ago, installed by the PO using 83 diesel van junkyard parts.  I
had no issues with the "old" motor, it was still serving me well..delivering
23.6 mpg over all those miles with decent power and great dependability.
Given all the hard miles I've put on that motor since I got it a few years
ago,  and having no real history on the motor from the PO, I decided a
replacement 'couldn't hurt'.

  I found a 'complete' motor nearby..including all the auxiliary power
stuff, for $300..said to have just 97k miles on it. (looking at the
internals, that seems like a true mileage figure)  I drove my van up and
brought it home, right on the van's floor.  I'd been reading on the various
forums about the VW ABA and consulting with a couple of people here on the
list...the rap was that combining a 1.8liter head and intake with the
2.0liter ABA , with it's stronger more sophisticated block,  was do-able, so
I went for it.

  Pulling the old motor and transferring the parts onto the "new" block was
straightforward.  I got some simple adapter parts and support from
Techtonics Tuning, in Oregon.  Nice, helpful, shop that is very
knowledgeable about VW tuning.  The diesel pan bolted right back onto the
new bottom end and the 1.8 liter head went on nicely.  It all fit right back
into the van, on the same '83 diesel carrier bars,  despite the 2.0 liter
block being a few mm. taller.  I used my digital camera to augment my
memory, taking pics as I disconnected wires and hoses.  A big help during
reassembly.

  After about a week and some fiddling  with 'loose-ends', everything is
running very smooth again.  Thank you, Neil, for mentioning  separating the
sensor wires from the spark plug wires.  I got some  "new" silicone  spark
plug wires with the Jetta motor and when I changed those on, I had one plug
wire zip-tied to the temperature sender wires, which was making my idle a
bit erratic.   The little "Franken-motor"  or should I call it a
"Fritzen-motor"  has amazing pep.  Quite a power "bump"..pleasantly more
than I anticipated from just an extra 200cc of displacement.   I am told the
compression ratio of this motor configuration is higher than a stock 1.8
liter....I have been running mid-grade fuel so far without any indication of
knocks...

  I used a standard Sachs diesel vanagon clutch kit.  This may be marginal
(the diesel vanagon clutch has a smaller diameter than a WBX vangaon
clutch) for the new power from the motor..No slippage, but the motor is
significantly more powerful than the old one, so I probably should have used
a Luc heavy duty clutch kit.

  I'll be having an improved exhaust system fabricated next week (in Bend,
Or, Mr Rocky)  using the dual down pipe exhaust manifold that came with the
2.0 liter motor.  That also bolts right on, but we'll do some mods between
the downpipes and the muffler that supposedly improve the volumetric
efficiency over the single outlet 1.8 liter exhaust.

  It is quite refreshing to find all these parts are pretty much
interchangeable with all the modifications I am making.  I am also
pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive and readily available all this stuff
is, and how un-complicated (relatively).

  There it is...the completed saga of the inline block swap...

  Don Hanson