Erik & Rupert: The Tale Of Two MK1s

[mikinoz]

Is it rare to find them in this condition? Or is the colour desirable? I'm still learning all this stuff. I was lucky enough to get them with the car.

Both.

Liking the progress mate. Once I'm back of the road I'd love to check the out.

[HuH]

Once I'm back of the road I'd love to check the out.

Sounds good!

Got stuck into the motor swap last night. It was hard work.



This is where we started from. I didn't take any pictures for a long while after this.



We were told that this is the easiest way to do it on these Golfs, but I'm not convinced. For the two of us in a garage I think a crane would have been far more simple.



It's a very tricky process getting the car clear over the top of motor. We were using two trolley jacks to hold the car up, and two scissor jacks under the motor to lower it down.



The wheels and struts had to come off the hubs to make it easier to move the motor around.



We were inching the car backwards with the trolley jacks. Probably not the safest way to do it, but that was our only option.



Eventually it was all clear. We can start pulling it apart now. This gearbox is staying in the yellow car so it needs to to come off. Tested it and it doesn't have an LSD, whereas the one in Erik does. I'm not sure how hard it would be to change the LSD over to this gearbox?



The bay needs a clean and I'll get rid of some wiring. Thinking that I should probably paint it too.



Erik is waiting in the background for similar treatment. I'm keen to start work on getting that motor out as well.

Two weeks until I leave for Japan and I need to be able to move one car out of the garage before then at least.

[mikinoz]

I know it might seem easier the other direction but I think that in my experience the way you approached it is still best.

Your motivating me to get my engine swap done more promptly.

[Jarred]

I've done engine swaps both ways.

it's easier to drop out the bottom, however you should have disconnected the driveshafts from the gbox, and left the control arms, hubs wheels etc still attached, that should make it a touch easier.

[gldgti]

Hey mate, welcome another project or two!

I bought a rusty 4 door from the same guy who owned Erik. Back then(about 18months ago) it was pretty rough, so I cant imagine its any better now . Then I saw the car again a couple of weeks ago in Salisbury rd in Hornsby. When I saw it I thought "holy crap whats that doing there. Anyway, I work in Mt Kuring-gai if you ever want to meet up and talk mk1.

My personal choice is out the top with engine and box - just works well for me as I always find it a lot easier to hoist the engine box around on a crane than roll it/drag it on the floor. Also keeps the car in a more normal position.

Anyway, all the best with the project!

[Dub Toffee]

epic dude heaps of fun here nice score with both examples

[HuH]

I know it might seem easier the other direction but I think that in my experience the way you approached it is still best.

Hmm. What makes you say that? What are the main difficulties if we hoist it out? We have to take the engine out of the green car soon so I'm keen to do a better job of that.

I've done engine swaps both ways.

it's easier to drop out the bottom, however you should have disconnected the driveshafts from the gbox, and left the control arms, hubs wheels etc still attached, that should make it a touch easier.

That does sound easier then what we did. As above, what is the trouble with going out the top? I like the idea of being able to raise and lower the engine with the hoist rather than balancing it on scissor jacks.

Can the driveshafts be removed by taking out the allen key bolts at the gearbox end, or do you need to pop the whole shaft out from the splines?

I bought a rusty 4 door from the same guy who owned Erik. Back then(about 18months ago) it was pretty rough, so I cant imagine its any better now . Then I saw the car again a couple of weeks ago in Salisbury rd in Hornsby. When I saw it I thought "holy crap whats that doing there. Anyway, I work in Mt Kuring-gai if you ever want to meet up and talk mk1.

My personal choice is out the top with engine and box - just works well for me as I always find it a lot easier to hoist the engine box around on a crane than roll it/drag it on the floor. Also keeps the car in a more normal position.

Cheers for the feedback! We'll have to work out what we can do better with taking out the 16V motor. The previous owner of Erik worked just off Salisbury Rd, so that's why you saw it there! I think he must have bought it from the guy you bought your four door from.

epic dude heaps of fun here nice score with both examples

Cheers mate!

[Jarred]

use a triple square bit (NOT an allen key, as that will just ruin the bolt head) to remove the driveshafts from the gearbox side. Leave the driveshafts in the hubs, so the car is still mobile. If you remove the DS from the hub, and roll the car, even 5mm, you'll ruin your front bearings.

Getting it out of the top is harder cause there are more things in the way, basically. if the engine bay is completely stripped it might be easier, but getting it from underneath is the generally accepted methods. Even spliting the box/eng once it's on teh ground can make it a bit easier to manuver, as well as removing intake manifolds etc where nessecary.

[HuH]

I didn't realise they were triple square, I should've looked closer. Might have to buy a bit as I don't have one large enough. That's good info mate, thanks. Dropping it out the bottom without all the other stuff attached is much more appealing. Sounds like the smarter way to go.

I guess this means that the best way to put the motor into the yellow car is up from underneath as well?

[gldgti]

If you do want to go out the top, I usually find all thats necessary is to remove the alternator and the starter and the gearbox shift linkage lever and ofcourse the bonnet (thats easy).

I put a chain between the drivers side engine lifting point and the lug in the middle of the top of the gearbox and sling the whole unit by the engine crane.

once its all undone, you completely remove the gearbox mount from the gearbox and then push the gearbox down and back slightly, so that the front end of the engine goes up, then you just keep raising the whole assembly and manouvre the gearbox away from the brake master cylinder if you've still got all that in there once your high enough.

I know a lot of people seem to like going out the bottom but I only did that once 'cos I had no end of trouble. Nowdays I can put the assembly in or out of the car by myself in no time at all.

Just takes a little bit of creative thinking.

[HuH]

Hmm. The more I think about it, the more difficult it sounds to lift the 16V out. It's physically much bigger in terms of depth compared to the 8V. I'll get the car up on stands and have a good look at it. Loving the help, guys. It's great to be here!

---------- Post added 16-03-2012 at 03:12 PM ---------- Previous post was 15-03-2012 at 10:53 PM ----------

I forgot to ask - what is this?

Looks like a diagnosis port or something, but surely it's not?

[GeorgeMK1]

Hey mate, i asked that ages ago and yes it is a diagnosis port. You can remove it, it was used for the computers ages ago apparently when the car wasnt running properly. This is off the top of my head so dont quote me on it, however im positive it is a diagnosis port

[gldgti]

Hmm. The more I think about it, the more difficult it sounds to lift the 16V out. It's physically much bigger in terms of depth compared to the 8V. I'll get the car up on stands and have a good look at it. Loving the help, guys. It's great to be here!

---------- Post added 16-03-2012 at 03:12 PM ---------- Previous post was 15-03-2012 at 10:53 PM ----------

I forgot to ask - what is this?

Looks like a diagnosis port or something, but surely it's not?

Bah 16V, try a 1.9 turbo diesel with a turbo hanging off the back and big long runner intake manifold


I can confirm it is a diagnosis port, but the computer that you use to diagnose it is loooooooooooooong gone.

[HuH]

Hey mate, i asked that ages ago and yes it is a diagnosis port. You can remove it, it was used for the computers ages ago apparently when the car wasnt running properly. This is off the top of my head so dont quote me on it, however im positive it is a diagnosis port

Thanks! I ditched it based on this info. It was looking ugly and serving no purpose!

Bah 16V, try a 1.9 turbo diesel with a turbo hanging off the back and big long runner intake manifold

I can confirm it is a diagnosis port, but the computer that you use to diagnose it is loooooooooooooong gone.

Hahah. Yeah, that would be worse.

Made some more headway over the weekend. We're getting there.



Got both cars in the garage side by side. Heaps easier this way switching between the two.



First job on Saturday night was taking the driveshafts off the other motor so that they can have CV boots done.



The 8V sitting and waiting while we pull out the other motor.



Our plan on Saturday night was to drop this out, but we ran out of time thanks to a bunch of mishaps.



Worst of which was this son of a gun. It took forever to work out how to get it out. This series two dash mounted totally differently to the series one.



Lots of wiring that I think will need to be moved over. I'm dreading this part.



We did manage to get a lot of work done on the 16V to have it ready to drop out tomorrow.



It's a far more complicated setup, but we're trying to be thorough with all our labelling. Fingers crossed it pays off. The wiring for the engine loom is a bit of a write-off as well. Going to give it all a thorough going over.



I got into a little bit of work tonight by myself, but tried to take a more relaxed approach.



Started with this kinda filthy engine bay and went to town. Warm soapy water, follower by degreaser, followed by more warm soapy water then a hot water rinse.



Came up looking like this. Not too bad. There is a lot more I could do if I had more time/money, but I think this will suffice. Painting is just too much trouble with the prep involved and the very tight schedule. Down the track I'll probably regret not seizing this opportunity while the motor was out, but I'm taking that risk.

Should everything fall into place tomorrow, the 16V will be out and we'll be able to start tidying it up. The gearboxes can be switched and the rebuild of Rupert can start!

Not sure if I asked this, but how do you change diffs in these FWD boxes? I've never tried. Can it be done at home? I want the LSD out of the green car to go into the rebuilt gearbox in the yellow car.

[GeorgeMK1]

Hey mate, did you have the heater and blower hooked up with the mk2 dash?