1.8 8v nom nom nomming oil

[Mk1DUB]

Cheers guys.

@XXX-1.8T - were you the previous owner of the motor before it went into the mk1? if so, do you know what work was done to the head? The guy I bought it from said something had been done in the way of porting but I wasn't sure what.

@Ericcs - I was thinking that it couldn't just be stem seals because of the drastic oil loss but it doesn't smoke after startup except with really hard acceleration from a set of lights. However it does get enough blowby to fill the catch can 1/3 in 1-2 months of regular driving. These could be attributed to stem seals.. since oil would drop seep onto the pistons while idleing and then get burned when taking off... right? same as when it's first turned on, except more oil as it's been seeping longer.

If I can find a low K 1.8 8v for cheap, then I'll just do the swap one day with my uncle who's offered his help for free (makes it far more realistic for me to do a swap rather than servicing the JH).

GeorgeMk1 has a 1.8 8v carbed but it was losing oil when he took it out and he never found out the cause (said it may be rear seal which would get done in the swap anyway). Another lad in vic has a low K 1.8 8v but hasn't replied with price yet. right now it could go either way, unless I find a really low k 1.8 8v for cheap...

[sports racer]

You've probably got worn piston rings which means new rings and a rebore of the cylinders. You'll need new pistons too so it's getting expensive to get your engine fixed. Why not go 2.0 from a MK3 or Audi, lots of them at the wreckers.

They go better with 1.8 heads though so you'd need to get your head reconditioned. Throw in a hot cam while you're at it to really get the Golf moving.

Just thought I'd add to your confusion.

[XXX-1.8T]

Cheers guys.

@XXX-1.8T - were you the previous owner of the motor before it went into the mk1? if so, do you know what work was done to the head? The guy I bought it from said something had been done in the way of porting but I wasn't sure what.

@Ericcs - I was thinking that it couldn't just be stem seals because of the drastic oil loss but it doesn't smoke after startup except with really hard acceleration from a set of lights. However it does get enough blowby to fill the catch can 1/3 in 1-2 months of regular driving. These could be attributed to stem seals.. since oil would drop seep onto the pistons while idleing and then get burned when taking off... right? same as when it's first turned on, except more oil as it's been seeping longer.

If I can find a low K 1.8 8v for cheap, then I'll just do the swap one day with my uncle who's offered his help for free (makes it far more realistic for me to do a swap rather than servicing the JH).

GeorgeMk1 has a 1.8 8v carbed but it was losing oil when he took it out and he never found out the cause (said it may be rear seal which would get done in the swap anyway). Another lad in vic has a low K 1.8 8v but hasn't replied with price yet. right now it could go either way, unless I find a really low k 1.8 8v for cheap...

I was the second owner. The first owner was the one that put the JH engine in. Car ran like a dream and hauled ass. Not sure what happened after that. Car was passed around like a cheap whore so since i sold it had 4 or 5 owners Hope someone gives it the love it deserves

[Mk1DUB]

@XXX-1.8T - Well I intend to drive it semi daily for the next 2 years and then take it off the road while I derust, paint, and tidy up the little beast. Until then I need to get it running reliably.

I've looked at the 2.0 with 1.8 head switcharoony, and I'm interested... but there are so many variations that it's hard to know what to work with and what will be reliable. I've sourced a 2E (2.0 8v long block) with 52,000k's on it for only $340 and I could probably grab a cheap 1.8 8v head to throw on it (so I don't have to get mine reco'd and can just do the swap). From my understanding I can use my 4 speed 020 tranny and the 1.8 head should mean the exhaust/intake bolts up just fine.

My concern is that running the 2E on my 32/36 carb could be a bitch... All of these conversions I've seen are running on EFI, with the exception of skilled motorsports enthusiasts running it on carbs... don't suppose any of you have some input in regards to this? Other issues will be with the distributor. Apparently I can use my mechanical dizzy and just have conservative timing to protect from knocks (getting into territory that I know NOTHING about)....

So, anyone got some insight into how I might go about doing the hybrid swap with carbs? I'm also worried that my radiator won't connect right up, the 90mm vs 100mm driveshaft (dunno what I've got and what I'll need), possibly fouling the exhaust because the 2E is a longer block (unlike the audi bubble block 2.0 8v), and whatever else could go wrong haha.

I'm assuming everyone is going to tell me that I can't possibly have everything together and do the swap in one day and that I should just dive in feet first and work it out as I go (which is a problem because I need to drive it haha).

Maybe I should just cough up for a 5speed 020, linkages, driveshafts and eyeball the coolant hoses etc and see what I'm missing before I throw it in... Even after having all the bits and bobs though, I've heard people having serious issues with the fueling... scary **** for someone who had done almost nothing mechanical until owning this mk1.

My brain is going to explode, trying to figure this out

[ericcs]

just put a 1.8v carb head on the 2E and put your manifold and carb on it. the 32/36 can easily be jetted to suit, as these carbs came standard on 2L escorts and even mid 80's 4.1L crossflow fords.

if you use your 4sp box, your 90mm flanges will be ok, and they're interchangeable if you choose to run a 5sp!

[Mk1DUB]

I'm reading in to this and realising that I can't just throw my carb onto an efi head.. right? Injectors are inside the head itself... fml. Being a mechanical noob sucks, but at least I'm learning. It's looking more and more like I'm going to have to reco my head and put it on a 2.0L block. Thankfully I've read quite a few threads where people didn't have to make any adjustments to their exhaust in order to fit the 16mm taller block. Though some people DID have to use 15mm adaptor/spacers to stop the exhaust from banging the bulkhead.

Right now I'm just thinking of getting a direct replacement... just gotta get one that's carbed. What would you pay for a 1.8 8v with 120,000 k's on it and a known but undiagnosed oil leak? My other option is a 170,000k PB motor with no oil leaks that just ran 500K's in 40 degree temps with no fluid loss. But I'm pretty sure that the PB had EFI (digifant.. right?) from a mk2, which means I couldn't use my carb setup that I've just spent $600 getting professionally tuned/mounted. In which case I'd have to get my head reconditioned to stay carbed...

Anyone know what's involved with going efi from carb (with engine swap)? the PB comes with no accessories, so I'd be screwed... god damn this sucks haha.

[ericcs]

I'm reading in to this and realising that I can't just throw my carb onto an efi head.. right? Injectors are inside the head itself... fml. Being a mechanical noob sucks, but at least I'm learning. It's looking more and more like I'm going to have to reco my head and put it on a 2.0L block. Thankfully I've read quite a few threads where people didn't have to make any adjustments to their exhaust in order to fit the 16mm taller block. Though some people DID have to use 15mm adaptor/spacers to stop the exhaust from banging the bulkhead.

Right now I'm just thinking of getting a direct replacement... just gotta get one that's carbed. What would you pay for a 1.8 8v with 120,000 k's on it and a known but undiagnosed oil leak? My other option is a 170,000k PB motor with no oil leaks that just ran 500K's in 40 degree temps with no fluid loss. But I'm pretty sure that the PB had EFI (digifant.. right?) from a mk2, which means I couldn't use my carb setup that I've just spent $600 getting professionally tuned/mounted. In which case I'd have to get my head reconditioned to stay carbed...

Anyone know what's involved with going efi from carb (with engine swap)? the PB comes with no accessories, so I'd be screwed... god damn this sucks haha.

i haven'y seen it, only read it, but apparently you can cap the ports in the side of the head where the efi injectors pushed in.
as far as the carb engine with the oil leak, just press in a new front and rear main seal and maybe a new sump gasket before you refit it. if it's the rear main, it will be easy to confirm once the flywheel is removed

[Mk1DUB]

Looks like I'm going to go with the leaky one.. I watched some vids/read some guides and the front/rear seals don't seem super challenging. I just have to do the rocker cover gasket at the same time right? looks like that's gotta come off to do the front main seal.

I don't want to stuff around with blocking injector ports. Plus the leaky one comes with passat manifold and a 32/36 weber (already got mine obviously) but I could onsell it for cash to do other things to the mk1, or I could keep it as a backup and break it apart to learn how to do my own carb tuneing/work.

I can get a full head/block gasket set for $70 to my door from hansautoparts.com so that'd probably be the way to go. Then I have gaskets for anything, should they fail.. or I could just go HAM and do every gasket during the swap... thoughts? The only hard one would be the headgasket, because I'd have to also get new headbolts (learning soooo much from the interballs).

[sports racer]

Get the leaky one, replace the seals and put it in your car. Get the full head/block gasket set for spares and enjoy the driving.

You could put your carby on if you want to but at least you're mobile again.

When you have time/money get your existing hear reco'd, put it on a 2e block and you've got a 2.0 you can put in anytime you want to.

Or you could wait till later this year when I know there's a sweet worked 1.8 coming onto the market. Sits on 160k's with ease in a MK2 body. Not mine but it's getting a 20v transplant.

Cheers

Paul

PS. you can put your carby manifold on an EFI head, just block the injectors with $2 blanks from some of the VW shops.

[Mk1DUB]

mmmmmmm this intrigues me. If blocking the injectors is possible... would the PB be better than the ADZ? The PB apparently had 112hp.. but I would assume this is from the efi system being more efficient than the stock carb of the JH (85hp ). The ADZ apparently had 90hp. Any input in regards to this? My arse dyno tells me that the JH has about 100hp with just the 32/36 on it...

If the PB is actually a better design and will provide more power, then I'll just go that route and block the injector holes. As you said, I'll keep my JH head.. ditch the block (can't imagine getting any cash for a block without accessories), get it worked when I have the cash and grab a cheap 2.0L block for the extra choo choo, while remaining reliable as a daily Then I could grab ANOTHER mk1 and turn the PB into an 1800 race horse XD lol.. no... one is enough.

Finally feel like I'm closing down on a decision, it'll be one of these two 1.8's, and it'll also be my first engine swap

[sports racer]

Send Peter Jones a PM or ring Peter Shelley at Canberra VW Centre Kiama.

Both of these guys know MK1's better than anyone else and have done ever known swap imaginable to a MK1.

[Mk1DUB]

ok.. so checked the fluids before/after a 15 minute drive. Oil is still at max (Has definitely gone through 1L of oil over 2 weeks, on two occasions this year). The coolant, however, was basically foam..



The catch can has this much oil, mostly since christmas (had nothing in the tube before then).



It didn't smoke once.. I revved it at the lights, revved it when it had JUST started (I know.. I know not to do this..), but there is fresh oil down under the fuel pump (think I might be missing a gasket.. but still.. 1L shouldn't go that quick with a missing fuel pump gasket.. right?). having said all that, it very obviously does smoke at the lights, from time to time.. not always, and has spat oil from the exhaust onto someone when revved after being off for about 20 minutes).



Based on these pics/information, anything else to add? The sediment in the catch can oil is a bit concerning. Part of me hoped that I'd f'ed up with something and the engine would be fine... I'm really thinking it's just time to bite the bullet, grab a 1.8 8v, get the swap done and just see what happens -.-

[dubstar]

Can you post a pic of the oil cap removed. Does it look like mayonnaise under the cap?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[GeorgeMK1]

As I mentioned to you dude, your best bet is the adz direct replacement. Not just because I have one for sale, but because I've swapped over 7 engines in my mk1's to date. I've had a 2e, and etx but the easiest, quickest, cheapest option was an adz with your existing carby. I've ran 3 of these lovely motors. Would take one day to fit and another 15 min to find the leak, and put a new seal in.

That's my 2c anyway.