jwdmotorsports
jwdmotorsports Reader
3/4/09 7:55 a.m.

I'm buying a 1992 8v GTI and I was wondering if a 16v head can be swapped in as a more or less bolt on upgrade?

Also, the car has an after market header. Will the 8v header bolt onto the 16v head?

Xceler8x
Xceler8x GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/4/09 8:25 a.m.

You'll have more torque from the 8v motor. I also think you can hop that up so that it's just as fast as the 16V motor. Vw waterpumper guys come on out and confirm or deny.

Also, I'd check out the www.vwvortex.com. They'll know the answers.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
3/4/09 9:08 a.m.

I thought the whole torque thing was a myth? That the 16v had just as much, but felt wimpier because the top end was just so strong

Brotus7
Brotus7 New Reader
3/4/09 9:09 a.m.

As a VW guy since 2003, I can chime in a little here. Dropping a 16v head on an 8v engine is not exactly a bolt on affair. You'll get a pretty low compression ratio unless you change rods/pistons (If my memory serves me right). Similarly, if you have a 16v and drop a nice 8v head on it, you'll get crazy high, like 12:1 compression. Perfect for circle track hand grenades.

On the torque issue, I beg to differ. My first GTI was an 8v, then I swapped in a 1.8 16v, then bought a 16v Scirocco, and the newest car is a 2.0 16v swapped into an 8v Jetta. The 16v has plenty of torque, and I say it doesn't feel like it would have any less than my old 8v's did. I find that alot of people on Vortex who claim that the 16v's have no torque have never driven one, or never drove one that was running right.

Oh, and the 8v header is not compatible with the 16v head. (But if you're looking to swap a 16v in at some point, I have a stainless 16v header for sale.)

John Brown
John Brown GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
3/4/09 9:30 a.m.

The 16V in the Jetterd was very smooth, would rev to the moon and was a joy to drive... too bad it was attatched to a rusted out pile of Helios Jetta!

John Brown
John Brown GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
3/4/09 9:30 a.m.

The 16V in the Jetterd was very smooth, would rev to the moon and was a joy to drive... too bad it was attatched to a rusted out pile of Helios Jetta!

7pilot
7pilot New Reader
3/4/09 9:53 a.m.

Either swap in the whole twincam engine, plus pre cat exhaust, or this: Find an audi 80(iirc) Circa '88-'89. Snag the (block 2.0L). Bolt your 8V head and oilpan plus oil pump pick up, a cam, header, and have torque.

m

jwdmotorsports
jwdmotorsports Reader
3/4/09 10:10 a.m.

Just checked the local pull-a-part yard. No Audi 80's there. Do any of the VW's of the same age share the same block?

Paul_VR6
Paul_VR6 New Reader
3/4/09 10:18 a.m.

The 2L 8v out of a 93-99 Golf/Jetta is similar to the Audi 80 engine except it has a 16mm higher deck height. You'll need a new downpipe, distributor adapter (other misc gaskets, head bolts, etc) and I think that's about it.

The 8v only feels like it has torque compared to the 16v because the 16v holds its torque higher. If you look at stock dynos the 16v makes more torque everywhere. It just feels like it doesn't.

Cone_Junky
Cone_Junky New Reader
3/4/09 1:18 p.m.

Like mentioned, the 93-99 2.0 ABA is a pretty easy swap. You still keep a 10-1 compression ratio but gain displacement. Depending on clearance, the header may still work (the MKII and MKIII dual downpipes both fit with this setup). You can either buy a distributor adaptor from TT or build your own franken-distributor by using the old hall effect wheel placed in the ABA housing. I used a 2.0 16V head gasket for a direct bolt on affair. The ABA hybrid gives great gains in torque by itself. Port the head and throw in a cam and you'll be hanging with 16Vs all day long. It's great because it doesn't involve major mods or computer and harness swaps. I have had my ABA hybrid for 3 years and still enjoy the power on a daily basis.

If you really want a 16V, get a donor car. You'll have to swap the ecu and harness and the donor will have any little parts that also may need to be swapped. If you get the right donor, you can even get a short ratio gearbox in the deal. Or there is a conversion kit available to run Digi2 on the 16V. This will allow you to keep all your factory wiring and fuel injection. Then there is the good ol VR6 swap. Personally I think that would be the last choice for a car being tracked in any way. The last thing these cars need is MORE weight on the front end.

mrwillie
mrwillie New Reader
3/4/09 3:46 p.m.

What engine did your aba hybrid start out as? And did you make your own breather block-off plate?

Cone_Junky
Cone_Junky New Reader
3/5/09 10:02 a.m.

It was originally a 1.8 HT from an 86 GTI w/ CIS-e. I then converted it over to DIGI2 when I swappped it into my 91 GTI. The I converted it into DIGI1 when I swapped it into my next 91 GTI. As you can tell, I really like this engine. I almost forgot about the block off plate. The kid I bought the block from already had the TT block off plate mounted on it. So I guess that is one more item you'll need for the conversion.

BTW- according to my G-Tech, the CIS injection made 10 more HP than the Digi with the exact same motor.

Dom1
Dom1
4/14/09 11:24 a.m.
Xceler8x wrote: You'll have more torque from the 8v motor. I also think you can hop that up so that it's just as fast as the 16V motor. Vw waterpumper guys come on out and confirm or deny. Also, I'd check out the www.vwvortex.com. They'll know the answers.

Not true. Torque is about the same, the 8v only feels that way because the tourque kicks in alot higher on the 16v

Dom1
Dom1 New Reader
4/14/09 11:26 a.m.
Cone_Junky wrote: Like mentioned, the 93-99 2.0 ABA is a pretty easy swap. You still keep a 10-1 compression ratio but gain displacement. Depending on clearance, the header may still work (the MKII and MKIII dual downpipes both fit with this setup). You can either buy a distributor adaptor from TT or build your own franken-distributor by using the old hall effect wheel placed in the ABA housing. I used a 2.0 16V head gasket for a direct bolt on affair. The ABA hybrid gives great gains in torque by itself. Port the head and throw in a cam and you'll be hanging with 16Vs all day long. It's great because it doesn't involve major mods or computer and harness swaps. I have had my ABA hybrid for 3 years and still enjoy the power on a daily basis. If you really want a 16V, get a donor car. You'll have to swap the ecu and harness and the donor will have any little parts that also may need to be swapped. If you get the right donor, you can even get a short ratio gearbox in the deal. Or there is a conversion kit available to run Digi2 on the 16V. This will allow you to keep all your factory wiring and fuel injection. Then there is the good ol VR6 swap. Personally I think that would be the last choice for a car being tracked in any way. The last thing these cars need is MORE weight on the front end.

Hi i have a 97 jetta 2.slow and i want to do the 9A Head/ABA block swap (Hopefully it isnt to expenisive) what should i anticipate when i put the head on? Problems, complications anything. I was going to throw in the ABF pistons cuz i wanna NA the motor, but i heard that i may run into valve clearence issues. Basically, i need a bit of help. Any suggestions? if you can send it straight to my email dierullo@hotmail.com

Dom1
Dom1 New Reader
4/14/09 11:26 a.m.
Cone_Junky wrote: Like mentioned, the 93-99 2.0 ABA is a pretty easy swap. You still keep a 10-1 compression ratio but gain displacement. Depending on clearance, the header may still work (the MKII and MKIII dual downpipes both fit with this setup). You can either buy a distributor adaptor from TT or build your own franken-distributor by using the old hall effect wheel placed in the ABA housing. I used a 2.0 16V head gasket for a direct bolt on affair. The ABA hybrid gives great gains in torque by itself. Port the head and throw in a cam and you'll be hanging with 16Vs all day long. It's great because it doesn't involve major mods or computer and harness swaps. I have had my ABA hybrid for 3 years and still enjoy the power on a daily basis. If you really want a 16V, get a donor car. You'll have to swap the ecu and harness and the donor will have any little parts that also may need to be swapped. If you get the right donor, you can even get a short ratio gearbox in the deal. Or there is a conversion kit available to run Digi2 on the 16V. This will allow you to keep all your factory wiring and fuel injection. Then there is the good ol VR6 swap. Personally I think that would be the last choice for a car being tracked in any way. The last thing these cars need is MORE weight on the front end.

Hi i have a 97 jetta 2.slow and i want to do the 9A Head/ABA block swap (Hopefully it isnt to expenisive) what should i anticipate when i put the head on? Problems, complications anything. I was going to throw in the ABF pistons cuz i wanna NA the motor, but i heard that i may run into valve clearence issues. Basically, i need a bit of help. Any suggestions? if you can send it straight to my email dierullo@hotmail.com

Paul_VR6
Paul_VR6 Reader
4/14/09 2:02 p.m.

If you run ABF pistons there are no valve/piston clearance issues at all.

For what you can build a motor for, you might want to look into getting a used ABF from somewhere like Ecodeparts.

John Brown
John Brown GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
4/14/09 2:06 p.m.

Is there any uses out there for an AEG (2.0L) block and rotating assembly?

tinman
tinman New Reader
4/14/09 5:05 p.m.
Dom1 wrote:
Xceler8x wrote: You'll have more torque from the 8v motor. I also think you can hop that up so that it's just as fast as the 16V motor. Vw waterpumper guys come on out and confirm or deny. Also, I'd check out the www.vwvortex.com. They'll know the answers.
Not true. Torque is about the same, the 8v only feels that way because the tourque kicks in alot higher on the 16v

Nope, the 16v unit (in European form at least which is 10bhp more than the Federal 16v engine) develops more torque across the rev range than the 8v.

Its been a long time since I've pulled the bhp/torque charts from VW, but iirc the 16v unit pulls more torque at 3,500 than the 8v unit does at its peak, which was in the 5k region.

I'll try and get the original chart again.

tinman
tinman New Reader
4/14/09 5:16 p.m.

tinman
tinman New Reader
4/14/09 5:20 p.m.
jwdmotorsports wrote: I'm buying a 1992 8v GTI and I was wondering if a 16v head can be swapped in as a more or less bolt on upgrade? Also, the car has an after market header. Will the 8v header bolt onto the 16v head?

I wouldn't bother. Its not just head, but the fuel injection system is different as well, and a host of other stuff.

Plus the 8v and 16v were very different under the skin as well. Uprated brakes on the 16v for a start. You will also find a myriad of small differences between the two as well.

The 16v has more in common with the G60 than the 8v in many respects.

If you want more power, simply get the thing serviced properly, new air filter, new oil filter, new exhaust system, and you'll see a big improvement right from the start. Most older cars have been neglected so very simple things can increase the power quite dramatically and cost effectively.

fifty
fifty New Reader
4/14/09 5:56 p.m.
jwdmotorsports wrote: Will the 8v header bolt onto the 16v head?

no. the exhaust port spacing is different on both engines.

nocarbud
nocarbud New Reader
4/14/09 10:02 p.m.

I had an 82 rabbit with the 1990 Audi 80 2.0 in it. with that motor and a 268 cam it made a real screamer. That would run with 16v cars all day long. Actuallyit would run with just about anything all day long. It was able to take a beating too. it isn't an interference engine like the 16v. I still have it in my barn... engine is removed, and it's missing the close ratio 5 speed trans, but that isn't a good trans with that setup anyway in my opinion... gearin was too short.

As for the 16v pistions with an 8v head... the compression is more like 14.xx to 1... makes a good drag car motor.

VWguyBruce
VWguyBruce HalfDork
4/15/09 11:46 a.m.
nocarbud wrote: I had an 82 rabbit with the 1990 Audi 80 2.0 in it. with that motor and a 268 cam it made a real screamer.

Did you leave the head alone when you did your swap or PP?

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