Jeff Doble

After careful consideration and a few economical smacks across my face I've decided to just go with my stock motor and buy new pistons. For the two people who are probably following my rebuild saga carefully here's an updated list of things being done at the machine shop:

- hot tank the engine block
- overbore cylinders
- new pistons, wrist pins, and pin retainers
- new connecting rod bearings and bolts
- clean connecting rods and rebore for new bearings
- degrease crankshaft
- polish crankshaft
- new main bearings
- install new intermediate shaft bearings
- clean cylinder head
- full valve job (to reseat valves)
- resurface flywheel

My motor should be roughly equivalent to what the car is worth after this :| It should be fun to drive again though, I can't wait!

FYI, I considered trying to swap out my bottom end with a VW 3A block (2.0L) but due to convenience I decided against it. Even though I'm in no particular rush to get the car back together I would like to drive it when the weather starts warming up (whenever that is!) and I could just see the swap turning into another project in and of itself. For some really good reading on it, check out the linked page - there's lots of good info there.

If I were doing this over, I would definitely be on the hunt for a 2.0L 3A block to rebuild before taking my car apart. I would also just have redone my head and bolted it to the 3A for simplicity.

Learn from my mistakes people!

JD<ul><li><a href="http://www.volkswagen.org/EngineSwap/Default.htm">good swap info.....</a></li></ul>

PJM99

Re: So, would a newer 1.8T work?

Whitjr

This sounds good to me!

Jeff Doble

I'm assuming you're talking about the 20v 1.8T's (4 valves/cylinder x 5 cylinders?) from the newer vw/audi's.

Of course I could probably turbo the old 8V 1.8 MG I have if I lowered the compression to 8.5:1 instead of the stock 10:1. Of course this is my daily driver so that's not going to happen (not to mention I have no idea how to do it).

JD

PJM99

Yeah, I wondered how hard it would be to take a 1.8T out of, i dunno, lets say a 99 GTi and drop it into an older 85ish 4000.

austinado16

Don't forget the wrist pin bushings and use viton valve stem seals.

Dwight V.

JD said: "My motor should be roughly equivalent to what the car is worth after this :| "

Welcome to my world, LOL!
You'll only have half as much in your engine as I do. Can't imagine what Jerky Boy spent on his, since he doesn't know people like I do &lt;wink&gt;. Wait until you build that Subaru engine...

ddg=shinebox racing

"Can't imagine what Jerky Boy spent on his".... who meeeeeeee??????

PackRat

Jeff I think you underestimate your audience. I may have missed an installment but why the new pistons, do you need an overbore? I am considering a rebuild on one of my Gti motors and was just planning to do the top end. Previous inspections on similar motors have made me believe the bottom end is incredibly durable. Austinaldo16 is this right? Looking for a pros opinion.
Packrat

Jeff Doble

Well, the top of the cylinders had a small lip from where the piston rings stopped wearing on the stroke. The shop I took my motor to highly recommended overboring to correct that lip. While not entirely necessary it will ensure the motor is done correctly and will last a while. That means new pistons too unfortunately.

I've heard mixed things about ridge reaming so I've decided to do it correctly with the overbore.

Overall this project may cost $1000 but that's only 3-4 months of a car payment which I no longer have to make (paid off my other car). As long as I keep the Audi for a while I'll get a lot more value out of it. In addition, I've learned a ton doing this so it's been TOTALLY worth it.

JD