+1.

I will definitely be doing a 1.8L I-4 in one of my vanagons this spring.
The donor car is a 1990 golf we have owned for a year and it has a strong
engine with less than 100000KM on it (60K miles). Just need to locate a
few more bits and pieces: diesel bellhousing, flywheel, starter and oil
pump.

If I can find a dual-downpipe exhaust I will go that way too but as-is the
engine will still be a considerable improvement over a high-milage WBX.

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
www.pottsfamily.ca
WWW.BUSESOFTHECORN.CA   <--- NEW .CA DOMAIN!!!
1987 Wolfsburg Weekender hardtop Vanagon
1988 Wolfsburg Weekender hardtop Vanagon
1973 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"

> On Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 7:58 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
>>  It's done.  It works great.
>>
>>  I swapped a 2.0liter ABA Jetta block for the 1.8liter block I had in my
>> 84
>> 5sp van.  This is mounted with VW diesel engine mounts in  the 50 degree
>> standard way the Vanagon diesels use.
>>
>
>>  I pulled the top end off the 1.8 liter and put it onto the ABA
>> (2.0liter)
>> because the ABA motor has it's intake configured so that it would not
>> fit
>> under the decklid on a Vanagon unless you raise the lid...
>
>
>>
>>  I surfaced the head at home, using some elbow grease and a flat
>> surface.
>> We shall see about that, but I drove a pretty hard test today and the
>
>> Once I got it fired-up, it ran a bit poorly.  I don't have a timing
>> light so
>> I did that "by ear"..After some support and advice from some
>> listmembers,
>> Scott Daniel in particular, I figured out the timing and got that right.
>> Spent some time going over all the connections again and bleeding the
>> cooling again.  Filled up with mid octane fuel and do not hear a hint of
>> detonation, even when I tromp it uphill at 2000rpms.    And now
>> everything
>> works very well indeed!
>
>
> Right on!
>
> Such a great feeling. Hope the head works out.    :)
>
> Thanks for posting your process. Someday I may install a 1.8 head and
> tilt the engine but would keep the Motronic.
>
>
> Neil.
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>