that's a 'strange' question all right.
No harm in asking though !

no, no, and no.
Others have pointed out details about it ..
but not even close, let's say.
I 'suppose' in an extreme emergency like to get back from deepest patagonia
and that's all you ahd to work with ...a big, big 'maybe' ..
what are you trying to accomplish?

you have a trashed 1.6 head now ?
you're looking for more performance out of your 1.6 NA ?
  I would say dont' even try ...but move upscale in the lineage of 1.6 TD,
1.9NA, 1.9TD and so on.

the 1.7 ..so far I have not seen one.
what you want is a 1.9 to start with.
Since 1.9 NA pistons are near impossible to get ..
I'm buidling a 1.9 NA 1Y engine code using AAZ rods and pistons ..
that should make a turbo block ..
and we'll run it NA ..
should be very durable.
and I have people in canada telling me they are throwing away AAZ engines
practically.
and ..
since they need a real going through anyway half the time lately ..
I'd be happy to start with a standard bore but very tired 1.9NA or AAZ block
.
the head..
you practically want to start with a new one of those anyway ..
the heads last about half the life of the bottom end anyway.

usually the question would be, will a 1.9 head fit on a 1.6 block ..
I hear they will not.
you really need either a 1.6 TD block to start with ( or block and head )
or 1.9.
I have one still runs 1.6 TD block I'd sell.

they're a lot better with some decent power.
the stock 1.6 NA is dangerous bascially.
People are confused when the poor thing takes a half block to get to 30 mph.

scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "ralph meyermann" <ralphmeyermann@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 7:21 AM
Subject: Strange diesel question

> Hi all Im still learning about my first vw/westy. Most of my engine builds
> have been domestics, I know that most small block chevy's the heads will
> interchange. My question is could a head from a tdi bolt up and work on my
> 1.6 na block? I know they are similar blocks but don't know how close they
> are? Thanks