2L conversion, just the block ok?

Well i finally got the 1.8 out of my car,i now have a dilemma. Should i just rebuild the 1.8 and fit a manifold etc,or should i fit the AGG block i have in the garage along with the 2E dizzy? Im looking for a budget build,but the thing is i dont want to start fitting mk3 ancillaries as i think im going to get a bit confused and mess somthing up when doing. So can you do the 2l conversion by just putting the AGG lump in and the 2E dizzy? Also are there any other essentials ill need,clutch etc? I dont know whether to just rebuild the 1.8, sombody help me out lol.

 

>So can you do the 2l conversion by just putting the AGG lump in and the 2E dizzy?

Yes.
It's pretty easy and cheap to use the AGG in a MK2 8v.
I did exactly the same in my old MK2 8v - using the same AGG bottom end.

To allow use of the original MK2 dizzy, I bought the TSR 2.0 conversion kit which also has the blanking plate on the front of the AGG block, so you can also use all MK2 water/air pipes.

If you use the original MK2 dizzy, you will need to swap over the intermediate camshaft from the 1.8 block.

For the clutch simply keep and use the MK2 clutch/flywheel and MK2 gearbox.
And a metal AGG head gasket. I think you'll also need a 2.0 8v cambelt (it's a few years since I converted mine)

Lhasa2008

 

Do you know the history of the 2.0 block?

You can use mk2 ancillaries with no problem but it's advised the mk3's are a better design. Currently fitting a 2E lump and PB head to mine - only mk3 parts I've used are the dizzy, headgasket and cambelt.

If you can afford it do the clutch as at least you can cross it off of the list. A lot easier to do with everything in pieces.


edit - beaten to it.

 

well i was thinking about getting new big end bearings in and rings in my AGG block for piece of mind?? also that tsr 2litre conversion kit,if i use that,with the blanking plates,is there any need to plumb pipes into each other for the breather as ive seen?? because thats the sort of thing that confuses the hell out of me.thanks for the replys guys aswell

 

Bit of an open debate regarding the breathers. Plenty of people just block it off with a blanking plate however personally I'm planning on using a variety of mk2/mk3 breather hoses to plumb it in.

Personal preference although my view is it's probably there for a reason.

 

Doing this conversion is definately the way to go. I paid 67 for my bottom end from Ebay. So simple to fit and you will be very suprised by the difference that extra 200cc makes. Go for it and enjoy the benerfits

 

have people who used the blanking plates had any problems? Its not going to be a daily driver, more of a weekend toy and for doing odd trips to newquay in the summer, but i wanna do it myself so i have the satisfaction of it. I would plumb it in but it looks complicated and im not really sure what all the hoses are for and what would get plumbed where so aslong as people havnt had problems ill go for the blanking plates.

 

People blank it off with no problems however it's not that complicated? One breather pipe that goes from the block up to the flying saucer on the rocker cover.

 

Go 2.0 all the way. I wouldn't rebuild the lump unless there are signs that it needs it... you're just as likely to cause a problem by getting dirt in there, or disturbing something. If it's clean and the bores look good, leave it alone. Take the sump off, check the oil pump and pickup, and if it all looks fine, leave it well alone.

Mk2 ancillaries are fine. Maybe the Mk3 ones are less fiddly to adjust, and maybe even more reliable, but the Mk2 ones were OK for the first 20 years of the car's life. It's hardly an emergency.

You can make your own blanking plate with a piece of 3mm ish metal and some blue hylomar. Make up a cardboard template and get the angle grinder out. The TSR ones are nice and neat, but there are cheaper ways of doing it.

I would recommend that you check and maybe change the clutch when you're in there, unless it's nearly new and oil free, and do the cambelt & tensioner too. Having said that, clutches ain't cheap, and you can save an oily clutch by soaking the pressure plate in a bucket of steaming hot strong washing powder solution - I tend to leave it for a day or two, and give it a few goes with a scrubbing brush while it's soaking. My track car is currently running with a Daz-refurbed clutch.

 

wicked guys all a great help. Well the engine has been sat for years and ive never seen it running,the guy said it ran fine in the car it came out of though. Only thing is when i took the head off where its been sat uncovered theres a bit of dust and a little bits sat in the cylinders ontop of the piston and obviously i dont know if its got down the side of the pistons or anything,but the engine turns over by hand fine (no oil in it). What am i looking for when checking the oil pump and pickup? I alright with a spanner,but not done anything like this before all ive ever done is engine out engine in.

 

There's a measurement for backlash in the oil pump gears - see Haynes. Also check for scoring, and clean out any muck in the pickup gauze. If it's all blocked up the engine is likely to have suffered oil starvation and irregular oil changes. If it's got a few little bits in it but is mostly clear, that's normal.

Get the vacuum cleaner nozzle round the top of the pistons, and get as much dust out as you can, then blow it clean with an airline if you can. There is some risk if it's been properly dirty, but then you always get some muck down the bores when you take a head off - bits of dirt, rust, old gasket. If you smear grease round the bore wall at the top of the pistons, to try and stick to the dirt, then rotate the engine to drop the pistons down the bore, and wipe the grease away that can help get the muck out. Nothing other than a full strip and rebuild is going to get all of it out though.

Chances are it'll just blow through the engine, but if you're unlucky you'll score a bore wall or dirt will get in the oilways and score bearings.

 

Yeh im renting a garage space at my dads mates bodyshop so i can use his airlines and stuff to blow em out. So im guessing these blocks are pretty solid? Because i think its a high miles but they seem ok,the bores arnt lipped but it looks like the top of the bore is a rounded edge as to a sharp corner if that makes sense,like the angle from the bore to the top flat part of the block it smooth,as if you were to sand the corner of a 90degree corner just to take the edge off so to speak. Well im glad i put the post up as it looks like im going to save a few pennies,and quite a bit of work. how do i test the oil pump gears you mentioned about or is it in my haynes manual? And one last thing,all the mk2 ancillaries,engine mounts etc fit straight on? and do i need to use the mk3 oil cooler,thanks alot again guys.

 

The only Mk3 bits you really need are the cambelt, lower belt covers, and the head gasket, IIRC.

The piston rings don't touch the very top edge of the block - they stop about 5mm down - so if it's slightly different, it's probably a factory rectification thing.

 

ok thanks for your help. Next weekend then ill try making some of the blanking plates,ill see if any of the metal benders in work got any off the 3mm sheeting i can pinch off of them. The plan for the car is a restoration but upgrading parts i deem fit along the way. So im going for an original car but with a few performance tweaks here and there such as upgraded brakes,lowered etc,and some nice interior. Thanks for all your help, ill get a thread up about it, as the engine bay is going to get a respray before it goes back in and eventually the whole car.

 

Be easier to go into the scrappy and get the mk3 breather setup, it looks alot tidier aswell.

 

are all mk3 coolant hoses the same? i have some anyway with my engine but a bit grotty. If i just get mk3 coolant hoses off any model are they all the same, or specifically gti ones.

 

I'm not sure if this applies to the AGG but for a 2E conversion you need to use the gearbox backplate from your old engine.

If you want a mega cheap, but not too pretty, way of blocking the front breather a plastic milk bottle top fits perfectly, just glue it in place