Well I dropped my 1991 8 valve gti off at Prestige Cars on Anglesey yesterday for the engine rebuild and bay repaint!! My car had done 188k on the original engine and it still pulled like a train. However it had started using quite a bit of oil, valve guides needed doing..so what started out as a head rebuild turned into a full scale engine rebuild and bay repaint!! I have been told I should see about 130-135BHP with the reconditioned 1.8 bottom end, ported head, ported inlet/exhaust manifolds and Kent GS2H cam with Vernier. I won't get the car back till next week because of the time needed for painting the bay! If I am honest, I'm a little bit apprehensive (that the rebuild goes well) but also looking forward to driving the car. Any ideas to how 130-135BHP will feel in an 8 valve?? Will it have similar performance to a stock 16 valve Mk2?? It would be great to hear from anyone who has a similar spec engine Cheers Alpenweiss2
The important bit in your setup is the quality of the headwork. With a decent exhaust system and port matched manifolds then an honest 125-130bhp should be no bother...it all rather depends on what you have or haven't done so far tbh I'd recommend taking the snorkel and oval plate out of the airbox for a bit more airflow and induction noise along with a hotgolf lightened flywheel..a vernier pulley is good plan too From memory, my old 8v was great fun in similar spec. Very linear power delivery with good torque from 2000rpm and a bit more revvy. They always feel more punchy than a 16v on a B-road though ultimately not as out & out powerful at the top end...
I had a mk2 8v with a 1.9 bottom end JE pistons, P+P head, 262? cam and full exhaust made about 130bhp but it could of done more if it was on kjet or just set up better on digi. Although not the fastest car Iv owned 2years on I still miss it as it was brilliant to drive, noticeable difference over my std 8v in the cabby and I would of thought the mk2 was slightly heavier.
Hi Chrismc Well the head, and VW inlet and exhaust manifolds were all ported by the 'Man in the Shed'. I have been to his 'shed' and he really knows his stuff! I'm guessing his heads are pretty good! Just one thing, in the short term I will retain the standard VW exhaust. I will get a new exhaust eventually but only if I can find a quiet performance exhaust!! How much will the standard exhaust restrict this set up...I have read somewhere that the standard gti system is pretty good? Alpenweiss2
A stock system will indeed be fine until you can save up for something decent..cheap aftermarket stuff is generally nasty and best avoided Supersprint or a 3 box jetex system will both be quiet and excellent fitting and gain a little over the stock setup... A flowed standard manifold and 8v downpipe works better than a 4 branch manifold from experience too so you are all sorted there... You will, however, only reap the full benefit of the head and cam with a decent system though
replacing baffled silencer boxes with straight through mufflers is not a bad idea, from what i understand. i'm going to be removing the front box on mine and replacing it with straight pipe, restrictions further towards the back of the car are less important though. ultimately power gains (over a specific rev range) are to be had with a tuned equal-length extractor manifold. it has to be matched to your inlet and cam to get the most out of it, and is probably better suited for more highly tuned engines. they look pretty though. a bit of information here
I think you'll find the standard front box is straight through - they are on a 16v anyway. Incidentally, a standard 16v system isn't a bad upgrade on an 8v, as long as it's a decent brand (ideally genuine VAG, but Ernst are ok too.) As for the original question - it'll be a bit revvier and might lose a little bit of bottom end driveability, depending on how it's built and set up. It should be about the same as a standard 16v.
If the build uses the right bits and has the calibration matched, I would expect torque to be less peaky at 2500rpm going on to peak at 4000rpm or so then slowly dropping to 5800rpm or even 6K, if you are lucky. If you can get the torque to a "tough love" 135lbft+ on that assumed torque curve I would expect such a car to have equal performance to a good working STD 1.8 16v, but not an optimised one. Its a lot of work to just equal a STD engine though.
Hi Paul I got hold of a reconditioned (Big Boys Toys) 1.8 (DX) engine for only 100!! Its like a new engine so I was happy to go with that rather than risk a 2.0 litre bottom end in un-reconditioned state. Cheers Alpenweiss2
Rebuild ...few problems??? Hi Guys Well my car has been gone over a week now and the rebuild work is progressing pretty well along with the bay repaint. However, the garage who are doing the work called me today to say that the oil filter mounting/cooler from my old engine (1991 1.8 gti block) won't fit the new reconditioned block I have supplied because it is a DX coded block (from a Mk1 1.8 gti). The garage have told me that the part needed will cost 116 plus VAT from VAG!!! Does anyone know what part they are talking about and where I could get one cheaper and as quick as possible?? Cheers Alpenweiss2
Not quite sure what they're on about tbf... The Oil Filter bracket on my 89 EX engine is the same as the oil filter bracket on my 2E and the oil filter/cooler that's going on. Mebbe worth going for a chat with them to find out exactly what they're talking about. If it helps I have an oil filter bracket you can have (off my 2E) and it should fit a DX engine IIRC. Just gimme a day or so to get it off and PM me your address if that's the case. It's ONLY the oil filter type, not the Oil Cooler type
Looked on etka, the part number for the oil filter bracket is different for mk1 dx (also obsolete), and mk2 pb.
I thought the short blocks were all the same gasket fitting. Is the gasket part number different, Ian? Are any other engines the same as the DX? I might have a spare one in the garage, as I've stripped a few engines in the past, but I'd need a picture of what doesn't fit to be sure.
Hi Mike I managed to get a DX coded block oil filter housing from Stevens VW breakers in Essex. 35 quid for the part posted direct to the garage. Still a bit pricey for a small aluminium casting, but alot cheaper than the 116 VAG main stealer wanted for a new part!! Should have the car back by the middle of next week. Paid a trip to the bodyshop and the bay is looking good. Also went to the garage and they have built up the new engine. It is looking good!! Hope it runs as well as it looks!! Cheers Alpenweiss2
HELP!! Urgent advice needed!! Hello all!! I spoke to the garage today that are carrying out my engine rebuild. The build up of the engine with the reconditioned DX block has hit a snag!! The oil filter housing bracket is different to a PB block one so the part from my old PB engine won't fit!! The garage reckoned they could source the correct part from VAG for 116!! Anyway I spoke to Stevens VW specialist Breakers on Thursday and they said they had the correct housing bracket for a DX coded engine block. I paid them 35 including postage and the bracket turned up at the garage this morning! The problem is they have sent the wrong part and I couldn't ring them today because they were shut!! The guy who is doing the rebuild says I need the DX specific block mounting/gasket. In the photo below there is a picture of the block I am using (before it was painted and head swapped). You can see that the mounting holes for the oil filter bracket on the block are different to a PB one!! Can anyone advise on the part number I need and where I can get one ASAP and for less than 116!! Or does anyone know which Golfs/Sciroccos/Cabriolets the DX 1.8 block was fitted to?? I need the part ASAP as it is holding up the rebuild..I am really loathe to pay VAG 116 for a small aluminium casting!! Cheers Alpenweiss2
most.... if not all early oil filter brackets are the same mounting bolt pattern including the PB one. The DX one mounts the same but has connections for the external oil cooler. If the block in the picture is the one your using then that looks like your problem to me ..... I have a DX engine in my garage and the mounting holes are different to the one in the picture. Are you sure its a DX block ? The blank to the left of the bracket..... on a DX its different too as this is the mount for the Warm up regulator. Hope this helps Steve
here's pictures from VAGcat http://www.vagcat.com/epc/cat/vw/GO/1983/7/49/107541/ the top one is the DX , the middle is standard and the next is standard with an oil cooler attached. you can see from the pictures the mounting pattern is different to your block Steve
