[long] McGarvey and the 2.0L Cabby engine swap...

[brianm@zbt62.eastnet.gatech.edu (Brian McGarvey)]

On Fri, 8 Mar 2002, Ron Pieper wrote:

> I originally thought I'd be relatively brief and let Brian do the
> details...but it got long.  Swap was an ABA block w/ 8V CIS head into
> Big Mac's freshly painted '81 Cabby...

Picture this. I was grinnin the whole way home.

>
> It's been a long week.  Brian showed up Sunday at 3:00pm after 70mph
> top speeds NYC -> Cincy, and we got right to work.  Lucky I hadn't
> installed the head on the block I just finished assembling (more
> later).
>
> Got the poorly running 1.7L out by, oh, 7:00 pm.  Almost on Brian.

Good thing i got fast reflexes and im paranoid :-)

>
> Found out that the valve clearances were waayyy too low (0.003" -
> 0.005") range on the 1.7, probably responsible for 60psi compression
> and general poor performance.  And it appears the cam bearing caps are
> on backwards.  Haven't disassembled the head but the exh valves look
> toast.

anybody wanna buy it?

>
> Brian suggested we go ahead and install new valve seals on the head,
> which had just been resurfaced.  To make a long story short, the head
> eventually got a professional rebuild.  Somebody had 'worked' on this
> head before (the seller didn't know this) and ground a groove into one
> intake valve's stem (a 38mm?!?! what? Thought it'd be 40mm!) about
> where the seal would be.  So it would have pumped oil into the engine!
> Know how hard 38mm valves are to find?  The closest new one was in
> Columbus, 100 miles away.  Just so you know, two folks can remove and
> disassemble the head off a scrapped Jetta with basic hand tools and a
> Sawzall in about 25 minutes.

oh yes He forgot to add that it was 45min from arrival to departure. and
we removed all the moving parts out of the head too.

>
> Head done, on by Wednesday afternoon, ancillaries bolted up,
> compression checked (210-210-210-210), FI checked (uh, early CIS
> requires the starter to be engaged - doh).

anybody got any ideas on the compression ratio? 14:1 isnt right
and for 20+ yro injectors they had a perfect spray pattern. :-) and how
much do those deisel starters cost?

>
> Fired up on first key (a goal of mine on every engine I build!  I'm not
> 100% but I've been pretty successful).  Lifters clattered like hell and
> after 10 minutes wouldn't shut up.  Hmmm....Brian posted about this I
> believe.  Fixed a coolant leak (loose clamp at heater control valve)
> and two beers each and sleeeepp.
>
> Thursday am, I fire it up about 7:30am, what?  No lifter noise!  The VW
> gods smiled on us!  More fiddling, finishing up, farting with a bent
> crank pulley, etc.  Hood on, alignment done, Brian's wife's new 2.0L
> toy KICKED MY SCIROCCO'S BUTT on the way to the alighnment shop.  I
> says to Brian later "I feel like a big, limp dick" (sorry for the
> crudeness).  I want a 2 liter (sob, whine)!!
>
He failed to mention that i wasnt working the motor hard either. :-)
This was also done with the stock ignition (no knock box)

> Brian reports that a 190mm flywheel with new PP and disk is not worthy
> of a 2.0L in a Cabby.  It can be made to slip.

yep.  shift and stay in the gas. it slips and slips and slips


> A few more upgrades (euro headlights, for one), a LOT of garage
> cleanup, and Brian heads North about 6:00 Thursday eve.  And comes
> back.  And heads North again, and three hours later, comes back again
> to retrieve forgotten backpack.  He ends up wisely staying the night at
> Daun's and leaves Friday 5:00am.

actually. 4:30am. and still missed the memorial service at 5:00 just for
the record the trip takes 12hours.

>
> Report at 8:00 am Friday, with Brian 1/3 of the way home:  running
> strong, no leaks of oil, coolant, vacuum, or exhaust.  Man am I
> relieved!
>
> Lessons:
> -2.0L is a good thing.  A very good thing indeed.
> -Allow more time for a hybrid swap than you think.
> -Get in good with the owner of your local import FLAPS!  Mac Matsuzaka
> (owner of Imported Parts Warehouse here in Cincy and a certified VW
> nut) is a Saint.  An Archangel, even.  He let me sift through his stock
> of headgaskets and allowed me to break up head gasket sets to get what
> we needed.  And rape his junked GTI for connectors for free.
> -An ABA heagasket works fine with an ABA block and a CIS head.
> -Get every part you can from the donor car(s), like belts, brackets,
> covers, water necks, hoses, oil pan, valve cover, etc.  Even if wrong
> and old and useless, you can still figure out what you need to replace
> later.  The extra nuts and bolts help too!
> -2.0L is a good thing.
> -Take your time.  Clean, wire brush, and paint all brackets, covers,
> etc.  It makes a much cleaner install for chest-puffing later.
> -Don't cut corners to save time.  It took far more time than I thought,
> but I wasn't going to send Brian home with something I'd be ashamed to
> admit was my work.  (Ron now hopes it doesn't blow up).
> -1.7L starters are barely up to the task turning over a fresh 2.0L.
> -Living near Daun Yeagley is a good thing.  Oh yes.
> -Ben Harder does things right and is as honest as the sunrise.  The
> prepped block was a joy to assemble.
> -Brian McGarvey is excellent to work with.  Never a cross word from him
> or between us, despite several setbacks and his dropping a bolt into
> the oil pan.  After it was installed.
> -I did not paint over that dirt on purpose.  I thought it was rust.
> Honest.  It was late.  Stoddard solvent didn't dissolve it.
>
> Later listers!  Thanks for reading this far!
>

All I have to say is RON is AWESOME and so is his wonderful wife Amanda
for putting up with the two of us being in the garage from sunup to near
midnight everyday. smelling and nasty dirty.


>
> =====
> Cheapass Ron
> "Victor" '87 16V Scirocco
> "Teufelhasen" '93 Cabby <-For sale
>
> If it ain't foggy, TURN OFF YOUR FOG LIGHTS.
>
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