Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,

Need some advice before I head over to the alternative engines forum,

1.9dg oil water creaminess on the dipstick

Loss of coolant without any steam or puddles this morning resulted in a flat bed home!

so....I am half tempted to try and alternative engine. I have LPG so not going diesel.

so...being that it is a syncro and I need it to climb hills and whatever....what alternative engines are good...and what should be avoided. Don't think I have the budget for Scoobydo....not sure that I want that anyway...

I have had the 2ltr gti engine suggested by Hutch.....and it seems reasonable. He has done a couple and is happy with the outcomes. But Hutch is deffo not in the WBX fan club. WBX exchanges we have done before....and other than lots of washing of the coolant system, shouldn't be too much of an issue.

so - go on, in as much or as little detail, what should I do. Budget around a grand I guess. Little bit more if not using the wbx as will have ss exhaust to sell on Have to factor in as well the work to get the carbed LPG to run on an injected engine if necessary....onto another carb is not an issue.

cheers all

Em
xx

Gti



If I knew more about this when I went jx-aaz I would have gone jx-gti. You still need to sort a load of jx bits to do it though

Thanks Lloydy!

ermie571 wrote:Hutch is deffo not in the WBX fan club.

Quite correct!! GTi all the way.. email coming over to you later Em..

Gti works well.. you need all the diesel bits for it to fit.. or an adapter plate..
you may find that the oil cooler that syncro dg's have.. as these do fail.
Is Is here oiil in he coolant??
Or as you know.. a 2.1 wbx works very well as an easy torque upgrade.. so its down to cost and availability I would say..
if insurance isnt an issue for a different engine.. gti it if thats affordable..

Em,
if you're going to seriously consider a GTi engine then I suggest you have a good read of the many threads on the Brickyard alternative petrol engine forum.

If you're still interested after that, pm me an email address and I will send you a whole bunch of documents covering many aspects of the conversion, including the wiring which worries some people.

I have an AGG (MkIII Golf, 1998ish) engine in my syncro and am very pleased with it. Cruise at 70 quite happily and get 25 mpg.

Si - interesting comment about the oil cooler....BUT.....I can't see any coolant - either in the overflow or the expansion tank to check.


And I put some in roadside just to move it....near on 2ltrs (nothing I know in the van....but it literally driven 50ft or thereabouts since I put it in....

Just checked the dipstick....it looks like mayonnaise all the way up it....not a hint of oil


will phone the insurance company in the morning....have a gti on the drive.....

Em
xx

1.9l don't have an oil cooler do they?
Water in oil will be the o ring seal at the bottom of the barrel.
GTI will be okay though they lack torque low down ( the ones I've driven) so not really the best for off road, maybe I drove bad ones? Dunno.
If you want to drive most on road then they are fine at speed as they do like to rev.

Simon Baxter wrote:1.9l don't have an oil cooler do they?
Water in oil will be the o ring seal at the bottom of the barrel.
GTI will be okay though they lack torque low down ( the ones I've driven) so not really the best for off road, maybe I drove bad ones? Dunno.
If you want to drive most on road then they are fine at speed as they do like to rev.

oil cooler.. Syncro's do... (well mine does and its original and Aidan said they do too... )

2l Gti must have at least he same torque as a 1.9dg.. 1.8's aint so grunty tho.. and its going in a light single cab as opposed to a full camper..

Simon - great pointer at the culprit - many thanks. Also useful info on the GTI. As TTT says, its a SIKA, so if loaded its gonna be on the road....can't see me doing much off-roading with a load of weight in the bed, to be honest. Worth remembering though.

not sure about the cooler. was pretty sure we didn't have one...but then i don't think its the original engine in there....I think at some time it may have been 2.1.... When its light on Saturday, in between rain bursts we can confirm presence or not of cooler.

Gonna talk with a local chappie tomorrow over some options. Although its easy to be defeatist and bung a recon 1.9 in.....the engine is still running, its still quiet, and I wonder if we drop it for a quick exam what we would find (other than a load of mayonnaise, obviously!!)

It has done us proud up til now....and at least it stopped 3 minutes before I hit a major motorway junction roundabout (boy I would have been very popular.....,not to mention "pooh" scared.....)


crazy thing is - a coupla years ago I would have been distraught. After 8 years of ownership of one or other of these beasts, this doesn't phase me tooo bad.

Really grateful for the comments on here, the PM's and the general support from those that have a great deal more knowledge than me....

*leaves to rob a bank*



Em
xx

You could always just do the head/liner seals chances are that's all that's wrong as mr b says
Lower liner seal fits where my avatar pic is <<<<<

Thanks itchyfeet...take ot you mean water jacket seals? X

No lower liner seal as mr b says
Heads off job

Seal fits between the liner / barrel and block as seen here
Often not changed by slack mechanics who can't be bothered removing the pistons

Ahhh chance to replace worn rings as well then x k taaa.