Club 80-90 Forums

It is with great sadness, that I had to get towed home today!
I really don't know what to do with my van and need some advice.

4 weeks back the garage told me the head gasket had gone - they didn't seem keen to work on the engine, for fear of disturbing other parts during the course but told me ultimately it was up to me if I was prepared to pay a lot of money for them to fix it.
I was encouraged to sell it or at least NOT to keep it! So I got towed home today.

The AA man was horrified that Id just let the van go - he asked why I hadn't thought about getting another engine dropped in?
I don't have an endless bucket of money, and realise that these old vans cost us constantly. I try to do the bits that I can, with the help of people here, youtube videos, reading, etc etc. But there is only so much I can do.

Im in such a dilemma - do I sell with broken head gasket? Do I pay to get another engine dropped in? Do I get the gasket fixed and sell?
I go into hospital tomorrow and need to rest for 4-6 weeks so the van will be sitting outside my house until then. MOT till July 2017.

Oh and top this off, When i collected the van from the garage (they use a spare car park around the corner to store their vehicles...which incidentally is open to the public...) - someone had hit the back of the van...ARGH

Keep of course, even if you have to stick a 1.9 DG in, they are easier to find.
won't insurance pay for damage?

So still confused as to what my engine can be replaced with:
Its a 2.1 fuel injected petrol automatic. Is there a limit to what can be put in?

Itchy feet - well, no one saw who hit my van, or indeed whether it was the garage who damaged it when they drove it to the carpark...just literally turned up to collect it, to find that it'd been hit

Why do people put VW GOLF engines in? ...or have I made that up?!

you can put a golf engind in, the mod is simple but you still need all the bits and a donor golf.

probably best to start with deciding what your budget is.

A 2.1 and a 1.9 are a straight swap, not 100% if a dg will run will with the injection system, somebody must have done it, if not just fit the 1.9 carb

Yeah, budget is a bit of a problem - I'm thinking if i sell my van in whatever state it is in, ill need to buy another.
If I have a budget for around 1000 pounds, that may get me a second hand engine, but probably won't get me all the bits that I need ....or account for the labour costs?

I'd say £1000 was enough to buy and fit a second hand wbx engine, you can sell your old one too add to the pot

Ooh I never event thought about selling the old one!

Emma&Al wrote:Ooh I never event thought about selling the old one!

you have a short memory then, I sent you a pm offering to buy it a few weeks ago if you swapped it:D

Why not give Mick at NW VW a call sounds like you have several weeks for him to find you an engine.
He can at least give you a price indication.
If he can find one in your budget then you get it delivered on a pallet for 50 quid then you just need to find somebody to fit it thats local.

I would have thought an old skool garage would do it for several hours labout at 40 quid an hour.

getting a local garage to fix a head seal is much harder.

Oh yes!! I had completely forgotten actually! Sorry, had a lot going on recently.
Ill look him up - thanks

 07968367046

As you have an automatic it is simplest to stick with either a replacement 2.1dj or a 1.9dg - golf engines and the like would require an adaptor plate to fit the engine and gearbox together. Well worth sourcing a good 2.1/1.9 if the rest of the van is sound.

and just worth noting the 2.1 auto has longer gearing (final drive) than the 1.9 so if you do swap in a 1.9 whilst it will fit it will be quite sluggish.

Sorry

MM

It seems as if You guys in Europe have access to many older engines.

Here in South Africa we fit 2.0 Golf 3 engines as a matter of course.
Makes a huge difference, is reliable, parts are cheap and available.

itchyfeet wrote: A 2.1 and a 1.9 are a straight swap, not 100% if a dg will run will with the injection system, somebody must have done it

Yep.
Stuck a dg in my pickup for a bit, until I got a customer in needing a good dg so I sold it. I use the pickup to test engines, all running on the digijet/Blos LPG fitted. The dg ran brilliantly on injection, really pokey, not far off the performance of the 2.1 tbh. And it's auto, no problems with gearing, happily rushes up to 70 (but never more!).