Club 80-90 Forums

Has anyone here got just this - a Golf 1.8 8v Gti digifant engine in a syncro Transporter? I am in the middle of fitting one and need some advice, please.

The reason for asking is that the inlet manifold hits the left side of the engine bay body work when the engine is mounted like a JX diesel. With the syncro engine being mounted rather lower in the body than the 2wd one, the point of conflict is on the chassis rail rather than the inside face of the wheel arch.

At the moment I am lining up the petrol manifold against the diesel head but it looks as if it needs a significant chunk cut out of the chassis rail and new plates welding in to close the hole and recreate the required strength.

Does any one have any info or pictures of the mods needed for a syncro, please?
Garyd

We did this on the dodoka
the engine was rubbish
we clearanced the chassis with a big hammer and shoved some washers in somewhere to try and move it a dadge, it still rubbed, but the engine didn't last long enough to get around to further clearancing which would have required cutting and welding the chassis member
we stuck a good AAZ in there and all is now good again

Thanks Aidan.
When you say that the engine was rubbish, do you mean the particular example you got or the type generally was unsuited to the vehicle?

Do you think it would have been OK to cut the chassis as much as it requires to get proper clearance? It looks to me as if you have to remove 60% of the thickness of the chassis box at the critical point - would you agree?

I am also trying to find out if there is a different manifold used in a different vehicle fitment although vagcat suggests the Scirrocco and Passat used the same one as the Golf. Anyone know any different? Any comments on the idea of cutting and welding the (cast aluminium) manifold at mid height to introduce a bit more bend and reduce the body conflict?

thanks

Garyd

On a Syncro you want low down torque not high rev power ...the GTI engine would not really be suitable

I've just seen one going into a van today, apparantly some audi inlet manifold much better than the golf3 one but I can't remember which audi

Dodoka - that particular engine/installation was rubbish, but generally they are a bit revvy for a syncro, depends what you want, if it's for road work then sure. also it depends which gearbox you have, with a diesel box it won't go very quick unless you give it the beanz

Not entirely connected but a pointer perhaps. When I put a rebuilt bug engine in my old crewcab, I picked a cam especially for low end grunt and it was a perfect match - significantly more powerful than the present 1.9 I've got now which whilst ok across the range was nowhere near as grunty on pull away as that bug lump.

The engine still lives - back in a beetle with its fancy swivel adjusters and chromoly pushrods..