Golf mk2 racecar (dirt) - need suggestions on 9A engine.

Discussion in '16-valve' started by Rakovs, Feb 8, 2019.

  1. Rakovs New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2019
    Likes Received:
    1
    Hi, so I have just purchased a bit beaten golf mk2 car for dirt race purposes (cross). At the moment, from what I see, it has 2.0 2E engine with DX 8V head and a single weber38 carb on it. (I'm not a very experienced mechanic) and I don't know how many hp it has at the moment (hasn't been on the dyno yet, just one test race in icy track)
    It has a short gearbox with 4.84 main ratio and 1.64 ratio for 3rd gear.
    I have a spare vw 9A engine (stock and without any wires and stuff).
    Any suggestions on how I can get the most hp out of it, should I leave the engine it has or put in the 9A or search for something else (ABF maybe and no fancy stuff)
    Have been searching for some time now and I see that people say that I can get ~200 hp out from the 9A, can someone please tell me in which direction should I go to achieve that? Because I don't have a lot of time (first race is at the beginning of May) And I don't want to start in the wrong direction...
    Btw, the race rules do not allow turbos.
    Hope I posted in the right place...

    Thank you!



    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    holdawayt likes this.
  2. Jon Olds Forum Junkie

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2004
    Likes Received:
    535
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    9A or ABF will give similar powers, bore/stroke the same. Different length rods so the piston dwells longer at TDC with the longer rod.

    Everything depends on budget (time/money) Shopping list of parts for the 9A;
    (budget)
    inlet manifold to suit carbs, twin sidedraft ideally
    exhaust manifold: std will do it to 170hp
    distributor with centrifugal advance

    After that modified head and cams, ideally with more compression (expensive bit: easy £2K spend alone)
    Jon
     
  3. Rakovs New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2019
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thanks for the answer!
    It already has an exhaust manifold 4-2-1.
    Should I go for twin carbs or bike carbs?
    Also any suggestions on ECU?
    btw my old man is a great fabricator and he can do stuff but both of us are new to this. So I need to understand what to do to make it right.

    I guess if I don't make in time I could go with the engine setup it has right now and swap later.

    Also, I saw a listing with these (empi Hpmx 44):
    [​IMG]

    Would these do the job?

    FYI: I'm not from the UK, and English is not my native. So sorry if I express myself incorrectly :)
     
  4. holdawayt Forum Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2010
    Likes Received:
    20
    Location:
    Stourbridge, West midlands
    Your English is better than most of the natives on here don't worry :lol:

    If you can get hold of one, I'd go for an ABF running on K-Jet from a 1.8 16v KR. You can see some decent power using this setup and it's very reliable.
     
  5. Jon Olds Forum Junkie

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2004
    Likes Received:
    535
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Depends on how far you want to go with the spec. I run twin weber sidedraft carbs on two of my rally type 16V's without issue. Positives are they are simple,
    very very tunable, reliable and sensible money (£500) Power is within 5% of a throttle body system costing £2500
     
  6. Jon Olds Forum Junkie

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2004
    Likes Received:
    535
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Bike carbs could be a cheap(er) quick upgrade also. For some reason the cold starting can be an issue, I am told. Jetting will be restricted to varying main jet size only, I would imagine. Last jet I bought for a Kawasaki half the size of my little fingernail was £35 and that was nearly 10 years ago. Whatever you go for fit a monster air filter
     
  7. Jon Olds Forum Junkie

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2004
    Likes Received:
    535
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    First thing with those downdrafts is to see what size chokes they run. If its less than 32-34mm they are not likely to be suitable
     
  8. Rakovs New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2019
    Likes Received:
    1
    Hi, thanks for the suggestions and sorry for the late response. Was caught up in things and this is how far I am with the car. Didn't make it on time for the first race with the engine swap so had issues with the 8v. Now trying to get in the 9A and decided to go with the k-jet. Will post an update on how it goes. :)
    [​IMG]
     
  9. Rakovs New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2019
    Likes Received:
    1
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG] [​IMG][​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Some photos
     
  10. Rakovs New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2019
    Likes Received:
    1
    Planning to:
    *9A block and head (everything new inside - gaskets and stuff)
    *K-jet from 2.2 audi 100 also have one from KR engine, but I was told that the one from audi is better
    *4-2-1 exhaust manifold
    *fuel injectors from Saab 2.0t
    *Taking the outtake camshaft, cutting the end of it and placing it as intake camshaft (got suggested by other racers)
    *porting the head
    *50mm throttle body on KR intake manifold
    *not sure what to do with the ignition (electric)
    *not sure where to get a budget ECU that fits this purpose and is adjustable. Is there any stock ECU that is good for modifying/adjusting?

    Any other suggestions? :)
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2019
  11. Jon Olds Forum Junkie

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2004
    Likes Received:
    535
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    ignition, clockwork. 9 degrees at tickover 36 at 4K plus. Or numbers in that area.
    On a loose surface (from my experience) if the revs drop below 4000, your dead meat.....
    Good luck
    Jon
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice