Hey. Wanting to modify a head for my 8valve, so looking for another head. mine has hydralic tappets, and I've been offered one with unknown tappets.... If I got the head, and found it to be a solid tappet, can i run this on my engine? Is there any differ in timing belts too, as I have a new belt ready to go on. thanks
Unknown tappets quickly become known tappets when you look for a missing cam cap, like yours will have, and either find one, or not. Full set = solid tappets. Compare the head casting number on this list to find out what it's off. http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220746 Check for injector holes aswell! You want information! This forum is the place you'll find it!
The timing belts are the same for hydro and solid tappet 1.6 and 1.8 8v engines. You would need to use the appropriate camshaft and tappets for whatever head you use though.
Yeh I understand that, thankfully, this "new" head is complete, but I do plan to upgrade, just worried that a solid tappet won't work with my hydro tappet engine....
Its going to replacing my current one, which is a GU hydro tappet, Driver. Its current setup is standard, but going to put a newman 262 cam, with a weber 32/34 dmtl (once i've rebuilt it) with the head being ported, and opened up a bit, along with a ported and flowed, std casting exhaust manifold, with a 2" straight through (all but a bacbox) exhaust.Oh and a electric facet fuel pump with a filterking reg/filter
I would try to source a 6 bolt flange exhaust manifold and matching downpipe. Either from a mk2 Golf late K jet or Digifant vehicle, or the later mk3 8v GTI / Corrado parts could be used. The standard carb engine's "C clip" design of exhaust manifold is not ideal when a longer duration cam is being used.
Ah ha. Well I was going to use a 4 branch, but think thats more for more lairy cams than I plan to use, I want smooth (maybe a little lumpy is ok) but I don't want anything like a 272/276. Are there any inlet manifold I can look at getting too, hat you can advise I look at getting?
I've you haven't got the cam yet, go for a 268... it'll be smooth enough to be fine on the road. The standard inlet manifold you've got now will be fine. Your other option (as opposed to porting a carb head) is to get hold of a GTI head, as it has bigger valves, and block up the injector holes.
The 1.8 GTI uses 40mm inlet valves compared to your carb head that uses 38mm valves. I would not worry about it too much for the level of tune you are going for. The smaller inlet valve has less cylinder wall shrouding and no unused injector port in the inlet tract causing turbulence could be deemed as benefits with your carb head. A large head skim to raise compression to match the longer duration cam would be something to consider. What capacity engine have you got, 1.6 or 1.8?
its a GU so 1.8 for anyone who finds this thread the short answer to the question is yes, you can use a solid lifter head on hydro block no problem at all. the block fitment is the same between solid and hydro head. the only thing to check is what type of solid lifter head it is! 1.6 mk1 gti head wont work as the combustion chambers are completely flat so compression will be way up. plus iirc the head doesn't match as later blocks have an extra oil drain which is missing on the early block/head. so in short: full set o cam caps = solid lifter flat combustion chamber = older mk1 1.5/6 head look for injector holes to id what type of head just to confuse things, mk3 gti head has a full set of cam caps and is hydro, but luckily the inlet ports are totally different so easy to tell those
How do you know that RJ? He states the replacement head is off a 1.8 carb so that would be a GU. It could be a 1.6 EZ carb engine in his driver. If so then a serious head skim is in order to increase compression.
because he answered your question asking what his car was, with this thought id make the picture a nice big one so you can see it
Newman, Schrick, or a Kent GS2H is fine too. Most Cam manufacturers will have something in that range. A piper 270 would be fine too. For any 2nd hand cam, check it over carefully before you buy it.
back up a minute.... can you use a hydro head on a non-hydro block then? Ie a PB head on a DX styleee?
Yes. In theory the 1595cc and 1781cc heads fitted to 8v mk2 golfs are interchangeable. But obviously you have to use an injection head for injection car. Carb engines can use the injection head if the injector holes are blanked off. Inlet manifold waterway for the carb manifold would need to be addressed. There are other subtle differences like air shroud injectors on the later EV and DX engines, fuel rail on digifant etc.
Yes, as long as you use a cam to match, and sort out the minor differences in fuelling setup. EG - fit the correct injector inserts, and with a PB head on a DX block, you may have to knock the 'top hats' off the Kjet injectors. If going the other way round, you'll need to drill and tap an extra hole for the fuel rail, and do a bit of fiddling with the fuel rail to get it to fit properly.
