Hi, My current GU engine is on 189k and has had/has a few problems, do you think its feasible for me to rebuild an engine at home? I've never rebuilt an engine or changed a headgasket but have read loads and am really up for it - just don't want to bite off my than I can chew! Did consider a recon engine but have heard lots of horror stories and very expensive too. I've spotted a PB on 130k with history etc. Only thing is my garage has no power, the sheds to small so thinking of using the upstairs spare room! Is this asking for trouble? Was going to remove the head, flywheel etc to keep the weight down then either use a sturdy table or engine stand. Will this be ok for the floorboards?? How heavys a block? Just thinking if I could rebuild one bit by bit over a period of time then when the current engine bites the dust I can just swap the blocks (head has been reconned already) I know I'd need a short block as its a carb'd motor which would be an Audi motor if going 2l in which case it'd probably need a rebuild anyway - so thinking rebuild a 1.8 instead as parts etc will probably be easier to get hold of/cheaper. If it needs a rebore maybe go to 1.9? Reckon all the bearings would need to be changed or is it a case of exam them and see? Whats essential to renew? Any idea of costs? Any help will be much appreciated!
id say give it a go i rebuilt an ABF and id never done a headgasket change or indeed anything inside an engine before- just get the right haynes, read as much as you can on here and take your time, keep everything spotlessly clean and get a good torque wrench. i renewed all the bearing shells, oil seals, clutch, rod bolts, head bolts, head gasket, rings etc etc with all new VW parts and it cost me about 500 in bits so be prepared for that- plus you need tools like spline sockets for the head bolts, honing tool for the bores, decent spanners etc. bare block must weigh about 30kg- i could lift mine no probs and im not exactly huge! but the crank, cams, head, flywheel etc are all pretty heavy lumps so it adds up pretty quick. spare room would be ideal as its warm and clean but make sure you can safely get it back down the stairs when its built up! Id put a sheet of 18mm mdf or something across the floor to spread the weight across the floor joists just to make sure. overall it was pretty easy, just make sure you know what bolts need replacing and double check all the torque values.
hello matey, If i was you, id use a whole GTI lump and just swap them as both the GU & GTI use the same bottom end... wouldnt be worth changing the heads, the PB head has slightly bigger inlet valves.. 40mm i believe, as aposed to 38mm i think. The Driver engine is pretty much a GTI engine anyways.. only the 2mm in valve size & GTI cam is the difference. You could use the GTI engine, and bold on your carb inlet manifold & carb. However, use your GU distributor & Mechanical fuel pump. Remember to block those injector holes with 4 1p coins or just leave the injectors in there! My Driver was a GU, but put a GTI lump into it, "still running the driver fuel setup etc" If you wanted to go the 2L route *what im in the process of doing*.. you'd be best going for a audi 80 block, golf mk3 GTI block or the seat 2L block... Id personally find the mk3 GTI block.. but it would have to be pre 95 because the 2E block used a vacuum advance dizzie which is much like the one used on the GU setup!.. this way you could used it on your carburettor setup. By the looks of your signature, im guessing you havent got a GTI cam in it... the thing id recommend you do is... - GTI Engine / Carb inlet & carb I wouldnt bother with the hassle of using the Driver head on another 1800 bottom end. a engine swap could be done on a weekend!
Pefectly feasable, follow a manual as a guide, and remember 2 golden rules... CHECK, CHECK AND CHECK AGAIN, and CLEANLINESS IS GODLINESS. I remember the first engine I rebuilt at home. The garage was too cold/dirty, so everything was taken up to the warmth of my bedroom. My mum was not impressed when I dripped red cam lube down the cream stair carpet when taking out the completed engine !
engines are common sense, you never learn unless you try anyway. i broke my first one to bits when i was 16 and have been in love with doing it ever since, to the point where i prefer building them to driving them lol make sure you have a parts collection, otherwise cost can kinda run away a bit. get a drill with a wire wheel and just polish what you can see up. second after you have done that, get a paintbrush and wash it with paraffin until you get 90% of the mess off. dry it, then stick it in a hot bath (several times) with ariel non-bio and scrub it!. get your valves and stick them in your drill, spin them at high rev and chisel off all the black carbon on them until the valves are silver again. give everything a wash, valves, valve springs, plates etc and pot them in a box for each valve port (1 to 8) and dont mix it up. use grinding paste (fine preferably) and applicate it on the lip of your valves and use a grinding stick to slowly twist, lift and spin your valves in their guides until you have a perfect seal (test it with petrol to make sure overnight)...ps it is quite tedious! once finished that, assemble your valves the way you got them (with new stem seals). finally take it down to the machine shop to be skimmed (you really dont want any more than 6 thou off of it) because at least if your gasket goes you can skim again!. finally give it another wash in just water to get rid of any metal shavings, then its ready. bottom end, very similar process but much easier, just make sure everything is back where you got it!! i cant say that enough!!, assemble and disassemble in a logical order. if you are doing shells just then you will be fine, if you decide to take the pistons out, consider going to a specialist shop to re-hone your bore (minimum) and it would be best to get a new set of rings. if you really want to go to this level you might as well put in short pistons with anti snatch ability due to the longer skirts (racing). there is a never ending list of what you can do to a car to make it better, so i would budget it and be sensible. they are easy to work on so i have full confidence in you! as for your dizzy issue, i have been through it and the 026905205AC dizzy from the GU engine doesnt work on GTI setup, it doesnt have the advance ability. take the ignition map and coil from any PB car you can find, then go look for a EV car and take the dizzy. it took me ages!!!
A 1.8 block with all the internals weighs 60kg - best to enlist a friend before carrying it upstairs (and don't forget to drain the oil first). Another, more plentiful engine option is the 1.8 carb from a late Scirocco (EX code?).
EX is the scirocco 90bhp carb model, it is basically just a GU tho but it is mounted for the scirocco mk2/mk1 golf cabrio. if you want to take it up the stairs on your own, detach the gearbox, put rope around the engine lift brackets at the top of the cylinderhead (front) put the rope around your neck and deadlift it. i would suggest it is lifted with help though.
Go for it. I rebuilt my first 16v in the shed. It was so small I was constantly falling over bits. I didn't have a garage, so I did all the rest of the work on the drive.
I did a rebuild a couple of years ago on a 1.6 driver, fairly similar. Had the head done at an engineering shop. Fair few photos on here to give you an idea... They get easier, just a case of being careful and taking your time. http://vdubs.proboards15.com/index.cgi?board=clubcarswater&action=display&thread=1507
What make of parts do people use for rings and bearings etc (only going to replace if actually needed) - genuine or pattern? Whats essential to replace compared to what should be replaced only if worn? Could you transport an engine (minus g/box) in a 60mm lowered Mk2? Cheers, Mark
I've just rebuilt my 2E bottom end and got all bearings and rings from Euro car parts, 65 for the rings, 65 for the shells. All parts were the same manufacturer as the ones used by VW but I can imagine they were much cheaper.
I did the whole thing with the engine in situ. Probably easier to take it out considering how easy the front end comes off, but I didn't have a stand at the time. I used ECP rings that time, they were apparantly OE quality and they've been fine for 20k so far. As for big end bearings I'd use any half decent set from GSF or ECP, but as for the mains I wouldn't go too cheap as the thrust washer is kind of built into main bearing 3. When I did the polo GT I used genuine rings as the nobody seemed to stock the 3F rings (which are slightly different to all other 1.3 engines).
