1.4 to Golf 1.8GTI engine swop

[Red Ibiza VR6]

So the story is, I bought this 1995 model Ibiza 2 door 1.4 for $200 with a mangled gearbox. All the wreckers in Oz want $2000 for a new gearbox and It`ll still be a 1.4!

I have an 8v GTI Engine from a Golf MK2 and a close ratio 5 speed. I was gonna put in a 16v and convert the fuel system etc, but seemed like a lot of work.

I have previously wrecked a Cordoba, so had the rear engine mount that bolts to the engine and I figured I`d use the single point injection off the cordoba, in place of the smaller 1.4 single point system. Thus I should be able to retain most of the factory wiring etc and have a stock looking install but with the High Cam and Close ratio box.

I had the cordy subframe in reserve, but they are the same. I used the stock 1.4 subframes, the rear engine mount from a 1.8 Cordoba and the front and side mounts from the Mk2 Golf and it all bolted in perfectly!!



I reckon the GTI and VR6 subframes are slightly different to allow for the tallblock motors, but using the old Golf Shortblock, all seems good. The basemodel cars obviously have the same subframe, regardless of whether they are 1.4, 1.6 or 1.8.

I need to hook up the wiring, will probably end up swopping the loom in out of the cordoba , the cordoba downpipe and exhaust manifold match up to the Ibiza system and I need to get a cordoba air con bracket to make the Ibiza air con work and a pulley for the waterpump and I`m done. Oh yeah and bolt the front of the car back on.

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

Swopped the looms today. That was fun! But the wires all matched up. Plugged the Cordoba wires into the Ibiza Fusebox. Looks good. Dunno if it works yet. Spent ages buggering about with pulley wheels and brackets trying to get the belts to line up. I wanna retain a/c and p/s, but it makes it more tricky. Dropped the p/s pump on my chin and cut it open, will have another go at it tomorrow.

 

[Cupra Kid]

this sounds interesting, so its an 8v lump out of a mk2 golf thats going in, with A/C and P/S off a cordoba? or am i a little mixed up? Keep positing anyway becuase lots of people think about getting their 1.4's swapped for the bigger engines so would be cool to see how it turns out!

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

this sounds interesting, so its an 8v lump out of a mk2 golf thats going in, with A/C and P/S off a cordoba? or am i a little mixed up? Keep positing anyway becuase lots of people think about getting their 1.4's swapped for the bigger engines so would be cool to see how it turns out!

No You are spot on. I also used the cordoba injection system and wiring loom, for plug and play ease. More info and pics soon.

I`m thinking of the 1.4 owners out there, especially considering how chep you could get an 8v Golf GTI donk in Blighty

 

[hopkinsgm]

Was the Golf a K-Jet or Digifant? And could you give us more info on the injection from the Cordy, as there are various types, not all of which were available in all markets...

 

[hopkinsgm]

Hang on - just re-read the original post... Using single point injection on a Golf GTI engine (which should have multipoint injection)? Did you block the holes for the injectors or have you swapped the head for one from a carb model?

 

[SHADY-NINJA]

Was the Golf a K-Jet or Digifant? And could you give us more info on the injection from the Cordy, as there are various types, not all of which were available in all markets...

early Golf GTi's were K-Jettronic while most post 1987 models were Digifan
but on an Aussie spec im not too sure.
Aha!!!
i remembered.
K-Jettronic have a quarter glass on the drivers door and the hazard light switch is on the dashboard.
Digifan the hazard light switch is on the steering column

 

[hopkinsgm]

early Golf GTi's were K-Jettronic while most post 1987 models were Digifan

Aware of that - which is why I asked the question. I'm curious for more info on the conversion, particularly as to how the conversion to single point injection was achieved - I know for a fact that K-Jet is multi point, and i'm pretty sure this is the case with Digifant - which, incidentally, was actually one of the many Bosch Jetronic systems, rebranded for VAG use. I *think* it's otherwise known as LE-Jetronic, but i'm not 100% sure on that...

K-Jettronic have a quarter glass on the drivers door and the hazard light switch is on the dashboard.
Digifan the hazard light switch is on the steering column

Agree on the front doors, but not true about the hazard switch - that changed for the '90 spec model year, along with the introduction of big bumper models. The steering column hazard switch models use a different steering column, with a different spline pattern for the steering wheel fitment. The stalks are different too...

 

[SHADY-NINJA]

its been 8 years since i last owned a golf gti.
sorry if the info is not sufficient.
i'll have to look in the cellar to see if i can dig out some old mags

 

[hopkinsgm]

...sorry if the info is not sufficient...

TBH the questions are aimed at Red_Ibiza_VR6 rather than yourself, but it's interesting stuff all the same... I probably have most of the original model info knocking about at home, or could find it using ETKA, but am working away at the moment and don't have ETKA on my laptop. Like I said in an earlier post, i'm curious how an engine with a head that should have an injector per cylinder was adapted to use the SPI injection plundered from the Cordy which would have a single injector located somewhere in the vicinity of the throttle body. There are a few possible ways of dealing with the problem, and i'm just wondering which road Red_Ibiza_VR6 went down. And that's going to be a question that only he/she will be able to answer.

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

I used a kjet engine. But you could use digifant just as easily. I simply blocked off the injector holes by leaving the injectors in, but not connected and bolted the simos single point injection system on as well. I have seen the same thing done to convert kjet engines for carby use in Australia. It wouldn`t matter what seat injection system you used, as long as you get it all, including the loom, as it is then plug and play into the ibiza fusebox.

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

early Golf GTi's were K-Jettronic while most post 1987 models were Digifan
but on an Aussie spec im not too sure.

Australia missed out on the Golf GTI. Cars were brought here until 1980 in Mk1 carby form and then not untill 1990 when we got 5 door GTI models with heaps of emissions gear. There are early cars kicking around with later model engines and Seats are getting cheaper and cheaper, which is how I ended up doing this conversion. Nice to see someone reads this stuff though

 

[hopkinsgm]

Cheers for the info Red_Ibiza_VR6 - all good stuff. Not entirely sure the engineer in me fully approves of I simply blocked off the injector holes by leaving the injectors in, but not connected but it's certainly one way of solving the problem! A machine shop should be able to plug the holes, or a head from a carb model is another route.

It should be noted that the dates and spec changes myself and kawasaki-ninja were referring to above apply to UK market, but may be different for other countries. There's all sorts of funny things you find in different markets - for example, they got 2.0 engines in mk2 Golfs in the US, but we never did over here in the UK. Mind you, they probably needed the extra displacement to make up for the power sapping emission control equipment they had to fit...

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

Yeah I was shocked the first engine I saw running carby that still had injectors in it, but I have seen several since and it doesnt seem to offer any problems. Better to use a GTI head rather than a carby one as they have better gas flow and a higher cam.

Aussie delivered cars had downtuned motors with 90hp and loads of emissions gear. The engine I`m putting in this SEAT is a UK one anyway. 110Hp of Glory! Australi doesn`t have yearly emissions tests, so I wont be worried about that, but the SEAT gear should clean it up sufficiently anyway.

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

Just an update pic showing the seat injection system and the injectors still in the golf head



And another shot looking over the top. Once the plastic cover gets bolted on, you will not really be able to see the injectors.



Swopped the water outlet on the head and re-used the 1.4 coolant sensor, so the loom plugs straight in!

Cordoba or Golf 2 heater hoses, and plugged in the fuel lines. Throttle and Clutch cable fitted on, which was nice and put oil in.

Turned the key and..... nothing.

Then I remembered that the loom is from an auto and there was a mysterious extra two pin plug. Hotwired the two terminals together and it turned over!!

Wahay, it makes noises. Turned it off, as still have to connect a few radiator hoses and bolt the radiator surround on.

This is close of play today.



Tomorrow will put exhaust on and driveshafts and finish radiator hoses. Then hopefully a roadtest

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

Radiator Hoses finished, Exhaust on and it runs. Had to swop the Kjet Dissy for a digifant one without the vacuum advance, but she sounds great now.
Ran into a few probs with the driveshafts, so no roadtest today, but it`ll be great. I`m pretty confidant.

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

The hubs were different, so the cordoba driveshafts did not fit. I could have swopped to Cordoba hubs, but I simply swopped the gearbox cups for 90mm ones and used one Ibiza driveshaft (the short one) and one Mk1 Golf one on the long side, as the Ibiza was 10mm too short!?

Took it round the block and she accelerates like a mad thing. Heaps of vibration though, I suspect the front engine mount. And I think the plastic cover is catching on the idler wheel.

Always a couple of jobs for tomorrow! And I should bolt the headlights and grille back in I suppose, although it looks mad without em!

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

Been driving it for a few days. The following issues have come up.

The driveshafts were wrong. I changed to Cordoba Shafts and reswapped the gearbox hubs to 100mm. Much better now.

Exhaust was rubbing, sorted that. Grinders are great.

Gearlinkages were fun. I used the Ibiza 1.4 selector bar, hooked up to the golf linkages and the Ibiza bar was a little too short. A Cordoba one would fix it. A Golf shifter assy is too wide to fit into the Ibiza. I think its right with the Ibiza bar and the Golf linkages, but i`m carrying tools around with me just in case.

Car absolutely flies, compared to its previous incarnation as a 1.4 and it still feels solid and well put together.

Just need some air in the a/c and a stereo and I`m in.

 

[ibiza_95]

i am the first after the project so

well done

i think ill just buy a bigger engined car for more fun, though i bet it was a giggle swapping the engine

 

[bizaman]

This is it.

I would love to do a big engine conversion BUT i am a bit lazy so buying a car with the engine already in WINNER lol.

Understand this bloke is in OZ so for him its the only way and fair play to him