GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: darrren on 08 January 2011, 14:26
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Well im looking into doing a mk2 golf restoration but before i buy the car im stripping down the engine and fully rebuilding it like new. A question though, all the old engines i have found on the internet are "digifant", im not sure what this means. My concern is when i buy the car in a few months to fit the engine,then it wont be compatible with it. Its a 1.8 8valve engine im getting,and my plan is to buy the car once its done and after rebuilding the car itself,simply swapping the engines over,sort of plug and play. Im wondering if all mk2 8v gtis hae this "digifant" engine. It would be no good rebuilding one,then buying a car which i cant just simply swap the engine over as i dont want to be messing with looms etc as im no good with that. If anybody can help that would be great. (the car i buy will be a mk2 8v golf gti aswell). To put it in simple terms,are there different types of the mk2 1.8 8 valve engine?? and if so can i still just simply swap engines without chopping wires etc or will it all plug in,thanks.
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Yep, there were two 1.8 8v NA GTI engines. K-jet 87 or earlier, Digifant 87 or later. If it's on the crossover it could have either but you can tell them apart as the injection system is different (braided fuel lines from a fuel distributor on the airbox on the k-jet, single fuel rail on digifant)
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whats different about these engines?? The engine im looking into buying is the digifant version so im guessing it would be easier buying a golf with that engine in?? My main concern was if the wiring etc is different as im not too good with that and would rather be able to take the engine out and put my refurbished one straight back in. Thanks for the reply also mate
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The difference between the earlier 8 valve k-jet and later 8 valve digifant is the fuel injection system.
The k-jet is a mechanical system, and the digifant is electronic. So wiring and components in the engine bay do vary a bit between the two, and so you need to make sure you get a later spec (after 1987) digifant engined car to make things as straight forward as possible.
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Check this out:
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=46505.0 (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=46505.0)
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Digifant is a much better bet to be honest.
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sorry to hijack but i love your sig Wayne !! :laugh:
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The Engine i have found is out of a vehicle that was registered in 1989 so isit safe to say it is a digifant engine? The engine number in the service book is kw82 and on the v5 it says pb122803.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150543603359&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123
This is a photo of it
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Looks like a digifant to me, a PB as stated on the v5.
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ok thanks for your help guys. Im into fords mainly but ive been considering one of these for a long time and i thought if i dont do it now i probably never will,so as soon as ive got the engine no turning back. I dont know what to do though,ill be buying new valves and piston rings etc if anybody knows any good places? but i dont know whether to use the standard bits or just uprate the cams and valves with somthing like a kent cam?? How do these engine react to this type of tuning?? Then im looking at getting the car this time next year as ill be coming back from 6months in canada and should have some money laying around. Thanks for all the help everybody.
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Darren use the search function type in cams, porting heads, performance etc!
Loads of usefull info to read! :wink:
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ok will do :). I should hopefully have the engine and possibly gearbox by next weekend and i can start right away with it. Ill get a progress thread going aswell with it. Thanks for helping me out finding the correct engine.
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The engine number in the service book is kw82
lol... that's the power output :smiley:
What will be wrong with the engine in the car you buy? Are you planning to get a duff one, or are you fully rebuilding this one before you get the car so it is ready to drop straight in?
If you want to get more power out of it, and are planning to do an engine swap anyway, it may be worth considering a 2.0 16v engine out of the MK3 which mostly plugs into the existing loom if the MK2 it's going in is later than 1990.
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fully rebuilding this one ready to drop it straight in. i could get the 2.0 16v but im clueless with wiring looms and electrics so wouldnt really want to go messing about with that. Im not after super fast car,just a nice clean car with a solid engine and a nice crisp sound. Im thinking of weber carbs aswell if these are still available and depending on how hard they are to set up. Just for curiosity the 2.0 16v bottom end conversion, is that from a mk3 gti?
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if you want a 2.0 litre 16v engine, use the whole thing from a mk3, and it is apparently a very straight forward conversion with no loom making needed (i think you just plug the new wiring into the existing fuse box).
Similarly simple is using a 2.0 litre 8v bottom end only from a mk3, with the other mk2 head and bits bolted on.
These volkswagen engines are generally very reliable for very high milage's, so you may want to consider getting the whole car first, cleaning it up and playing with it as you like, before spending money, slightly unnecessarily, on the engine. It would also give you the chance to consider one of the simple engine conversions once you have seen how a standard 8v drives. As doing it your way means you have committed yourself to the 8v engine by spending lots of money on it..... It's just an unusual way to go about it ( tho I can see the sense if you want to rebuild an engine without the rest of the car in the drive).
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right ive had a search about th and no joy,so the question is, can weber carbs be fitted to the 1.8 8v digifant engine??ive found a local place that sells them brand new.
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dont bother do as rob.043 says and drive the bloody thing before blowing unessesary money on the engine as for putting carbs on if plugging wiring in for a mk3 engine troubles you then setting carbs up will be beyond you :laugh: no offence :grin:
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well im a qualified mechanic but electrics really gets on my nerves ive never really got my head around it. Anyway ive got the engine and gearbox and will start stripping it down to nothing next weekend and replacing every nut bolt and gasket with a new one. Ikk get a progress thread up as i go along with it, but i am considering the 2l bottom end.