best performance mods for 2.0 8v?

[simongti]

Im already thinking of more power out of my new golf but what are the best ways of going about it?

dont want to spend lots of money but do want a bit more power.

de-cat? Chip?

[Agreeable Slick]

chop it in for a 16v.

alternatively, panel filter, FULL SS exhaust system, and sort out the suspension.

[Len]

Wasting your money on an 8v really! You will have to spend mega bucks just to get close to a standard 16v

[simongti]

Yeah didnt think there was much point but worth asking the question.

how easy is it to replace the 8v unit for a 16v?

[Khare]

how easy is it to replace the 8v unit for a 16v?

really easy. Just go to a car dealers and hand over X amount of money and they will give you one 

on a more serious note. I wouldnt bother. Id just buy a 16v rather than transfer engine over.

[simongti]

how easy is it to replace the 8v unit for a 16v?

really easy. Just go to a car dealers and hand over X amount of money and they will give you one 

on a more serious note. I wouldnt bother. Id just buy a 16v rather than transfer engine over.

Is it really not worth the work?
just my 8v is quite tidy inside and out and wont be able to pick up a tidy 16v for what i would sell mine for.
oh well i might do a few little jobs to the 8v till i get bored of it.

[Josho]

This is covered all the time. You cannot get power out of the 8V engine. Even spending hundreds on turbos will only give 15-30BHP.

Panel filter, drilled airbox, de-cat and a backbox will be the most you can do. A good service and cleaning up grounding points will help get it back to stock BHP.

[danny_p]

to get power out of it the engine will have to come out for the work to be done,  at that point it's far easyer to put an engine in thats willing to be tuned.

the cheepest way to get power without removeing it is  buy a megasquirt, 2 headgaskets  and a turbo or supercharger, have fun fitting it  enjoy the 200 hp till it goes bang.

or  buy  16v, turbo 2 headgaskets  arp bolts a megasquirt and enjoy the 300 hp then get forged internals and a bigger turbo

[th3_f15t]

Sorry to hijack the post, but I assume it's the same story for the Mark 2 Digifant engine, the 8 valve GTi?

[boneybradley]

regarding the mk3...have a look in the 8v section as there's loads of links about turbo & superchargers for the 8v (a 16v beater is what you want! but it's not cheap!) Dicky or bored-welsh-lad is doing his at the mo

and mike have a word with rubjohnny the mk2 expert...he'll know the best way for more 8v power