advice needed on 16v golf & jetta engine, gearbox, brakes etc. please.....

[Bimm]

I currently have a mk2 16v golf g-reg completly standard and have just aquired an e-reg jetta 16v standard also. Im planning on swapping the engine from the jetta into the golf as it sounds so much sweeter but would like to know if there are any differences i should be aware of?

From what i can tell i think the jetta may the smaller 42mm inlet manifold and my golf im assuming will have the later 50mm manifold, would this be right ?

Will the brakes and calipers be the same on the jetta as on the golf, i have heard that some of the earlier 16v's upto a certain year had smaller 239mm disc's ?

Will the gearbox's on these cars be the same, same ratios etc. ?
& what about the suspension (ie springs,dampers etc.) will these be exactly the same ?

also do you think i'd be mad to convert the golf back to a manual steering rack as opposed to the knackered power unit it currently has, it may sound crazy but im thinking that it is less to go wrong and at the moment the steering on the jetta feels so much lighter than the power unit on my golf. I have to say that its very light for a manual rack & much lighter than my old mk2 8v used to be and is even comparable to my mk3 driver that i own now.

also i have read that it is possible to use 2 exhaust cams on a 16v kr engine which so i've read will give more mid-range (i think), is this hard to do & is it worth doing on a 1.8 16v engine as i've only read about ppl doing it on 2.0l conversions before, would i have anything to gain by doing it ?

So what are your opinions on my plan so far, any advice on this ??


cheers
Bimm

[rubjonny]

1. Possibly, if you look at them side by side you'll see if they are different, the 50mm inlet bulges out whilst the 42mm is more straight.
2. Think 256mm brakes came in 89?  Get your tape measure out
3. Pretty sure the gearboxes are the same
4. Shocks will be same as will front springs, but rear springs may differ as the jetta is prob a wee bit heavier at the back.  But remember theres no telling what suspension setup they have on there now, who knows what previous owners have put on
5. Entirely your choice, my prefered option would be to fix the PAS kit
6. Differing oppinions on this one, think the popular suggestion is to fit KR cams into the 2.0 engine, but I've heard reports from 2.0 owners that it doesn't really make enough difference for the effort!  Think its only worth doing if you get one of the de-tuned 2.0 16v motors, the MK3 ABF cams are fine but I think the Corrado ones are a bit weak.

[Daz...]

oops..

50mm inlet.


Edited it up babeh... 

[Devon Joe]

not sure how you fit 2 exhaust cams- i guess you have to remove timing pulley+distributor drives first and turn it round?

have just put standard KR inlet+exhaust cams into my audi 6a 2.0 16v conversion, will see how she runs...once the damn rain stops 

[Bimm]

thanks for the help guys, may try to find out more about the twin exhaust cams mod when i manage to find a 2L block but in the meantime the plan is to drop the complete engine, box, subframe etc. out of the jetta & golf and then just swap it all in its entirety over into the golf. I may swap the power steering over or i may not, pretty much undecided as of yet.
I may also swap the inlet manifolds over but still unsure, will have to doublecheck if they are in fact different.

Thats my short term plan for the car to get it running nice then i shall be looking for a suspension kit, larger 280mm brakes and a 2L block at the right price. My aim is to build a fast road car, something relatively quick with good handling & good braking that i can take out for a good thrash through small twisty country lanes and that will hopefully embarass some of the more expensive and more modern cars out that both at the lights and through the twisty stuff.
 

[Judderi]

With the smaller inlets you will have good bottom end torque but a restricted top end. And with the larger ones you will loose some torque but gain top end apparently. I will let you know if i ever get round to fitting the bigger polished set that i bought years ago.