2.0 16v ABF vs 2.0 9a with KR cams etc

[sharpie]

if you use your existing managment it doesnt matter which one you pick, except with the 9a you gotta swap the inlet cam for a decent one!

e.g KR 

Ya, or a pair of ABF cams as said earlier

but i'm not selling abf cams 

[Jimmy16v]

so guys if I have a chance to buy a whole 9a engine thats better than trying to buy just the lower block?  I'm a tad confused - got a scrapper ofrering me a 9a complete engine with 160k on the clock for £160.  I am skint so want to cut corners so what do i really need if i have a 1.8 16v anyway??  Do i need to buy the complete engine?

Thanks 

[Horney]

Take the complete engine but use your existing 1.8 head, cam and inlet. That way you have a spare head, cams and inlet for use for exchange or rebuild etc.

Nick

[Jimmy16v]

what do you think about the mileage?? Bit too much or should i not really be worried??

[Horney]

Is it still in a car so you can hear it running? Also what's it out of? PAssat or Corrado?

To be honest for the money it sounds OK. My passat is on 135,000 and that ran like a dream. The Rado is on 145,000 and leaks a bit of oil but doesn't burn any.

Nick

[Jimmy16v]

I dont thinnk so and the scrapper is a million miles away so could be risky! He seems to think its good but he's bound to say that!!!

[rubjonny]

yeah theres no need to take the head off with any block you have, I mean there are small advantages to be had but its not worth the effort for a std head unless the one on there has knackered stems or whatever.  See if you can at least power up the starter motor on it and get the compression tested, make sure all the timing marks line up (if not possible valve dmage)  Try to find out why the car was scrapped in the 1st place, ideally you want it to be an MOT fail or accident damage. If he cant tell you it might be due to engine issues. That being said 2.0 16v is pretty bomb proof, as I say main worry is timing problems leading to valve damage

[danny_p]

on 160,000  i would allways lift the head,    some of the KR heads are better other are the same as said the main differance is in the cams,   but i would be more worries about headgasket and valve guides if they haven't been done they are going to pop up soon,   espectaly as your upgradeing to a 2.0  that genearly means that your going to be asking the engine to work quite hard whitch will soon develop any weackness

[rubjonny]

ah missed the milage!  id just drive it into the ground or at least get it in car first with fingers crossed but thats just me
if its miles away though I dont think its really worth it, just bide your time and one will come up.  I got my ABVF block basically for free as I swaped it for all of the old 8v bits I took out of my car when I KRed it up, plus anythign else I could find to get shot of, I didnt even have to go anywhere it got delivered to my door

[sharpie]

ah missed the milage!  id just drive it into the ground or at least get it in car first with fingers crossed but thats just me
if its miles away though I dont think its really worth it, just bide your time and one will come up.  I got my ABVF block basically for free as I swaped it for all of the old 8v bits I took out of my car when I KRed it up, plus anythign else I could find to get shot of, I didnt even have to go anywhere it got delivered to my door

weren't you lucky.