VW Engine Swap

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Might be better to post on The Samba but with the wealth of information here, hoping some can weigh in.

How plug and play is putting an '85 Cabriolet FI engine into an '80 Scirocco with a carb? Considering taking the engine and trans out of my Cab and putting it in a Scirocco. Fuel pump is obvious. Maybe engine wiring harness too?

[speeder]

What 1980 Scirocco came with a carburetor?

They are CIS cars since about 1974, same as a 911 from the same period.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

One that someone converted. It’s got a 1.8 with a Weber carb.

[bkreigsr]

I seriously doubt that any advice/information regarding this swap will include the words 'plug and play' anywhere in the narrative.

[dad911]

Think outside the box. Cut the roof off the Scirocco and graft it onto the Cabriolet.

Or in other words, I have no constructive advice.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Well this is good news. I'll either swap just the injection or may be easier to swap entire engine and transmission in one piece + the CIS from the 85 to 80.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by dad911

Think outside the box. Cut the roof off the Scirocco and graft it onto the Cabriolet.

Or in other words, I have no constructive advice.

I'm doing my best to stay inside boxes these days. It's not going so well.

[dad911]

[rockfan4]

How hard it's going to be depends on what they did to change it to carb.

CIS will need a supply and return line, if the lines on the Scirocco have the ends cut off or are otherwise mangled you can conceivably use the Cabrio lines, but I'd buy new unless they were perfect.
One thing to consider is the 85 is likely CIS-E, and the project would be immensely simpler to install an older CIS system without all the electronic crap.

If there's a 1.8 in the Scirocco now, it didn't come with that. You'll need to know the compression ratio to proceed.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

New lines are the way to go, I agree.

There's that big of a difference between 80 and 85 for the CIS?

I feel like trying to put together an early CIS system would put me in a world of hurt.

[rockfan4]

There's a reason somebody put the weber on the Scirocco.

VWs up to about 80? 81? used a purely mechanical fuel injection, other than maybe a heater in the warm up regulator because it didn't warm up fast enough for the government. Shortly after that they added a Oxygen sensor and a valve on the fuel distributor to try to control the mixture. The 85 probably also has a solid state ignition where the 80 would still have points.

I'm probably biased because all my VW tuning was on the early cars, you could probably swap everything over and not have a problem, but I wouldn't do it.

[porsche tech]

Years ago, I often pondered the idea of an air cooled Porsche motor in an Audi 4000. I think the carburetor/fuel injection would be the least of your problems.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

There's a reason somebody put the weber on the Scirocco.

VWs up to about 80? 81? used a purely mechanical fuel injection, other than maybe a heater in the warm up regulator because it didn't warm up fast enough for the government. Shortly after that they added a Oxygen sensor and a valve on the fuel distributor to try to control the mixture. The 85 probably also has a solid state ignition where the 80 would still have points.

I'm probably biased because all my VW tuning was on the early cars, you could probably swap everything over and not have a problem, but I wouldn't do it.

Back when there was such a thing as a 911 parts car, I found that by and large, people were morons. What some did to 911s, cars that I bought for $500 to $2000 that would sell for $5000 to $15000 now, was shocking. So why someone put a Weber on the car will never be known but you can bet one option included "hold my beer."

Wouldn't swapping motor/trans/CIS all in one be the best solution?

There is a chance I can get the Weber to work properly, just not likely. It yard drives, even around town drives, but that's about it.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by porsche tech

Years ago, I often pondered the idea of an air cooled Porsche motor in an Audi 4000. I think the carburetor/fuel injection would be the least of your problems.

VW did something similar.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

New lines are the way to go, I agree.

There's that big of a difference between 80 and 85 for the CIS?

I feel like trying to put together an early CIS system would put me in a world of hurt.

Yes, there is a big difference. Do you have a set of pressure gauges to diagnose the CIS?

Honestly, a Weber would be far easier to setup and tune...

[Shaun @ Tru6]

The CIS on the Cabriolet works fine. That's one reason I would move everything over to the Scirocco. The Weber is an unknown quantity to me. I don't know who installed it, what they did right/wrong, why, etc.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

There's a reason somebody put the weber on the Scirocco.

VWs up to about 80? 81? used a purely mechanical fuel injection, other than maybe a heater in the warm up regulator because it didn't warm up fast enough for the government. Shortly after that they added a Oxygen sensor and a valve on the fuel distributor to try to control the mixture. The 85 probably also has a solid state ignition where the 80 would still have points.

I'm probably biased because all my VW tuning was on the early cars, you could probably swap everything over and not have a problem, but I wouldn't do it.

1980 VW was definitely not a points ignition. I’m working on one as we speak and it’s as original as they come. I’m not sure that it’s worth putting much time and energy into any 1980 Volkswagen unless it’s a pretty special car. Even then, YMMV.

[jyl]

Does it have to be OE stuff? Could you use an aftermarket solution like Megasquirt? CIS to EFI Conversion

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Jared has me convinced to work with the Weber first. A set of headers, not mounted, come with the car, those might be neat. Looking forward to driving to Colorado and towing it home on a dolly soon.

[IS300]

my first project vw rabbit ... .. covert diesel to fuel injected
if you want me to tell you lets talk
anthony