Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport VR6 (Update: exhaust clip!)

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theholycow
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Slow but steady progre

Post by theholycow »

pmacutay wrote:Paperwork's all said and done, the donor car's got its cali plates and fully registered under my name, so we start what we've been waiting for: ripping the thing apart.
Only in California! :lol:
A surprise was waiting for us when, out of curiosity, I cracked open the ECU to make sure the chip socket was the same one as the chip I had ordered from Techtonics.

I saw this and blurted out, "Well, f**k me! Yo, check this out!"

Same exact chip I ordered. Not bad, saves me $100 on the build that can go to other maintenance stuff! Contacted Techtonics to arrange the return of the new chip I ordered.
Win!
Engine harness pulled out of raintrays & stock engine bay routing. It's like the engine's nervous system is now exposed. (I know, "wire tuck! wire tuck!" but we don't have time. If only...)
Going to go back and clean it up later?
[img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3335772/vrswap6.jpg[img]

Essential tools for a motor swap.

Oh man, that's what I should have ordered the other day...it's getting harder and harder to get a non-light beer at a restaurant. I pointed at Michelob on the menu and said "Michelob, the regular one, not light or ultra" and was brought a Mich Ultra. Does Dos Equis even offer a light version?
Bonus pic:
[img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3335772/vrswap7.jpeg[img]

Apparently, this is what happens when you do a 5k rpm launch, carry the wheelspin through 1st and chirp into 2nd...on tires that were already bald to begin with.
At first I thought I was looking at some kind of belt. Man, that's one bald freakin' tire!
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Ripping the motor out)

Post by watkins »

When in doubt I order Sam or Harpoon
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Ripping the motor out)

Post by pmacutay »

Re: wire tuck, no, no plans to. i just don't want to deal with that
massive of a headache lengthening a billion wires.

Am getting the intake manifold polished and painted though.
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Slow but steady progre

Post by Squint »

pmacutay wrote:Image

Essential tools for a motor swap.
Yes. And for just about any other project. 8)
pmacutay wrote: Bonus pic:
Image

Apparently, this is what happens when you do a 5k rpm launch, carry the wheelspin through 1st and chirp into 2nd...on tires that were already bald to begin with.
Good thing you didn't have a blow out trying that 5k launch with the condition that wheel was in :shock: :lol:
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Ripping the motor out)

Post by pmacutay »

5-12-12
T-Minus 19 days till car show

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This was fun to deal with. Luckily my buddies knew how to sort it out. Such a learning experience for me, and crazy to watch people that know what they're doing just rip through seemingly-ridiculous tasks like pulling all the wiring out.

Image
Car's nervous system fully pulled. w00t

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And finally, what we came here to do today: ripping the motor & tranny out of the donor car.

Image
All in a day's work.

Intake manifold is on its way to get polished & painted, cooling & timing overhaul parts are coming in via UPS, I'm running errands left and right to source all the little parts that we need, and prepping the plastic engine trim pieces for paint.

I saw this photo of another mk3's VR6 and I knew this is what I had to do to the manifold & trim:
Image

This project's halfway there...can't lose steam now!
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Ripping the motor out)

Post by pmacutay »

watkins wrote:When in doubt I order Sam or Harpoon
I'm more of a Maker's on the rocks or Gin & Tonic guy, but sometimes I can't resist a Stella or a good Hefeweizen.

One of my current favorite beers is a local brewery, called Hangar 24, they make an orange wheat beer that is absolutely amazing. It's like a Blue Moon + OJ, except brewed that way and a bit less heavy.
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Ripping the motor out)

Post by Squint »

pmacutay wrote:
watkins wrote:When in doubt I order Sam or Harpoon
I'm more of a Maker's on the rocks
Ah, I see you like the exports of my state. You're all welcome. :lol: (P.S. I'm down for the same thing, it's a nice nightcap)
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Motor out! Halfway the

Post by pmacutay »

5-14-12
T-Minus 17 days to car show

Ran into our first problem during the swap. The Passat & Golf's radiators aren't interchangeable, and we don't know if the lower radiator support from the Passat frame will bolt up to the Golf's.

Only one way to find out, but it's just a pain that it's the radiator considering I don't exactly want to coolant flush the Golf, but we gotta get the Golf's radiator out of the way to test fit the Passat's.

Either my options are to buy a used GTI VR6 rad AND the proper cooling hoses (hoses new are like $100, wtf.) or find a way to "finagle" the Passat LRS + Rad into the Golf.

We'll see what it looks like when we rip the Golf's bumper off later today. Time to do some work!
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Motor out! Halfway the

Post by theholycow »

In what way will the Golf's radiator not work for the new engine?
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Motor out! Halfway the

Post by pmacutay »

Golf 2.0 radiator inlets are in different positions than VR6 radiator, and it's a smaller radiator.

It's fine though, I got confirmation from another fellow swapper that the Passat's rad will work fine if we transfer over the passat lower rad support to the Golf.
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Motor out! Halfway the

Post by theholycow »

I see. I assumed you compared size already. You definitely don't want to use a smaller radiator.

As for the plumbing...you are planning on using OEM pre-bent hoses? Is merely transplanting the support going to provide the same relative positioning?
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Motor out! Halfway the

Post by pmacutay »

Yup. The B3 passat shares a lot of its parts with the mk3 Golf/Jetta, only the body is wider and the wheelbase is longer, but it being a front-wheel-drive car all the important stuff is interchangeable. The support will work, because the engine mounts are in the same place relative to the support (the support bolts onto the engine mount crossmember), and therefore the engine will be in the same place as well.

5-14-12, Pt. 2
T-Minus 17 days to car show

Image
A friend brought over a new engine hoist and engine stand that we could use for the week.

Image
Separated the tranny, and found some good news: the pressure plate & clutch were switched out recently. They weren't even dirty; the pressure plate still had its blue paint color to it, not dusty and black. $300 I don't have to spend.

Ripped the cooling system apart...stripped a couple of the waterpump bolts, but got it out with a torx bit + hammer. I then proceeded to be an idiot and pull the water pump while the engine + stand was still in the garage, not over the driveway. The engine immediately vomited coolant everywhere, and I basically went :shock: "UHH...UHHHHH—" and shoved the water pump back in in an effort to stop the coolant flow. :lol:

Swung by 4SeasonTuning earlier in the day and picked up some spark plugs & wires, serp belt, a new CV boot to replace the busted one, oil pressure/temp sensors since the o-rings were shot on all three and leaking oil everywhere, fan belt, some Mobil1 oil (six f**k quarts jesus this engine uses a lot of oil) & some coolant.

Pretty much just waiting on my big shipment of the rest of the overhaul parts from MJM Autohaus to come in, and we're gonna bang this shit out. Might even throw the engine in this weekend, depends on how our schedules work out.

I cannot be more thankful that I've got a friend who's basically tutoring me through this swap, and letting me use his garage space for pretty much 3 weeks. In fact, this entire project wouldn't be happening, and this inexpensively, without friends from everywhere; parts shops, tire shops, exhaust shops.

One of my friends helping with the swap is even buying the old motor off me; that works out, he's got a 1600lb mk1 Rabbit that he's gonna throw my cammed 2.0L in, that should be pretty damn fun, and I don't have to worry about an engine sitting around forever while I try to sell it.

I'm so excited. I can barely focus on work and day-to-day things, I just keep dreaming of the day I turn the key and that thing fires up for the first time in my car.
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Motor out! Halfway the

Post by Squint »

pmacutay wrote:I cannot be more thankful that I've got a friend who's basically tutoring me through this swap, and letting me use his garage space for pretty much 3 weeks. In fact, this entire project wouldn't be happening, and this inexpensively, without friends from everywhere; parts shops, tire shops, exhaust shops.

One of my friends helping with the swap is even buying the old motor off me; that works out, he's got a 1600lb mk1 Rabbit that he's gonna throw my cammed 2.0L in, that should be pretty damn fun, and I don't have to worry about an engine sitting around forever while I try to sell it.
This. I would NOT even consider attempting what you're doing without people who have done it before helping me out. And nice you have a buyer. The engines are just progressing down the food chain of cars. Passat to Jetta, Jetta to Rabbit. He's going to have to sell his engine to a Smartcar owner or something...
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Motor out! Halfway the

Post by pmacutay »

lol, his 1.6L 4-cyl that's misfiring on 2 cylinders? hahaha. I don't think that thing could get a brick moving...

The swap is actually pretty stress free because I can still drive my car in the meantime, and while the engine is out is the perfect time to do all this maintenance. So when that engine goes in, i'm basically all set maintenance-wise, for quite a while.
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Re: Phil's '95 VW Golf Sport (Update: Motor out! Halfway the

Post by Squint »

pmacutay wrote:lol, his 1.6L 4-cyl that's misfiring on 2 cylinders? hahaha. I don't think that thing could get a brick moving...
Scooter? Moped? Engine powered roller blades? :lol:
pmacutay wrote:The swap is actually pretty stress free because I can still drive my car in the meantime, and while the engine is out is the perfect time to do all this maintenance. So when that engine goes in, i'm basically all set maintenance-wise, for quite a while.
That is a valid point. Have to do anything else besides fluid changes? Timing belt, etc.. that is more of a hassle normally?
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'11 Ford Fiesta Hatchback SE 5MT
'14 Giant Escape City 24MT
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