VW Golf 1.8L...should I turbo it or leave it be?

[VW-Crazy]

Hey I have a 1.8 Golf and i was wonderin if i should turbo it
or do an engine swap or just save up for an actual 2.0L or VR6.

[Kid_a]

www.vwvortex.com, search.

[SaabKraft]

read an article about tuning the 2.0L, i can offer some suggestions for the N/A engine... they thought it was a good alternative to the 1.8T....

neuspeed has some good stuff for volkswagens, some underdrive pulleys, exhaust, intake etc could do a little bit, but for real gains on your 1.8 block, boost it (LPT [low pressure turbo] system or supercharger), or crack it open and put in some high compression forged pistons, more aggressive cams, and the perephreal adjustments needed. the latter would be more refined but not neccesarily more poweful. with enough $$$, you could do both.

i know with the addition of a cylinder head spacer, some guys in california supercharged a VR6 and were pushing 300 + bhp. of course it was the R32 model and therefore AWD. and it had severed traction issues as well as a narrow powerband. a supercharged VR6 with moderate boostage could be a good alternative as well.

just remember that you'll need the ECU's and wiring harnesses if you're going to swap engines out, perhaps motor mounts as well...

[VW-Crazy]

SO if i were to put a low pressure turbo on it, i'd need a chip and intake and exhaust i'm assuming. would it be a good idea if i decide to upgraded the cam?

Thanks alot by the way.

[SaabKraft]

an LPT shouldn't need such a swap... get a turbo setup and route the airbox to it, then to the throttle body. at 3-6 psi you won't really need an intercooler.

you could use one of those 'plumber valve' manual boost controllers to set the pressure and away you go. with a boost gauge in the cockpit you could monitor the pressure, and an air to fuel meter could tell you if/when you're running too lean. (doubtful that you will)

so for a general parts list:
-turbo unit (i reccomend a smaller mitsubishi TE-01 or the like; spools up quicker and you won't need a big unit)
-1.8 turbo exhaust manifold and downpipe (with bung for the sensor)
-some silicon hoses and elbows to route the intake through the turbine to the throttle body
-some bracket or another to mount the turbo
-lines to cool the turbo (oil and coolant, most likely)
- a bypass valve somewhere (likely an internal wastegate on the turbo itself)
-gauges to monitor
-boost controller

if you're lucky to find a wrecked 1.8 turbo somewhere you could scavenge the parts.... i'm not sure if the layout gives room for this setup but it's pretty simple.. the key is to start off with low boost and nudge it up a bit... getting the controller to bleed of pressure at the right rate and limit it will be the tricky part.

i seriously wouldn't reccomend more than 4-5 psi of boost : the compression ratio in your 1.8 is likely higher than a factory turbo, so even with low boost you'll feel the effect. you don't want to be blowing your pistons or head gasket. your factory fuel map and camshafts should be ok for this set up, which if done cleverly, won't cost that much.

i'm versed in the turbo system of the 16V saab 900 ('85 to '93)... due to the increasing electronic dependance cars have this may or may not work; what i suggested was previously suggested to me when i had my 2.0L N/A motor, before i bought my '85 turbo (intercooled and all). I don't really know how your ECU will react (though VW seems to have an endless array of chips avaliable, you could probably get someone to program it so it knows that there's some forced induction going on)

intake and exhaust can come after. try to make the bend from the turbo to the downpipe as gradual as possible, to reduce backpressure...

this is a suggestion only and i can't be held responsible for anything that might go wrong; i'd reccomend consulting with some VW tuners as well. my proposal is for a relatively low cost system that's the simplest way i know of to get some immediate power.

cheers!

[Ben]

I have an 87 GTI with a built 2.0L 16V for sale, runs mid 15's here in down, goes pretty good.

Nice Recaro seats to.

5kish

Could buy that instead

[Euro_Trash]

Turboing a CL (1.8L) engine is not worth it at all. The way the motor is built you have to replace a lot of things, something with the existing throttle body makes it impossible to turbo. I thought about doing that to my golf, but then asked around how much it would cost, and I was getting quotes of 5000 or 6000 compared to a VR6 swap for 5000, or a 2.0L swap for 2000. Hell drop the 2.0L in and slap the Neuspeed charger on there, or customize your own turbo set up for it. I was talking to a guy with a 2.0L 8V Jetta with the charger and he beat a MK4 1.8T. Before I sold my car and bought the Corrado I was thinking about dropping a 2.0L 16V or a G60 in to my golf, not only for power but because no one else has done it, making it an eye catcher.
A great thing about the VW's is that most of the 4-cyl engines share the same pattern for motor mounts and transmission mounts, so swaps are very easy, pretty much plug and play. For a simple swap I would just go with the 2.0L 8V and then play with it from there. If you have any more in depth questions about it just IM me or go and talk to the guys at Concept1. They know their stuff