1.8 head on 2.0 block or 2.0 head + block w/ big pistons?

[joelittel]

Any updates?

[ORFORD2004]

Any updates?

Still running

[TimpanogosSlim]

Any updates?

There was a whole other thread.

Not much in the way of real progress. I ended up spending a lot of time last fall replacing the engine and doing a lot of other work on my sister's 91 vw cabriolet. I don't have anything nice to say about the mechanic she's been taking it to for 15 years.

I don't have a garage and I've got other cars distracting me.

I recently picked up a donor 1980 FI spider relatively cheap because it's very ugly and the previous owner had to get rid of it to avoid zoning violation fines. Last registered in 2003.

I'm still working gradually at building a supercharged, megasquirted spider. i just got a set of serpentine conversion pulleys.

In the short term I'm getting the new money pit into a running condition. The old money pit has no rear wheel arches and has rust holes in the front shock towers that you can put a hand through so i'm not sure i'll ever try to put it on the road again.

I still think L-Jet is crude tech that I'm not interested in trying to get more power out of. I still think I want to learn megasquirt and programmable tuning.

Dunno why brad is so offended by that position but whatever.

[scampbel98]

During some recent junk yard trips i acquired the head from an early '77 124 spider 1.8 and the entire long block from a '79 spider 2000 w/ fuel injection, including the FI manifold, plenum, and injectors. I also took the electronic distributor and some other parts to get my existing late '77 spider 1800 on the road again.

Initially i had been thinking that i would try my hand at DIY porting with the 1.8 head (under supervision from an experienced tuner / machinist), maybe have the head machined for the bigger valves some vendors offer, and of course have the head professionally built, probably with street cams.

And then put it on the 2.0 block, rebuilt as needed with OE style pistons.

It seems like maybe the 2.0 FI head breathes better? I have no intention of running 35 year old fuel injection technology and only took the intake and fuel parts with the dream that some day i could do a an all-out turbo build w/ a modern ECU.

Does a 1.8 carb manifold even bolt up to the 2.0 FI head?

If it does, would i get better bang for my buck using that head, cams, and high compression pistons?

Or was my original plan just fine?

For carburetors i have my choice between a 1.8 single plane manifold with a freshly rebuilt 32/36 DFEV or a pair of IDF 40's with matching non-waffle manifold, which need rebuilt, but came with linkage.

Thanks!

I'm running a pretty weird setup. 1.8l block, 2L FI head. DFEV carb. 10mm domed pistons. No idea how much HP.

[So Cal Mark]

10mm domes? Are they custom pistons?

[scampbel98]

10mm domes? Are they custom pistons?

Maybe they're 8 or 4 . Now you've got me thinking. They were from Vicks. Whatever biggest dome was at the time.