P&C Set Recommendations for a 1.8L Rebuild Options

[DennisO]

Hi All,

I plan to rebuild the 1.8L in my '75 project. The engine is original and complete with the L-jet fuel injection. I want to keep the original L-Jet Fuel Injection and was wondering what are good P&C sets for this engine if I don't want to change the fuel injection system? Reliability is my highest priority for the rebuild.

The PET catalog has 022198075A listed as the part number for 1.8L, but it also has this part number listed for the 2.0, so I'm not sure if it's correct. Is Mahle the OEM vendor for these engines?

Thanks in Advance,
Dennis

[McMark]

66mm cranks (1.7/1.8) have a larger 'big end' on the connecting rod. So rods from 1.7/1.8 won't work with 2.0 cranks (and visa versa).

The 2.0 rods are also longer than the 1.7/1.8 rods. And that's the difference between P&C sets. The wrist pin in the 2.0 sets is higher. Installed a set of P&C for a 1.7/1.8 onto a set of 2.0 crank and rods will result in the pistons extending beyond the top of the cylinder, and using a set of P&C for a 2.0 on a 1.7/1.8 will result in an unusably low compression ratio. You must buy pistons that match the crank/rod setup you have.

No combination of Type 4 engine requires case or head machining, with two exceptions. 1.7 heads have a smaller bore, so those need to be opened up for use on a 1911 upgrade. Also, some large P&C sizes (103mm pistons) need the cases opened up. But for every popular combination that people are building, everything is interchangeable.

All Type4 stock cams are the same. They're a non-overlap cam, which makes a great vacuum signal for the fuel injection. But gives up horsepower because of that. Valve overlap builds power, but sacrifices vacuum and consistent airflow at idle. The stock cam can be used with stock FI, carbs, or aftermarket FI. There are better choices for almost every combination and setup, but the stock cam will work okay.