1.8 Rebuild and Modification... Options

[MikeM]

Hi all...I've searched the archives but didn't find enough specific info so I'll ask some questions to the general membership.
I have the chance to buy a 1.8 motor really,really cheap. I'll assume it will need a full rebuild, but I have a couple of questions.

Is a 1.8 a good candidate for a rebuild with mods? Larger pistons and cylinders?
Camshaft? Head work? Case work?

Or should I just hold out for another 2.0 liter?

Thoughts??

Thanks in advance.
Mike

[Cupomeat]

Yes, the 1.8l is a very good candidate for a rebuild with mods.

The real question is how far do you intend to mod the engine?

a few points;


- The 1.8 heads are better flowing (by far) than the 1.7, but not as good as the 2.0.

- The 66mm stroke is smaller than the 71 mm of the 2.0l, BUT putting 96mm pistons on the 1.8 is a slip in fit (no machining) and will get you 1911cc displacement, which is close to the original 2.0l displacement.

- The 66mm rod ends at the crank are larger and last longer than the 2.0l rod bearings.

- the L-Jet FI is a VERY reliable, smooth and simple FI and should be retained if you are keeping the displacement under 2.1 and not looking to mod the cam. IF you are looking to swap tha cam, the L-jet might not handle the overlap (and subsequent pulsing/ vacuum loss).

So, do you have a budget $ or goal hp that you are looking to achieve. Sometimes it is cheaper to hold out, but if the 1,8 is really cheap it is worth picking it up, sometimes for the parts (MANY are shared with the 2.0l motor).

Good luck!

-

[McMark]

The 1.8 is not the greatest starting point. 1.8 head are known for having head cracks inside the exhaust port which can be REALLY hard to weld up. If you're gonna spend $ on heads, it's usually smarter to start with 2.0 heads. The basic/cheap upgrade for a 1.8 is to build a 1911 by using that stock crank and installing a set of 96mm pistons. You can build a 2056, but you'll need to find and purchase 2.0 crank and rods. Not too expensive, but still an additional expense.

So it depends on how much $ your planning on spending. But, even with all that, a cheap enough core motor is worth picking up, simply to have spare parts and a motor to learn from.

[MikeM]

Thanks guys...exactly what I was looking for.
My concern was the heads and crank and rods.
To be honest I'm not sure if the engine has the injection or carbs, as I haven't seen it yet.
Thanks...
Mike