Page 1: Timeline 2003-2005 (Start here)
Page 2: Timeline 2006
Page 3: Audio System
Page 4: De-Ambering DIY
Page 5: 20vT (1.8t) Engine swap build write-up

Well, now that the car is running 100%, I thought I�d post up my build thread. I know it�s lengthy, but it�s fully detailed with lots of pictures what a typical engine swap and the problems that go along with it is like. I don�t expect any of you to read this, but I think it would be helpful for anyone pursuing an engine swap, and more specifically, a Reflex Tuned MK3 1.8T engine swap. It�s more of a reference for me and anyone else who�s interested, I suppose, since I have a crappy memory on long detailed things like this.

I�m going to make this a documentary of my entire engine swap from the planning stages to the execution� so bear with me. [b]But for those too lazy to read, there�s also plenty of pictures and a video :D[/b]

So Enjoy :) :beer:

The dependable, reliable jetta:

[u]August, 2005:[/u] After many autocrosses with a few victories and highway road trips, I think I�ve finally mastered all the power that the 2.0 can give me with a swiss cheesed/K&N airbox, ported throttle body, and a Magnaflow catback. The Jetta starts to seem boring to me now, and evil thoughts of selling it and getting an E30 race car run through my head.

[u]October 2005:[/u] Screw that, I have too much money in the Jetta and I :heart: it too much to let it go. How often do you see a modified beige car? So I decide to give it some more power to make it more interesting again, and to give myself some more experience in the engine department, which I seriously lack :laugh:. So, I begin looking into turbo systems (because boost is fun) and more specifically: the ABA-16vT vesus the 1.8T 20vT. I justify this project saying that it will help me with my career path that I intend to take: Automotive Mechanical Engineering.

[u]December 2005:[/u] The ABA 16vT idea loses the battle as it�s a lot more complex to put together than an oem turbo setup. Standalone management doesn�t look appealing either, as I had read that a car with Megasquirt and the likes will not pass emissions testing, and since my car is my daily driven car, that won�t work. Also, I don�t have the time or tools to swap piston heads and cylinder heads, among many other things.

Enter Doug�s (Reflexbug) various writeups about his new way to swap in a 1.8T. Hmmmm� I have an OBD2 2.0... So I go undercover from here on out while I reseach all I can find on his doings, and find a 1.8T. I didn�t tell many people (unless I felt, they could help me) so I wouldn�t get much attention for a big project that I was even 100% certain was going to happen at this point.

I also managed to pick up my 02A CES Transmission from Mike (Techvento) during this time, as it would have needed it with the ABA 16vT with the power I was intending to make.

[u]January 8, 2006:[/u] After finding a 1.8T (thanks Fred) and the proper negotiations were made and I arranged to get the engine. The owner, Brian (vdub2001), was nice enough to swing by with his pick-up and deliver it to me. :D

[u]February 2006: [/u] I�m bored, so I play around with with the transmission by quickly installing the Dieselgeek short shifter and put the new flywheel/clutch/pressure plate together�. Loosely. 11lb reduction!

[u]February 28, 2006:[/u] I take a deep breath, and order the Reflex Tuning swap kit. (It�s been a while, but well worth the wait. :thumbup: ) My friend, Antone (vdubbermk2), sells me an MBC and silicon tubing for dirt cheap� thanks :)

[u]March 2006:[/u] I�m disappointed but excited to learn that Doug is redesigning the distributor cap and updating the ECU program. I�m disappointed because I can�t swap the engine before I go back to school in April, but I�m excited that it�s going to be even more badass when it�s done. Thanks for the updates Fred. :thumbup:. The redesign includes: a much shorter distributor cap, over 1/4 of the original size, and a new ECU program from C2 motorsports that won�t kill the MAF sensor and cause the engine to go ka-boom.

[u]April � June 2006:[/u] Talking with a mk4 friend of mine, I learn of a lot more about the engine and about performance upgrades for it such as �power intake manifold gaskets� and home-made intercooler misters while I patiently wait to get home from school and for Doug to finish with the re-engineering. As an aspiring engineer, I appreciate why this is taking a while, so I wasn�t pissed.

[u]July 2006: [/u] The distributor caps are delayed still� so I collect various last-minute odds and ends like charge piping, couplers, and clamps.

[u]July 28, 2006:[/u] Doug gives me the green light to go ahead and perform the swap, and so on Friday night after work, the tear-down begins. [b]I work pretty slow, since this is my first time really touching the engine bay lol.[/b]

Last time I�ll see you 2.0�

[u]July29, 2006:[/u]Working through the night and burning midnight oil, I awake to this:

some shots of the goodies going in:

[u]July 30, 2006:[/u] After some difficulties and getting the timing belt on the 1.8t done� it�s time for the 2.0 to get the hell out of there.









I still can�t believe it�s gone�

The 2.0 up for display�

[u]July 31, 2006:[/u] The flywheel dowel pins were slightly bent when I put it on, so it gave me one hell of time getting the pressure plate on. I WIN!

And then I tackle the broken motor mount bolt� luckily BFI gave me another bolt, so that was okay in the end.

Quite the sight I think:

[u]August 1, 2006:[/u] I get the shifter tower installed. Screw making a few holes to install it in the center console.. I made a little bracket to substitute the front bolt the 020 shifter had.

My mark of distinction on my heat shield under the shifter tower; sorta like those custom shops when they restore old cars :laugh:

[u]August 4, 2006:[/u] My buddy TJ and crew stop by to help out, so in return I let him try on my wheels lol: It�s a turbo Scirocco 8v. Hauls some serious a[i][/i]s[i][/i]s too I might add.

Since my engine didn�t come with a transmission dirt/crap guard, I had to make one. Turned out pretty good I think:

Then we get the transmission hooked up to the engine� FINALLY

[u]August 5, 2006:[/u] The 2.0 gets sent outside since I need room in the garage to work.

The 20vT hovering above the bay

Waiting on more parts and the reflex kit�.

[u]August 8, 2006:[/u] I begin making my gauge holder for my VDO Boost, Oil Pressure, and Oil Temperature gauges:




... Don�t worry, it�s only temporary hehe

Spray paint it over night and...

[u]August 9, 2006:[/u]� Voila

Not bad eh?

And the wiring begins� it was like making a new wiring harness lol

Take a break Thursday and Friday night�

[u]August 12, 2006: [/u] Take some time to admire the ghettoness:

And some real progress gets made. Engine and drive axles are bolted in correctly this time, finally� took some idiot to figure that one out :screwy:. Plugged a few wires in and started mounting the intercooler for fun. Do I win an award for not having any charge piping between the IC and TB? :laugh: That�s the oem charge pipe cut in half and the silicon coupler after the charge pipe, used to connect the two halves together :laugh: TMIC FTW

[u]August 13, 2006:[/u] I finish bolting down the engine and drive axles. Doug (Reflexbug) shows up later in the afternoon to deliver the distributor cap, wires and green top injectors. After a case of steak-in-the-throat and running to the emergency hospital, we get started on getting the engine into a running state. We discover the engine is sitting way too high and that my transmission mount bracket is broken. So thanks to BFI, I have to take the (stage 1) motor mounts out and shave them down a little bit. Doug then proceeds to pull out pretty much all of the vacuum n249 system which was making me lose sleep at night before lol. Switched over the crank reference sensor, hooked up the coolant lines and some of what was left of the vacuum system and called it a night after lots of bs�ing about racing bmw�s :).

We couldn�t get the engine to run because we were missing a wire and few of the coolant lines, but other than that, progress was made in leaps and bounds.

[u]August 14, 2006:[/u] I sand down the motor mounts which are making the engine sit too high in the bay and preventing the hood from closing :o. I took off a half inch on the rear mount and an 1/8� on the front, I could do more if needed, which I probably will, but it�s easy to take out. Also extend a few wires to the distributor. Order a few more needed parts to arrive on Wednesday.

[u]August 15, 2006:[/u] Connect the remaining coolant hoses together, take off the support arm on the transmission, switch out my oem injectors in favor of 42lb green-tops and make sure the hood fits correctly again with the lower mounts ( it does) lol.

[u]August 19, 2006:[/u] A nice package of parts comes from reflexbug :D. I waste no more time and quickly get started. I put on the transmission mount bracket, hydraulic clutch actuator, new C2 chip, and started hooking the rest of the vacuum system up.

� at the end of the night� starting to looking like it�s supposed to :)

[u]August 20, 2006:[/u] I found the page in the mk4 bentley with the turbo charger system! :laugh:, plug in and connect all the remaining lines soon after. List of other things I did: put power steering pump on, put clutch actuator on correctly (with the over-center spring this time), put the new spark plugs in, changed the oil, lengthened the MAF wire, and broke off the FPR tap-in on the intake manifold�. Yay.

[u]August 21, 2006:[/u] Big happenings. List of things I did in no order: put the AC compressor on (royal PITA), spaced the fuel rail (1/2" I think), put water in the coolant lines (to begin flushing the G11 out so I can put G12 in), put the radiator back on and bolted it down (duh), put the accessory belt on (with big vice clamps), put the battery back in, put the IC back on, and put the cone filter back on.

I plugged the battery back in and turned the lights on, and it was nice to see all the lights flashing at me haha: CEL, oil pressure, temperature (not plugged in yet). I didn�t turn the key, as my jury-rig repair job on the FPR tap-in on the intake manifold was still setting, so I did not want to disturb that, and I didn�t want to start it by myself at 4:30 in the morning�. I have work in a few hours� yay, :o *YAWN*

[u]August 22, 2006:[/u] I lower the car back down to the ground and plug the battery back in� I think it�s dead� I left it on the concrete. So I hook up jumper cables to it from my dad�s Pathfinder and turn the key. *CLICK*� nothing. Great. I swap in the Pathfinder battery into my car and try again. I turn the key�. *CLICK* Nothing. I check the electrical connections. 12v to the starter�. Nothing to the solenoid. I take the whole thing out and I plan on bringing it to an automotive electrical repair shop the next day

[u]August 23, 2006:[/u] Brought the starter motor to an automotive electrical repair/service shop to have it checked out. Turns out the bearing and shaft were all messed up, so the whole assembly needed a rebuild. When I got it back, my friend Andrew (BMBLE B) came over to help me out, and we installed the starter and the same thing happened (Turn the key, *CLICK*). So we pull it out and try to turn it over when it was not in the transmission. Turned the key and it didn�t spin� hmmm� about an hour later we figure out that we had the positive and negative wires mixed up :laugh:� so we switch those around and turn the key and what do ya know? It spun! So we put the starter motor back in the transmission, double checked everything again and went to turn the key. This is what happened:
[URL=http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f214/SSjetta/Swap/?action=view¤t=MVI_0404.flv][IMG]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f214/SSjetta/Swap/th_MVI_0404.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[u]September 4, 2006[/u] Doug comes down again to help sort out the last few major issues. The last few major issues include: rerouting the diverter valve vacuum line and boost gauge line, drilling and taping teh intake manifold to put new nipples on for the FPR and DV vacuum lines, solving an idleing problem (sorta), and replacing the spark plugs (again). The chattering in the video above After all is said and done, right before work, the car runs again and the right way! I pulled out of the driveway and reached 50 way too fast :laugh:

That's enough for now lol, I still have a few more tweaks to take care of.

I know this isn�t an award ceremony, but I want to thank a few people who�ve helped me out along the way because they deserve some sort of credit for helping a turbo newbie out :thumbup: :laugh: :beer:

) Doug � Reflexbug
) Fred - .evilvento.
) Antone � vdubbermk2
) TJ �n friends � sciroco82 � �scirrocket�
) The local dubbers for helping me out with a few things and for support/advice :thumbup: to the central CT crew
) Justin - Southwest_vw_K2
) Tom � thewhitsnpt
) Andrew � BMBLE B
) Franco - Franco...
) Aali
) Scott � my neighbor who let me borrow his hoist, all he charged was a few stickers to add to the collection :thumbup: to Subaru/Honda guys
) anybody else I forgot :beer:

Page 1: Timeline 2003-2005 (Start here)
Page 2: Timeline 2006
Page 3: Audio System
Page 4: De-Ambering DIY
Page 5: 20vT (1.8t) Engine swap build write-up