1.4 swap to 1.8 20V T

kzslt1

ex-Alfaholic
Jun 11, 2014
22
0
Budapest - Hungary
Hi all, I own a 2000 MK1 Leon with an 1.4 AHW engine. The car was bought this year in June with a ~160.000 km on the clock, but I'm sure that it has been manipulated. The oil consumption is approx. 1 liters / 10.000 km, so the piston rings have been changed at some time.
The problem that I have with this engine is that when I'm driving on the highway, sometimes a rattling sound is coming from the engine (rev. dependable), and occasionally the oil pressure warning comes on, usually when I stuck in the traffic. The oil change did reduced this phenomenon, but it still comes on sometime.
So I'm thinking about the engine swap, as the car is in really good condition and it has been thoroughly cleaned (seats disassembled and washed in a washing machine etc.) so it has grown to my heart :)
Now I'm looking for a 1.8 20V T engine as I want to avoid the alu block engine in the future, and the other thing is that I changed back from an Alfa 156 2.0 TwinSpark, so some additional power would be preferred :)

The question is which engine (code) should I look for?

I have an offer for complete AUQ engine, with all the wiring loom, ECU and gearbox, from Audi A3 (cable connected throttle pedal) for approx 500 €, but I want to do it right. So I would appreciate any suggestion to avoid headaches in the future...
I'm sure that this subject has been discussed in past, but unfortunately I do not have that much time to search and read all the posts about his subject because I have to make a decision shortly.
So any suggestion, comment, post is appreciated. :worship:
 

Cupra Ross

Breaks things............
May 15, 2005
1,380
1
Edinburgh, Scotland
Don't do it! Sell the car and buy a 1.8T, there are plenty of good ones around if you're picky. An engine change will cause you no end of misery and expense.
 

kzslt1

ex-Alfaholic
Jun 11, 2014
22
0
Budapest - Hungary
I forgot to mention that I'm from Hungary, there are only a few (1-2) 1,8T's for sale and they are 3× of a price of mine's while I can get everything from a donor car, and including the purchase price of my own Leon it would be a 1/2 of the price of the "Cupra" which are in who know what condition.
I plan to rebuild the whole engine and this is a long-term project as I do not want to sell my León for several years because I especially like this form and I see a fantasy in it...
 

Bouncerbeater

Old enough to know better
Mar 15, 2013
1,303
1
Gloucestershire
Good luck with that one mate. It will be a major ball ache in every department. 90% sure it'll never get finished.
You'd be better off flying to Spain, buying one and driving it back and sorting the import paperwork.
 
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kzslt1

ex-Alfaholic
Jun 11, 2014
22
0
Budapest - Hungary
And where is the fun in just getting a different car?! :D

Anyway I found a donor car that can be tested first and can get everything that I need from it for ~600 €
 

Jfox

Active Member
Nov 8, 2012
395
3
umm..

If your getting rid of it because the oil pressure light is coming on have you tried getting a new Oil Pressure Sensor?

Worth a shot :)
 

kzslt1

ex-Alfaholic
Jun 11, 2014
22
0
Budapest - Hungary
umm..

If your getting rid of it because the oil pressure light is coming on have you tried getting a new Oil Pressure Sensor?

Worth a shot :)

I read a lot about AHW engines on various VW forums (unfortunately after I bought the car), this is a common problem and it's not the oil pressure sensor :(
By time the gaps increases between the engine block/head and the moving parts because of the wearing, and if the car stuck in the traffic the oil temp goes up and the pressure drops. The problem is that the alu block engines can't be rebuilt.
There are few cars on the market with a "rebuilt" alu block engines, they spent XXXX € for the engine rebuild and now selling a car just to get rid of it for far less than they spent only for the rebuild, because it can not be done properly. So I chose a different, in a long therm more secure road... engine swap is the proper way according to me.
I was born with a wrench in my hand and already did a similar project on my Alfa 156 with a selespeed gearbox, fully disassembled and restored a '76 VW Beetle by myself etc. so I do not see the engine swap as a problem... :)
 
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akchappers

Active Member
Jun 27, 2010
3,069
7
Gillingham Dorset.
Yea but it's not just the engine is it!!!
Wheels, brakes, interior, different rear spoiler, clocks, gearbox, you'll need to change the clutch, suspension , interior electrics........ List goes on and on.
Sorry for being a realist but I'm with bouncer beater... You will still be doing this in a few years time. Really not worth the effort mate.
Ak