Engine swap question

[ZachDKingNH]

I have been looking into purchasing an 84 rabbit body that currently has no engine. My plan was to put a turbo diesel from an 82 quantum in it, im not to sure about the engine mounts and how it would fit or even if it would fit? ive never put an engine in a car but i have a very experienced friend who is helping me. I would just like to know before i make any moves, also will it need a different tranny? the current transmission is a 5 speed( not exactly sure of the model) thanks

[bscutt]

the tranny would be different along with the exhaust manifolds and most if not all mounts. If you could find a dead donor engine from a rabbit that's got a decent tranny (5 speed for sure) and all the mounts, you could swap everything over. The starter motor is also different if I recall

The Quantum motor is mounted longitudinally in the engine compartment while the Rabbit is transverse so they are quite different, bit the engines themselves are all the same block configuration for all practical purposes.

[82vdub]

You may also find that the bracket that holds the injector pump and alternator may be different between the two as well. I don't know if you can just use the Quantum goods, or if the parts will hit the radiator or not.

Since the engines are mounted physically diffrerent as bscutt mentions, I don't believe the turbo and/or intake manifold will fit. I believe it hits the firewall of the Rabbit.

[Josh]

You absolutely won't be able to use the exhaust manifold from the Quantum, either. All the above info is true. You'll need to source parts from either a diesel rabbit or a diesel jetta or a diesel golf, basically everything other than the block, turbo, oil pan, dipstick, and pump. When you get a diesel 5 speed tranny, you'll be able to swap over the mounting hardware from the gasser tranny without a problem.

[vwdiesel]

^^^^^ I thought that the oil pan needed to be swapped when putting a quantum td into a MKII. Wouldn't that be the same for a MKI???

[vwtyp133]

Yes, the oil pan, oil pump (or at least the pickup for the pump), the belt covering shields, I/P mount, alternator mount, A/C mount, exhaust manifold, turbo bracing, exhaust down-pipe, flywheel, clutch, t/o bearing, starter all need to be changed. Note the location of the turbo oil drain into the Quantum pan, and fabricate a similar entry point for the rabbit pan.

Not really that bad a job, however. Having done the reverse swap, transverse-to-longitudinal, I'd say that the only issues are lining up all the parts, ahead of the actual swap. That done, I put the 2 engines side-by-side on 2 stands & just started flippin' & swappin'.

Although the intake manifolds are the same, the turbocharger's pressurized air output blows into top of the manifold for the Golf/Jetta layout, while for the Quantum, the air enters at the side of the intake manifold. Just move the block-off plate from top to side. Obviously the turbo-to-intake hose is a different part for transverse vs. longitudinal mounting. If you intend to incorporate an intercooler with the TD installation, you'll be looking at fabricating that plumbing anyway, so... no big deal.

The air cleaner setup also varies from the Quantum to the Golf/Jetta, but neither were even close to the '84 Rabbit, gas or diesel, so some adaption/fabrication is necessary.

Side note: there's always someone at the Dasher Owner's Group site http://dog.mp3equipped.com/dog/ looking for a QTD 5-speed, in case you want to sell that to help finance the project.

The Rabbit is several hundred pounds lighter than the Quantum, and the factory TD motor puts the performance very close to the original Rabbit gasser setup, with the fuel mileage potential obviously way beyond the gasser.

Sounds like a very do-able project, with the good news being that parts for the transverse mounting are much more available than for the longitudinal mount VW/Audi models of that vintage. Have fun.


J.R.
SoCal

[VanBoy]

... is there anything else anyone would like to add to this type of conversion? I'm thinking of doing this..... I have a lead on a Quantum engine... and have a 78 Rabbit that needs an engine.

(I have a thread in the projects section...... so I don't hijack this thread)

[82vdub]

You should be able to get a really rusty or smashed Rabbit for pretty cheap. Or, an engine from a Rabbit. Since the two vehicles in question have different drivetrains and engine orientations, you're going to need parts from an original Rabbit configuration for proper installation. Unless this Quantum engine is so cheap or a real score, I would probably hunt for the right engine from the same chassis. Unless you want to start scrounging for little parts here and there to finish the job.

[VanBoy]

You should be able to get a really rusty or smashed Rabbit for pretty cheap. Or, an engine from a Rabbit. Since the two vehicles in question have different drivetrains and engine orientations, you're going to need parts from an original Rabbit configuration for proper installation. Unless this Quantum engine is so cheap or a real score, I would probably hunt for the right engine from the same chassis. Unless you want to start scrounging for little parts here and there to finish the job.

Engine isn't exactly cheap.... around here, I can't find any. This car was $200 and I was "hoping" it was just a blown head gasket (and at most, getting a different head if it was cracked). Well, after getting it home, the center freeze plug location had cracks in the block.... it's all on my thread in the Projects section. And it's a 1.5L engine. If it was the 1.6L, I'd have all the parts (minus the turbo et al) to put it in. Well... this is someone else's thread.