Woo Hoo!! Audi AAA 2.0L 8V finally in my Cabby!!

[BkoolB3]

After many months of procrastinating, I finally have the Audi 2.0L motor I purchased from a good buddy installed in my '81 Cabby. Here are the specs on the motor:

Audi AAA 2.0L bottom end
Rebuilt Solid Lifter head
Shrick 288deg .440 lift cam
Super Sprint 55mm header
Intake manifold port matched to head & throttle body
Audi 4000 throttle body
VW 020 diesel transmission with Eurosport short shift kit

Shot of the head


Full shot of the motor prior to it going in


Old 1.8L 8V with hydraulic head. Actively tried to kill this motor over 3 years, but it wouldn't die LOL


Closeup of the cam


The crew lending a hand


The motor's in!


After an interesting drive over to a local muffler shop (driving with just an open header ) we messed around a LOT to get this beast timed & holding an idle. No mean feat considering the cam profile. Today, I finished off replacing the water pump on account of just a few days after them motor was completed, I was duly greeted to a lovely green puddle. I'm still wrestling a bit with a high idle, but I'm hoping to get that all sorted out over the next couple days.

My VW buds now call her "The Angry Cabby"
Thanks for looking!

[PDX Cabby]

NNNNIIIICCCCEEEEE

I wish the bubble blocks were more easily come by. They're sweet, high revving motors. I wouldn't mind building one up to a 2.2L monster 8v...

[Calimus]

Nice indeed. Should certainly give the cabby an extra kick in the pants.

[BkoolB3]

Thanks guys! Back in the late 90's in a previous '83 GTI I owned, I had a 2.0L ABA that had been built @ RPI with similar specs. That motor was truly a monster, this motor's pretty close though. The biggest difference was that I still was running the close ratio GTI tranny. This Audi Bubble block seems to rev quicker, but doesn't have the same "violent" torquey-ness as the ABA did. However @ 3500 rpm's...yeehaw! Still though, it's a lotta fun & I'm back eating Mustangs. Except this time it's even funnier doing it in what most Mustang drivers would consider being a "chick" car

[PDX Cabby]

Very true. The 3A does not produce the torque of the ABA because the 3A has a shorter stroke than the ABA. But, because of the shorter stroke, it does rev much faster, and is capable of higher RPM.

This is a truly oldschool swap, and I love it!

I really wish I had the garage space you do. I can barely squeeze my cabby into my garage, and have just enough room to open the door to get out of it.

[kamzcab86]

Nice to see a different kind of 2.0 getting installed for a change!

[Steve E J]

so what is the difference from the diesel 020 and the gas 020 tranny? Gear ratios lower?

[eric4321]

The diesel trannys are typically geared higher (gears are numarically lower) which keeps the engine rpm lower at speed.

[Steve E J]

Ok that's what I thought. I need one of those, cuz when I'm going down the highway at 65 mph the rpms are in the 3800 range.

[BkoolB3]

Ok that's what I thought. I need one of those, cuz when I'm going down the highway at 65 mph the rpms are in the 3800 range.

Yup, I ran short ratio tranny's in my previous mk 1's, with the exception of my '82 Jetta Gli. I tried a diesel 020 with a lightened flywheel with great success, hence why I went that same route with this build.