Can I use this Audi block?

[Vanagoner]

I'm parting out a (free) '72 Audi Fox.  It is a 1500 gasser, 827 series engine block longitudinal.  Can I use the engine block as a basis for a 1.6 IDI build?

[ilomax]

Hmmm.......... Can you use a gasser block with diesel internals?
What are the differences?

Sorry for the partial thread jack, I'm interested as well!

[Turbinepowered]

I dunno about the Audi Fox engines, but it's my understanding (supported by the Bentley for the Dasher) that the two engines used in the Dasher shared a block, the 1.5 diesel and the 1.6(?) gas engine.

You might be able to get away with it, but it's probably going to have the smaller head bolts (11mm) that were the source of many of the 1.5s problems with killing headgaskets, which in turn led to the upgrade to 12mm headbolts on the later 1.6 diesels.

[Vanagoner]

Ah- good point about the headbolts.  If the pitch is the same, I might drill & tap them to 12's.  How about oil galleys, main bearings, etc?  If it is too much hassle I won't bother, but so far, the price is right.

[935racer]

That engine does have 11mm bolts, but the bigger issue is the lack of reinforcement that the diesel block has, the casting has more webbing around the bases of the cylinders and I assume is also likely thicker around the cylinders as well.