engine and transmission swap.

[ffgb]

I am going to put my rebuilt 1984 1.6N/A motor into my 1981 rabbit.  My question is should I also use the 4A transmission from the 1984 or just use the GP in the 1981.  Afterwards, I am just going to put the 1981 1.6N/A diesel into the 1984 Rabbit and sell it.  I was going to fix up the 1984 rabbit, but it needed a ton of work, like new interior and some bodywork, the 1981 rabbit was super clean, I couldn't pass it up for the price.  I just didn't want to separate the the engines and transmissions, and put a new output shaft seal, clutch pushrod bushing and seal in the 1981 transmission, the 1984 transmission had this work done 1000 miles ago.  Also, the 1981 has only one plug on the alternator, a big one.  The 1984 has a big plug and a small black plug.  I plan to use the alternator from the 1984 because the 1981 rabbit has air conditioning and I am removing it and going to use the 1984 non-ac setup.

P.S. I am going to use an engine hoist/cherry picker to do the swap.  Do I have to take the hood off and the intake manifold off to make it easier?

Thanks

[maxfax]

THe only difference between those transmissions is the final drive ratio everything else is pretty much the same..   the GP should have a 3.89:1 final drive..   The 4A has a 3.94:1..   If my math was right you'd only be looking at a about a 33 rpm difference between the 2 transmissions so the difference is very minimal.. 

The extra plug on the '84 alternator is for an RPM signal that was used by the dynamic oil pressure system or a tach..  Since you '81 has neither you should be fine to use the '84 alternator and ignore that extra connection...

[Baron VonZeppelin]

P.S. I am going to use an engine hoist/cherry picker to do the swap.  Do I have to take the hood off and the intake manifold off to make it easier?

I think the hood can stand up strait if you have something to hold it that way securely - and it might lay back all the way to the windshield.

If you end up busting the windshield or damaging the hood accidentally/freak accident - you'll wish you had removed the 4 bolts and took the hood off.

You can scribe around the 4 bolts - or shoot a quick pop of spray paint on each one - or brush a lil paint around the edge of each bolt.
Its not difficult to remove/install these hoods. Especially with a helper.

You don't HAVE to remove the intake - but sometimes it becomes helpful to have the extra room.

[ffgb]

Well I just finishing swapping engines.  I ended up taking the hood off for more clearance, glad I did.  Things that I should of done but didn't were: 1) Take radiator out, so you don't hit it on the back side, 2) Take intake manifold off, gives you that much more room to work with, 3) Jack car up, then take tires off, then lower the front end on jack stands and make sure the car is level because when you take the engine out of a stock suspension Rabbit with the tires on the ground, the car will raise up and the engine hoist might be maxed out lift and the engine may or may not clear the front of the car upon removal and installation. Make sure you take off the alternator and crank pulley.  You can remove and install an engine with these items on, but with them removed makes removing and installing an engine so much faster!

[honda_is_the_best]

car raising up? not get engine out? were talkin about mk1s here right? dont you take the engines out the bottom on those? i know ive always dropped them out of mk1s, and lifted them from mk2s.

[ffgb]

I usually drop the engine and transmission, but I was swapping the engines and transmission back to back, so that is why I used a cherry picker.  It was just easier to lift the engine and transmission then just push the cherry picker over to the other car and just drop the engine in and call it good.  I dropped the engine when I rebuilt the motor, but I just wanted to get the swap done as fast as possible, that's why I used a cherry picker, that's all.

[honda_is_the_best]

i wasnt aware you could get a mk1 out the top, never tried it, dont think i want to either.