Should be simple head swap on a 1.6

[Bravo2043]

so I bought a 1982 diesel vanagon Westie, drove it home 800 miles. some fun, the little 1.6na singing along. anyway when I got home I started tinkering. I'd drive it any chance I got But I kept needing to add coolant. I decided it was probably a head gasket. when I got the head off the gasket didn't look too bad, but the head had 6 cracks you could stick a screw driver in. so the though of a quick fix was out.

then I started seriously looking at an engine swap. everything from AAZ and changing gears, to a 1.6td to 1.9na Y1 and all that....

but it ran awesome before, it just kept loosing coolant, and burning oil. the cylinders aren't great. so now I am seriously considering getting a hydraulic lifter head and running it for a while. get to know the diesel that was so much fun to drive. its not a powerhouse. you have to drive it. I drove home 800 miles 750 were foot on the floor.

then start watching for its replacement.

so if I go from a solid lifter head with 12mm head bolts, what changes with a hydraulic lifter head. I read somewhere they had D shaped ports. Different intake? I'm going to ceramic coal the exhaust manifold, and header tape the exhaust. its a heat thing and I'm hoping for better scavenging. What about valve covers? are any heads better than others?

[RunninWild]

You need a different block. The hydraulic head has an extra oil passage. I'm unaware of a way to put the hydraulic head on a mechanical block but it might be possible. But I think you would have to convert it to mechanical if you did. The main benefit of a hydraulic head is the valves are adjusted by halydraulic pressure so it has less maintenance. I'm unaware of a performance difference between the 2. D shaped ports are an aaz thing.

It would honestly be much cheaper and easier to just find a newer 1.6td engine and swap that in. I personally view rebuilding an engine as a performance thing. Unless you plan on having the vehicle for a very long time and have no interest in making an optimum amount of power rebuilding the oldest version of the 1.6 family especially a naturally aspirated one isn't very cost effective. Plan atleast $2000 on a rebuild, you'll still be n/a and the thing will still be a dog up hills. Or for $500ish you could have a complete 1.6td and be up and running in a weekend.

Even if you can find a good condition mechanical head your still in another $50 on a head gasket and another $60 or so on head bolts, then cleaning supplies and timing belt kit and the list goes on. Youll probably be very close to the cost of a complete running engine when everything is said and done.

[RabbitJockey]

you can run a hydro head on a solid block if you plug the extra oil drain hole and then run a solid lifter gasket.  other wise the head is the same and uses the same manifolds.

[Bravo2043]

thanks for the input. That said I'm back to the drawing board. I hate the idea of throwing good money after bad. the cylinders aren't great so just putting a head on it gets it going but it doesn't get me where I want it.

like I said before I thought it ran great before I tore it down, it just kept loosing coolant and burning oil. I could rebuild it, but the cost of a rebuild is close to a different engine.

what about the Y1 1.9na? easy swap? will it spin as fast as the 1.6?

thanks again for all the input

[libbydiesel]

The 1Y (not Y1) is a relatively simple swap.  Basically it bolts in.  The intake port shape is different.  The stock 1.6 exhaust is tiny.  It won't like spinning 5,000 rpms.  It puts out power similar to the stock 1.6TD.  Regearing would be very advantageous.  The 1Y is not really the direction I would take as I believe that every diesel engine should have a turbo but it's a solid choice if you don't like turbos.

[Bravo2043]

I'm not looking to regear at this time, and that is part of the what engine choice. with the stock engine it would cruse at 60. Where it goes that works vanagons aren't fast they don't need to be, but if your looking at a different engine then why not.

that said the stock engine is singing at 60, would a Y1 spin as fast as a 1.6 TD? or is it a situation where if I go to a Y1 it will need a gear too?

[Bravo2043]

sorry 1Y

[libbydiesel]

There isn't any engine that REQUIRES that you regear.  You can go the same speeds spinning the same rpms regardless of what engine you install.  The original engine was spinning 4,000 rpms @ just below 60 MPH.  Spinning the 1.6 at a consistent 4,000 rpms on the freeway made for very early deaths in these vehicles.  Most of them didn't last past 75,000 miles on their original engine.  Any other engine you install will similarly be spinning that same rpm at that same speed unless you regear.  A 1.6TD or any of the 1.9s that bolt in (1Y, AAZ, 1Z, AHU) will be similarly unhappy at that rpm but they will do it without issue in the short term.  You'll probably get a similar lifespan out of them.  The trouble is that any of them will easily have the power to go much faster.  It makes logical sense to regear if you fit ANY more powerful engine as it will have the power to go faster and relaxing the rpms at higher speeds will make for a happier engine and happier driver/passengers.  All of that said, you might consider a DK transaxle from an air-cooled vanagon.  They actually had the highest R+P of any of the vanagon manual transaxles and make for a much more enjoyable ride.  They are a direct bolt-in option for your '82 once you swap the bell housing and input shaft, both of which are easily accomplished.  Regardless of whether or not you regear, I would not put any money or time into a 1.6 non-turbo.     

[Bravo2043]

Funny how this started with, "it should be an easy head swap" nope.

So, maybe a transmission too. I haven't looked at that at all. R+P? what's that. DK I'm guessing that's probably stamped somewhere on the transmission, where. then the biggie, where do the find these parts and what is a fair price?

I have a lot to learn, thanks for the info.

[Bravo2043]

and then it hits me, Ring and Pinion.

my buddy has an air cooled vanagon, it seems odd its transmission would have a taller fourth gear. that ac engine rev's way higher.

thanks again for all the input

[libbydiesel]

The stock diesel trans has a R+P of 5.43.  The stock air-cooleds had a R+P of 4.57.  The later 2WD WBX had R+P of 4.83/4.86 but the shifter setup on the WBX trans is different.

[libbydiesel]

...And the trans code is the first two or three characters of the number on the bottom driver's side of the transmission housing.  Diesel 4-speeds are DZ/DM.  Air-cooled is DK.