engine choices?

[Jet-A]

newbie here, this is a great forum! Have read lots of threads here and its a superb source. I have had 4 VW diesels with a cumulative mileages of over 800K. I have a project I need help with; 84 Jetta A-1 two door. Clean, lightweight, rust free with dead engine. Objective is MAX mpg (at speeds of 65-75), long engine life and a modicum of performance in the 65-85 mph range. Mostly freeway driving. Fairly certain I want turbo, large downpipe and large (2.5" or better) exhaust possibly with intercooler. Have two dead 1.6 NA's that might be worth rebuilding but not sure that they will go the distance being rebuilt (if rebuildable) and not having oil squirters but it would seem to be the least expensive option. Second is finding rebuilt 1.6 TD but those seem to be as expensive as TDI engines and more rare. Third is the 1.9 with the turbo and the mod to pulley but they are rare here in the US and are frequently more expensive than new TDI. And lastly is a TDI-M. I am also considering changing the 5th gear ratio to improve mileage but suspect its going to require the HP to deliver at freeway speeds--hence the turbo. Any input you could provide would be helpful. Thanks!

[jtanguay]

you're probably looking for a nice 1.6TD and a Giles pump.  bigger exhaust and intercooler should give you about 100hp on a stock 68hp engine  :wink:  easily able to hold the highway speeds you want even with a nice tall 5th gear. mileage should be 50 mpg highway and possibly city depending if you can keep your foot out of it (pretty hard though)

[burn_your_money]

I'm not sure if you came across this thread of mine on your searching
http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4940&highlight=engine

[RabbitJockey]

you should feel fourth gear in my 1.6 td with increased fueling and 25psi.  no intercooler stock ip.  it's sexy, an awesome jump from 65- 80 something.  oh yeah thats with an ff tranny, fns also have the same gearing

[burn_your_money]

With a FF and a FN make sure they are the correct year, I think pre-81 and they are close ratio, after that they are more wide ratio

[Jet-A]

I'm not sure if you came across this thread of mine on your searching
http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4940&highlight=engine

[Jet-A]

With a FF and a FN make sure they are the correct year, I think pre-81 and they are close ratio, after that they are more wide ratio

How do I indentify which transaxle I have? I have read the threads but am still unclear as to how to determine which one I have. Thanks for the help.

[Jet-A]

I'm not sure if you came across this thread of mine on your searching
http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4940&highlight=engine

Thanks for the thread--it was a big help!

[burn_your_money]

To tell what tranny you have you need to look under your car on the bellhousing. It's at the front/bottom. There will be some letters and numbers. I think it would look like FN xxxx where the x's are numbers. Check http://www.brokevw.com/020oil.html he has pictures and everything

[Jet-A]

To tell what tranny you have you need to look under your car on the bellhousing. It's at the front/bottom. There will be some letters and numbers. I think it would look like FN xxxx where the x's are numbers. Check http://www.brokevw.com/020oil.html he has pictures and everything

Thanks Tyler, I will crawl under the beast this next week.

[jwspin]

if its mpg you want then take one of your 1.6na and turbo it. if you arent boosting your fuel up for power then you will wont hurt anything. air flow is key so port match your head, large exhaust, and intake. do the gov mod and you can even turn your pump down. i think as a daily driver this will be resonable but your prob gonna end up wanting power in the end.