Are the 1.6 and 1.9 heads cross flow? I just asked someone about a exhaust manifold and was told it would not work because they are cross flow. I thought cross flow was intake on one side, exhaust on the other.
Any thoughts?
Nope. All VW 4-cylinder diesels up to the 16vPD engines are counter-flow, or intake/exhaust on the same side. On a good note, the exhaust ports are the same for ALL 8-valve VW 4-cylinder, gas or diesel, cross-flow or counter-flow. 8-valves here, not 16-or more-valves.

So an exhaust manifold from a 2.0 ABA cross-flow will physically fit the ports and studs on a 1.6, or 1.9 diesel. Most gasser 8-valve counterflow intake manifolds will also fit, some had various differences in port shape but they will line up and bolt up properly. Likewise, if you had a 1.5 or 1.6 N/A diesel you could put a set of 8-valve gasser headers on it just fine, assuming the headers fit the chassis the engine was installed in.

Hope that helped.
Brendan
A crossflow diesel would be sweet. The flow improvement is somewhat debatable though (counterflow turbo 8v are as powerful as crossflow 8v (ABA)). The biggest upside to a turbo crossflow is that the intake manifold doesn't sit over the hot exhaust manifold and turbo like a couterflow intake. Although it is also debatable as once the car is rolling the air going through the engine bay should be enough to prevent the heat from the exhaust mani/turbo to heatsoak the intake manifold.
i think cross flow is much cleaner and makes it much easier to plumb for turbos and such, but obviously counter flow heads have no problem being turboed haha.
i think cross flow is much cleaner and makes it much easier to plumb for turbos and such
I've heard about that quite a few times but I don't see how it would make plumbing easier since the throttle body (kind of a crime to talk about tb on a diesel forum

) is pretty much where it would be on a counterflow head.
i meant more when they run a log manifold. but haha ur right the 16v and aba both have the throttle in the same spots.
i meant more when they run a log manifold. but haha ur right the 16v and aba both have the throttle in the same spots.
Oh yeah log manifold sex! Although most of them don't even bother with that. 16v guys do have the option of going with a 16v scirocco manifold which puts the trhottle body on the other side of the engine bay. You can also get a 16v 50mm mani from europe ($$$$$$).
they're off the abf's i think right?
they're off the abf's i think right?
No I think the MK2 16v got a 50mm intake in europe. The ABF is a sweet engine though