xr4tic

It's been two months since I dropped the parts off at the machine shop, and they hope to have it ready for this weekend. Of course, they've said that for the past two weekends as well....

I swiped the block from them for the weekend to check some things.
I needed to make an adapter for the engine mount. Only one of the four bolt holes lined up.
There are two bosses that I could use to make a plate for the other three holes to mount to.

Here's the bare block, the three holes in a triangle shape by the dipstick tube hole are the engine mount bosses, only the one on the bottom right lines up.
<a href="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_bare.jpg"><img src="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_bare_lo.jpg"></a>

At first, I tried this:
<a href="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount1.jpg"><img src="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount1_lo.jpg"></a>
But the mount isn't flat, all the holes are offset from each other. I needed a three layer adapter plate

layer1:
<a href="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount2a.jpg"><img src="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount2a_lo.jpg"></a>

layer2:
<a href="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount2b.jpg"><img src="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount2b_lo.jpg"></a>

layer3:
<a href="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount2c.jpg"><img src="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount2c_lo.jpg"></a>

The almost finished adapter (welded up)
<a href="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount2d.jpg"><img src="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_mount2d_lo.jpg"></a>
It just needs a level added for the bottom left, but I think I need to grind the block to get it to fit. You'll notice an area that juts out, as far as I can tell, it's not used, so it should be safe to remove.

After talking with the machine shop, he recommended that I go with main studs (which I was already planning on anyways) and they weren't real thrilled with the looks of the stock main bolts.
Because the clamping torque is greater on the mains, the block has to be line honed.


And now for some bad news:
The oil return holes on the 20V head are bigger than the 2.0 holes in the block. The head gasket may not seal properly around these oil holes.
Here's the 1.8 gasket laying over the 2.0 gasket, notice the size difference.
<a href="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_head_oil.jpg"><img src="http://johnbaas.dyndns.org/2point0/block_head_oil_lo.jpg"></a>

I wasn't planning on doing any machine work to the head (I was going to do it later along with cams after my budget recuperated a little), but I'll have to have the head hot tanked, the oil holes welded up a little, then have the head decked. If I'm doing all that, I might as well have a valve job done. The machine shop says it could cost $200 to $300 to fix the oil holes, and another $175 or so for the valve job.

In case anybody is wondering, this is what I've spent so far:

Used 1994 VW Golf 2.0 "ABA" short block - $320
Misc parts (gaskets, water pump, etc) - $486.16
JE pistons - $540
Head gasket - $30
Aux shaft bearings - $30
Mag and polish crank - $90
mag and shotpeen rods - $100
Resize big and small rod ends - $160
balance rotating assembly - $300
ARP rod bolts - $40 (he didn't know what to charge me, so he guessed
Rod and main bearings - $74
Turbo, manifold, lines, etc - $1250
Injectors (8) - $300

Total so far, $3720.16

clean, bore, deck, and line hone block - ????
ARP main studs - $150 (approx)
Head work - $400 (approx)

I bet I could have saved $1000 easily by sticking with the stock 1.8 block, but noooooooo, I had to have the longer rods and be different

CMH

I am having a custom set made that are 83.5mm bore and 8:1 compression, since I am building a 2032cc motor out of the 1.8 block.

xr4tic

the stock 2.0 block is 82.5mm, I originally wanted to keep it that way, but it needed to be bored (too much of a ridge)

I think the increased cylinder wall thickness is more valuable than the small increase in bore, especially given the cylinder pressures in a high-boost motor.

CMH

Actually the machine shop said I could go 84.5 max. But I wanted to stay in the safe zone.