# engine head identity crisis, 84 gti head swap



## NintendoKD (Feb 9, 2009)

I want to help a friend, he has a single owner 84 rabbit gti. It had oil coming out of the intake system and as I suspected "and later a wet/dry compression test" would reaveal that the piston rings were bad, finally after 250,000 miles. The head is horribly beaten "like hamburger meat" and frankly i'm surprised there isn't more damage. I want to rebuild his engine, without machining, and at a fairly low cost, using the parts we have available. I can put in new bearings, rods pistons, rings no prob, but the head is the issue. It just is not cost effective to machine the original. I have a 78 rabbit project car from which I pulled the head which I want to use. The guy that sold it to me told me the engine is from an "84 gti" the question is is it really??? Thisguy is a really good friend and is currently serving in Iraq, I am in socal, also serving. The head casting no is 026.103.373 AA followed by the no. 2 followed by 3ME followed by the date stamp which If I am reading correctly is dated 87' on the opposite side it says hecho mexico "made in mexico" any info would be great I really want to help this guy out. I cheched the valve seats on this head and they are bad " I can do a valve job" the cam looks new, and I wll have to clean all of the exhaust intake ports as well as get a kit for the rebuild. This engine is fuel injected and I will post up some pics soon for lots of stuff that I have no Idea what it is???
thank you fellow rabbiteers,
Kevin


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## Eric D (Feb 16, 1999)

*Re: engine head identity crisis, 84 gti head swap (NintendoKD)*

That is not the original JH head, that is actually a GX head which has smaller valves 38mm intake, 33mm exhaust.
The original JH head has 40mm intake, 33mm exhaust valves.
The head you source doesn't have to be from a Rabbit, it could be from a Mk2 Golf or Jetta.
Make sure its from an HT or RD engine. Both have 40/33 size valves and are CIS heads.
A Cabriolet is also a donor, use a JH head, not the 2H Digifant head.


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## NintendoKD (Feb 9, 2009)

*NOOB WARNING*

I have a bentley manual and am mechanicaly inclined however I have no knowledge of many of the terms and engine jargon most of you are using here , please help me, and have mercy. If at all possible I would like to learn as much as possible about this engine. I am the kind of person that no matter what I do I must do it right. I want to do this right take no short cuts, and if possible give the car a little more umph "obviously not for racing". If there are any querks, things I can do while rebuilding "I have a dremel and other tools short of machining at my disposal" that would be awesome too.
thanks,
Kevin

pictures, yippie skippie








http://s585.photobucket.com/al...oject/

_Modified by NintendoKD at 4:07 AM 8-21-2009_


_Modified by NintendoKD at 4:08 AM 8-21-2009_


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## where_2 (Jul 21, 2003)

*Re: engine head identity crisis, 84 gti head swap (Eric D)*

What he said was: The head you gave the part number for that indicated it was "Hecho en Mexico" was from an engine with an engine code of "GX". The GX engines were originally installed in the '87 Golf_GL models, and only put out 85hp. One of the reasons they only put out 85Hp was that they had smaller intake and exhaust valves than the "JH" engines used in the '84 GTI, or the "HT" or "RD" engine code engines which appeared in the '85 GTI Mk2. 
He suggested you continue to search for a head from a Mk2 GTI which will have an engine block stamped "HT" or "RD", or look on the later (1984+) Cabriolet models which should have a "JH" stamped on their block.
You find the stamping on the front (side with the oil filter), just below the surface that the head mounts to. There's a flat area that is stamped or dimpled with a dot-matrix looking letter and number system that will tell you the engine code. An '84 GTI with an original engine should be stamped "JH" in this area. 
That should point you in the right direction. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## NintendoKD (Feb 9, 2009)

*Re: engine head identity crisis, 84 gti head swap (where_2)*

Dang! I aready cleaned this head too. Is that the most powerful option that I can find that will fit onto his block? can you find it in a scirrocco? the rebuild so far has only cost me time, so no big loss here, I just want it to be more efficient/ power if I can help it.
thanks,
Kevin


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## where_2 (Jul 21, 2003)

*Re: engine head identity crisis, 84 gti head swap (NintendoKD)*

yes, some Scirocco models with the later body style had the JH engines. 
The highest flowing head you could put on it is a 16V head, but then you'd be looking for the intake manifold, exhaust manifold and a whole bunch more things... We thought we'd stick to the simple head swaps here... 
Also note that the Mk2 models generally use hydraulic lifters, so your friend won't have to adjust valve lash if you get an HT or RD head. It wouldn't hurt to swap out the oil pump if you go with a hydraulic lifter head. I seem to recall the hydraulic lifter engines used a slightly higher volume pump than the solid lifter 1.8L engines.


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## NintendoKD (Feb 9, 2009)

*Re: engine head identity crisis, 84 gti head swap (where_2)*

sweet, a 16v head will fit, that I can probably do what should I look for?







as for the oil pump that makes logical sense, so I need to steal the oil pump as well, goo to know.
thanks,
Kevin


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## G60ING (Jun 27, 2000)

*Re: engine head identity crisis, 84 gti head swap (NintendoKD)*

you don't want to swap a 16V head onto your 8V block the pistons are incorrect for the swap. Either take the advice and get a JH head or get a complete 16V swap from a Scirocco (only car with the correct 16V manifolds and misc other parts to make for an easy swap for the non-VW guru. 

edited, sorry I did not see that this thread was so old. Most threads on the 2nd page of the tex are only a few hours old are at the most a few days.










_Modified by G60ING at 8:59 PM 11-13-2009_


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## Snabbit (Dec 6, 2009)

*Re: engine head identity crisis, 84 gti head swap (G60ING)*

My 1983 Rabbit gti has a JH head and it has 026-103-373F


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