# ABA Turbo questions



## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

I am in the middle of the process of building a ABA for a turbo set up, but I know that the compression ratio for the ABA are at 10:1, to dam high for a turbo set up.

I am going to be using a 1.8L 8v head for this build. What would be the most recommended way to drop the compression ratio, and what would you guys consider to be a safe to run like 9.0:1 or 8.5:1. I have heard about using a metal head gasket, but the thickest one I can find is 3.5 mm, which can bring it down to 9.0:1, but I am not sure if that would be the best way to go.


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## AJmustDIE (Dec 22, 2010)

nickbukowy said:


> 10:1, to dam high for a turbo set up.


Truth this is not.



nickbukowy said:


> I am going to be using a 1.8L 8v head for this build.


Why?



nickbukowy said:


> What would be the most recommended way to drop the compression ratio, and what would you guys consider to be a safe to run like 9.0:1 or 8.5:1. I have heard about using a metal head gasket, but the thickest one I can find is 3.5 mm, which can bring it down to 9.0:1, but I am not sure if that would be the best way to go.


The 3.49mm headgasket spacer (choose the SPA one, it's cheaper than the others and the same) is what most people run in these motors, brings the motor down to the 9:1 area and will suffice for anything you can throw at it.


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

the reason for the 1.8L 8v head, is because its going into my scirocco, and i dont want to spend a lot of time trying refit everything under the hood, plus I am going to do some head work on it too with an intake port and polished


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## JakRabit (Aug 8, 2003)

Believe it or not you can double the steel ABA head gaskets with arp head studs. I ran it for years on a stock engine making 300whp. Daily driver in Vegas for over two years.


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

that had got me wondering for a while, i was not sure if it was reliable or it would fail and cause some kind of a problem, what two metal head gaskets did you use? Were they both the 3.5mm and brought it down to a 8.0:1?


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## JakRabit (Aug 8, 2003)

The stock ABA gaskets lowered it to around 8.9-1. It ran on 93 octane back east for a bit then on 91 when i moved to vegas. I mixed in 100 sometimes when I was going street racing.


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## AJmustDIE (Dec 22, 2010)

Hey Jakrabbit have you started another thread for the 8v yet?


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## JakRabit (Aug 8, 2003)

Not yet been trying to get my shop opened and I put a little time into my other project. Its a 58 Plymouth Belvedere (Christine Movie) with a twin turboed viper engine . It should make in the 1500hp range. :laugh:


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

:what:

holy crap...................


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## AJmustDIE (Dec 22, 2010)

MOPAR! Hell yeah, that's pretty awesome. Links to a thread or pictures of any kind? (no mean to thread jack OP)


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

yeah, I would like to see pictures of that car, or even a link to a thread to watch this build


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## vento86 (Oct 13, 2008)

just do the full aba swap and dont be a *****.










its fun


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

well the truth is, there is not much of a difference between the head off a JH block and one off an ABA except the the lay out for the intake and exhaust port, but the intake and exhaust valves are both the same size, the ports on the ABA are slightly bigger but not to much, but porting and polishing the JH head would make it the same as an ABA head or even better, head work is were it is at


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## AJmustDIE (Dec 22, 2010)

That intake manifold will be hot as hell right above the turbo, I promise.


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

that is some thing I have taken into consideration, but i have been looking into ways to prevent it from getting to hot, i was thinking of getting some heat wraps and possibly making a heat sheild of some sort to help keep the intake cooler, talking about the intake, its a solid piece of aluminum, and i was going to cut out the excessive stuff on it, especially in between the ports to help lighten it, and to help keep it cooler, but if i do not go that route, I may just have to make one, still in the early stages, i still have some time before i get to that point were i need to start really planning that area out


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## AJmustDIE (Dec 22, 2010)

If you do go forth with the counterflow head, use a flat aluminum sheet with gold thermal reflecting tape on the turbo side and rivet or affix in some way strands of fiberglass heat wrap to the intake side. :thumbup:


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

thanks for the suggestion man :thumbup:


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

ok, i have run into another problem, the head off the 1.8 is no good, and i have been on the hunt for another solid lifter head, but no luck so far

so now, i am debating on using the cross flow head, but i dont have the intake and throttle body for it, and i dont have the money to get a short runner intake, but on the other hand i do want to use a 1.8l solid lifter 8v head, but i cant find any

what do you guys think would be better, the cross flow or solid lifter head


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## AJmustDIE (Dec 22, 2010)

I'm a little biased but I say crossflow.

You can convert the crossflow to solid lifter, then have the best of both worlds. :thumbup:


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

is switching them over to hard or just a simple swap over?


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## jettred3 (Aug 5, 2005)

it bolts right up.


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

i know that, but what i thought AJmustdie was saying was to switch out the hydraulic lifters inside the crossflow flow head with solid lifter but that wouldnt be possible, would be cool if it was possible


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## JakRabit (Aug 8, 2003)

Trust me its possible been there done that. How do you think I can rev my 8v to 10k rpms.


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

:screwy:now my curiosity is up 

how were you able to do that, do you have any pictures?


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## JakRabit (Aug 8, 2003)

It takes some custom machining, but you can buy the lifter cups from crespo cams and run the old school shims.


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## AJmustDIE (Dec 22, 2010)

Throw up some pictures of said machine work, I've been dying to get awesome 8v content from you and you need to deliver! lol.


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

well reading about these cam followers they offer, it says there is no need for machining, now this is more in my ball park, i have no access to or friends who work in machine shops. so this would be a great life saver for me


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## 85roccoZ400 (Jan 27, 2002)

nickbukowy said:


> ok, i have run into another problem, the head off the 1.8 is no good, and i have been on the hunt for another solid lifter head, but no luck so far





nickbukowy said:


> well the truth is, there is not much of a difference between the head off a JH block and one off an ABA except the the lay out for the intake and exhaust port, but the intake and exhaust valves are both the same size, the ports on the ABA are slightly bigger but not to much, but porting and polishing the JH head would make it the same as an ABA head or even better, head work is were it is at


I know this is old news now, but I'm going to go out and say it anyway. The Stock ABA head will out flow a counterflow head. Yes with port work you can get it flow more than an ABA head, but true port work isn't cheap . . . If your going to spend the money why not port the ABA head. 

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5372543-another-u-flow-versus-x-flow

I am not by no means being bias on the ABA head, as my set-up is a Counterflow head with port work, but just trying to help.


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## JakRabit (Aug 8, 2003)

One bone at a time buddy cant tell all the secrets. The problem I had was with valve clearances they were too tight so i had to mill them down on my bridgeport. Plus I had to buy a complete shim kit(not cheap)


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

i appreciate the tips jakrabit, and what do you mean about you didn't have enough clearance, was it do to the cam followers or what, and what type of cam are you using, and what would you say would be a reasonably good cam for this set up, like using a G-grind for an old 1.8, nothing to crazy but very reasonable


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## jettred3 (Aug 5, 2005)




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## JakRabit (Aug 8, 2003)

A g60 turbo cam is ok to start with. The cam lobe to valve bucket shim was too tight since there isnt one thin enough to fit so I had to machine the cup down to give it more clearance. I can set up the head for you if you want but not for free. probably in the 300 range w the price of the shims if I have to machine them. If not like half that money. It is a little time consuming.


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

what about the stock cam? would that would be good enough? I'm not trying to build a race car here, but a perty dam fun car


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## JakRabit (Aug 8, 2003)

The stock one is fine also for mid 300hp


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

thats actually not to bad


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

what are your plans for engine management? keeping the cis-l?


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## nickbukowy (Mar 4, 2011)

i'm not going with the CIS set up, i am going to go with megasquirt


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