# 4.2 V8 Corrado



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

brief pictorial break down of this project









not my car, but reasonably close, 1993 VR6 Corrado









2006 ABZ from a vw touareg, with the two goons looking on









bellhousing fro early 924 turbo









transaxle from 1980 porsche 924 turbo, low mileage LSD.

the intention is to use a rear end from a Syncro passat (not quite are rare here)
graft in the transaxle connect Via torque tube to the V8 up front.

the bellhousing will bolt up, with only 1 or 2 bolts misaligned.

I have an aluminum flywheel and race clutch assembly, Ill need to find a stater that will work with both.

engine management with MS3, I'll still have to work out the dash tie ins for the speedo and tach.

waiting for parts to arrive this week, and hopefully we'll begin on wiring the engine up outside the car for now.


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

:thumbup:


----------



## G60ING (Jun 27, 2000)

This should be interesting


----------



## fvtec (Aug 17, 2005)

Hmm, I did a 1.8t with 944 trans and TQtube a few yrs back. There's another Corrade with audi v8 and TQ tube build. I have a feeling she may chime in keep us posted on progress


----------



## REPOMAN (May 3, 2001)

That is going to be one tight fit and a **** ton off fabrication.


















My Friend Aaron builds bad ass race cars. he has a 4.2l v8 AWD Corrado build in process now.

here is a link to his build.
http://theprojectpad.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=609&hilit=rado


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

Yes, aware of Aaron and his build, complete tube chassis is a bit out of my range of skills. that cat has some serious ambition.
my skill set falls more into the engineering side of things, allow someone else to fabricate the parts and I assemble and take all the credit.
math geek with only mediocre welding skills.

it will be a tight fit, but not impossible. I will need to reengineer the front sub frame, but use stock suspension pieces, and steering rack. fitting it all under the hood is doable, but will require some clever solutions.
the Touareg uses a liquid cooled alternator, this never came with the engine, plus it plugs directly into the computer, I'll have to find a simpler solution.
plus going RWD over AWD I can put the transaxle at the back which makes clearance of the stock R&P location possible. this will mean a lot less work involved to get it all working together.


----------



## PinoyVR6 (May 24, 2003)

ViolentBlue said:


> Yes, aware of Aaron and his build, complete tube chassis is a bit out of my range of skills. that cat has some serious ambition.
> my skill set falls more into the engineering side of things, allow someone else to fabricate the parts and I assemble and take all the credit.
> math geek with only mediocre welding skills.
> 
> ...


Subscribed


----------



## olo zwirski (Apr 4, 2011)

ViolentBlue said:


> 2006 ABZ from a vw touareg, with the two goons looking on


This is not ABZ.
Good luck with your build.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

its been a while since I looked at it but the serial number has ABZ right on it. its certainly not the same as the earlier ABZ.
do you happen to now the correct designation for this engine? 4.2 40valve from a 2006 VW Touareg


----------



## olo zwirski (Apr 4, 2011)

ViolentBlue said:


> its been a while since I looked at it but the serial number has ABZ right on it. its certainly not the same as the earlier ABZ.
> do you happen to now the correct designation for this engine? 4.2 40valve from a 2006 VW Touareg


Ok, ABZ spamp on it, not AXQ? There is no such a think as earliier ABZ, all are the same.
Good luck with your build!


----------



## ejg3855 (Sep 23, 2004)

*FV-QR*

ABH was the predecessor to the ABZ


----------



## groundupjetta (Feb 1, 2010)

:thumbup:


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

finally spent some time digging the engine and collected bits out of the shed. comparing everything and getting it ready for megasquirting.

well my information was wrong, the bellhousing will not bolt up. I think a total of 2 bolts will line up and that's it.
good news is the bellhousing clears the flywheel, and the starter is engine side, so I can make this work with an adapter cut out of 1/2" aluminum.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

olo zwirski said:


> Ok, ABZ spamp on it, not AXQ? There is no such a think as earliier ABZ, all are the same.
> Good luck with your build!


you're right, it is an AXQ
spent some time cleaning it up, and found the Engine info tag.
not sure where ABZ came from.


----------



## vToe (Oct 19, 2003)

In for science. Stay at it! :thumbup:

-Vito


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

Vioala, I give you the bellhousing that does not exist.
VW has no part number for it, and no one will sell just the housing.
I managed to track down one at a parts yard in Virginia, came from a core trans that was dead, bought the whole thing and had them pull the bellhousing and ship it only.


----------



## Vam0328 (Jul 24, 2011)

ViolentBlue said:


>


is this the bell housing from the passat syncro?


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

no, from a '06 vw Touareg


----------



## 35i 2000 (Jan 27, 2005)

Vam0328 said:


> is this the bell housing from the passat syncro?


is this bell housing going to bolt up to the 4.2 without the 1/2" adapter mentioned above?

awesome build!


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

Ya I'll have to build an adapter for the back end, t set the clutch actuation right, and bolt up the torque tube.


----------



## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

You're still looking for a syncro rear subframe.


Have you looked at BMW 3-series rear suspension systems?

Here's the E21.









There's one in at PnP Calgary (Barlow)

With the amount of fab-work you have to do, it probably wouldn't add much more.

Based on the rear transaxle you're using, the syncro rear subframe will cause you to lift the car (so the diff fits under the subframe)
then you'll have to mess with the rear geometry (which is poor on a syncro to start with) to lower the car to a reasonable level.


Just throwing ideas at you.

-Dave


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

if I was to go through that trouble I'd swap the entire 924 turbo rear in, believe me I've thought about it.
if the syncro rear doesnt work well, thats an option I will consider.


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

I've put e30 rear suspension in an A2 golf before. Very similar to syncro suspension. That design is really really sensitive to the height the crossmember sits in relation to the wheel center. It's very do-able, just takes some careful measurement and planning. Your going to have to cut the spare tire well out and weld in something very sturdy to mount the diff to.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

spare tire well has to go anyways.
thanks for the input.

so its clear to me that I'm going to need to upgrade the fuel pump for this engine swap, I've put thought into the engine trans and rear suspension Changes so far, getting a MS3 sub harness built for the engine, and hopefully muck the stock wiring up as little as possible.
but as I get closer to firing the engine, and fabricating the mounts, the engine needs to be fed.
should I be looking for an oem pump that will swap out easy, or should I get an aftermarket unit, and what would you recommend.
if I have a custom tank built, I will attempt to reuse the stock fuel sender setup, so it will work without too much screwing around.

Stay tuned, will have pics of the flywheel/clutch solution soon, to be followed by my bellhousing to torque tube adapter.


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

Is it an 8 or 10 bolt flywheel?


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

10 bolt, larger diameter flywheel.
034 motorsport makes a really nice insert for a 10 bolt flex plate, to change over from automatic to manual, but its not a fit for the larger diameter flexplate.
I had bought an aluminum flywheel for the 10 bolt engine, but is the smaller diameter. so its currently being machined to slip inside the larger diameter flex plate, much like the 034 adapter does for the smaller.


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

Very cool. I want to see some pics of the clutch surface, I'm contemplating doing something very similar. 

As far as the rear suspension goes, I wouldn't do an e21 setup. The e30 or e36ti is much better, they both use the same dimensions as far as mounting and trailing arm length. It's just a much more structurally sound rear crossmember. And parts are much more available.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

pulled the ring gear from my aluminium flywheel, and remachined the shoulder to fit inside the Touareg flex plate. same concept as the 034 adapter.
i'll pull it all apart and replace the main seal once I've got everything figured out.









VW Touareg bellhousing in place, as well as the Pressure plate









perfect fit, Hydraulic clutch assembly from a Borg Warner T5. I have the backing plate being laser cut right now, should bolt up and require maybe 1 or 2 shims to set perfect.


----------



## 3WheelnGTi (Jan 19, 2008)

Pics no worky


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

:thumbup: looking good!


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

3WheelnGTi said:


> Pics no worky


sorry about that, I'll try and figure out why.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

ha ha, Success finally.
Porsche 944 use a 1" x 23 spline for their torque tube but uses a much smaller disc. it appears the disc that came with my kit is 24 spline and slightly less than 1"
I've been told that the 23-1 is a common setup should be easy to find the right disc for it, but its been a bit of a battle.
but the perfect combo of 235mm diameter and 23 splines is not easy to come by. mid 70's Chrysler used that setup, bu you cant get those parts, and just found out RX8 also uses that setup, which means, there re performance parts easily accessible, and eBay has provided some inexpensive but performance ready options.
now I just have to wait for my delivery to continue.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

Laser cut pieces were done today.
so i took the time to tap the holes that needed it and assemble.
I'll give it a lick of paint before installing on the engine, once my clutch disc arrives.
















I bought a cheap 90mm throttle body on Ebay, took some time to draw up a 2 part adapter to bolt it in place of the Fly by Wire unit.
hopefully it will be ready tomorrow.


----------



## 86_gti_8v (Apr 16, 2003)

Subscribed


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

Competition clutch is local to me and they have always been really good to work with on custom clutch stuff in the past. The adapter looks great though!


----------



## carsluTT (Dec 31, 2004)

wow, quiet the project. good luck


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

got my clutch disc in, and bolted everything up, just checking clearances, so I can adjust up my hydraulic clutch, and prep my torque tube for modification.

need to gain about 2" of lenght on the input of the torque tube, there seems to be enough length on the shaft itself to cut the flange free and slide back for rewelding, but before I do that, I need to take a full set of measurements on the corrado itself, to se where that will put the back end. I'd really rather not have to shorten or lengthen the torque tube, but if I had to choose, shortening would be easier.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

got the belhousing finished, clutch assembled, hydraulic clutch slave installed
Throttle body adapter finished and installed.


----------



## sdezego (Apr 23, 2004)

Looking good!


----------



## khuygie88 (Jan 21, 2005)

Awesome!


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

How much of a pain is the rear facing tb going to be?


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

its not going to be overly fun, but I should have room to route it to one side and forward.
I pulled the intake manifold, at one point, to see how difficult it would be to rotate 180.
it was almost a direct bolt up, but some minor casting differences made it impossible.
I'm thinking turbos may be in the future once I got it running. If I do that, then a custom intake manifold will be a must.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

oil ports for the cooler and filter assembly are just the right size to be tapped out to 1/2" NPT
tefflon tape and a couple Brass fittings and I'm ready to go for external filter/cooler.
don't rag on me for using coolant hose for the oil, its just a 2ft loop untill I can get it installed in the car, not a permanent fixture.


----------



## euro_racer16v (Jun 22, 2003)

Very nice, Im doing something insanely stupid as well. 

Are you going to cut the firewall or just move everything forward to clear? What are you doing for steering?


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

hoping to keep the stock steering, and shift the engine forward enough that the bellhousing clears the rack.
weight of the aluminum v8 is less than the iron vr6 and trans that is being pulled out so I think stock steering and suspension up front will be fine as long as everything clears.
torque tube should fit within the space a syncro drive shaft would, that conversion has been done before, so there should be no need to cut the firewall.


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

ViolentBlue said:


> hoping to keep the stock steering, and shift the engine forward enough that the bellhousing clears the rack.
> weight of the aluminum v8 is less than the iron vr6 and trans that is being pulled out so I think stock steering and suspension up front will be fine as long as everything clears.
> torque tube should fit within the space a syncro drive shaft would, that conversion has been done before, so there should be no need to cut the firewall.


Is it a 4 or 5 lug car?


----------



## PapioGXL (Jun 3, 2008)

I like this project. :thumbup:


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

slowgti said:


> Is it a 4 or 5 lug car?


5


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

ViolentBlue said:


> 5


E36 front knuckles and rack. It isFront steer which makes room between the crossmember and firewall. The rado struts will drop right in the strut housings and it's a unit type front wheel bearing. So no having to chop axles to preload the front hubs. I'm about 90% sure the ball joints share the same taper.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

should be able to keep it rear steer (I hope) as long as the bellhousing and torque tube clear everything.
just keep the axle stubs and pitch the rest.

if that doesnt work, I'll look into your suggestion.


----------



## euro_racer16v (Jun 22, 2003)

I know for a fact that the e36 tie rods taper is the same as the corrado, at least the g60.


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

one would need to trade out the rack as well to convert to front steer. so what rack pairs with those spindles?


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

The e36 spindles will accept the e36(of course) e30, z3, z3m racks. The e30 is the slowest and the z3 is the fastest rack. The e36 rack seems to be the best compromise of quick steering and stability at speed. Tie rod ends interchange between all of the listed racks so there are a few different lengths available.


----------



## euro_racer16v (Jun 22, 2003)

E36 outer tie rods fit the e46 inner tie rods as well if you choose a e46 rack. If you get a e46 rack get the steering shaft as well. It only needs very minor mods to fit the vw sterring shaft at the coupler. You could also flip your spindles and you then have a front steer system. Once again i know the e36 out tie rods will go right into the g60 steering knuckle. What about the oil pan and hood clearance? With the engine moved way forward or if you did a front steer will it clear the hood?


----------



## slowgti (Jul 15, 2003)

euro_racer16v said:


> E36 outer tie rods fit the e46 inner tie rods as well if you choose a e46 rack. If you get a e46 rack get the steering shaft as well. It only needs very minor mods to fit the vw sterring shaft at the coupler. You could also flip your spindles and you then have a front steer system. Once again i know the e36 out tie rods will go right into the g60 steering knuckle. What about the oil pan and hood clearance? With the engine moved way forward or if you did a front steer will it clear the hood?


Good to know, I've never had an e46 rack in my hands. :thumbup:


----------



## euro_racer16v (Jun 22, 2003)

Any progress?


----------



## jbat08 (Aug 28, 2014)

Soooo I just came across this thread.... it is awesome! Where is it at? Are you just taking a break, sold the parts? What's up???? 

Lets see this thing come together! opcorn:


----------



## ViolentBlue (Oct 12, 2001)

sorry not been on the forums in a while.
I've been hobbled by working out deals on parts and such then having people disappear.
I've had a few PM's asking questions so I thought I'd respond and cover them all.

I'm using a AQX v8 from a tourareg, this was originally only avaliable with an auto trans and a distinctly different bellhousing than earlier Audi V8's
I used the bellhousing from a trashed auto trans to adapt to a manual. Not an easy thing to do with hand tools and basic equipment, but I designed an adaptor built by step stacking several plates of 3/8 steel that were laser cut to my design.
so the bellhousing now sports a hydraulic clutch and bolts directly to a 944 torque tube. I believe I need to make some modifications to the torque tube but have not done this yet.

for clutch I used the original toaareg flex plate and starter, I bought an aluminum flywheel/clutch from a B6 which was wrong diameter for the starter location, I had the aluminum portion machined to slip into the flex plate and bolt up with longer flywheel bolts.

the pilot bearing that came with the flywheel was correct for the 944 torque tube, but the clutch disc that came with the kit was wrong spline count. so i swapped to for a rx8 Performance clutch that matched all the dimensions of the kit plate, and has the correct spline setup for the 944 tube.

if you use an ABZ engine you will find much more support, and the early porsche 924T bellhousing will bolt up easily. (I have one kicking around if you need it)
you can use the ABZ flex plate and an insert (link Below) for manual conversion.
http://store.034motorsport.com/flywheel-insert-audi-v8-aluminum.html

My engine has been sitting on its stand for the last year waiting to be wired up with a MS3 harness.


for the rear end I was planning on using a Syncro rear suspension and upgrading where I could for strength, ditching the syncro diff for my G31 trans with Limited slip Diff.
in stock form these are capable of handling 300hp all day long, the AQX is supposed to be 320 stock. so as long as I'm not to bad it should last, or plan to swap for race prepped version down the road.

I havent put any thought into the front end, I'm hoping I can use the stock front suspension with little modification, otherwise I may have to cut it out completely and do a Custom Dual A arm suspension. I designed my one suspension for a Lotus 7 replica some time back and feel I could do it again on this much heavier vehicle if I had to.


----------



## german-dub (Oct 20, 2009)

i know its a long time but any updates here ?


----------



## steve.cage (3 mo ago)

lost my old login info, but I'm the OP
reviving the project again after a very long time. building a shop right now and will pick it back up over winter.
still havent found a syncro rear end, so I may have to build my own.


----------



## Hares1386 (Feb 13, 2017)

Man a V8 rado!!!! Sounds like a bad ass project! What happened to the updates?


----------



## steve.cage (3 mo ago)

Just found a syncro rear end, its out of town so It'll be a bit better than a week till I get it.
none of the original pictures are connecting anymore. so heres some from facebook


after sitting in a field for 10 years, she needs a good cleaning, and replacement windshield


----------



## GreasySideDown (Mar 4, 2011)

I dunno what part of Canadia you are in but I could have delivered a Syncro rear setup last year. I dragged 2 home on a little trailer from Ottawa to Oregon with one going to a Corrado AWD build. I have 3 on the parts trailer and one fully done up with Haldex in my daily wagon. I do know where Syncro parts are hiding in Ontario but my lips are sealed..


----------



## steve.cage (3 mo ago)

In Southern Alberta.
I managed to find one, its a little rusty but I think Its solid enough to blast and powdercoat in a satin black


----------

