# how can i tell which 1.8 motor i have?



## michaelnahodil (Apr 27, 2010)

i was looking up cams for my 1.8, and i see that there are alot of different 1.8l motors.. some with solid lifters and stuff...

so how can i tell which one i have? i haven't really gotten to tear it apart at all yet.


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

look at the block code. its on the block, right at the top edge, on the front. about right under the spark plugs for cyls #3 and #4, and under the top radiator hose connection on the engine. either find the code and look it up yourself, or find it and post it up here, i will tell you what the engine code means.

also, what car is it out of? solid lifters only came in VW gas engines till 84. and 1.8's were introduced in 83, so that doesnt give many years of solid lifter headed 1.8s.. good chance you have a hydro head like the rest of us..


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## michaelnahodil (Apr 27, 2010)

the only numbers i saw 048103373B 3ME

and thanks for all the help... and if these arent the numbers let me know and i'll go look again! i didnt really look too hard, just saw these numbers first!


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## Rabbitissimo (Dec 21, 2009)

Are you sure it is a 1.8? Does it say 1.8 anywhere you can see? Those numbers suggest a fuel injected 1.6 or 1.7. There is a VIN decoder here: http://www.mk1vw.info/vin.php that may help you figure out what came stock with your car, but as you can tell, there are a lot of people swapping engines out there. Let us know what comes up!


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## antichristonwheels (Jun 14, 2001)

is it slow or real slow?

83 Rabbit is a 1.7 I beleive.


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## michaelnahodil (Apr 27, 2010)

it's pretty slow.. haha! and it was a "diesel C," but i was told there was a 1.8l gas motor swap.

here are some pictures, if they help you...


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## Rabbitissimo (Dec 21, 2009)

The only place I know to find codes and engines is here. http://www.gex.com/23hdrab.htm And the "8" looks like a 9, making it 049-373B. Check it out.


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## kamzcab86 (Feb 14, 2002)

michaelnahodil said:


> it's pretty slow.. haha! and it was a "diesel C," but i was told there was a 1.8l gas motor swap.
> 
> here are some pictures, if they help you...


Based solely on the coolant flange on the cylinder head, that motor is _not_ a 1.8L, it's a 1.7L.

To know exactly what motor it is, as someone already said, look at the block near cylinder 3; there should be a 2-digit letter code, most likely EN.



Glegor said:


> solid lifters only came in VW gas engines till 84.


^That's incorrect. Solid lifters were used through the 1987 model year.

:beer:


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## TheMajic86GTI (Aug 9, 2009)

Looks like a 1.7 but with all the swaps these days u never know.Could be a 1.7 head on a 1.8 block???....Look at my pic and where the red circle is where ull find the engine code. Its on the block NOT the head.....


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## michaelnahodil (Apr 27, 2010)

i'll go back and look asap... i really want to know exactly what i have here...

and can you get aftermarket cams for 1.7l?!


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

michaelnahodil said:


> i'll go back and look asap... i really want to know exactly what i have here...
> 
> and can you get aftermarket cams for 1.7l?!


thats a 1.7, get rid of it. they are garbage.

and another thing, did you completely disregard where i told you to look for the code? i said look on the right side of the block, not the left side of the head.. its down by the distributor.. above it actually..

look at the block code. its on the *block*, right at the top edge, *on the front, towards the right.* about right *under the spark plugs for cyls #3 and #4*, beside the oil return on the front of the head. (half round bump on the front of the head and block, and under the top radiator hose connection on the engine. since its a 1.7, the rad hose is on the wrong side of the head.. either find the code and look it up yourself, or find it and post it up here, i will tell you what the engine code means.

if you follow those instructions, you will find the code. it will start out with *xx00000

replace x's with letters, and 0's with numbers.. cant remember exactly how long the engine code is, but you are looking for the star and the 2 letters right after it.. those 2 letters are your engine code.

i repeat again, the numbers on the head that you posted up are pretty much useless in trying to figure out what engine you have..

and again. i would take that old junk 1.7 out and go for a newer, higher compression 1.8, or maybe even a 2.0 aba..


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

OMFG... DOES YOUR RABBIT HAVE POWER STEERING?!?!?! i swear thats a power steering reservoir beside the radiator..


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

kamzcab86 said:


> Based solely on the coolant flange on the cylinder head, that motor is _not_ a 1.8L, it's a 1.7L.
> 
> To know exactly what motor it is, as someone already said, look at the block near cylinder 3; there should be a 2-digit letter code, most likely EN.
> 
> ...


why does my 85 GTI have hydros factory?

i believe diesels were the only engine that got solid lifters that late in production.. ive never seen a gasser in america newer than an 84 with solids.. 

because everyone always makes a big fuss about the 83 & 84 GTI engines, because they were the last engines to have the solid lifter/big valve head..

idk, im open to you proving to me that they were around.. ive just never seen a gasoline powered car newer than 84 with factory solid lifters is all..

only thing i can think of is the early 16v cars, but i think those even had hydros..


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## michaelnahodil (Apr 27, 2010)

Glegor said:


> OMFG... DOES YOUR RABBIT HAVE POWER STEERING?!?!?! i swear thats a power steering reservoir beside the radiator..


yes, my rabbit has power steering... i dont know much about this car, and it is my first vw.

i will get the engine code off of the *block* as soon as i can.. i dont have the car at my house right now, or i would look now. i will post it asap, like i said.

and also, will a 1.8l bolt up to this tranny? i'm not sure if it is even the tranny from the original diesel motor? but from what i read, mostly everything bolts up to anything on early vw's.


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## kamzcab86 (Feb 14, 2002)

Glegor said:


> why does my 85 GTI have hydros factory?


Your *A2/Mk2* GTI may have had hydros when it left the factory, but we're talking about a _*A1/Mk1*_ car in this thread. Solid lifters were indeed used up through the '87 model year. There is an '86 Cabriolet (A1 chassis car) sitting in my garage with solid lifters; the same motor is in it that the factory installed back in November 1985 and has never been modified or rebuilt. ETKA also proves, at least for the Cabriolets, that solid lifter JH motors were installed up through the '87 model year ('88-'89 the Cabriolets got hydro lifter JH's). If you would like photographic proof, my '86 was used for this picture:










:beer:


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

ok, i believe you.. but that was the only GAS vw to use solid lifters that late in life.. the weirdo cabrio mk1.5 cars..


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

michaelnahodil said:


> yes, my rabbit has power steering... i dont know much about this car, and it is my first vw.
> 
> i will get the engine code off of the *block* as soon as i can.. i dont have the car at my house right now, or i would look now. i will post it asap, like i said.
> 
> and also, will a 1.8l bolt up to this tranny? i'm not sure if it is even the tranny from the original diesel motor? but from what i read, mostly everything bolts up to anything on early vw's.


hang onto that one, only one ive seen with power steering.. and yes, most any VW 16v/8v engine bolts up to that trans. anything from the late 90s down to like 74.. they all bolt to the 020 trans.

seems like its a pretty sweet ride. you said it used to have a diesel? someone did alot of work to swap a 1.7L cis-b engine in that car. i would put a turbo diesel in that thing. about 20 psi boost, it would be a tire fryin machine. my rabbit burns the tires off in second gear, and most of 3rd gear, and thats with a 4A trans, and they have high as crap gears in them.


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## vwpat (Oct 25, 2000)

Glegor said:


> ok, i believe you.. but that was the only GAS vw to use solid lifters that late in life.. the weirdo cabrio mk1.5 cars..


Mk1.5 cabby as you say was the 88+ with the clipper kit, etc. and they had hydro heads but cabbies and roccos were solid through 87.


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## MacGruber (Aug 20, 2010)

1987 Scirocco owner here, with the hard to find 8-valve version with solid lifters and 5 camshaft journals. 
My cylinder head is marked: "58 026103373H WWO H" Engine code starts with JH. 

Rabbitissimo post has photos of what a 1984 GTI engine looks completely clean disassembled. A very large '1.8' is cast into the rear of the block AND the front at the dipstick. 
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...it-Wolfsburg-Drop-top&p=67917562#post67917562 

See post #83 -BLOCK 
See post #82 -CYL HEAD


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