MK1 ABA swap, A1 ABA swap, Rabbit ABA swap, Rabbit 2.0 swap, 2.0 into A1, 2.0 into MK1, info thread

[vento86]

all right. i only get spark some times it seems like every time i pull the plug to check my spark and it has spark and the engine fires up on three cylinders but when i stick the plug back in it doesn't fire. any suggestion?

check your grounds.

i dont get how people get snagged on this swap. it takes 5 wires to get this motor to purrr:scratchhead:

[mk1dz]

alright i will check those things, but the weird thing is it fired right up last night first click and it was all good but this morning it had that spark issue i was talking about.

[kap0ne]

alright i will check those things, but the weird thing is it fired right up last night first click and it was all good but this morning it had that spark issue i was talking about.

bad connection between the seat and the steering wheel

(JK)

[marky967]

I used the rabbit fuse box and wired in the aba engine wiring harness. We never hooked up the speed sensor because it didnt seem to affect the performance at all. the mk3 speed sensor runs off the tac and i was running the rabbit speedo yet so didnt really have a place for it.

Later on found out that in 4th and 5th gear above 5000 rpm it would cut out. We just put the speed sensor wire to a good common ground and it seemed to fix it.

[tonythayer]

check your grounds.

i dont get how people get snagged on this swap. it takes 5 wires to get this motor to purrr:scratchhead:

While true, that implies that there isn't anything wrong with either the donor engine or the recipient shell.

I keep finding myself making rookie mistakes that I have to go back and correct (like having to take the transmission off about 8 times before finally installing the lump in the engine bay). I just know my wiring is going to bite me in the ass in the same way. I think I cut the harness connections for the O2 sensors when I pulled it from the Mk3 at the junkyard.

[rocket2hell]

great job guys! this has been an invaluable resource in sorting out potential issues ahead of time. One year and 27k miles at about 30mpg (37+ on trips) later...

[tonythayer]

I keep looking at the engine bay during this project and marveling at how much room there is behind the engine. So much untapped potential...
(shut up, shut up. Just get it running. Just get it f*cking running)

[wantacad]

I keep looking at the engine bay during this project and marveling at how much room there is behind the engine. So much untapped potential...
(shut up, shut up. Just get it running. Just get it f*cking running)

LMAO!!

Was in the same boat last winter..hell i even had most of the turbo bits but, wised up and sold them off to fund the rest of the build.

Now that it;s running I''ve browsed the FI classifieds a few times.

[tonythayer]

I've updated my ABA transplant thread with some pictures of how I routed my coolant lines off the radiator. My original hoses were in top shape so I just cut them apart and reused them in sections:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...9#post67837409

[kap0ne]

you did the bottom hose the hard way.

best way to do it is to remove the stock 1.8, 1.7, etc metal thermostat cover and install that on your aba. it allows you to use the original bottom hose of said motor and the fitment is perfect and far better than trying to modify a hose to fit on the plastic housing of the aba thermostat cover

also your top hose with that kink in it isn't the best...here's a pic i have of my last swap:


you can see where i simply removed some of the excess length of the hose and installed a coupler which i found at autozone for like $10. only downside i found is it rests up against/near the distributor. however this could be easily solved by modifying the holding bracket that attaches to the intake manifold....but that is a matter of preference...i rolled the way you see her in the picture without issue.

so i can use my mk1 thermostat on my aba?

[mk1dz]

i was wondering if any one knows what wire is the tac wire in the stock a1 wiring harness for a 81 rabbit?

[tonythayer]

i was wondering if any one knows what wire is the tac wire in the stock a1 wiring harness for a 81 rabbit?

Trace back wire #5 off the cluster plug.

[tonythayer]

I'm experiencing some confusion regarding the wires coming off of the starter. As I understand it, the wires from the starter will get patched into (but not cut and re-routed) and the patch will go to plug H1 for the new harness. The starter bypass doesn't make much sense to me when I look at my harness, either. Here are some photos for illustration. The color is a little off, but you get the gist:



I would appreciate any help that can be offered. I'm very very close to finally seeing this thing moving again.

[tonythayer]

was your donor an automatic?

The donor with the main harness was a 5-spd Jetta. The ignition plug donor was an automatic.

[tonythayer]

I do have one and I am familiar with continuity testing. Where should the endpoint for the large red wire from the lockout be?

[tonythayer]

Excellent. Thanks for your help. I'll check it tonight.

Doesn't feel like car-working weather unless I'm freezing my ass off

[nhebayer]

Awesome thread.... I will be starting this swap this weekend. 99 MK3 ABa OBD2 into an 88 Cabby.

Thank you

[tonythayer]

A1SteakSauce: Any tips on fueling using the diesel lines? I went and looked at an 88 caddy yesterday and got the pump mounting bracket and got some pictures of the setup (which is probably wrong as it looks like it uses an in-tank pickup). What did you end up doing to install the inline pump down under the body?

I am going to mock something up and see where best to install this stuff. I'm probably going to end up putting a fuel filter directly between the pump and the tank to save myself the problem of burning through expensive items. Not sure if it's necessary to put another filter after the pump.

[tonythayer]

Ahhh... Zip-ties would probably be way easier. The only rusty cars I see up here are old American cars. The only cars you can't salvage much off of are fire victims. I saw a pretty sweet MG convertible a couple of months ago that had been gutted. Lucas Electrics!

[rabbitarmy]

MK3 fuel filter up in the engine bay seems to be the method of choice for these swaps. many a people have gone this route myself included. you can hide it pretty easily behind the strut tower if you don't want it visible.

I used an audi filter with threaded inlet and outlet adapted to AN. Located under the car next to the spare tire well.

[tonythayer]

Looks like the photobucket hosting is spent for the month. I can host them on my colocated server if that helps.

[tonythayer]

I finally was able to follow the wiring instructions, and it actually seemed to be easier to follow without the pictures. Forced me to read what was written

I'm not sure what is up with my harness, but from all appearances it looks like I actually got another automatic harness. I took the F plug off a manual car at the junkyard yesterday and just spliced in the wiring to match it up with the existing harness and then took the solid red wire to the starter wire. The part in the second picture I posted, where I asked "Starter Bypass goes here, right?" is actually a fuse connection. I stuck a 25A in there, but I should probably find a 30A to make things 100%. I need to plumb up some compression fittings for the fuel lines before I proceed with anything else, but the first time I hear that fuel pump kick in will be great.

Thanks for the awesome instructions, A1.

[tonythayer]

Ah, ok. I've seen some fuses in locations like that but didn't take note of where exactly. I'll have to dig up a connector for that.

[chilledOUTmk1]

I am ready to switch my 81 rabbit cabriolet to full CE2 obd1 ABA. My question is will the wiring from a 90-93 Cabriolet be CE2 and a direct swap into my 81, then all I would need is the ABA engine harness?

[IronTrap]

I am ready to switch my 81 rabbit cabriolet to full CE2 obd1 ABA. My question is will the wiring from a 90-93 Cabriolet be CE2 and a direct swap into my 81, then all I would need is the ABA engine harness?

no.

no A1 chassis car got CE2. Splice wiring harness, or piggy back the fusebox, or swap the entire CE2 wiring harness from front to back.

[JML III]

This may be a dumb question when doing the "piggyback" method, do you eliminate all the mk1 engine wiring and all of the mk3 wiring except for the wiring for the engine?

[tonythayer]

A1's answer makes more sense.

[son of planrforrobert]

A1, I sent you a PM, let me know if you want to post my questions here in the thread

[tonythayer]

Thanks for the guidance, A1. After finding a loose Red/Blue wire that needed to be plugged into the fuse block and covering the open holes in my intake, the car fired up on the first try. I'm looking forward to meeting you when you head up to the PNW. I'll get you a

[tonythayer]

That explains the red/yellow I couldn't find.

It took me almost three months and maybe 40 hours total, but now I understand the vehicle a bit better. Everything after this is going to be cake(ish).

[mk1dz]

I have a problem. my car was running great and everything was good . till couple days ago my car started to studier when i was driving it, so it was like wanting to die as soon as i gave it gas but if i let go of the gas it would idle fin but then as soon as i down shifted it would die then it would back fire and start back up. so i replaced ignition coil plug wires and it still does it. So today i check my starter relay and my ignition switch and there good so when i started it up it starts right up but as soon as i give it gas it wants kill and some times when i start it up it will start right up but then die right away so what could this be?

[mk1dz]

i had a spare maf laying around and it was not that plus my car doesnt have the hook up for that code reader it was never in my harness

[mk1dz]

i guess i got to go to the yard then thanks for the info

[tonythayer]

Check for vacuum leaks around the fuel pressure regulator, too. My car wouldn't even start until I got all the vacuum lines hooked up or plugged.

[mk1dz]

so i went to go check my timing and this is what i found out, i went to get my distributor on the number one cylinder then i realized that the rotor could spin freely. so i guess that the thing that slide in to that groove of the bottom of the distributor shaft well it spin freely in side the block.