Mk1 Clipper cabrio - 2.0 16v ABF conversion

Hi, I am currently putting a parts list together and trying to get my head around a few details of the ABF conversion. The car i am planning on converting is a Mk1 golf clipper cabriolet with the 1.8l running a weber carb. This is the parts/query list I have so far -

Engine, gearbox and management

• ABF engine with ancillaries, loom and ecu (would like to go with original management)
• 020 gearbox!? (already in the car)
• No need for mounts as the ones I have should fit
• Mk3 gti 8v water pulley
• Mk2 gti coilpack?
• KR distributor
• ABF distributor cap

Fuel system

• Mk1 gti fuel tank
• Polo Gt fuel pump. filter and reservoir
• Suitable fuel hose?

Exhaust

• off the shelf abf conversion manifold/downpipe
• or the abf manifold with the mk1 downpipe cut and welded up with the abf downpipe!?
• Heat wrap to protect steering gator

Electrics

• ?????????
• virtually clueless with this. I have always considered myself reasonably good with electrics but after reading a few threads and looking a wiring diagrams am just left scratching my head 

I'm sure i've missed out loads but its a start. Any help filling in missing parts or suggesting better/different options would be greatly appreciated. 

Engine side, you don't need to swap any pulleys just use the abf setup completely, the alternator tensioner sits close to the chassis leg but it's still ok (I usually just bar the engine over to the pass side a bit  ) 
If your running Abf's injection then no Kr dizzy is needed, the abf one is the one as its self advancing and in a fixed position unlike the Kr (Kr would be used for 16v on carbs) but you can 'upgrade' to a mk2 coil. 

Fuel system with you having a clipper, should be a lift pump in the tank the same as the polo pump, so in essence you just need a Bosch pump for the main fueling. 
Re-use or make new fuel lines, I used braided on my last one I did a full job on. 

You'll get more gain through a 4 branch but little room to dodge the gaitor you've mentioned, was my red cab that set on fire near elsecar a few years ago  

Plenty of heatwrap and some care, the gaitor is fine, my current one had just the gaitor protected and is fine.  

Personal preference, once engines here, replace the timing belt, and service well while it's out, new water pump to be sure. You'll have to make fit some odd ends like water hoses but it's no biggy bud. 

as for wiring if you fancy tackling it your self then post up your progress on doing it and if you get stuck then we are always here to help

or

me and also rubjonny make conversion looms if you really dont fancy tackling it yourself

Ok so the abf dizzy doesn't have any clearance issues? I read somewhere about there been some problem with the brakes master cylinder!?

My fuel tank already has a lift pump in it? So just fit a fuel pump on to the line out and braided hose from there? 

dik-van-dub, I'll send you a pm about the wiring. As much as I would like to do it myself I'm not sure I'll get my head around it all and Im hoping to get the engine out and the abf in as quick as possible as the car is my daily runner. 

Thanks for your help guys

ABF is a bit better for clearence buddy, only with upgraded servo though.

fuel tank should have the pump, easy to check, lift the back seeat up.

Might sound a bit worrying but what should I be seeing if it has a lift pump then? 

Hopefully it won't just be a ball to make it easy 

The ball is just the level sensor. Back seat out, circle metal plate needs unscrewing then you can get To it, turn it with a blunt chisel and hammer if it doesn't move easy then just remove it from the tank when loose. 

If you look at the electrical connector on the fuel sender you should see 3 wires, if there is only 2 wires then no lift pump fitted.
Or remove the sender and pull it out of the fuel tank to be 100% sure what's fitted, it's like an bayonet connection to remove it.

Ok will check that tomorrow as it's my day off. Fingers crossed for a lift pump though sounds like it will make the swap a little easy 

Reading your first post if you have a car running a carb then there is no lift pump in the fuel tank only a fuel pump fitted to the engine. Lift pumps was fitted to injection cars to help out the fuel pump fitted under the car as the injection is run at a high pressure and stops the main pump running dry when cornering fast.

I could be wrong as lots of things could of been changed over the cars life.

My clipper had a lift pump, the fuel lines come from the sender at the top of the tank, not the bottom like gti tanks. 

brad as mark says if its injection then it has a lift pump, if a carb its just a level sender in there but with fuel outlets on the top.

the tintop gti tank wont fit a later cabrio directly either, its too small. plus you cant actually buy proper gti tanks these days they're all diesel versions which are rubbish. if you can find a good 2nd hand original gti tank then it may fit if you also have the straps to go with? I'd go with the lift pump and swirl pot of a later cab/rocco gti though personally.

its the kr/9a dizzy is the one which give clearance problems as the leads stick straight out and hit the mc/reservoir. with the abf dizzy the leads sit in the top so loads o room. in fact you can fit an abf cap to a kr/9a to make room

you want the engine to sit central in the mounts ideally, levering it over could put more strain on the passenger side driveshaft but it depends on lowering and cambers installed I guess. Personally I would go with early non-ac alt and bracket regardless as less to go wrong with it as it doesnt have a spring pack or tensioner wheel, plus it clears fine also. another option with the late setup you can give the leg a light bash for a little bit more clearance if needed.

you only need to change the waterpump pulley if the ABF had aircon, you use 1.8-2.0 8v or 16v non-ac one or vr6 one.

on mine i had the half n half mk1/2 downpipe jobber, but it depends on the fabrication skills you have. it needs a fair old kink putting in to clear the linkages too!

for wiring:
http://www.clubgti.com/showthread.php?249714

Not a lift pump then?? Thanks for clearing those points up rj. I believe I've read somewhere that another option is the polo gt's lift pump, any truth to this?

Also what's people opinions on using my original box over the mk3s abf gearbox? I'm pretty sure I'll be using the one if got at first but would consider the mk3s as a next project if it's recommended. Any other boxes worth looking at? 

the G40 shape polo all have a polo lifter pump that fits in the tank but i found out recent its not ideal in a mk1 as the plug is at a different angle? if you find one try to get the plug with it.

the fuel reservoir from them is the same as the late cab/rocco though

the 020 type rod shift boxes are fine with a mildly tuned ABF, if you go big power you'll want an 02a/j rod shift box for sure. you may want to go for a GTI type 020 box though for better ratios, just watch out as the later ones have 100mm flanges so you need 100mm shafts or change flanges for late 90mm ones.

worth a check of what shafts you have now though, some late 1.8 carb cabrio had 100mm shafts as well

pumps my bad    take the rest of the advice and chuck the pump advice i gave then  

Ok so if I used this lift pump - https://m.vwheritage.com/productDetails.cfm?iItemID=34051576

With this swirl pot - http://www.classic-vw.co.uk/mk1-golf-cabriolet-gti-fuel-swirl-pot-4981-p.asp

What order does it all go in from the tank. Obviously the lift pump first then filter, reservoir, pump? 

you need the rest of the level sender assembly to go with that pump unfortunately!

for the swirl pot thats the one, pic shows it upside down. the pipe outlet sticking out at the top is the return to the tank, the one on the back on its own is the feed to the pump. for the 2 next to each other the one with a blue line is the return from the engine and the other one is the feed from lifter pump:

Thanks Rj, so will also be needing this part -

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Scirocco-MK2-Fuel-Tank-Sender-K-Jetronic-/300947400705

Not that I'm likely to buy all new parts but I least I'll know exactly what I'm looking at when it comes to gathering the parts. 

no thats an early one, same as tintop. you need the later one which includes the bracketry for the lifter pump plus the fuel pipes out the top