ABF Info!

Ok, some of you may be aware i have recently done an engine swap to twin Webers. But because I'm an idiot, I bought an ABF engine on ebay for £80! When i picked the damn thing up, i think i actually bought the entire engine bay! Two looms, brake servo, reservoir, speedo, gear lever/cable box, ECU, airbox…literally the entire lot! Plus, apparently its has all been removed from a Mk1 cabrio! So (obviously not for a while), how easy do you think it would be to get it in? Do they use the same engine mounts as the regular 8v engines? In terms of wiring I'd like to keep it all in the engine bay and try and avoid messing with internal wires, possible? Or a different management system? That or just shove some Webers on it! I am aware that it is taller than a KR so exhaust can be a pain…

Also, how often are they turbo'd? They are 168bhp when mapped properly which is more than a mk4 1.8t….so a turbo would just destroy a 1.8t! Only interested in that because I'm so fed up of people telling me to "1.8t it"!

Jack

Turbo Is not cheap, I'm doing one as we speak. 

Before going any further I think you should decide what route to go but some info for you. 

Of you have a loom in your car already then sack the full abf loom off, sell it, and get a Kr ignition loom if staying carbs, or use the abf loom to run injection. 

If you want aftermarket management on carbs, megajolt is the one, will
Cost you £300 for all you need and is simple to build up, I ran it for a few months before deciding to turbo mine. Can fully map megajolt! 

The abf will use the same mounts as an 8v if you use an 8v box, if not (02a) then you need conversion mounts 

To turbo it properly your looking at 2k plus depending on your capabilities 
-£550 pistons. 
-300-800 management. 
-turbo/manifold £??? Loafs of options but an inlet will be £100-£250 alone then you need an exhaust mani. 
-gearbox needs rethinking, need long ratios. 

It goes on. 

Thats what is hard to choose….webers would be easy as anything, but fuel economy would be just as poor as it is now and in all prob end up with less power…the current car is twin Weber, and has always been carbed so there is no engine or ECU looms on it…!

You say use Megajolt for carbs, I assume you mean Webers? What kind of power/performance did that give? Fuel economy as well Can you do a set up like that for the standard injection system?

Thought it was, thank goodness

Yeah i know its expensive, shame really :/

Jack

My mate runs a 201 bhp mk1, r1 bike carbs with 190 main jets, tsr ported head, 272 cams, g60 gearbox and megajolt mapped by himself. 

With injection you could use megasquirt to map it widely. 

Have a think lad, I ran carbs on megajolt (bike carbs) and was getting about 18mpg haha

My worry is the wiring!

Carbs I love the noise and the power, but the fuel economy is just a joke! I want to do injection, as much as I love my Webers, injection is the best option…trouble is I hate wiring and theres a hell of a lot to do! Do i need to use the stock ECU and wire it all into the fuse box etc? If I were to cam it and generally tweek is and run it on injection that would give it more than carbs would it not?

Jack

Depends who/where its setup to be honest mate power wise. Injection is reliable power. 

You could get the wiring done by somebody else so you don't have to do it, mk3 16v ecu and loom spliced into mk1 loom is what you need dude. 

Either way its gonna mean pulling wires out of awkward places! It came with an engine loom and apparently the whole job lot came from a Mk1, but I've no way of telling if the loom I have it any help to me!

Jack

If you've got time go back to basics with it mate. If its on webbers now it won't be abf loom and ecu though. 

Daily driver thats the issue :/ What do you mean?

Jack

Is it already on webbers dude? If do it will be a mk2 16v loom as that controls spark only whereas abf does fuel and spark. Maybe if you go injection get a loom and sit and splice that riot to the conversion so once you swap its just
Bolt up job (ish)

Its the stock 1.6 on Webers yeah, but has no electronics what so ever lol Where does it all get wires to in the loom? I need to get the ABF guide on eBay lol

Jack

Oh thought the 16v was in lol. I'd get an abf loom and start from there lad. But I'd go injection dude. 

No no its a 1.6 8v in it at the moment, the 16v hasn't even been looked at since i got it really! It came with a loom and ECU as well, no idea where to wire it all to though :/

Jack

if it came out of a mk1 then I'd say you would be slightly mad not to use the full injection system

take lots of pics of the loom that'll help us decide if its worth it, as if its been bodged up to work then I'd not bother but if its a nicely made loom then you should consider it.

other thing to check is if its for same fusebox as yours, if yours is a 1.6 carb then it should have the later blade fusebox. if the abf loom is also the blade type you're laughing plug and play for that side, just need to get yourself a gti rear loom for the fuel pump or make your own pin and pop it in.

fitment wise it'll drop in on your old mounts, if it has the 02a gearbox and the bracket included then sorted use that, if not then if it was me i'd buy a 210mm flywheel and use either your old gearbox or a mk1 gti one if the ratios are not to your liking.

exhaust manifold/downpipe is the hard part of the abf swap, but if these are included then happy days, just get the right exhaust to fit to it, id assume it would need a mk1 gti system but your old one may possibly hook right up.

for fuel pump you would need to fit an electric one regardless of if you go abf managment or carbs, so its no extra work to go abf. just fit an injection spec pump from polo gt or g40, or mk1 gti, or some aftermarket pump thats rated for 3 bar. change the fuel line for 7-8mm fuel injection hose and find somewhere handy to fit a fuel injection mk2/3 fuel filter.

for the pump feed either fit a GTI fuel tank with outlet on bottom and internal swirl pot, or fit post-84 cab/rocco or g40 shape polo lift pump + reservoir

I'd love injection, but I hate wiring and it would take an age!

I do in fact have a fusebox that came with it as well, no idea what use it is, but yes i do have the spade type.

Here are the images of the loom(s)…

This (I think) is the engine loom?


The other two…







The ECU I have as well! The looms look quite tidy and I can't seen any bodges! All the wires are clean and corrosion free…

Yes it has the 02a box, not sure about the mount though. The engine has an exhaust manifold but its only the top section, looks pretty stock…

As far as tanks go, its a Caddy so would they fit?!

Thanks so much for the help!

Jack

what you need to do is bundle it all up, give me a call and i'll come and collect it all.
i think the abf will be too difficult for you to fit  

i'm looking to do the same thing now after rubjohnnys advice.  

Sorry I'm keeping this one

Jack

lol. I don't blame you mate.
Good luck with the swap. Are you just planning on chucking it in or tarting it up first?

Hope it goes well and i'll be keeping an eye out in prep for mine.