[Tobster]

First post for about 5 months ago, when I paid £80 for an old wreck of an Audi 80, and attempted to fit a new cylinder head and gasket to my 306 while making the Audi roadworthy.

The Audi 80 turned out to be the best car I've ever owned; has done 6000 miles since and not missed a beat.
The 306, however, has sat on the drive and not ran at all since then. Three of its' cylinders don't even compress (actually; they do compress the coolant system). Lesson to be learned there; skim a head before you fit it, even if it looks really flat.

Anyway, my other halfs' Rover 620 is on it's last months MOT and will be scrapped, so I need to either fix the 306, or scrap it and get something else.

Should I:
-Get the head skimmed and pressure tested and attempt to fix the existing 1.9TD engine.
-Do a swap to a 2.1TD engine.
-Break the 306, buy another Audi, and spend far less time fixing cars! (But suffer emotional detachment from my irrationally beloved 306).

It should be noted that it's a 1998 306 which needs the doors, bonnet & wing respraying. Apart from that, the tyres, brakes (all disc) and suspension are top notch and would be a shame to go to waste.

[keith]

strip and scap the 306 and the rover and buy another car

[Big Dave]

fit the 2.1 and tune it mate, 306 ftw

[DevDturbo]

Pains me to say, but if you want something reliable and want it soon......get another car.

Dev

[Martin]

Fix it, you know you wanna....head gasket isnt a big job really, well worth doing.

[sveny]

or get a replacement 1.9td engine possible 1 with bosch pump so you can tune it easier!

[Tobster]

Thanks for the (if varied) replies.

It is a 1.9TD engine with a Bosch pump, and I blame tuning it on the fact that the old cylinder head cracked. Not that there's anything wrong with tuning cars; I just pushed it too far.

I'm considering a 2.1TD replacement above everything else but need to know a few more things:
-The full legal process (besides changing registration and notifying insurance).
-Will a normal (BE5 or something?) gearbox from a 1.9TD fit a 2.1TD?
-Besides a different exhaust downpipe and sorting out an intercooler, is there anything else different for fitting a 2.1TD? (I.E. do the electrics, driveshafts, gear linkages, radiator & engine mounts all fit together the same?)

I'm reluctant to fix the existing engine incase the bottom end isn't any good.

[James 306]

In your shoes I would be extremely tempted to put another 1.9 lump in it. However if you don't have long just scrap it and buy a 306 that alredy runs!

[Tobster]

Had a positive response from the DVLA (they only need to see a reciept for the engine), and am now seriously considering the 2.1TD conversion.

Does anyone know if the XUD9 gearbox fits the XUD11 (kind of important since I can't seem to find a XUD11 with a gearbox); and the answers to any other of my previous questions bar the legal one?

And for the sake of planning a swap; how heavy are the engines? I'm presuming 200+ kg?

[Edit] Read through posts from last year; 1.9 gearbox it is, and a call to my welding mate to sort us a downpipe out!