Economically feasible to drop GTI engine into Mk6 Golf TDI?

[ElectricMayhem]

It seems I can get a used 2.0TSI engine for about $3200.

I just wondered if there are any non-obvious costs involved with removing a TDI engine from a Mk6 Golf TDI with a manual transmission, and dropping in a GTI engine from the same model year?

I am thinking about doing it myself with a rented engine hoist, but I have never swapped an engine before.

Could I reuse the ECU, and just get someone like APR to reprogram it for the GTI engine?

Does anyone know if the transmission can be reused? If it can take the torque of the TDI, it "should" work with the GTI if the bolt pattern etc are the same. Although the gearing would be different, I guess.

 

[samuraitd]

just why?

 

[bhtooefr]

You would want a complete donor vehicle, to swap the entire fuel and exhaust systems, significant electrical systems including the ECU (which very much cannot run a gas engine) and instrument cluster (wrong tach and lights), entire drivetrain including transmission (and possibly axles depending on flange sizes) for gearing reasons, and some other stuff.

Is it possible? Yes. Would it be cheaper to just buy a GTI and sell the TDI, even at current market values? Yes.

 

[CRSMP5]

vw be buying the mk6 back cause if they could get it to pass emmissions legaly they would have not cheated... sp id expect vw to be handing out $30k checks to diesel owners to scrap the cars.. honestly.. any buyer owing money on one should be able to get full refund.. the buyer was deceived..

think about it.. if the engineers could accomplish the requirement... why cheat?? what ever they do.. i expect 1 to run real crappy with bad milage/performance.. or really shorten its reliability by running it at some extream the engineer disliked..

simple cure.. buy it back n scrap.. be kinda like toyota truck recal for the marble test... opps marble fit.. here is a $11k check sir, you cannot have the truck you paid 7k for back 7 years ago... that owner was so happy... LOL.. made 4k and gotta use truck 7 years... sad part it was not that rusty.. vs most i have seen..

 

[TDI-Guy]

Why would you want to do all that work and spend that kind of money? No sarcasm, I am legitimately intrigued by the question.

 

[ElectricMayhem]

Why would you want to do all that work and spend that kind of money? No sarcasm, I am legitimately intrigued by the question.

I should have bought a GTI in the first place. I talked myself out of it on the basis that I would save $5000 in fuel over 5 years. Also, I'd like to try swapping an engine.

But I figure my car was worth $18k before the crisis, and I can buy a lightly used 2013 GTI w/35k km in exactly the spec I want for $26k.

The engine swap project is likely going to be putting a small block Chevy engine into an XJ6, now.

My problem now is that the local VW dealer is not accepting cars like mine on trade, because they are forbidden by the manufacturer to sell them. It would be dead inventory for them.

 

[bubbagumpshrimp]

A dealer was going to screw you on trade-in one way or another. If you're wanting to unload it now, try private sale.