Audi 20V engine swap

blease · Dec 30, 2004

Has anyone got any experience of putting the 20 valve DOHC audi 5 cylinder engine into a 924? Is the performance any good? I often think of adding a 924/944 to my stable but am put off by the 4 cylinder engine. I used to have a VW Passat GL5 which looked like a dog but sounded like a god because it had the 5 cylinder audi engine it. They really do sound great. I've seen some websites saying the DOHC quattro engine (NOT the sohc) bolt almost straight in.

924nutter · Dec 31, 2004

If I remember my 924/944 history correctly, the five cylinder engine was available for Porsche to use, probably for the up and coming 944, as it was too late for the 924. Porsche could not make use of it because it is too long. Even in the car it is intended for the radiator is offset to the left of the engine.

Here's an interesting train of thought.
924s=944 engine
944 engine up to 3 litres/212 bhp
Turbo up to 250,
968 up t0 240 and no lag. Oh, and of course you will have a car whose brakes will remain fade free after several high speed demos.
Simon Butterworth races an S2 engined 924 so he even knows how to do it.

blease · Dec 31, 2004

Interesting reply. Check out www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=3976 which is one of the sites I mentioned which shows how apparently straightforward the swap can be. Any one on this forum actually made the swap or driven the result?

usermjg · Dec 31, 2004

hi simon

dont forget the 924S which has the 944 engine in, 150bhp or 160 for the F reg both of which can be chipped and moddifed for that little bit extra[

] also the 924 turbo 170 or 177bhp this has the 2 litre engine in. I have a 924S and have put a stainless steel exhaust on and it sounds and runs great. If your in the market for a 924 i would try one of these out before you commit you might decide that putting an quattro engine in a 924 isnt really the best move [

]

Marc

blease · Jan 2, 2005

Thanks Mark, helpful reply but it still misses the point of my question. It does not matter what you do to a four cylinder engine, it still sound souless (in my book any way). All those nice young men thrashing around in Saxo's and other sundry tin boxes with exhausts the size of dustbins just goes to prove my point - 4 cylinders are either anaemic or annoying. People rattle on about the great sound of a straight six, a flat 4 (or better yet, flat six) and I'm a sucker for the V8 rumble but until you've driven a 5 cylinder engine, you may not realise what a unique sound it has. My old Passat was as dull as ditch water to look at but the sound it made as you floored the throttle was quite amazing. I've also driven a Merc C250 that had their 5 cylinder diesel and that too had a throaty growl.
Lots of peolple seem to have had the idea of shoehorning a V8 into a 924 but that seems a pointless exercise to me as it would probably destroy the much touted balance of the 924 chassis. This is why I turned my thoughts to an Audi 5 engine. The earlier SOHC is too long and has manifold issues but the later DOHC seems to fit right in. Are you aware of anyone in the registry with such a modified car?

mik_ok · Jan 2, 2005

Blease ~ I know where you are coming from. Lack of multi-cylinder soundtrack has always been a shame with the 924/944/968.

V8s are gurgleorgeous (except flat-plane-cranks..... yuk)
6's are nice and growly
5s can sound awsome. Ur-quattro did, and Fiat Coupe 20VT makes a fabulous noise approaching the redline.

In saying that however, to liken the noise from the 4-pot (certainly in the 944) to that of your average high-street Saxo ricer is doing it a huge injustice. I think my 944S2 sounds rather good when extended. [

]

There is a thread in the 944 section with soundclips / vid of a 944S2 with the Janspeed exhaust. Have a listen.

And there is always the 944 V8 conversion SEE HERE which they *claim* has little or no effect on the balance of the car.

usermjg · Jan 2, 2005

hi again

I could be completly wrong but i dont know of any one who has fitted a Audi five cylinder engine to their 924, and yes i understand what you are saying but my rumble sounds nothing like a boy racer saxo, and some of the noise's i have heard coming out of a 968 CS with a janspeed exhaust on was just amazing, very low and filling rattling[

] Let me know how you get on

Marc

blease · Jan 3, 2005

Mik_ok, thanks for the link to Renegade Hybrids. This looks amazing and with the weak dollar at the moment, could be a very reasonable way to go. I did not realise a V8 would fit so neatly. So much for my 5 cylinder dreaming!. I'd better pop the question on the 944 forum...anyone got one?

mik_ok · Jan 3, 2005

Quick google search revealed this ~ at least it's in the UK.

CLICK ME

blease · Jan 3, 2005

Thanks...Thats it! I might just do this!!

usermjg · Jan 3, 2005

wow that 944 V8 looks a beast what would a 924 V8 look and go like, and im quite sure a 968 gear box would fit in too to but power to tarmac..

blease · Jan 4, 2005

The previous link to renegade hybrids reveals that they have discontinued their fitting kit for 924's as the 944 is a better bet for the increased power.

Guest · Jan 16, 2005

If anyone is interested I have a NOS Renegade Hybrids 924 V8 Kit that I want to sell. It has never been installed and is a complete bolt in kit. Comes with custom bellhousing and clutch assembly to mate the torque tube to the block, exhaust headers and y pipe, custom motor mounts, modified oil pan and all the needed hardware.

I bought it hopes of doing the conversion but decided I like the challenge of getting hp out of the 2.0L better.