Looking for more information on many of the VW Engines from Golf II to Golf IV ?
Feel free to download this PDF file and print it for future reference. It contains most of the Volkswagen Engines available including 16V engines such as the 9A / KR and the potent ABF Engine.
| Displacement / Info |
KW |
HP |
@ RPM |
Torque |
@RPM |
Engine Code |
| 2 Liter 8V | 80 | 107 | 5400 | 160 | 3500 | CNG / BSX |
| 2 Liter 8V | 85 | 114 | 5400 | 165 | 3200 | AWG, AWF |
| 2 Liter 8V | 85 | 114 | 5400 | 166 | 2600 | AGG |
| 2 Liter 8V | 85 | 114 | 5400 | 166 | 3200 | 2E, ADY, ABA |
| 2 Liter 8V | 85 | 114 | 5200 | 170 | 2400 | APK, AQY |
| 2 Liter 8V | 85 | 114 | 5200 | 170 | 2600 | ATM |
| 2 Liter 8V | 85 | 114 | 5400 | 172 | 3200 | AZH, AZJ |
| 2 Liter 8V | 85 | 114 | 5400 | 172 | 3500 | AZM |
| 2 Liter 8V | 88 | 118 | 5600 | 174 | 2400 | ATF |
| 2 Liter 8V | 88 | 118 | 5600 | 175 | 2600 | AUZ, ASU, AVA |
Information gathered from Wiki and made all nice in a table. Feel free to print it out. More information on other engines will come soon.
N.B. If you find a engine elsewhere that you wish to purchase, we offer a R395 service whereby we do the following for you:
1. We drive to your supplier if they are in the Johannesburg / Pretoria area
2. We purchase the engine on your behalf as well as inspect it for you for any errors. Our highly qualified staff members will check your engine for any problems.
We also have the engine checked to make sure it is not stolen and that is up to standards. You may also purchase the engine yourself and we will simply collect and test it for you. We can even test it for you at your premises.
3. Finally we deliver the engine to you safe and sound in Johannesburg for R100 delivery charge or work out a courier cost to deliver the engine anywhere in the world using our or your preferred courier.
Let us take the hassle out you purchasing an engine which is going to give you problems. It is not really feesable to send your engine back to the supplier in Johannesburg / Pretoria after finding out it does not work
and then having to take it out of your vehicle. Imagine all the costs. We can prevent this for you !
Rather be safe than sorry.
Alternatively… Let us source you an engine. We thoroughly test all our engines and make sure you are satisfied and the engine starts first time round.
Many customers and people have asked us what the differences between these engines are hence the reason for this article. All these engines are quite similar to one another. They also have similar power and torque with all having great potential. The 2E, AGG, ADY engines are all 2 Litre 8V engines.
Power / Torque Comparison
Let's begin with power and torque figures. Remember this all depends on where the engine came from, the quality, etc. Results may differ. The AGG and 4DY are the newer engines. 2E is older. We would highly recommend getting yourself either a AGG or 4DY unless you are sure the 2E is in excellent condition.
All of the engines have more or less 85KW & 166NM on the flywheel. Some people say the 2E has better low end torque and lower high end than the other engines.
Fueling / Ignition
Both AGG and 4DY use the MP9 Fuel Injection system whilst the 2E engine makes use of the older Digifant fueling system. All our obviously fuel injected. The AGG also made use of the Siemens SIMOS Fueling system. Anyways, either the AGG and 4DY can be easily plugged into the MP9 system without modification. 2E will require modifications. However if you wish to run an aftermarket EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) system, any engine will suffice.
The AGG and 4DY have a pickup sensor on the crank which gives them another advantage over the 2E engine which does not have this sensor.
Conclusion
Any of the above engines would work nicely. The later models (AGG / ADY) are more recommended since they are newer and will probably have less engine wear and tear, will be easier to setup with MP9 fuel injection and have crank angle sensor. The 2E is from the older cars. What we do is make sure you get the best engine and in the best condition possible. If you order from us, you might pay a little more, but be rest assured that you are not buying a dud. Many engine companies simply sell the engine and make all kinds of excuses when you return it.
If you think about it, most people that have engine problems still under warranty, won't bother taking the engine out again, then sending it back to the engine company again. It will cost them about R1500 ($220 USD) to do that. And then re-fit it again. They will simply let it go. We save you the trouble. With us you will get the best engines possible. Some even modded highly (Gas Flowed heads / port job with racing cams) engines are sourced by us.
We export engines all over the world and around Africa. Simply contact us and we will assist you to the best that we can.
When you purchase a new engine, you must always make sure with your auto insurance company if they will continue insuring you once you fit in a new engine.
When you purchase an engine through us, you will get a warranty on the engine but that will not cover your car if you are in an accident etc.
So please make sure with your automotive insurance company before purchasing a new engine.
If I am not mistaken, Outsurance has a special plan for the older sentimental cars up to R50,000 of insurance.
For auto insurance, we highly recommend Budget Insurance Brokers. We have had no problem with them whatsoever.
If you have had any problems with this auto insurance company, feel free to comment.
Yet again we are entering this very famous discussion. Many Volkswagen fans have approached us asking our opinion. So which is better? This depends on what you are looking for in an engine. Here is our comparison of the 2 VW engines.
Cost of engine and future repairs
The 8v engine is a lot cheaper than the 16v often being close to half the price. The reason being that these engines are quite common as well as costing less to produce in the first place.
Where repairs are concerned, the parts are more common as well as cheaper. In addition, if you are paying per valve, you are going to need double the amount of valves if your valves have been bent. You also have 2 camshafts in the 16v as opposed to one in the 8v engines.
Engine reliability factor
The 8v VW engine is known to be strong and reliable at all times. Many people actually call it virtually unbreakable if taken care of properly.
The 16v VW engine is also strong but if you are turbocharging it, the standard internals are not as strong as the 8v. The 16v is an interference engine unlike the 8v meaning that if you snap your timing belt, the probability is great that you are going to say hello to bent valves. This can always be avoided if you check your belt once in a while as well as take good care of the engine.
Most people actually ruine the VW engines by over revving them all the time. You cannot help the great noise that it makes when you floor it past 4500 RPM. It's hard to find a 16v in excellent condition. That is what makes us at Engines for sale more valuable to our customers. We inspect all of our supplier's engines and make sure you are getting decent engines. Not all import low mileage engines are good.
8v's don't break as quickly as 16v's do and that is a fact.
Power and Torque
So many people will say 8v has lower end torque and 16v better in the upper range. Even that we personally tested a few cars and 8v is slightly better right in the beginning by like a few centimeters, we have some proof for you in the form of a dyno graph.
As you can see, the 16v really kills a 8v at 2000+ RPM. Don't even bother comparing the 2 engines. Remember the longer intake runners give better low-end torque.
Which engine is better for tuning?
You can make a lot more power with a 16v than you can with an 8v, dollar for dollar. If you compare the fastest 16v to the fastest 8v in both normally aspirated and turbocharged applications, the 16v always wins hands down. The 16v flows better and has much greater potential. Go look at dyno results as well as quarter mile records worldwide and you will see for yourself. Many people assume the 8v is faster. Remember the 16v engine came in the heavier Golf MK2 cars so the lighter 8V mk1 usually gave it a good run for its money until the 0-60kph mark and then the 16v would give it a hiding.
Often when an engine rebuild is required, an engine block must be replaced. Used engine blocks often have defects of their own, and a thorough inspection before purchasing one most likely will save the engine rebuilder thousands of money and a serious amount of time.
When considering a used engine block for purchase, it is essential to find out how the cylinder block was stored. Blocks which have been kept outside usually are exposed to extraordinary temperatures and rain. Water can quickly find its way into the water jackets or cylinder bores and expand if the water freezes. This can create cracks which are difficult to find and may be expensive to fix. Pitting also can happen which could be so deep into the iron that the maximum overbore still would not be enough to adequately clean the cylinders and the surface where the piston rings seal at.
Used engine blocks may have been previously machined. It is therefore essential to find out what the present size of the cylinder bores are. Once the cylinder bores have been inspected with a dial bore gauge, or even calipers if a dial bore gauge is not available, the engine rebuilder should determine if oversize pistons and rings are available. In some situations, especially for engine restoration projects, there could be a very limited supply of pistons and rings available with limited oversize options.
Any pre-owned cylinder block that has been purchased should also have crankshaft main caps. While it is difficult to determine if the engine block has been align bored and honed, a detailed inspection will normally determine if the main caps have been machined. Main caps which have been machined outside of the factory often have a cross-hatch pattern from a hone. Many cylinder blocks from the factory will not have any cross hatch since the mains are bored only.
A block purchased with its original main caps could save the automotive enthusiast hundreds of dollars and plenty of time. The cost of align boring and honing a used cylinder block can surpass two-hundred dollars and take an automotive machine shop days to complete.
Cylinder blocks are best inspected when clean and defects in the casting or machining are visible. Additionally, precise measurements may be accurately confirmed for a decision on whether or not the used block is a good candidate for further machine work and a full engine build. Blocks which are carefully inspected prior to purchase and building can save thousands of dollars and a significant amount of time down the road.
Whether you are looking for a replacement engine, or perhaps an upgrade for a turbo conversion you have come to the right place.
We source the best engines out there and only pick the best ones. Even the Japanese imports that are low mileage can be faulty especially if they stand for a while. Picking up a correct engine is not as simple as 123. We know when an engine is faulty and we know when it is not going to perform as well.
Simply select your engine and leave it all up to us to do the rest.