020 rod or 02j cable????

[POLOW_2.0]

Hi guys,

Ok im currently sitting with a dilemna...Firstly the car is currently a 2.0 8v with rod shift. I will be upgrading to the abf 2.0 16v out of the golf soon, management, cams and maybe headwork will be done.

The thing is my tuner recomends i change to mk4 gti gearbox wich is cable and has nice short ratios(3.9 final drive?)...What im afraid of is from what ive heard alot of people complain about the slow changing of cable compared to rod aswel as the heavy abf flywheel...

I was thinking i can keep my 020 or buy a short ratio 020 with 3.94, fit lsd to strengthen, have a nice light 8v flywheel, with easy gearchanges....But then again i want the gearbox to be reliable and it will prob be reliable with the o2j, but what about the 020 with lsd? Will it hold?

Guys who have these motors? What do you guys think?

 

[WeeJase]

o2o is deffinately a better shift than o2j,
best person to speak to would be ibizacupra or robT both have experience with high power cars running o2o and lsd's,bill runs and 02j on his 450+ bhp race ibiza.

 

[POLOW_2.0]

Thanks weejase, would be nice to hear from them. Im leaning more towards the 020 with lsd. My aim is 180-190 with the motor so not close to 450bhp but decent Help will be great

 

[Grayboy]

The thing is my tuner recomends i change to mk4 gti gearbox wich is cable and has nice short ratios(3.9 final drive?)...What im afraid of is from what ive heard alot of people complain about the slow changing of cable compared to rod aswel as the heavy abf flywheel...

Touch now I know where to get a gearbox with a 3.9 final drive, you can get the flywheel lightened anyway, Dave CRMYU sings praises of a lower final drive, going to my only performance mod this year as the insurance comp will never know!

 

[POLOW_2.0]

prob not as light as a 8v flywheel would be, i dont know...How is the gearchanges with cable quick or restricted in a way?

Guys help me make up my mind!

 

[Grayboy]

prob not as light as a 8v flywheel would be, i dont know...How is the gearchanges with cable quick or restricted in a way?

Guys help me make up my mind!

May not be but from various forums the ABF flywheel is heavey but you wouldn't want to go lighter than 10lbs for road use!

Once you've got the technique right it's pretty quick, I'm going to get a B&M shortshift anyway as I'm uber fussy about quick changes, have heard they put to much stress on the linkage but was going to replace that anyway as the car's done 117K!

 

[POLOW_2.0]

Is your flywheel lightened weejase, how does it drive like from low revs? Im just thinking of costs also, i still have to convert to cable/hydraulic and lighten and balance my flywheel...whereas if my current setup with lsd can work maybe i should go that route, but thats only if it can be reliable...otherwise ill spend and go cable...

 

[Dave_R]

A standard 020 flywheel is the same weight if not a bit lighter than a lightened 02A flywheel, if I remember correctly. The 3.94 final drive isn't from a mk4 golf I think!

With my flywheel it's a pain to hold the rev's, pulling off needs a bit more rev's and starting the car from cold it will cut out straight away unless I rev it a bit. How many times could I say rev in a sentence I wonder lol

With a 020 flywheel if you lighten it, it will need balanced with the compression plate but with the 02A it can be balanced to zero alone.





And PoloW did my video work for you after?

 

[POLOW_2.0]

Hi dave, thats the thing with the 020 i wont have to lighten the flywheel...but with the abf flywheel i would want to adding more costs. Im almost sure the golf4 gti has a 3.9 final drive but its 02j not 02A dont know if parts are interchangeable.

Other thing with the 020 i can get a box out of a 2006 citi golf wich has a 3.94 final drive already and bolts straight on, wich will cost three times less than the whole cable shift conversion. With a bolt kit and lsd im sure it will last 180-190 bhp reliably? Or am i wrong?

Dave the vid of you bullying other bigger cars did work Thanks, but a in car vid of your car through the gears will be great now with the lightened fly and 3.94

 

[Dave_R]

I know of a Mk1 Golf with the abf running a 020 box with about 210+bhp and the box is happy enough with that sort of power.... that's with a lighten 020 flywheel and no lsd.

I would love to have some in car footage, overtaken a few bigger cars out on track but a) got no camrea and b) got no mount

 

[RobT]

180 is the safe limit on an 020 - mine died when I went over this hence 02a conversion and its not as nice a box - 020 is the way to go if you are below 180hp - 02a/j is miles stronger but heavier and the shift mechanism needs lots of work to get it as good as 020

 

[POLOW_2.0]

210hp ....thats lots for that box. Mount someone in ur car and let them take the vid

RobT did You gearbox die with or without the lsd? And does a lsd really strengthen your box or is it just for grip purposes...maybe your gearbox wouldve gone anyways? How much above 180 did you go, cause i hope to be just above 180...

 

[RobT]

died with LSD fitted - pinion stripped itself, not very chunky gears in 020 but enough for the job - designed for 115hp max.....

I was putting about 200/210hp through it at that time whilst it was ok at 180

Difficult to get a true 200hp from a valver with only bolt on bits - mine was a built engine with throttle bodies at 200/210, if your going with only bolt on bits, likely you will be at more like 180hp and this the 020 will be ok

Now at 240 atmo engine so needs the 02a and even at this power shattered an inner CV joint when doing 'spirited' starts with slicks fitted