Quattro Cupra R Mk2 RS3 Engine Swap!

[Gagwithgaffer]

Hi Folks,

Thought i'd start a new thread from the last project build which is also here on the readers rides forum. We eventually finished the previous project some years ago, around 2015 and hadnt done much since. Car had been running sweet but with 500+ horses I found driving with a manual gearbox pretty awful at times.

In more recent years with the increased uptake for electric cars, and the fact a 60 grand Tesla would eat mine for breakfast on a 0-60 run, thought it's now time to do something about it!

So... time for an engine swap oh and S-Tronic conversion... yikes!

Early days as I've only just acquired the engine. Next immediate task is finding the wiring loom given the engine is fairly new and not many people have stuffed their RS3s of this age just yet...

Some keyboard warriors would love to say "Get a Cupra 3 or an RS3 that already has this **** installed" now why would we want to do that when I'm fortunate to own one of the very last Cupra R Mk2s off the production line that looks as sharp as it did when I drove it out the showroom. Not a single dint or scratch and no creases on the leather seats, for a cupra that has only done 17k miles since new, you know what I'm saying here... I love my Cupra to bits and would never change it!!!

 

[tracktoy]

Agreed you are doing the right thing by you and the car, Love the MK2 and as you say all that love sweat and tears put into it you cant just throw it away and start again.

Keep up the good work enjoyed the old thread and looking forward to this one.

 

[H Rafiq]

Will you be converting it to 4WD too?

 

[Gagwithgaffer]

Will you be converting it to 4WD too?

Its already running 4WD mate, (quattro haldex gen 2)

 

[Gagwithgaffer]

So, after doing some extensive research over the last few days, a few conundrums has arisen!

I bought the donor engine on the understading it's an DNWA (which is year 2020 --> 2021) however it transpires then engine is actually a DNWC which is from 2022/2023. Audi made a revision of the RS3 between these two periods, although no significant differences are observed between the two variants, the clanger dropped on the feet here is that not many tuners worldwide have managed to unlock the ECU for tuning yet, at least forget anyone in the UK currently.

To be honest, this is not such an issue at this stage, I think it's more logical to focus on the engine swap first and get it working, then look at hardware/tuning options later down the line. One of the challenges is finding an ECU compatible for this engine, it would seem this was one of the notable changes after the DNWA given the ECU is a different version of hardware altogether, let alone the base firmware.

I've looked up one tuner in Slovenia that appears to be one of the first ones to have cracked the code and unlocked the ECU (MG1CS163) for tuning, I've emailed them to ask if they would supply me one with the base map file, and ultimately I'd need it with IMMO OFF given I dont have the keys/cluster from the donor car to overcome the fun that lies ahead with immobilizer pairings.

In the meatime, I've also found a DNWA donor RS3 car from a breakers in Scotland, they are removing the complete wiring loom from the car as we speak and will be shipping this to me fairly soon. (I've told them very clearly, no cutty cutty of the loom, remove it carefully, given the price I'm paying for it!) I'm just hoping that the wiring loom will in fact work with the latest revision DNWC, otherwise I'm back a step on progress in getting the right kit together, lets see... Infinit Performance did a interesting comparison recently between the two engine variants so fingers crossed the DNWA loom is OK on the DNWC...