I have a 98 non-DBW 30v 5-speed quattro, which V8 is best for me?

[Optimusglen]

98 A4 30v non-DBW, no immobilizer, 5-speed Quattro

I have searched, but there is so much info out there, sometimes different people claim different things, now it's kinda confusing. Done a lot of searching on here but just about everyone has a DBW car and they're using the 40v.

I'm trying to figure out the best option for me, end goal is just a factory V8 in my A4. I don't have a never ending budget, so cheaper is better, but I'm not going to skimp on needed items. I'm not terribly worried about the price for the engine, 3 junkyards near me have flat-rate engine prices (~$200), and a 32v is available right now from an A8.

The 32v appeals to me (no timing chain tensioner/VVT) but I'm not set on it. If I understand correctly, the 32v has a 10 bolt flywheel so I would need to get an aftermarket one and a new clutch to match, I can't find any source for the engine mounts though or if there is a factory option. Edit: found old builds where the guy offered flywheels and engine mounts, but can't find current info on actually getting some.

Seems as though the 40v bolts up easier with factory/OEM sourced mounts, but would need a DBW conversion. Thought I read that I can use my existing 30v flywheel/clutch/pressure plate? I just replaced them so if I can re-use that would be great.

I did notice that I have a white plug that is going un-used in my ECU box, and I've read that the DBW harness has white plugs, so I'm not sure whats going on there since I'm non-DBW.

I would rather not sell my car and find a facelift version. Mine is super clean inside and out and I know the history etc.

So do I have this right?

32v:
-engine
-harness
-a lot of harness splicing
-aftermarket 10 bolt flywheel (edit: flywheel insert, see below)
-clutch/pressure plate to match (URS4/S6)
-aftermarket engine mounts or fabricate my own

40v:
-engine
-harness
-a little harness splicing
-DBW harness addition (can I keep my non-immobilizer gauge cluster?)
-DBW pedal cluster
-factory engine mounts


Oh, and is it easier to keep A/C with either swap?

Thanks guys.

[Optimusglen]

Update in case others who are searching stumble upon this thread.

034 Motorsports makes a "Flywheel insert" for swapping the 32v in.
http://store.034motorsport.com/produ...-aluminum.html
From what I read, the 32v retains the flexplate from the auto tranny, this item bolts to it and allows you to run an S4 clutch.


Seems pretty straight forward, got more conflicting info though regarding wiring it all up and if I need a new cluster... I wish it was laid out clearly somewhere I could find.

[MetalMan]

Can't really help you much... but if you go DBW, and wanted to swap in the new-style cluster, you may want a full donor car at that point to also swap in the factory cluster wiring. The clusters themselves can be cheap but can be hit-or-miss (I found a used one for $50 with a good LCD display, for example). You can have the cluster EEPROM reset so that you can use VAG-COM to reset the cluster's mileage.

[turbo3]

I've been reading about this swap, I'm a 98 too. From what I've read the D2 A8/S8 is DBC. But the A6 motor seems to be way easier to find.

Use this for a good starting guild http://www.motorgeek.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=50232

[ray4624]

When I was looking into this I couldn't really find any manual tunes for the a6 v8. I was going to run the 034 stand alone which actually simplified everything quite a bit but it was going to be a pretty penny.


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[bhusted]

I missed this thread before, but have gone though all of this with my swap. My car was DBC and of course, as you mentioned, the 40v V8 is DBW. Swapping the pedal cluster was not difficult. You can attach your existing clutch pedal to the DBW setup. The white plug is for the DBW connections as you mentioned. I'm not sure why your car would already have a white plug. About half of them are for the throttle pedal and the others are for clutch switch and cruise control.

In terms of the ease of mounting and attachment, the 40v is the way to go. I don't know how much fabrication will be required for the 32v, but the fact that the 40v from the A6 is nearly a direct bolt-in makes this part of the swap very easy. I would recommend having a parts car to continually scrounge parts from as there will lots of random bits and things to gather.

As far as tuning and electronics go for the 40v engine, you'll want to look for engine code AWN. This will have an immobilizer to defeat, but you will be able to flash it for a euro S6 manual to get rid of the auto transmission gremlins. The ARt engine code, which is what I started with is not able to do this, but lacks the immobilizer. If you're okay with the weirdness caused by the missing TCU, you could run that one instead. Since your car is DBC, you will need to update to the newer cluster to get the VSS to the ECU if you want to be able to rev over 6000 rpm or use cruise control.

I was able to retain all OEM functionality after my swap including A/C.