[V8] Rebuilding options

[Sean cole]

These engines are not black magic to rebuild.  I have sitting in my driveway
a 92 V8Q ABH with rebuilt everything.  The key to rebuilding these engines
is you need to keep EVERYTHING you take out and find as good a replacement
part.

Rod bolts are the same as the 2.7tt so there are after market options if
you'd like find 8 2.7tt rods and use them AFAIK that should give you use of
the 2.7tt bearings which do not work in the V8 rods due to there being no
bearing tang (little locating piece on bearing) grooves in the V8 rods.
Also there are ways to get main bearings, but unless you have excessive wear
yours probably are good enough (mine were).  The rings need to be made from
chromoly as the silicon bores are very abrasive.  My engine is running total
seal gapless rings and I have had no problems in over 5k miles, including
driving the car 2200+ miles in 3 days.  The heads are nothing to rebuild and
there are tons of aftermarket parts.  I have even worked with a US cam grind
and developed several stages of regrinds for the 3.6L cams (including ones
that should exceed the stage 2 Euro cams that are so covented in the US).
These engines are not that complicated and I for one will be rebuilding a
ABZ block for use in my S8 engine build (ABZ block, custom pistons, Euro 32v
S8 heads.cams, etc.), that build will not happen until I have more school
done though.

Also ALL VAG aluminum blocks AFAIK are either factory sleeved (I5 20v urq/SQ
blocks) or Alumisul only Mercedes and BMW ran Nikisil and they are mostly
all running alumisil now.  If there is a shop in your area that can rebuild
944/928 Porsche blocks they are the same interms of technology and required
parts needed for the boring/honing/rings.

HTH's
Sean
Professional Head rebuilder.