Help with 2nd Gen motor swap

[DSMNerd6889]

Hey Guys, I'm in a tight spot. I have a 95 TSi FWD and I'm swapping in a motor from a 99 GSX. It's all in and lookin' good, but the cam angle sensors are in different locations with different plugs. I have no idea how to wire this thing. Whenever I try to start it up, it get this terrible knocking/grinding sound (which I hope is from bad timing), but I don't want to do a lot of guess and checking to wire this. Any help would be great. Thanks.

[kjewer1]

The 95 and 96 DSMs have the cam angle sensor on the tbelt side of the motor, BEHIND the cam gear. You'll find the harness end of the wiring there. The 97-99 motors have the CAS on the passenger side of the head, same as 1G location.

You have two options. You can try to extend the wiring to the 99 CAS and use the wiring diagrams on www.roadraceengineering.com to adapt them. Or if you you can swap the 2g CAS from the 95 head onto the 99 head. I believe the mounting provisions are present on ALL 2g heads. Then it would be plug and play, but you have to mess with the tbelt. USe the "RRE method" for doing cam swaps found on thier site, it explains how to use the tbelt tensioner tool (see the vfaqs for where to buy) and ziptie the cams to the gears so you dont alter the cam timing or tension.

Hope that helps.

[DSMNerd6889]

Sounds good, but I also read that the 99 cas gives an opposite signal as the 95-96 cas, and that I have to change the spark plug wires from 1 and 4 to 2 and 3. Is that true?

[kjewer1]

Yes, same if you use a 1g cas, or use a 95 ecu in a 97-99 car, etc. The injectors will also fire out of phase, but that can be corrected. Its been many years since I did it, but there must be a vfaq or something.

At any rate, its just more reason to swap the 95 CAS over to the 99 head.