David P

I'm posting this for your evaluation. I have some serious doubts about their "wobble" argument. Read it for yourself and see what you think. Most 1 bar chips reach 15 psi for no more than a second or two. The text formatting may be screwy. Jason also sent me some dynos of the Neuspeed chip vs several others. Unfortunately the data only had four data points for each chip and the results are statistically unsignificant. Give me four data points and I'll make a graph look however you want it to!<p>Here's the article:<p>Reprinted from: Spring 1999 VW Power Magazine A McMullen Argus/Primedia Publication <p> PASSAT TURBO UPGRADES - K03 VS. K03 SPORT VS. K04<br> BY: KEITH BUGLEWICZ PHOTOGRAPHY: KEITH BUGLEWICS <p> The 1.8-liter turbo motor introduced in the Audi A4 and Volkswagen Passat (and soon, the New Beetle, see page 8) has reinvigorated the Volkswagen tuning industry like mechanical Viagra. Saddled with 2.0-liters that respond to mild tuning, but not much else, and VR6 engines that are rare and pricey, the 1.8T has proven not only inexpensive to upgrade, but responsive to those upgrades as only a turbo motor can be. <p> The secret to the engine's success lies in its electronically controlled wastegate. This gives the 1.8T an artificially flat torque curve (note that the stock torque spec is written "155 lb-ft @ 1750-4600 rpm"). In its stock form, you hardly know the engine is turbocharged. It feels more like an exceptionally smooth, powerful, torquey four cylinder, which of course is the whole point. The stock computer never lets the turbo act the way we normally think a turbo should act, by providing lots of boost at high engine speeds. <p> Modern technology can take advantage of this artificial wastegate programming. By making the stock computer more liberal with its wastegate programming-not to mention the fuel maps, spark maps, etc.-one can significantly increase the power in the stock 1.8T. just by swapping out the computer, gains of up to 40 horsepower and beyond are possible. As long as the programming is done right, the power comes on smoothly and effortlessly. Because of the inherent adaptive programming in the stock computer (which remains unchanged) the modified computer will adapt itself to the engine, gradually reducing any detonation that may occur initially as miles accumulate. It's just about the perfect upgrade, especially considering that most computer Upgrades go for roughly $400 and take about five minutes to install. <p> So the 1.8T has unlimited upgrade-ability right? Well, there's a catch. The stock KKK K03 turbo on the 1.8T is small. Very small. It's almost cute to look at. It was designed to improve torque with minimal lag oil the 1.8T, something it is very good at. Unfortunately, this smallness imposes some restrictions on just how much boost one can pump through the turbo. According to Turbonetics in Moorpark, California, the stock K03 is happiest at about 12 pounds of boost because of the design of the blades: Going much further doesn't produce any really usable power. The K03 also uses a very small 4mm turbo shaft. Because of its size, the shaft becomes unstable excessive rpm, regardless of how well the turbo is balanced. As the shaft becomes unstable, it wobbles, and if the shaft wobbles, the blades will eventually scuff the side of the housing ... or worse. Another limitation is the boost level itself. As was mentioned earlier, the K03 doesn't produce very good boost beyond about 12 lbs. The blade pitch is not designed to sustain boost beyond that threshold. This limits the 1.8T to about 200 hp with the stock K03 turbo. <br> Heat is another limiting factor. The K03 runs hot when pumping a lot of boost, as does any turbo. This is fine you leave the 1.8T alone and never mess with boost levels. But if you start increasing the boost, things get hot quickly. Even after moderate driving, the turbo will glow brightly enough to see in even dim light. This in and of itself isn't a problem, but many <br>owners don't take the time to properly cool down their turbocharged cars. Too many heat cycle without letting the turbo properly cool down could cause the housing to crack which of course leads to a number c other problems. (This can really apply to all turbocharged vehicles, not just the 1.8T. Remember, one of the best Investments you can make is a turbo timer t let the car cool properly after running.) <p> On other turbocharged engines, would seem the most obvious thing to do would be to install a bigger turbo. However, there has not been a bigger turbo for the 1.8T until very recently. Enthusiasts looking to push their 1.8T beyond this 200 hp limit had two options. First, they could develop a custom turbo system, complete with manifold mounting flange and all other accessories needed to install a bigger turbo. Second, they could simply modify the stock K03, making it a K03 Sport. Suffice it to say most people chose the latter route. <p> The K03 Sport does flow more air than the standard K03, and is capable of holding boost at the 15 psi level. Unfortunately, the K03 Sport was a stopgap measure. Modifying tile stock K03 worked, but reliability was a factor for some people. The thin shaft remained, so balancing the bigger wheels of the K03 Sport was even more important. It was also difficult, and as mentioned before, the slightest imperfection could cause the shaft to wobble and the <br>impeller blades to impact tile sides Of tile turbo - or worse-at higher boost levels. There just <br>wasn't a lot of room to play with in the K03. To top it all off, excessive heat was still a factor. <br>This was exacerbated in the K03 Sport because its greater capacity begged higher boost levels, which means even more heat. <p> Then, along came the Audi TT. This car uses the same 1.8T engine as the Passat, but with a whopping 225 hp. It does this through the use of the K04. A bigger version of the K03, the K04 has bigger wheels than the K03 or even the K03 Sport. Subsequently, it can flow more <br>air at the same boost level, without any reliability questions. The K04 is so much better than the K03 Sport in fact that virtually every tuner offering a turbo upgrade for the 1.8T has abandoned the K03 Sport in favor of the K04. <p> It is important to note, however, that even with its added capacity, the K04 is only capable of about 240 horsepower on the 1.81. Turbonetics recommends keeping boost levels below 16 lbs because even the beefier K04 uses the small 4mm shaft. The advantage over the K03 Sport is better mid and high range power. Although the K04 runs at the same boost level as the K03 Sport, its higher capacity means that it will pump more air than its smaller cousin. <br>For example, imagine you're filling a bucket with a garden hose. Now imagine filling the <br>bucket with a fire hose, but at the same water pressure. It would fill faster, right? The same <br>principle is at work here. This difference is most noticeable on the top end, but there is a satisfying growth in power in the midrange too. <p> GreedSpeed in Thousand Oaks, California offers a turbo upgrade kit based on Neuspeed's kit. The kit itself consists of the turbo, a ported manifold, spark plugs, thermostat and computer upgrade. The engine is quite responsive, with just a slight hint of turbo lag at the <br>bottom end, When at full boost, however, it pulls strongly, yanking the Passat around with <br>authority. It is still important to let the turbo cool properly, as it is quite capable of getting <br>too hot. And for those who must have more power than even the K04 can provide ... stay <br>tuned ... big things are on the horizon for the 1.8T 1 mean, seriously, do you think people would be satisfied with only 240 hp? <br> <br> This is the inlet on a stock K03. Note the small intake area <br> and small compressor inside the turbo. About 12 pounds of <br> boost is all you're gonna get from this turbo. <br> <br> A K03 Sport. Note how much material has been removed <br> from the intake nozzle. The K03 Sport is a turbo modified to <br> do something it wasn't really designed to. Provide sustained <br> high-end power. it is possible, but reliability can be a problem <br> in the long term. <br> <br> The K04 at first appears to split the difference between the <br> K03 and the K03 Sport. However, the internal wheels of the <br> K04 are larger than either the K03 or the K03 Sport. This <br> allows it to make more power, at higher speeds because it <br> can pump more air at a given boost pressure. <br> <br> The scuffmark barely visible at the end of the pointer is what <br> can happen when the turbo is overspun. The shaft [only <br> 4mm) begins to wobble, causing the turbine blades to impact <br> the side of the housing. Although the scuff may not took like <br> much, consider that this happens at incredible rpm. Getting <br> a scuff is only the first symptom of something that can cause <br> much more serious damage. <p><br> This Neuspeed turbo kit consists of a K04 turbo, exhaust manifold ported and polished by Extrude Hone, four Beru, Ultra spark plugs, a new 180-degree thermostat, P-chip and fan switch. All together, the kit boosts the power of the 1.8T to about 230 hp or so. Not bad for a bolt-on kit! <p> <br> The Extrude Honed manifold is another key to engine power-. The stock manifold is very restrictive, but the Extrude Hone process helps to smooth out the surfaces and create a <br>less disturbed path for exhaust gasses. It's also just plain bigger after the process. <br> <br> A computer upgrade is an important step in modifying the 1.8T, with the turbo's actions so heavily dependant on what the computer- tells it to do. Additionally, the added flow of a bigger turbo means different fuel and spark maps and a host of other- changes are required in the programming.

JohnS

I've driven the Neuspeed k-04 Passat and am planning on doing the upgrade on my car (as I mentioned in a previous post). The Neuspeed kit is the best thing I've seen yet for the 1.8T.<br>JohnS

David P

I'd do it too if I had the $$. Maybe when I'm out of warranty.