I've been digging through the FAQ and find it at least somewhat useful, but it seems as though there are a whole lot more questions than answers.

Anyway I was wondering what modifications people would recommend that wouldn't contribute to shortening my engine/turbo life.

I have a 2000TTQC, and I have been looking at basic intake improvements. Let me preface these questions by saying that I don't know very much about cars, but I have a pretty good understanding of mechanics and basic fluid dynamics.

Without an intercooler is a VTDA more advantageous than a TTDA?
From modshak: "You won't be able to take full advantage of the design without having an FMIC"
(That's a front mounted intercooler right?)
If I don't replace my exhaust will the backpressure make the intake less effective? So much less effective that it's not worth buying?

Can I dig through a dump looking for an intercooler (wrecked r32?)? $1000 seems like a lot for a 2" pipe and radiator.

Is it worth upgrading a diverter valve if I am not increasing the boost or will it do nothing? Blowoff valves are just diverter valves with sound effects, right? (pressure released into the atmosphere instead of the airbox)

The most common upgrade suggested is a chip, but I don't want to stress the engine too much (although it was rebuilt by the previous owner after a broken timing belt), and spending $500 on 2kb of engine codes seems insane to me. I have some experience in embedded systems; has anyone here tried looking into the ECU codes or programming it manually?

General thoughts anybody?

-Tristan
==================
Stock 2000TTQC + ComuTTer cupholder (gotta start somewhere)

 

Upgrading DV is pointless if you are not chipping, and not strictly necessary even if you are, UNLESS you have reason to believe yours is marginal/failed.

The intake will help you even without an exhaust, but as you know from your studies, the benefit of 1 part that flows efficiently will always be compromised if there are restrictions elsewhere in the system, so extracting max efficiency always means removing all bottlenecks/restictions in the flow chain. Of course, "optimizing" is somewhat subjective since there are things you can do in terms of opening up the intake and exhaust tracts which will maximize power but hurt torque, and vice versa.

 

"Of course, "optimizing" is somewhat subjective since there are things you can do in terms of opening up the intake and exhaust tracts which will maximize power but hurt torque, and vice versa."

Anymore insight on this point? What is the relationship between flow rate or front/back pressure on the system and its torque/power?

Is the boost too low on the 180 hp 1.8T to bother with an intercooler? Will the power gains be offset by much greater turbo lag?
(Show's what I know about R32s, doesn't it?)

Should I spring for a VTDA and see how it feels?

-Tristan

 

the SIII kit from the Modshack will help the car run better with out adding to the 'heat' issue that the chip + SIII would. The need for a FMIC helps on hot days as well as many WOT runs.

I've had the SMIC for around 6 years and just recently install the FMIC. My car has almost 90K and still runs great.

As long as you use synthetic motor oil (Mobile 1 0W40) and don't exceed 20lbs boost (after 18lbs the little K03 just produces heat and a lot of it). stock mode produces only 8 - 10lbs pf boost.

Check my Fotki for the mods I have done.

 

S3 from modshack increases boost...hence increase heat

 

No you can't just build your own code, especially if you don't know enough about cars (as you stated). You are paying $500 for a lot of development time associated with running a chip. The worse of your worried (IMHO) with a chip is extra stress on the turbo and turbo is cheap enough to replace if it goes bad. Keep in mind that there have been few to none reported turbo failures due to chipping.
Intakes: both are good and you can run TTDA same way as VTDA by installing an optional cap, PLUS I think that on a 180 you can run the TTDA feeds to the front anyhow becase you only have 1 SMIC.
DV valve is not necessary unless you find your's to be faulty.
$1000 is a lot for FMIC, but you are not paying for just a radiator, you are also paying for the tubing and R&D. I still think its a lot, thats why I'll build my own.

Hope it helps.

 

Has anyone used the modshak stage3 w/stock ECU?

 

VTDA is a great mod, I love mine. But the reality is you want bang for the buck...get a chip.

The chip won't do anything but change your boost pressures and it's timing (in a nutshell)

Save yourself the hassle and get chipped.

 

The existing program limitations are very low with the stock set-up. Chipped is another story and Boost of 16-19 seems to work just fine.
Even on a 225 you can only get a few PSI out of a stock set-up, where chipped you can get 5-7. Stg 2 with the **** and intake will net you some nice driveability gains though. As has been pointed out, an engine is just an air pump. Improve the flow at BOTH ends and you can improve the output and efficiency.. let me know if you have more questions!

 

don't have a VTDA, so I really can't comment there - I am happy with my TTDA so far. I don't think the boost level on a 180 TT whether it's stock or chipped is the issue, so much as the turbo itself. With the smaller K03 or K03sport that the various 180s come with, the stock system is fairly (under most useage and ambient temp conditions) adequate (IMO, and others may disagree here) to handle the volume of charge air that the K03 can flow. The stock IC isn't very big and location isn't quite optimal in terms of cooling efficiency, so it's probably fair to say that when chipped - i.e. producing more boost and therefore heat, it will probably heat-soak more quickly. For example, let's say from a standing start you accelerate hard up through the first three gears, in identical cars under indentical conditions. One car is chipped though, the other stock. In the chipped car, the stock IC will I think reach it's capacity to remove heat from the system sooner than it will on the non-chipped car. So, although the chipped car obivously makes more boost and is more powerful, you'll probably have a more noticeable drop in performance when shifting into 3rd or at least in the higher rpm range once into 3rd, in the chipped car. The stock IC would be better able to handle the heat generated by the stock car.

The problem with upgrading the IC on the stock turbo is that you will have one of 2 things happen, I think. If you move the manifold pressure sensor so that it remains in the right place - right before the throttle body (keep in mind that most FMIC solutions for the 180 require that you use the 225 Intake manifold which means the throttle is now on the other side.) You want to move the MAP sensor so that the ECU gets a correct reading of what boost is where it counts, as charge air enters the throttle. If you leave it in the stock spot, the reading probably stays the same, but the actual boost at the throttle probabvly drops, because the ECU is not telling the turbo to work harder to make up for the drop in boost that is actually occuring by the time the air gets into throttle - remember that now you have the FMIC with the extra piping too, the volume of the charge air system is quite a bit bigger than it was. The turbo is only blowing as hard as it was, but it is filling a larger volume, so pressure is lower. If on the other hand you move the MAP sensor to the "correct" spot as mentioned above, so that the manifold pressure reading is accurate, the ECU will make the turbo work harder, so that it can maintain the desired boost pressure in the new, larger system. That means the little K03 is now working harder still (if it's chipped, too) possibly out of it's efficency range where you are in diminsihing returns in boost terms, and you generate a lot of heat. This combined with the other stresses that come with that hard work (like spinning too fast) may contribute to your turbo's premature death. So, it's either that or deal with a pressure drop, which, I have read, would be around 2 psi, from what I've read in the testing of others. Though presumably you would be better able to consistently make and maintain the boost you do make, since that is the idea of the FMIC. If you have a 180, the dual SMICs of the 225 are another possibility, or just a slightly larger SMIC, which someone was working on. Tyrolsport - don't know if they finished it. None of this is based on any testing I'VE done!

As for the exhaust and what makes for an optimal toque/power balance, there have been books written on this - really! Like Corky Bell's book "maximum boost" or something like that? There's also a ton of info (you'll want to sift carefully) in the archives here. I guess you have or are considering a 180? If it's FWD, I have plenty of info you can chew over, since I would humbly say that I think I have a 180 FWD exhaust tract that is just about as good as you'll get. E-mail me if you want to know more, or just read some of my posts on exhaust issues.