1.8T GT28RS Big Turbo - nearly done

[simmo675]

Great to see another mk4 gti getting some big turbo love!! What are your plans for engine management?

Good question! Looking on here it seems like the custom code option is the least labour intensive. I see you've gone for a re-wire to go 7.5. How much work is in that? It makes some sense to go that way too but I cant afford to keep fiddling. Maybe go custom code now and swap out later

[simmo675]

Oh, the joys
losing the vband and putting on a tight elbow style may clear, I think the OEM Nissan may be close
mind you that will kill power

I am putting a Gt28rs on mine, but that is a MK1 chassis and I am on a pedal box

I ended up going for the CTS turbo manifold.



Top mount works better on the cold side, and I ended up getting a v-band turbine housing to give a bit more clearance in around the brake booster and master cylinder.

[simmo675]

I still had to do something about the air con pipes, and the mostly useless heat shielding.



so the air-con pipes came out and were re-worked by Autofrost out at Milperra. Actually I should mention that I'm now working on the car at MotorRetro in Seven Hills - the boys are ex-TAFE teachers and after they closed the North Sydney automotive department they started the MotorRetro business in January - they do metalworking courses and classic car and bike restoration and modifications. If anyone in Sydney is looking to learn metalworking or welding they are the guys to see. Anyway its great to be working above ground, with natural light!

I digress - we ran some weld wire in the new pipe location as a template and the re-worked pipes came back bang on. I got them to run a flexible section over the top of the master cylinder so I could get to the reservoir and bleed screws later.







So with Vaughan's help we fabricated a custom downpipe. Me on the hacksaw and Vaughan on the TIG.



Test fit on the fab'd downpipe was encouraging:



but still tight!



Finally settled on the wastegate out and down screamer style we'll see eh?



What wasn't immediately obvious was the water line to the TIAL MVS bumps the bulkhead; the build up of the exhaust v-band, coolant banjo and clearing the downpipe with the dump-pipe adds up to just a little too much for the space available.



so I ended up re-plumbing the coolant feed to the turbo and wastegate and pushing everything in toward the block as far as possible. Motorsport Connections are just around the corner, and they have all the speedflow -AN fittings and hose in stock.





Pretty much done here.

[simmo675]

While all that was going on I went bananas with the heatshielding



the corrugated stuff is the Platinum heatshield from SCA - pretty good for 60 bucks.





it fits! (just)





So currently in the process of re-fitting and re-plumbing all of the pipes and wires....more pics to come as things progress.....

[IanPGonzaga]

very nice!


what size turbine housing are you using? looks like you are using an adaptor plate at the bottom of the flange to the mani???
t25 to t3 (as i know that mani is only available in T3.... so annoying)

also - without the heat shield on top of the turbo - how much clearance is there above it?? looking at a mani without the EWG but maybe add this?

T3 to T3 Turbo Flange Adapter, Flanges, XS Power Inc.

[Notso Swift]

Very neat
I also have top mount, but a cheap Maximizer manifold that I cut the T3 flange off. You can buy adapter plates, but I see that as another leak point
Interesting to note the water fitting comments... something I had better check

[IanPGonzaga]

I have to laugh at the previous pic with the downpipe sticking out beside the timing belt cover, for reasons that will become obvious....

Got the engine back in the car, and got to this point:



Hmmmm.

So, who put the brake booster there? On reflection I guess it was naive to expect a LHD aftermarket setup to fit a RHD car. Why that didn't occur to me while I was researching the kits I don't know (Cookie Monster is a muppet, right?) Or to ATP for that matter, sending parts to Aus. Anyway, **** happens, move forward, problem solve. So what next?

i was looking at this manifold too - was chatting to a guy in the UK saying that this manifold wouldn't work - here is the proof!

sorry you had to find out the hard way but like you said - problem solve and jump the hurdle!

can't wait to see the final result

[Lito]

very nice!


what size turbine housing are you using? looks like you are using an adaptor plate at the bottom of the flange to the mani???
t25 to t3 (as i know that mani is only available in T3.... so annoying)

also - without the heat shield on top of the turbo - how much clearance is there above it?? looking at a mani without the EWG but maybe add this?

T3 to T3 Turbo Flange Adapter, Flanges, XS Power Inc.

If youre after a top mount t25 manifold im using this one made by a german company called bartek


Works with a rhd downpipe and you can keep stock ac lines... Just barely

[Lito]

Good question! Looking on here it seems like the custom code option is the least labour intensive. I see you've gone for a re-wire to go 7.5. How much work is in that? It makes some sense to go that way too but I cant afford to keep fiddling. Maybe go custom code now and swap out later

Honestly knosing now how straight forward it is i would have swapped to me7.5 a long time ago. As long as you get a decent condition harness (no split wires, cracked insulation, etc) it drops right in like factory and works like oem retaining all factory options, except silly stuff like traction control but if you want to add the sensors and modules in that can be accomplished.

[IanPGonzaga]

PM'd