how to turbo a 2001 2.0L Golf

[R36FTW]

I don't think the guys here are being overly negative when suggesting to go the GTI route. On every car forum I've been on over the years, there are many threads about boosting a NA engine and what it would take. Invariably it works out to be quite expensive, obviously due to things like rods and pistons being unsuitable in stock form and needing to be replaced, but secondarily from things like brake upgrades, clutch upgrades and sometimes gearbox work and custom driveshafts/diffs. I've even seen someone split a firewall due to running too much power through a chassis never designed for it.

You want something reliable, repairable, and something that when you sell it eventually isnt going to freak people out and have them not trust it. Quirky builds can be good, but you also limit your audience.

One thing I'll say is that I have never seen so many 'off the shelf tunes' as on the VW forums I've just joined (I'm new to the brand). What's with people not tuning their cars on a dyno/street like japanese cars? 'Chips' are traditionally conservative tunes and by nature are not optimized for individual engines, and I've never seen one recommended ever before. Yes dyno tuning costs money, but you'd be mad not to do it properly IMO, so don't think having to get a proper tune due to the unavailability of a 'chip' is negative.

At the end of the day its your money, and if it makes you happy, do it.

[WhO]

Hang on Rob, I thought with your little current project, you would be encouraging this! I didn't see too many people saying "Who, don't be an idiot, just buy an R32" because you were doing it with a Bora 4Motion.

Ahh **** i wrote a whole lengthly reply to this then hit the backspace button accidentally.... Ok i'll just summarise it this time instead.

Gavs - As i said in my last post it all comes down to what the OP wants. Building a NA car up to be a turbo is a long and often expensive road, having done two of them not from kits with much of the work done myself, i feel i'm fairly well versed in how things go and can honestly say if you're after a moderate power increase (say nothing big like 200kw atw) often buying something factory turbo then modifying moderately will nett you the power your after at a far better cost.

I didnt insinuate he was an idiot (not sure if you were directing that towards me) and my first post although not encouraging him to boost the 2.0 was written so, as the OP came accross to me initially as someone that hadn't really researched what was involved with a turbo conversion. Having been on car forums for many years i've seen many people come and go asking that exact question and being a realist inevitabley the threads die when people realise its not just a matter of bolting on a turbo and away you go.

Now this was all based upon assumption and that said its one i probably shouldnt make because the initial question asked is a valid one. I remember when i boosted my 1.6 pulsar i met much resistance with most people just saying why not put in a 2.0 (common conversion in pulsars). I did it because i wanted something unique and and wanted to see what i could make out of the old girl, thus if the OP is after similar things then again go for it and apologies for the assumptions and i'll be more than happy to help where i can!!!

[WhO]

thanks for that coralon. might have to start saving a bit if its gona be that much!haha
also another question....would the turbo be hidden behind the engine cover?
and all i really need is just the headers wouldnt i. i could just get the other parts myself?

If the engine cover doesnt hide enough and your wanting to go stealth, simply making your own or having a heat shield made up for you out of that rippled heat shield material (think one brand is ACL heat shield) would make it easy to hide the turbo.

You can run a very low boost say 5-6psi on a non intercooled turbo system and slowly add more parts to it, this will reduce initial outlay but the most important thing is understanding the need to lower compression if you plan on running higher boost for more power, either with a head spacer or go old school and get low compression pistons but the dollars go up then.

Personally i definitely wouldn't bother with a non intercooled turbo setup. The lower power gain at only 5psi and the risk of detonation etc isn't worth the cost saving vs the cost of intercooling and then being able to run much higher boost at reduced risk of detonation.

[gavs]

I didnt insinuate he was an idiot (not sure if you were directing that towards me) and my first post although not encouraging him to boost the 2.0 was written so, as the OP came accross to me initially as someone that hadn't really researched what was involved with a turbo conversion. Having been on car forums for many years i've seen many people come and go asking that exact question and being a realist inevitabley the threads die when people realise its not just a matter of bolting on a turbo and away you go.

Sorry, not you mate, I know you wouldn't because you have gone down the route yourself.

All the others before you were though and now that the OP has come back on and a couple of people are sticking up for him, they seem to have run and hid, like usual. They gang up and then as soon as there is some resistance or the OP bites back, bye bye negativity. I found this exact situation when discussing the possibility of a Super Charged or Turbo charged v5 out of a Bora and putting it in the golf, as soon as I said that I don't want a GTi because I don't see the point, leather and sunroof, climate control are thinigs I don't want and they add dead weight etc, again all the nay-sayers ran away.

In regards to the intercooler question, don't go rice and think that a bigger intercooler than realistically required will help, it won't it will hinder the performance of why you actually put an intercooler on by adding restriction to the system. Path of least resistance and all that. Watch me get flamed for saying that too by the Mk 4 locals!

Gavs out, sick of the Mk4 forum anyway.

[mikk]

good thread.

if u want a little more power, you can do it relatively cheaply, but you will still be slower than a gti.

but let's say you want to go faster. if you are very handy, or good at learning, then you could save heaps of money by doing the work yourself. also a lot of the parts don't need to be brand new. it is an old car, so put on parts that will last for what you think the life of the car will be, or that will last for the longest time you think you will keep the car.

work out what u need then hunt around on ebay, forums, and wreckers for parts. even consider putting up the money to buy a written off gti at auction and use a lot of the parts from it. buy a good set of tools, learn how to weld, and learn how to read circuit diagrams and do wiring. the internet brings such a wealth of information to our fingertips. there hasn't been a better time to take on a project like this.

[schoona]

I didn't think anyone was being overly negative at all??

[madglf3]

We don't muck around with cars to make money, it's to have fun as a hobby.

Have a look at the link below (IDK if someone already posted it). Some good threads on boosting 2.0s (US based threads).

MK4-2.0T-ROLL-CALL!

If you go ahead with it, keep us all posted. I'd be keen on seeing updates.

[JustCruisn]

Some inspiration
Turbo 2.Slow built by exoticars

[RolfGolf]

Some inspiration
Turbo 2.Slow built by exoticars

Good to see some diversity. Anyone have any idea of the numbers that car is putting down?

[mikk]

this thread certainly has been an eye opener. there are people out there with some fairly cheap setups on a 2.0 making decent power. cheaper and more powerful that i would have thought.