planned mods for mk4 gti - ideas welcome

[fuzion]

Strange, from my setup on a k03 i hit over 125kw with a few mods? So did a few other mk4 GTI's. Figure that out?

From experience with my old mk4 that i recently sold that got approx 144 at the front wheels with NO k04 you are able to get a fair bit out if you do things correctly.

In order for your K03 stock setup i would do the following.

■ Chip (my preference is GIAC after running 3 different types this was the best for everyday drive car driveability and most amount of power and still good fuel econ and more specifically it adapted MUCH better to modifications than the other ones that i used. However the choice is yours to what you choose!)
■ Diverter Valve Upgrade (Bailey, Go Fast Bits [GFB] or Forge - All recirculating diverter valves, not atmospheric)
■ 3" Downpipe - High flow cat is NOT needed on a mk4 regardless what people say im sorry i made more power then most ppl and i never changed mine.
■ Exhaust if you choose - Remus is probably the quietest and proven to run with. I prefer quiet personally but if you want sound its up to you what you choose).
■ CAI - 2 choices, a Carbonio or AEM style intake or alternatively cheaper option for time being is cold air induction tube into the stock airbox
■ N75J Valve - uprated electronic waste gate controller from the existing stock, holds boost a bit longer and with chip 1-2psi more sometimes as well dependant on setup.
■ Suspension is a must and best way is Coilovers but they do cost a lot, if out of your price range a good set of bilstein, eibach, weitec or so fourth spring/shock setup will work equally as good. Dont forget good tyres!
■ Brakes - dont forget to remember more power you should accomodate with better brakes - 312mm S3 setup, or porsche/brembo setup. but all in time.

That would be my list of to do and how i went along my way of doing things on mine.

They are a light car, and pull quite well with the right mods. The k04 is laggy and holds more at the end, the k03 and k03s gives you a lot more down low which is great for suburban driving in my opinion hence i didnt go a k04 setup.

All up to you and money at the end of the day .. but thats my 2psi from experience and playing endlessly with mine over last few years!

I think its worth taking a step back and working out what you want and what you have to spend. The K04 is a good upgrade, but its really not going to give you a lot more power over the K03.

K03's run around 8ish PSI stock, with a tune that comes up to about 17psi. The tune alone would bring you up to the vicinity of 120kw ATW.

I'm not sold on the k04, if you want real power, consider a bolt on option like the Garret GT28RS, whilst more expensive it gives the potential for 200kw ATW, substantially more than the K04 (around 150kw ATW?). To do it well with supplementary parts to work well with it, I'd allow $8k.

If you are after a generally fast car, a chip and a good suspension setup will do wonders.

When you start looking at a turbo upgrade, there are lots of options and good accompanying hardwares: exhaust, intake, manifolds, injectors, etc. The best way is to know how much power you want and to work from there...

[noone]

How many people though have a spare $8k to throw at their car just on engine work? If he is starting with a standard car he can go from 110kw>>180kW and 210nm>>388nm for only $3k using the APR kit or cheaper if he sources parts himself and shops around for a tune. For most this is a much more practical exercise and leaves them with money to spend on suspension etc.

Agreed, but that does not make my point any less. Many people assume that putting on a bigger turbo would add big power, IMO the K04 upgrade does not make a big enough difference to justify the cost. BTW, if you look at the APR site, its $3k for the turbo, plus Fuel reg ($200), Tune ($1275), relisticly you are going to want to do some of the exhaust and the intake, so for this upgrade as I don't believe APR include labour in their pricing you'd be looking at around $5k... for a few more you'd have power to make traction a joke...

180kw would be at the flywheel, with transmission loss of around 15% thats about 159kw ATW...

I'm getting 135kw ATW with the K03s in the Polo which is a very similar setup to the Mk 4 GTI.

Like I said, its all about your budget and goals

[TazzyVR6]

Yes I don't mean to try and say that MY way is THE way . All the different setups have their place depending on money and what the person wants out of their car. I never actually realised that the software was on top of the $3k, that is very steep! However, you can source a K04-001 and FPR for a bit over $1k, add the software up to $1.5K and the setup is still under $3k.
Now the reason I'm going K04 is because I'd be happy with 159kW ATW for my daily (and 388nm -15% = 330nm ATW) and it is realatively inexpensive compared to a gt28 setup. Plus I already have APR stage 1 so I can get the software cheaper again...

[noone]

159kw ATW? Where did you get that number from?

The only Dyno I've seen of a Polo with a K04 pulled a 177.5 HP, which is about 132kw... Thats a long way shy of 159...

I'm not saying you cant, I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just making you aware of what the 1.8T with a K04 has done. With all the right mods to accompany it and a more aggressive tune, I'm sure bigger numbers are achievable...

[TazzyVR6]

180kw would be at the flywheel, with transmission loss of around 15% thats about 159kw ATW...

Ah, that was your number...

[vwthunder]

The only Dyno I've seen of a Polo with a K04 pulled a 177.5 HP, which is about 132kw... Thats a long way shy of 159...

I'm not saying you cant, I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just making you aware of what the 1.8T with a K04 has done. With all the right mods to accompany it and a more aggressive tune, I'm sure bigger numbers are achievable...

Saying that about agressive tunes, I dont think APR is agressive enough, no matter if it is K03 or K04 software
If I was to go a K04 I would probably look at a different tune like GIAC

[Jarred]

transmission loss of only 15%??? really...

[TazzyVR6]

Just ripped this from vortex:
245hp/319tq on 104oct (182kW/432nm)
234hp/301tq on 93oct (174kW/408nm)

As a baseline, the same shop dyno'd the car in fall of 2007 with the same mods, minus the TIP and the K04:
191hp/230tq on 93oct

2001 1.8T AWW
Mods are:
Freedom Design CAI
Forge/Samco TIP
ECS N75 Valve
Forge 007 DV
K04-001
Clamed MAP Sensor
APR Software
APR 2.5 SS TB

Here's the link:http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4475780

[TazzyVR6]

In keeping with the OP, just did a quick google and here is the K04-001 info thread from vortex. Has a lot of useful info, what's needed, dyno charts, specs, for and against, user experiences etc.
OFFICIAL: K04-001 Information Thread (click here before making another k04 thread)

[noone]

Ah, that was your number...

I was talking generally, but think 150 was the number I mentioned.

transmission loss of only 15%??? really...

Its a guestimate based on Polo numbers. People have used this for the Polo, but I have no idea how accurate it is, so it could certainly be pesemistic.

Saying that about agressive tunes, I dont think APR is agressive enough, no matter if it is K03 or K04 software
If I was to go a K04 I would probably look at a different tune like GIAC

Agreed. Giac or Custom Code to get the most power.

Tazzy, those figures again look like at the fly, if they don't specify At The Wheels, they are likely not...

There is a statement next to one of the Dyno's saying a gain of '+16 hp and +22 lb-ft' was experienced and is normal. Thats not much gain for the money IMO. Then again, its does hold the power much higher into the rev range, where the Ko3 dies off when tuned to come on at full boost at 2500rpm.

Come on OP'er, get involved before we turn your thread into another stupid debate