My VW MK5 TDI

[lhennessy]

Haha well this is my 1st car let alone 1st diesel.

I am in every sense of the word a novice. I'm abit worried about taking off the inlet and cleaning it ect but really want to do it...
If I took it to a garage what you think you pricing would be? I'm guessing pretty high because of the time involved...
If I take it off do I just basically clear out everything I can and as clean as possible ect once the surface gunk is outa the way do I just go at it with a rag and some metho?

I'm thinking of getting the prevent what sort of upkeep is there? Obviously empty the catch can out and clean it but what does it involve? How offer and does the kit come with everything to fit it? And instructions? Best places to attach it..where not to put it haha

If I do an exhaust system will I get a lot of smoke like I see from a lot of modded diesels? (currently have 0 smoke of anything (always here about it it's smoke and then watch vids of exhaust systems with clouds at high rpm..

Simple do's and donts.

Recommended parts? Intake, exhaust, down pipes ect

This next part isnt to do with only diesels.

One thing I'm really trying to get info on is suspension...

I was thinking of coilovers for the adjustability mainly the height changability but have heard they are very harsh ride???

I'm worried about going springs because I don't like the idea that if they are to high or low I'm pretty much stuck with it.
What would be the most comfortable coilovers? At a reasonable price..

And what would be a good spring and shock setup... I want to get as little wheel arch gap as I can without scraping my driveway and stuff.

Thank you and sorry about the amount of questions, and I apologize if anyone does not like the slab of text on a post. Sorry:/

[Greg Roles]

If you are worried about taking it apart, just grab a can of diesel specific intake cleaner, Motul for example, and spray it in after your aircleaner, you can pull off the small black hose just after your airbox, as this is just the turbo control valve bleed line and just needs to vent. See my carformance section on here under "subaru upper intake cleaner ". The Subaru stuff isn't ideal for diesels sadly.

The way a diesel bvasically works is that instead of a typical throttle, you add more or less fuel, so anything you spray in that it can combust actually works like pressing the accelerator, unlike a normal petrol car where a physical throttle flap controls the speed of the engine, so spraying in something it can eat is a slow process as it will want to rev out.

A Provent 200 is by far the best thing you can do, and I will have complete kits for thise in coming months. That said it's really easy to do yourself, I'll have to pull my finger out and do a proper write up / vido on installing them. If you go to my Provent 200 page on my website , down the bottom are some excellent links on various people who have fitted them, especially the last one. It's under categories / intake / oil catch cans.

Provent is easy, you just have a drain line and use a $4 irrigation tap, drain it every several thousand kms, youlll get 100-150mL. There is an internal filter you need to replace about every 40-60k for $80 odd.

Intake is a fun thing to do, but wonlt help powerwise very much, and my favourite at present is the aFe intake kit on the standard airbox, or any GTI one modified to fit. I have some TDI specific intakes on the backburner as my business expands later this year, but there are plenty of TDI's on here who have fitted something. I'd recommend you do that last ( even though I didn't! )

The right tune will not smoke, soot is simply too much fuel, and any decent tune should not soot overly much. You will tend to seem more down low as the turbo comes onto boost on any of the mainstream tunes, and you will pay around a grand, but this is the biggest bang for buck by far. Will take your 103 to about 125-130kw and far more importantly from 320nm to over 400nm, and feel FAR more grunty. simple plug in a laptop tune too, no pulling out ECU's like the MK6 diesels.

Exhaust is a good idea, especially the dump pipe, where you want a bigger diameter, and to be honest you could just do the dump pipe and leave the stock cat back ( rear half ) and just have one of the mufflers removed. If you want to do the wholw thing why not, but powerwise there is none in the cat back, that's just noise adjustment.

Coilovers are tricky, but it seems if you want to go lower yet still have some comfort, ones like HPA SHS, KW V1, and the Konis / Bilsteins seem to get good reviews. Whatever you do, DON'T just grab a cheap set off ebay, they are often rock hard horrors, stick to name brands you can research and look out for some secondhandies. A 24mm solid rear sway bar transforms the cornering of a FWD, and I was amazed the effect it had on mine with no real ride difference otherwise. FWD cars you work at the back first.

If you want to look into suspension reviews, look up White James on GolfMKV.com, the guy goes into incredible detail, but certainly helped me decide the ones I would choose!

Take your time, enjoy the process, but above all get some of that spray and clean the inlet out, it will be quite gummed up by 150k.

[lhennessy]

Really appreciate you taking the time to answer all my questions you have been a huge help.

So would you recommend that I just do the spray or attempt the full cleaning?
Also is there a EGR "Delete"? (if so any reasons not too?)

As for the provent does is come with all the piping and mounting brackets and connections or are they whats coming soon? I'm at 86-87km at the moment I'm my 2.0 TDI.so would like to do it before 90k in an ideal world but worst case scenario 100k

What mods can you do to fit gti intakes? They are so much better/nicer than the tdi ones available.

As for tuning I'm thinking of DNA Tuning as they are pretty close to me (good bad?)

What down pipe would you suggest? Like apr or something?
I'm going to do an r32 rear, or maybe abt quad tip but I think quad would look funny abit of overkill..

I really appreciate the coilovers help I'll do some research in pricing. What's the wear like on them do they last forever sort of thing or just like a few years?
I was thinking of possibly going gti pirrelli stock suspension as it's about 45mm lower than stock but I really want to see one in person on 40/18r's just to see the wheel arch gap.

Thanks Lhennessy

[Greg Roles]

Do the spray, work up to a full clean one day. Learn lots in the meantime!

There is a EGR restriction plate, but your tuner should be able to do it electronically. I know most mainstream brands can, unsure of DNA. They seem to be OK, I hear the usual miz of good and bad as you do with all tuners, but I have put mates onto them and no complaints. All the 103 tunes will be ballpark anyhow, as beyond the level they all pretty much produce, your turbo is at risk, so there's probably nothing in it, choose a nearby dealer and shop on price / service / deal.

Provent is a total DIY at this stage, you need to research it, or wait and prey I finally come through on a VERY old promise to get "kits" together. I'm not going to say it's close yet again, but it finally is drawing near.

Fitting a Provent isn't overly hard though, but there's no massive rush, spend a few weeks learning, look into it, and then decide.

Pick an intake you like then ask the question of how to make it fit. The aFe is an easy bolt on.

Don't ask a Viezu dealer if another tuner is any good, I've got vested interest! Nah they seem OK to me. I guess I should plug Viezu here, and mention that our offering differs as it is fully insured, any retunes for future mods is included for free, and there is no charge to return to stock etc etc. HPX is the massive dealer there, and there's apparently a smaller mobile guy like me about to be launched down there.

For a dump pipe I don't think many mainstream brands have a TDI pipe, but I'm sure Milltek out of the UK or Supersprint from Italy would, and that would be my first place to check out. As for the cat back the GTI cat back is identical, so any cat back designed for the MKV GTI will work. Don't buy a GTI stock cat back thinking it will be "better", they are identical and I see people make this mistake all the time!

Tips are up to you, and will limit your choices, but you need to really look into what the other TDI boys have done, I think Forcefed did an R32 rear from memory??? Can't recall.....search the TDI section on the boys TDI build threads - not mine - I've only just done a cat back but it's a GTI version. No fancy tips for me!

No idea as to longevity of coilovers, about to find out myself, I'm planning HPA or ST's or KW V1.

If you want specific gap you will need adjustable coilovers, but if you could pick up stock pirelli suspension, well it's a lot of bang for buck secondhand.

[lhennessy]

Ok so motul the best one?

Ok how much is the stage 1 veizu?

As for the rear end Iv been planing the r32 since I was thinking of vw. Then saw that poyta did one then adrian but doesn't really bother me as neither are in Vic

Will be doing 4 inch tips possibly with the burnt blue...

Decently gonna do the prevent and I'll talk with a mate see if they can help as they are both mechanics...

Will look into the down pipe... Probs do a down pipe and cutback with just 1 hotdog muffler... I want it pretty loud as desiel is so quiet...

I was thinking arp carbon fiber intake... But so expensive nd heard its over rated. But like the gti ones a lot more options.

As for suspension if I can find a good set of pirellis I'll get on that but if not props St's as they are the cheapest ones I have seen that are good quality..
Might ask in the suspension area if I can go for a ride in someone's car with stock Pirelli or st/hpa/kw coilovers in Melbourne... Give them a 6pack or something haha

Thanks again.