# Welcome to Dish's Corner!



## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

At this point I can't say that I'm ever going to "build" my car but I'm creating this solely to keep all of my thoughts, questions and annoyances located in a single thread instead of spreading it all over the place. We'll call this, Thread Consolidation.

Also, I try to take pictures whenever possible so it may get a little picture intense at times. 

On to the first topic, I recently joined the big boy club and purchased a Ross-Tech Vag Com. I've only used it a few times for fear of messing things up but already, I'm in love. Why did I wait so long to buy this?!? Anyway, I've been trying to isolate the cause of my 5 psi Limp Mode. I originally thought it was my MAF so I took that out, gave it a good cleaning. 

I'm still working on logging and everything but I took a couple of shots with my phone while I was sitting in the car.









No wonder it was so quiet when it started up this time.









Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this voltage disparity is telling me that my #1 O2 Sensor is bad. I never found a definitive section in VCDS (mainly because I didn't know what I was looking for) that said, your number (insert number here) O2 Sensor is bad thus probably leading to the conclusion as to why you're boost is being limited as it is sensing a "lean" condition.


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

Hey mate, we might be chasing the same thing and I have already replaced my MAF.. I have battled long term lean conditions since I purchased the car. Can you tell us what block 32 says, as that will let you know what the ECU is trying to do at idle and over a range of RPMs (add fuel, remove fuel). If you are positive you are running lean, and ECU is adding, if you are negative, you are running rich and ECU is pulling fuel.

The voltages simply indicate how much oxygen is left in the mix as it passes over the sensor. High voltage means the mixture is rich and lower voltage means the mixture is lean.

Since S1 is pre-cat and S2 is post cat, that should be correct as your downstream sensor shouldn't be reading rich as the Cat is supposed to burn any extra fuel that sneaks into the exhaust.

From what I read about dead sensors.. is that the reading should sit just below .5v and not fluctuate very much. Hope that helps, and let us know what block 32 shows. :beer:


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## Doooglasss (Aug 28, 2009)

If you cleared your codes your readiness will show up as not passed or incomplete until you drive the car for 25-50 miles. 

What were your codes?

As a side note the MAF cleaners don't work. Now that you have vagcom you can log to check your mafs health. But first what were the codes stored?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. The code that was stored was P1136, Intermittent. I cleared the code and then when I took those screen shots I hadn't driven the car yet. Doug hit it right on the head and as soon as I drove the car a little, came back and rechecked then everything except Secondary Air had passed. 

Just to be sure I used the TTweaker's guide to test Lambda Control and Cats. Everything came back just fine with the 02 sensors. 

Just to confirm, Block 032 shows Idle Value at 3.2 and Part Throttle at 7. During a short drive through various RPM ranges, Idle stayed at 3.2 and Part Throttle peaked at 7.8.

I also did a log of Requested Boost and Actual Boost: Requested peaked at 16.24 and Actual at that point was 5.9. I logged additional stuff with this but I'm not sure exactly how it all correlates just yet.


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

Your actual pressure is limp mode pressure.. Although if your fuel trims are OK, not sure what else you would have wrong to limit boost (except a huge boost leak). Intermittent is what I was seeing as well, and possible you haven't driven the car long enough to elevate fuel trims beyond what you reported this evening.

After my reset and 20 miles of driving I was showing 12% part throttle. Just took a nice 200 mile trip with the wife and I'm now showing 18% part throttle. 

When long term value exceed + or - 25% the ECU will protect the car by limiting boost (limp mode). Since the long term is adjusted based on short term fuel trims you can hit soft limp mode and then recover from it when long term falls below 25%. I believe this is what happened to me on Friday as I do see the number drop under hard acceleration. The cause is yet unknown in my case... Best of luck!


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> Your actual pressure is limp mode pressure.. Although if your fuel trims are OK, not sure what else you would have wrong to limit boost (except a huge boost leak). Intermittent is what I was seeing as well, and possible you haven't driven the car long enough to elevate fuel trims beyond what you reported this evening.
> 
> After my reset and 20 miles of driving I was showing 12% part throttle. Just took a nice 200 mile trip with the wife and I'm now showing 18% part throttle.
> 
> When long term value exceed + or - 25% the ECU will protect the car by limiting boost (limp mode). Since the long term is adjusted based on short term fuel trims you can hit soft limp mode and then recover from it when long term falls below 25%. I believe this is what happened to me on Friday as I do see the number drop under hard acceleration. The cause is yet unknown in my case... Best of luck!


Thanks. I've gone over and over the engine bay looking for leaks of any kind. I'm usually pretty good at hearing them but everything sounds good and visually looks good so I guess I'll just continue to drive the car while checking block 032 to see if it shoots outside of the limit. In that case of exceeding the upper +25% limit, is that an indicator that there is mechanically something wrong with the engine?


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Thanks. I've gone over and over the engine bay looking for leaks of any kind. I'm usually pretty good at hearing them but everything sounds good and visually looks good so I guess I'll just continue to drive the car while checking block 032 to see if it shoots outside of the limit. In that case of exceeding the upper +25% limit, is that an indicator that there is mechanically something wrong with the engine?


Sure thing, Noah commented on my thread this AM and recommended i look into the EVAP system for issues, il keep ya posted how I make out. The 25% threshold does indicate a problem with one or more engine related systems. Depending on whether you are positive or negative lets you know which problem you are trying to solve for.

In both our cases we have a lean condition throughout a wide range of RPMs (not idle). As you continue to drive the short term fuel adjustments will add or subtract from the long term adjustment. If you can stay within 10% either way you should be OK.... But since you exceeded it before and wiped the codes I would suspect you will hit it again..


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> Sure thing, Noah commented on my thread this AM and recommended i look into the EVAP system for issues, il keep ya posted how I make out. The 25% threshold does indicate a problem with one or more engine related systems. Depending on whether you are positive or negative lets you know which problem you are trying to solve for.
> 
> In both our cases we have a lean condition throughout a wide range of RPMs (not idle). As you continue to drive the short term fuel adjustments will add or subtract from the long term adjustment. If you can stay within 10% either way you should be OK.... But since you exceeded it before and wiped the codes I would suspect you will hit it again..


Roger that. I was reading through your thread as well to see if maybe there was anything in there. I'm not a huge fan of just starting to replace various parts hoping for a fix. 

I've been using Wak's TTweakers guide and this is what I keep looking at.









I've already performed all of the Lambda tests and everything passed. Going to run some food to the wife at work and run a few more tests but at this point I would just be guessing.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Well, while trying to think about how to isolate the issue that's causing my constant Limp mode (no pun intended), I decided to start putting the interior back together now that I've cleaned the carpet as best as I could. Got some All Weather Rubber TT mats barely used for a good price so was happy to put those in. Also took the chance to do the USB Plug that TTC2k5 did. Snapped a couple of pictures to show anyone interested. Since I'm not longer using the ashtray, I used the power wires from the Cigarette Lighter to power it. Worked perfect:









I soldered the connections together and then used heat shrink. I prefer shrink as opposed to electrical tape.

I then ran the wire down the passenger side slightly tucked into the carpet all the way back to where the it would mount (forgot to take a picture). 










Here it is mounted:









Worked out really well. Will charge even with the car not turned on. Definitely a good use for that previously unused phone jack slot.


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## Neb (Jan 25, 2005)

Just make sure that you don't leave something plugged in as it could drain the battery :beer: Great idea though.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Neb said:


> Just make sure that you don't leave something plugged in as it could drain the battery :beer: Great idea though.


Yeah I noticed as I turned the car off that it continued to charge so I had to make an mental note to not leave anything plugged in. It felt useful re-purposing the wires for the cigarette lighter and ash tray light (ash tray light wires worked out to be the illumination wires for my vent mounted boost gauge).


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

Hey friend.. how are the fuel trims looking after a few days?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> Hey friend.. how are the fuel trims looking after a few days?


I've driven out of town for work and haven't been able to check them just yet. My wife is driving up tomorrow and will be bringing the Ross-Tech dongle with her. How about yours?


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

I have about 150 miles in since last clearing everything and have settled in right around + 13%. I ran some logs on the injector pulse width and compared to RPMs and the injectors are definitely being worked in the higher RPMs above 90% IDC. I'm going to see how things go for a while and try to grab some more data in the process... Block 101 in VCDS if you are interested


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

That's interesting. Since I cleaned the MAF and then cleared everything, I've been keeping a steady 2.3% on idle and 8.6% (WOT) in partial throttle. I can't seem to get them to go outside of the normal range and I can't find anything associated that would be causing the Limp mode. I would think if it were a boost leak that pushed the Lean condition before, it would continue to do it but so far, nothing. 

I've been considering getting the springs from Home Depot and performing the Wastegate Actuator Spring Mod to see if maybe the WG is so weak that it's allowing anything past 6psi to blow it open (I think I got that right). 

I also found that one of my wheels is warped and above 65 mph has a very annoying vibration that comes and goes in a set pattern so while my wife was up here I got permission to get:









I ended up with 18x8.5 et 35 in the fronts and 18x9.5 et 30 in the rear. I'm pretty excited!


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

I dont believe a weakened WG would limit you to 6 psi, but it will make the turbo work harder to achieve the requested boost. Have you logged block 115 to see what request vs. actual pressure is?

If the request is low then it wouldn't be the WG fault for low boost pressure. 

On the fuel trim topic, I have another 250 miles in since replacing the alternator that failed this past weekend... and still pushing +20% long term correction. I am tempted to add some fuel through Lemmiwinks.. but not confident I know enough to start mucking around with any settings. I wonder if your values are looking OK because of the lower pressure you are pushing which isn't causing a lean condition.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> I dont believe a weakened WG would limit you to 6 psi, but it will make the turbo work harder to achieve the requested boost. Have you logged block 115 to see what request vs. actual pressure is?
> 
> If the request is low then it wouldn't be the WG fault for low boost pressure.
> 
> On the fuel trim topic, I have another 250 miles in since replacing the alternator that failed this past weekend... and still pushing +20% long term correction. I am tempted to add some fuel through Lemmiwinks.. but not confident I know enough to start mucking around with any settings. *I wonder if your values are looking OK because of the lower pressure you are pushing which isn't causing a lean condition.*


I'm leaning that direction as well. The particular P code that I referenced above showed up, I took it to a shop in Knoxville so that once it was corrected they could flash a stage 1 tune on. Drove maybe 40 miles and the light came back on confirming the same code so I know it's not the tune because it was present before the flash. My first attempt after I gave in a purchased the Ross-Tech dongle was to clean the MAF, clear everything and log to see if my MAF was on the way out. So far, nothing has returned but still limited to 6psi. 

I did log 115 at one point but can't seem to find it right now. I may have put it on my home computer but I remember it being a request of like 16 or 17 psi and actual being around 6 psi at it's highest point. I also confirmed this with my vent mount boost gauge. 

I also just recalled that in between everything, I took an afternoon to install a Samco TIP and am now wondering if I've messed up putting something back wrong such as the N75. I'm usually pretty good about remembering exactly how things go back but I think I was also replacing the coolant flange and coolant temp sensor (forgot the o-ring and got distracted at the G-12 pouring out). 

Either way, I know the WG is weak because of how it builds boost (or at least I think I know). Very surge like. Nothing to full on in first gear almost every time. I'm also trying to remember what other items I logged showing Load (if I remember correctly) being well over 100%. Maybe I'm not understanding something but how could a load, requested or actual, be over 100%? 

Last thing, I've got about 300 miles on the new Meyle "GEOMET" coated rotors and PowerStop Ceramic brakes with ECS Tuning Stainless brake lines (they were on sale) and DOT4 Blue fluid. Absolutely love the stoppage. It's no big brake kit for sure but the rotors don't rust from a little overnight fog like the cheap cross drilled/slotted junkers that were on the car before.


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

So I think the next step would be to log your throttle position, N75 Duty cycle, Request and Actual boost over 2500 RPM to redline. This should let you know whether N75 is opening the WG, or the ECU is closing the throttle on you. If neither of those conditions exist... then you may have a nice boost leak if actual never meets requested. 

What is your diverter valve situation and do you still have N249 in the mix?

When I added my FMIC and forgot a hose clamp leading into the IC and I was seeing high request and not even coming close to meeting it.. this data along with the added noise coming from under the hood at WOT led me to the hose clamp that wasn't even finger tightened on the IC inlet.

Also.. I typically see a Load value between 9-190 % if that helps.. Not sure why it reads between those values, but your not alone 

Best of luck tracking it down... no one likes 6psi :beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> So I think the next step would be to log your throttle position, N75 Duty cycle, Request and Actual boost over 2500 RPM to redline. This should let you know whether N75 is opening the WG, or the ECU is closing the throttle on you. If neither of those conditions exist... then you may have a nice boost leak if actual never meets requested.
> 
> What is your diverter valve situation and do you still have N249 in the mix?
> 
> ...


You Sir, 

Have just given me ideas. Ideas that I can't even mentally confirm that I performed or not. Last summer I replaced my Clutch/Flywheel. I did all of this in my driveway and when I finally wrestled the transmission back on to the engine, I was on such a high that I don't remember the process of putting everything back together. I'm wondering (as I had removed the cross tube), if I forgot to tighten one of the clamps on my factory intercoolers.

Diverter valve is a Forge 007 (already on the car - can't remember the spring color) and I haven't gotten around to doing an emission delete yet. I think I was waiting on a solution to doing it without throwing codes left and right. I'm also not the brightest bulb in the light. Put me in a helicopter and I can give you the ride of your life, explain a procedure without little dummy arrows pointing to everything and I'm Kronk with a crayon. 

Thanks for the info on the Load. I thought it strange that a load percentage would exceed 100% but if that's typical then I'll take it out of my scope and focus on other things that you have brought to light. I'll log those items as well as have the car up on jack stands checking everything out this weekend. Thanks again! :beer::beer:


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

Glad to help, and I can only speak from my limited experiences as this is the first turbo charged motor I have ever owned / worked on. Since it is easy to get to, I would also check the Forge DV to make sure its not stuck open and bleeding pressure (same as loose hose clamp).

I found this video helpful to obtain a better understanding of what happens with the fuel trims (short and long term). I think its all pretty basic, but it certainly helped for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRX2V6_a3dc


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Came back home from a business trip to find a present waiting: 










Sure they're only BBS Reps but still.. super excited to get them on. 

Went to put them on today at "TA DA"... I'm a wheel offset calculation idiot. Screwed myself on the rears with the wrong offset: 30. As soon as I started to think about it, I knew I had messed up. Currently trying to contact the supplier and see if I can ship the two rears back to him in exchange for two with at least an et 35. 

Live and learn right? I'm at least happy that they look pretty decent on black. 

Got the single din radio installed and almost all of the interior put back in. Still have to repair the glove box latch and waiting on a replacement 8 inch shallow mount sub to show up to get rid of the worn out static prone Bose. Already replaced the door mid woofers with a component set and they sound 100x better. 

Still trying to isolate what's causing my Limp mode like Boulderhead. :banghead:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

So I'm installing the 034 Motorsports PCV kit that I had been putting off for a long time and think I may have isolated where I'm losing pressure: 









This plastic tube that goes into a check valve under the intake manifold is completely split. Just for $hits and giggles, I check the other side of the check valve and same thing. It got dark on me but I'm going to be finishing everything up with the repair tomorrow. I just cut off the plastic tube to get rid of the split and luckily had some sturdy tubing and hose clamps that fit perfectly. Excited to see if this is going to solve my 6psi boost issue. 

Also, because I'm a "Jenkins" (southern for goofball) and ordered the wrong rear wheel offset, I get to earn my Alabama ******* card by having my car like this: 









At least I know the gold looks good on the black though! :beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Finally back home for a few days and still waiting on spacers for the rear tires. Should be here by the time I return from my next business trip. 

I did finally get a chance to drive the vehicle since repairing those tubes that I found while replacing the PCV Valve. I gained a few pounds of boost (from 5.8 psi to 8 psi) so I've made some progress on that front but it also makes me feel that I have additional leaks somewhere. I went ahead and ordered new intercooler hoses and figured while putting those on, I'd have a chance to really inspect everything above and below the car while at the same time, making sure all hose clamps are tight. 

It's also about time to start ordering suspension goodies. Thanks to reading other forums, I've got a link to some Bilstein PSS for a nice price. Still trying to decide which route I'm going to go on Control Arm bushes (either DEFCON front and poly rear or Poly front and rear). I'm also wondering about subframe bushes/mounts. I saw some solid mounts somewhere but don't want to make the car so rigid that I feel every pebble in the road. 

Until I get more parts and time to work on my lady, :beer::beer:'s on me.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Just noting some experience down here:

I come out from a meeting with my Government Customer and my car goes "chugga, whirrr". Instantly, I start blaming the battery and saying that I should have replaced it by now. Lucky for me I had jumper cables in my car and after having my wife drive out there to give me some battery juice, headed home contemplating what could really have caused the battery to drain.

Once home I went to get something out of the trunk and noticed by sheer luck that the brake lights were on. I didn't remember turning the lights on but I double checked the light switch. Sure enough, the third brake light was illuminated as well. Disconnected the brake light switch and voila!! Short trip to autozone for a $5.00 part and problem solved.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

So, it's been a while since I've been able to update but here's a few things: 

Out of curiosity and pure diagnostic testing, I purchased an Intercooler Hose set off of Ebay from a company called Winner Racing. I know there are always people looking to save a dollar here or there and I had the extra funds so thought I would order the kit to test it out. 

Messaging with the seller came timely as they're located in China and the information that I received is that the seller is a Hose producing/manufacturing company. When the product arrived, this is everything that was included: 
 

Much to my surprise, they're SAMCO hoses!!!  I paid less than $200 for this kit. It was also meant to help me try and diagnose why I'm still losing boost somewhere (if that's even what's happening). 

Install went great and I was able to remove my headlight washers in the process and cap off the line. 

Seems with every improvement comes more problems popping up: Check Engine light came on and I just happened to have my Ross Tech cable with me so a scan turned up "16885 - Vehicle Speed Sensor P0501 - 35-00 - Implausible Signal" (which I haven't been able to check yet due to weather and staying at a hotel with no tools available) and "01538 - Motors for Headlight Range Adjustment (V48)/(V49) 29-00 - Short to Ground." I'm assuming the problem with the headlight motors may very well be a result of me having removed them recently to replace Intercooler Hoses or it could be a result of one of the leveling sensors being messed up. Either way, I guess I get to start taking stuff apart again. 

Last thing is that I think the Haldex was locked on because it was making what sounded like a rubbing noise and clicking. Pulling the fuse solved both problems but now I'm at a loss for the problem. The haldex system is one that I've not quite completely educated myself on just yet. 

As with anything, any advice offered is greatly appreciated.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Interesting weekend altogether. Finally got about 80% of the suspension finished. Still waiting on new tie rods and Defcons. I've got the poly bushings that will go with the Defcons but they didn't do me any good. 



It was pretty straight forward but there were a few :banghead: moments. I'll just skip to the end result:



Next: replace the vehicle speed sensor, a new convertible top, an exhaust and replace the haldex pump. It never ends..


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

As my return home date approaches, I've decided to dig this back up as I have a plethora of parts waiting at the house to be put on. It'll be nice to get back home and go right into Winter Build mode. I've been able to orchestrate almost everything I want to do in a logic based order. The large item on the list is the consideration of painting the car. I love black but I've recently seen a Sepang Blue R8 and instantly fell in love with the color:









Would definitely love any opinions but I'm pretty much sold on the color. MAY try to source a S-line bumper but in all honestly, I'm considering just shaving the front and rear bumpers to keep a mostly stock look. It'll help having the engine out of the bay as well to do a few things to it!

Hope everyone's well. Next update will come when I actually step foot back on American soil and see her sitting in the same spot I put her in before I left.

:beer::beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Finally back home from the other side of the world. Took at least a week before starting to tear into her but:

IT HAS BEGUN!!



She will be almost completely torn down, engine gone through, a few more suspension bits, e85 and some other goodies in the works plus an entire color change. Super excited to get started on everything, whenever my wife will allow that is..


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## BoostedLTH (Mar 19, 2014)

E85....there is a lot of good info out there about that. I almost went that route until I decided to hold off. This is a good thread. You have some cool stuff happening. 


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

BoostedLTH said:


> E85....there is a lot of good info out there about that. I almost went that route until I decided to hold off. This is a good thread. You have some cool stuff happening.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I really appreciate it. I've always been rushed before when working on cars so it's nice to be able to take my time and make sure I get every detail that I can as well as have somewhere that I can put every bit of information that I have.


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## BoostedLTH (Mar 19, 2014)

Absolutely. It's also awesome to look back later and see the progression. I don't post in my build timeline enough, even though my car is my daily. Keep up the good work!


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Made a little more headway tonight. Starting to realize just how slow of a process this is going to be but between work, traveling for work, spending as much time as possible with my wife and son and doing house work/chores, I'll be lucky to have this thing back up by this coming Summer. 



Also got an update from my Father in law who was checking on total cost of the Sepang Blue and looks like he can get it for about $300(ish) a gallon. Definitely think a gallon will take care of the entire car so I'll just have to schedule some time in the booth where he works eventually. 

Last, I forgot to take a picture but I noticed some unusual things while removing part of the harness underneath the intake manifold. Needless to say, I'm certain someone probably did an SAI/Evap delete at one point and then (sloppily) added it back in before selling the car. Lucky for me, this engine is definitely needing to come out so that I can satisfy my OCD when it comes to missing bolts/screws/etc and cleanliness.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Haven't been able to make much progress on the car thanks to a crazy travel schedule at work but a few more parts showed up.









More soon.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Got about 6 hours between travel for work trips and was able to snap a few pictures of more parts that arrived while I was gone.

034 Motor and Trans mounts, Deatschwerks 65W


Older APR Intake Manifold


42DD Turbo back exhaust


I have to say, that 42DD exhaust is an extremely beautiful piece of equipment. Can't wait to put it on and hear it roar. For the time being, still just stockpiling while I'm here in lovely Cockeysville, MD. Going to be here until the morning of Thursday (5 March) if anyone is close and available to grab a beverage.


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> I have to say, that 42DD exhaust is an extremely beautiful piece of equipment. Can't wait to put it on and hear it roar. For the time being, still just stockpiling while I'm here in lovely Cockeysville, MD. Going to be here until the morning of Thursday (5 March) if anyone is close and available to grab a beverage.


Damn dude.. so close to me. What time are you done with work tomorrow?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

In a Product Management Review with AAI. Hopefully not super late. Should be available around 1830 to 1900.


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

Nice, this place has good beer, and good food if you wanted to try and meet up. Drop me a PM and we can swap numbers.

Ryleigh's Oyster Bar Restaurant
22 W Padonia Rd, 
Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Hey everyone! Still around and trying to chip away at the TT when I have time available. Recently was finally able to get the engine/transmission out so I could start tearing it down. 

















I felt like it was never going to get to this point. Engine bay is nasty so I'll probably be going to buy a pressure washer soon. Also, pretty sure that the previous owner had some different parts and/or has had this engine out before: bolts/nuts missing, harness looks terrible trashed, etc. Got the trans/turbo/manifold off last night and am hoping to get it on the stand today.

Still waiting on some bits from my GTS order. Hopefully they're here soon.

I've also been busy with my main mode of transportation. A couple of months ago, a young lad decided to dip in the buffer space I leave between cars I'm following. Upon doing this, he slammed on his breaks which resulted in:









Sadly, insurance totaled it out so I ended up with a 2008 (B7) A4 quattro. 6 MT with black on black. So far, APR stage 1 tune and 034 Motorsports test pipe.









That's all for now.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Finally got a little more time to strip the motor down.


















I was hoping to get it on the engine stand but I've got to go get some longer bolts first. I'm about to place a decent sized order for parts now that I'm this far. Excited to have picked up a little steam, I really miss driving her. 

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Would like to get some opinions. Have never built an engine before. Finally just got the head off and look at some particulate in the cylinders. I wasn't planning on replacing the pistons but more just the rings. Wondering if I should go ahead and do it now. Opinions on pistons and head, valves are very much appreciated. Engine has definitely been out before as stuff is missing, bolts not there, etc. Thanks!









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## peter139 (May 4, 2005)

Hi nice to see your progress.

Do you have big hp plans with you engine? If i were you i should replace the rods (weak point on this engines) , piston do not worn much. Just clean them up, an check piston rings for clearance.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Peter,

Thanks for the comments. I started doing this with the intentions of just refreshing the engine and troubleshooting some oil consumption. It quickly turned into replacing the rods for a hybrid turbo/e85 combination. The cylinder walls look amazing but I'll probably go ahead and replace the rings just to be sure since I'm in there. 

Found a place that'll clean the block for $60 and the head for $120. Looking to drop those off hopefully this week. Then I'll actually be able to start reassembly. Also means I'll need to start ordering additional parts that I might as well put on while I have the chance. Going to thoroughly inspect the harness for usability. When I was taking everything apart, I noticed a fair amount of connectors were broken/cracked as this engine has been out before. 

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Peter,
> 
> Thanks for the comments. I started doing this with the intentions of just refreshing the engine and troubleshooting some oil consumption. It quickly turned into replacing the rods for a hybrid turbo/e85 combination. The cylinder walls look amazing but I'll probably go ahead and replace the rings just to be sure since I'm in there.
> 
> ...


Looking forward to seeing this start coming together :beer: Make sure you get this on a dyno when all is said and done, would like to see how much difference e85 makes


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Absolutely. Just listened to the sound clips you posted. I'm even more excited to get her started up with the full 42dd exhaust. Just need to find a manifold better than stock. Franken won't sell one alone sadly or I'd have one already. 

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Absolutely. Just listened to the sound clips you posted. I'm even more excited to get her started up with the full 42dd exhaust. Just need to find a manifold better than stock. Franken won't sell one alone sadly or I'd have one already.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


The stock manifold can be ported out dramatically, especially at the collector area where the turbo mounts. This is the route that I went and was pretty straight forward.. I didn't go nearly as aggressive as Max, but any extra material removed will help


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

I'll have to go back a re-read what exactly was used. I would like to do it myself but am not sure I have the right tools. I'll do some more homework after I finish my homework. Thanks for reminding me this could be done though. Every penny saved counts!

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

I used a set of grinding stones from the bargain bin at Advance Auto and my corded drill. I could have cut a lot faster with the right tools... but in my case slower was better since I had never attempted this before. The main thing to focus on is opening up the mouth to match the gasket, and also the "blade" which sits in the middle of the collector. For more extreme cases, you can have a look at Max's thread at the link below.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...a-track-TT&p=80204925&viewfull=1#post80204925

Can't find the pic of where I stopped.. but this should help for how mine progressed.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Thanks sir. Collecting items as we speak. 

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## walkdontrunn (Jul 23, 2015)

This is an impressive amount of parts for a build.

Did you have someone around Huntsville install the Defcon bushings?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Not yet. My friend and neighbor had a press I was going to try but he has since moved. I will probably go to the auto skills shop on Redstone Arsenal and pay to use their press. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Around midnight, I suddenly had a eureka moment for how to get the crankshaft center bolt out. An hour later, everything was completely disassembled. I realized a few things in my delirium at 0100. The APR intake mani I bought is large port and my head is small port so I'll need a transition. I don't have adequate equipment to port the exhaust mani. I may go ahead and replace the pistons too considering how the coating looks on the sides.

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Finally, a little progress. Got the bushings and Def cons in. Dropped the block off to get cleaned and the guy painted it for free as well as had it ready for pick up in 2 hours. Found my machine shop for sure.









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## bwdz (Jan 21, 2015)

Just curious, you said earlier he was cleaning it up for $60 which is pretty cheap for dipping and painting a block, did you have him mic it out and hone the cylinder walls? I saw you mentioned possibly just installing new rings but you also mentioned oil consumption, never install new rings without great crosshatching from a fresh hone. Also the oil consumption can always come from other places such as valve guides or seals or the turbo itself. 
Keep up the build pics, enjoying a mild build thread that is somewhat like what I want to do with mine (only done bilstein and poly suspension so far)


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Yeah, I've got a dingle berry hone and will be doing that myself. Also in the process of taking the head apart to get him to clean as well then install new valve seals. I'm pretty certain oil consumption was because of the valve seals (once I got it all apart that is). Only thing I'm not sure of is whether I want to attempt porting/polishing or let him do it. Quoted me 130 for p&p plus cleaning. 

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## bwdz (Jan 21, 2015)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Yeah, I've got a dingle berry hone and will be doing that myself. Also in the process of taking the head apart to get him to clean as well then install new valve seals. I'm pretty certain oil consumption was because of the valve seals (once I got it all apart that is). Only thing I'm not sure of is whether I want to attempt porting/polishing or let him do it. Quoted me 130 for p&p plus cleaning.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


Big WHOAAA! here. DO NOT let anyone port and polish your head for $130. Porting is an art, I used to run a flow bench, if you have no experience with a flow bench and porting there is so much more hurt that you can cause than help. Essentially a good port job on a 4 cylinder head should start at $500 and run into around a grand or so. There is some simple port matching that can be done by a relative novice, some port cleaning up from casting flash but actual porting involves reshaping or enlarging the runners. Having run a flow bench I saw plenty of "port" jobs by novices and even many performance shops that actually killed the performance (that's right killed not just hurt). Air flow has to be considered for volume and velocity, cam specs for valve lift and duration etc... If someone cannot do those calculations for you do not let them touch the head. Best money you can actually spend is find a reputable head rebuilder who can do a quality valve job on the head. You need a minimum 3 angle valve job. The area just before the valve seat is what a good porter will actually work on and the valve seat angle is just as important. I have no experience with our 1.8T heads so I could not tell you what the best flowing angles on ours are as it often differs, I hope someone who has flowed some of these heads can chime in. Your typical shop will cut a 30, 45, and 60 degree angle but those are typically ok but the optimum angles are usually closer to 70 on the one below the seat of the valve. There is so much turbulence when the valve starts opening that the valve seat area is of primary importance for good flow and of course good sealing. DO NOT let anyone polish your head, that is a huge mistake and an old myth although it does work decent on the exhaust port side. Air flow is not that simple. Best example I can give you is why does a dimpled golf ball fly through the air much further than a smooth one?


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## bwdz (Jan 21, 2015)

One other thing I forgot, valve seals often go bad because the guides are worn, new seals will go bad quickly if guides are not checked.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Gotcha. Great input based on experience. I definitely understand physics and the importance it plays when pertaining to all fluids as they enter and exit an engine (though more as it pertains to turboshaft engines and helicopter flight) but don't have the confidence nor experience to try this work myself. Of all shops within a reasonable driving distance, this is the first to not refer to my car as "one of them jap autos" as well as spoke with intelligence when concerning VW/Audi engines. He actually talked me out of some things I had asked for based on negative results I would experience. It basically came down to him recognizing that I was military and offered services at a lower rate plus seems to care about what he does. Surprisingly enough, MOST of the south is generally unsupported on the European front unless you live in Atlanta or parts of Florida (I'm excluding Virginia though technically south of the Mason Dixon line). Though his offer was very nice, I committed only to cleaning as this isn't a wyld racekar build but rather something I can drive on the weekends. The valve guides were the one thing I'm not extremely familiar with but have started looking into. Came across a good price on some super tech guides though. Either way, thanks for the interest and advice. 

Decided to clean the rust spots off of the control arms and paint with rust resistant paint. Turned out pretty good. 









Subframe is still in work. Lots of rust. 









Again, thanks for the input. Always nice to have some feedback. 


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## TheDeckMan (Sep 26, 2004)

Looking good :thumbup::thumbup:


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

How's things hanging my friend? Making any progress?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

I will be honest, things have been pretty stagnant for quite some time. Between the amount of travel I have been doing for work, learning to fly a new helicopter (since the Army retired mine), spending time with the family and online college full-time, *She* fell by the wayside.. until this past weekend. 

*Additional details* My wife had been mentioning for quite some time that she wanted something bigger than her VW Tiguan. I had kept an eye out for something that I knew she liked, a Honda Pilot, but couldn't find one with all of the features she wanted. Well, last week in Nashville, I found one at an extremely reasonable price. To add to it, the guy found out I'm military and discounted it even more. What ended up happening is I had to sell my B7 A4 (which I loved driving) and now drive the Tiguan. Nothing against the Tig, it's a great car and all but not my everyday cup of tea.

All that being said, I found two hours on Saturday and in that time installed the new pistons/rings, rods, bearings, crank and oil pump. All torqued and ready for the pan. I also finished the subframe, have a Poly steering rack bushing (couldn't validate the $125 for the metal one) on the way. Once that's in and on, I'll mount the wheels/tires and be able to roll it into the paint booth. Tomorrow I'm dropping the head off at the machine shop to get checked and at a minimum, new valve stem seals. If all of the valves are good, I'll leave it at that for now. I'll grab some pictures when I get off work and get home to update. 

Thanks for checking in on me. Glad to have some more momentum, just before leaving for another trip.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Back from a recent work trip and starting to gain some momentum again. Spent about two hours assembling the parts in the block. It's my first time so I slathered everything under the sun in engine assembly line.









Got the new rods, pistons, rings, bearings, crank, caps, etc put in and torqued.









Before leaving on my trip, dropped off the head to get it worked over and picked it up today. Needed 8 new valve guides, all new stem seals, cleaning, exhaust ports gasket matched, etc.









Just a few minutes ago, put the oil baffle and oil pan on plus torqued all bolts. Getting ready to place another parts order. Torn between ARP head bolts or factory bolts. Received a poly steering rack bushing while I was gone so that I can get the subframe/control arms back in and roll it into the paint booth. Wanted the solid mount but couldn't justify the $120 for it. More updates soon hopefully. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Ran into a snag that I forgot about with the rack & pinion. When detaching it from the subframe, two of the bolts snapped off. I remembered the one on the bushing collar but forgot about the one on the drivers side. After looking at it a bit, I noticed it was a threaded sleeve so I knocked it out and went in search of one. Most parts folks laughed at me and informed me they could sell me a new rack & pinion. Here is the part:









Finally resolved to try heat and elbow grease which gave much success.









With the oil pan on the block, I moved it back to the engine stand.









Finished off installing the injectors, 034 motorsport drop in fuel rail kit, APR manifold with Phenix Engineering injector cups and 034 motorsport large port to small port transition. Looking at the fuel connections, I'm not quite sure they're right so I left them loose until I can either do some research or trial and error once the motor is in. That's it for tonight. APR head bolts arrive tomorrow so I should be able to get the head on the block and start getting timing components on. Big hang up now will probably be the exhaust manifold as I don't have the equipment to port it and the machine shops are here won't touch it.

















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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

Looking great! You have come this far with the motor your can port the exhaust. The collector is really what could use the most work and a power drill and grinding stone from local parts store will get you there. If you want to do the runners as well then perhaps you will need some another tool... But u can def do it!


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> Looking great! You have come this far with the motor your can port the exhaust. The collector is really what could use the most work and a power drill and grinding stone from local parts store will get you there. If you want to do the runners as well then perhaps you will need some another tool... But u can def do it!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks sir. I appreciate the additional confidence. I saw where Max had use a custom made flex hone for the runners. I'll look into stopping at Advance/NAPA/AutoZone/O'Reilly or maybe even harbor freight for some grinding stones. Any particular one that works best on that material?

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Thanks sir. I appreciate the additional confidence. I saw where Max had use a custom made flex hone for the runners. I'll look into stopping at Advance/NAPA/AutoZone/O'Reilly or maybe even harbor freight for some grinding stones. Any particular one that works best on that material?
> 
> Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk


I used something like this. I am sure using a carbide cutting bit is faster.. but seeing as it was my first time I wanted to cut slowly. If you decide to go that route get two packs as you will chew them up pretty good.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Used carbide to cut some meat off real quick and now just refining.









Put the back wheels on. Not a fan of black on black but they're going to look awesome when it's sprang blue..









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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

Manifold looking better already :beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> Manifold looking better already :beer:


Thanks brother. 

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## ticketed2much (Feb 18, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


>


Do you know if both of the bolts on the drivers side have these bushings? One of mine is siezed and I have been afraid to remove it from the subframe:banghead:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

ticketed2much said:


> Do you know if both of the bolts on the drivers side have these bushings? One of mine is siezed and I have been afraid to remove it from the subframe:banghead:


They sure do. That one that I was holding seized and snapped. If the subframe is out of the way, they're decently easy to get to but if not they're a pain. 

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## ticketed2much (Feb 18, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> They sure do. That one that I was holding seized and snapped. If the subframe is out of the way, they're decently easy to get to but if not they're a pain.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk


Thanks, next time I pull the subframe I will straighten it out.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

For the first time in roughly 2 years, she had all 4 new shoes on and was out in the sunlight! Decided to giver her a little water to wash off the accumulated dust.









Rearranged the garage and cleaned it out a little. Pressure washer came out to wash the gunk off of parts that I plan on either reusing or trying to sell. Received some cast goodies to replace common plastic failure parts:









Also put the head bolts to good use finally and put the head on the block.
















Can't explain the excitment that I'm feeling about possibly driving this thing in a few months. Still some parts to buy and some paint to be sprayed though. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Slower progress on the motor but got it a little further. Was originally going to roll the car in the paint booth but I think I'll get everything back in the car and drive it.









Started test fitting exhaust components and realized that I need new hardware for pretty much the whole thing. The turbo to manifold bolts were completely wrong which I confirmed with help from Tony (Boulderhead).









Took the leaking convertible top off and checked the windscreen belt. Actually looked pretty decent so I just realigned both sides to the very bottom for the time being. 

Trying to decide if I want to open up the transmission and look at the known failure points as well as possibly go ahead and replace the 1st-4th gear selectors with the ones from USP. More to follow. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Work trips have been frequent unfortunately. Ran into another snag. Used APR intake manifold I bought requires a larger throttle body. At this point, I still haven't received the wideband ecu with software from GTS or tuning cable so I'm hesitant to put fueling gear for e85 in as well. The ecu in there now has a canned stage 1 tune in it so I'm considering just putting the stock intake/fuel components in until I can get the remaining parts/find a throttle body that'll work. 









While buttoning up the turbo/exhaust, I noticed an unused port on the GTTX that has nothing going to it. Probably will just plug it.









Want to drive the car so bad that I'm going to skip breaking the trans open which I'm sure I'll eventually regret. Put the 42DD exhaust in while waiting for a new oil pan to show up. 









Windscreen belt has all of its teeth but I'll probably order a new one while I've got access to it. 









Lastly, need to get a new top.









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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

Looking good man. I hate to say it but if you wait on gonzo you may never drive it.

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

jsmith2015 said:


> Looking good man. I hate to say it but if you wait on gonzo you may never drive it.
> 
> Sent from my LGMS330 using Tapatalk


Thanks. I always try to stay optimistic but the kit was ordered fall 2014. I was relying on the last few pieces to eventually show up but like I said, I want to drive the car. Looking like I need to find a tuner that can work with distance as I'm not anywhere near any. I've done it before with a Subaru wrx I had but don't know of any that can help source a wideband ecu, immo defeat, code out sai/evap and give both e85 as well as 93 octane maps. 

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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

Look in the bottom of the stupid questions thread someone linked quite a few tuners you can reach out to thay will remote tune

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Thanks for the tip.

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## Converted2VW (Apr 8, 2009)

Looking good! Lots of work man! 


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Thank you. Excited to actually drive it before the end of the year. 

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## Converted2VW (Apr 8, 2009)

Cool! Get started on the top when you can would be my tip. Not hard to do but it's labor-intensive 


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Thanks. I always try to stay optimistic but the kit was ordered fall 2014. I was relying on the last few pieces to eventually show up but like I said, I want to drive the car. Looking like I need to find a tuner that can work with distance as I'm not anywhere near any. I've done it before with a Subaru wrx I had but don't know of any that can help source a wideband ecu, immo defeat, code out sai/evap and give both e85 as well as 93 octane maps.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk


Damn.. that really is a shame you never got the rest of the kit. The ECU itself wouldn't be that much of a challenge.. but getting that rest of the details sorted I can't really speak for. If you get to the finish line and still don't have the tune to match let me know.. I wouldn't mind falling back to my APR ECU for a while to let you enjoy the fruits of your labor as my ECU will be plug and play for you :beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> Damn.. that really is a shame you never got the rest of the kit. The ECU itself wouldn't be that much of a challenge.. but getting that rest of the details sorted I can't really speak for. If you get to the finish line and still don't have the tune to match let me know.. I wouldn't mind falling back to my APR ECU for a while to let you enjoy the fruits of your labor as my ECU will be plug and play for you :beer:


Wow. I really appreciate that sir. I always try to stay positive and the few things I'm trying to accomplish are going to take a bit more time. Namely, trying to make a decision on intercooling. While not going to be a monster of a car, I'd like to at least upgrade the stock mounts with something. Was looking into aftermarket stock mounts but can't stomach tyrolsports price. Pretty terrible at welding too so not sure about trying to make my own. Sort of stuck at the moment. 

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Wow. I really appreciate that sir. I always try to stay positive and the few things I'm trying to accomplish are going to take a bit more time. Namely, trying to make a decision on intercooling. While not going to be a monster of a car, I'd like to at least upgrade the stock mounts with something. Was looking into aftermarket stock mounts but can't stomach tyrolsports price. Pretty terrible at welding too so not sure about trying to make my own. Sort of stuck at the moment.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk


Looking back, I would have probably upgraded the passenger side SMIC with a tyrol sport (when sticking to a budget) and left the driver side stock for a while. You could use the extra cash saved to put a water / meth setup in.. or in your case not worry about it if you are planning for E85. When I added the FMIC I ran into coolant temp issues which lead me to sinking another $300 into aluminum radiator so that drove the total cooling cost up.

Also unless you are going to beat it on the track or autoX.. I bet timing pull would be minimal even with the stock ICs at highway speeds. 

*Edit:* Also, as the hybrid setup flows more air without more pressure, there is a bit less heat while making more power :thumbup:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

I didn't really consider water/meth for some reason. The APR mani has a port for it. Definitely want to stick to e85 and that's why I was wanting to avoid a front mount if possible. 

I don't plan on running autox at the moment but I have been swayed before. 

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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

hunTTsvegas said:


> I didn't really consider water/meth for some reason. The APR mani has a port for it. Definitely want to stick to e85 and that's why I was wanting to avoid a front mount if possible.
> 
> I don't plan on running autox at the moment but I have been swayed before.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk


Water/meth has benefits even with e85. I have a nozzle post intercooler my intake manifold if cold to the touch after a spirited drive

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> I didn't really consider water/meth for some reason. The APR mani has a port for it. Definitely want to stick to e85 and that's why I was wanting to avoid a front mount if possible.
> 
> I don't plan on running autox at the moment but I have been swayed before.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk


I am pretty sure you were around when Max was still running his AWIC setup, water meth at like 35 psi on stock turbo (think this was also with E85 fueling). With maybe 2 feet between turbo outlet and throttle body so not much time to cool things down, but he was doing it :laugh:

Sounds you just confirmed water meth is the next move (if you need it) and leave the ICs alone, especially with your current plans and frequency of driving. I would suggest getting the car on the road.... hitting a few back to back 4th gear pulls on your favorite highway with VCDS logging IAT and see if you really need it. If I have learned anything over the years.. its log first spend money second :laugh:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> If I have learned anything over the years.. its log first spend money second :laugh:


Could be the title of my automotive biography! 


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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

Ya if i did it again i would ditch the front mount. Now that summer is here im going to have to get new fan switches, thermostat, and 3 core radiator.

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

jsmith2015 said:


> Ya if i did it again i would ditch the front mount. Now that summer is here im going to have to get new fan switches, thermostat, and 3 core radiator.
> 
> Sent from my LGMS330 using Tapatalk


Definitely what I'm trying to avoid if possible. 

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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

There is and immo defeated revo 2+ tune for a ko4 for sale in the classifieds what engine code are you runnig again ?

Also you can try reflected i have his stage 2 in my car now. He remote flashed me.

Full disclosure he hasnt written me back in a wile but he only chagred my 250 and over a year later he reflashed me with his updated tune with launch control and nls for free

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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

http://reflecttuning.com

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Thanks. It's an AMU but will be eventually converting to wideband. Have everything but the O2 and the ecu. Thanks for the link. Still trying to get everything from GTS to complete the original transaction. For the time being, leaving it narrowband with the stg1 revo to break it in. As we speak, it's hanging so I can secure the clutch then ready to put the trans on. Hoping to try cranking it no later than Monday afternoon. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Got a lot of motivation today and have the engine pretty much ready to go in. Need to get an O2, M12x1.5 plug for the EGT port on the turbo, oil, oil filter, coolant, power steering fluid, etc and hoping to try turning the motor over by Monday. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

https://vimeo.com/173417586

SHE LIVES!!

A few issues to work out yet but got everything buttoned up and turned the key... fired up immediately. Almost as if she yearned to run. 

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

Nice work, has to feel great to hear that sound again!


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

It does. Still trying to find an M12x1.0 to plug the egt port. Also need to call 42DD as when I buttoned all of the exhaust up, the tips are recessed in the bumper about 2.5-3 inches. 

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> It does. Still trying to find an M12x1.0 to plug the egt port. Also need to call 42DD as when I buttoned all of the exhaust up, the tips are recessed in the bumper about 2.5-3 inches.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk


Thats odd about the exhaust. Did all the hangars line up correctly and the tips are just short?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Well, I put the muffler and long pipe in first. All hangars lined up. Had the downpipe on the turbo when I put the motor in. Went to put the high flow cat section in and came up short about that distance. Loosened all but the connection on the turbo and managed to get all bolts at least started. Tightened from there and obviously it pulled it forward. Will probably measure each section and make sure they're the right length. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Small update to clear my insanity:

Eventually found a bolt to plug the EGT port on the hybrid turbo.

Finished putting everything in except for the AC dryer and coil. 

Converted to wheel studs.

Found aftermarket intercoolers for $199 that work for early 2000's Audi A6. The cores share a similar position and same thickness as the tyrolsport ICs. In the process of having a local welder cut the cast aluminum end tanks off and build new end tanks to work for the TT. Total should be under $700 for up-rated stock mount intercoolers.

Went to go for the post rebuild maiden voyage and discovered that I made the ultimate fail: I'm assuming that I've put the clutch disc in backward. :facepalm: I can go through all of the gears with the car off but once on, am unable to go into any gear. So much that I snapped a selector cable end. :facepalm::facepalm:

At this point I feel like...:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead: but will undoubtedly pull the transmission in the near future and hope that I didn't ruin the clutch disc as well.


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Small update to clear my insanity:
> 
> Eventually found a bolt to plug the EGT port on the hybrid turbo.
> 
> ...


I was wondering how things were going for you. Tough luck on the install boo boo... it happens to the best of us. Keep your spirits up and you will be ripping around in the bundle of fun soon enough :beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> I was wondering how things were going for you. Tough luck on the install boo boo... it happens to the best of us. Keep your spirits up and you will be ripping around in the bundle of fun soon enough :beer:


Thanks Sir. Thankfully, at the current moment there are no travel plans for the rest of the year. Obviously that could change but for the moment, I should have plenty of time. Now wrestling with the idea of taking just the trans out, splitting it open and changing the shift forks for peace of mind. Who knows.


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## Converted2VW (Apr 8, 2009)

Hope you get tit figured out dish! Glad to see the progress though!


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

I appreciate it. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Transmission is out. Clutch was installed... at this point, I don't know which side is correct or not. Looking at the few pictures I've found of other installs, I guess it could have potentially been in backward. Probably visually doesn't make much sense to me how the other side would work. Regardless, though I may live to regret it, I'm going to 180 the orientation and re-install which will match the orientation I've seen in multiple other DIYs. This is probably why I shouldn't do things like this in the middle of the night under the influence of :beer::beer:.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Well, she's ready to go minus a few items. Thanks to a lack of travel with work, I've been slowly plugging away bit by bit. I ordered some replacement Selector Cable ends (Bowden Cable Catch). I had the old push on style and changed to the newer style. While installing I noticed my vertical forge short shifter was actually bent just a bit. Probably a result of leaving it on the top of the transmission while doing all of the stuff I've done. Got it straightened back out and went through another gear/shifter alignment. After putting the clutch line back on, noticed hydraulic fluid leaking so re-removed and found that the o-ring on the Slave Cylinder was damaged. Replaced the o-ring and all is good there. 









You'll probably notice that the intercoolers are missing. Well, I was able to find some aftermarket cores with similar dimensions to the Tyrolsport SMICs. I've had those for a bit but have been trying to find someone to build me some end tanks and weld them on (I suck at welding). Finally found a Performance shop here in the Huntsville area with a welder sufficient enough to perform the work. He currently has the cores as well as my stock SMICs. 

Aside from that, I've had the headlights taken apart for a while. I've been frantically searching for the thread that I had used to to order parts to update the headlights to see how the OP mounted the LED strip in the housing. I've also been searching for OSIR Smoked/Clear lenses for over a year. Everytime I would find some on a website and order them, I would get an email shortly saying that the part is actually unavailable and they've forgotten to remove the part from their site. Because of that, I got tired of searching and decided to "engineer" my own. Sheet of plastic at Lowes and here's the result.
















Not sure how I feel about the end result just yet. Of course two of the three tabs broke off while I did a test fit so looking like I probably need to plasti-weld them in there. 

On another note, I picked up a second project much to the disapproval of my wife. A bargain was struck in order for me to acquire it which simply came down to, I can't work on the new project until the TT is done! Ha! It's a 1966 Ford F100, Long Bed Stepside, 352 V8, 3 Speed Manual. Surprisingly, mostly surface rust and the biggest surprise to me is the fact that the floor pans are solid. Completely out of my element but planning on doing a frame off build. Leaning towards Crown Vic Independent Suspension Swaps. Torn on whether to keep the 352 and stroke it or try an acquire a more modern V8 with fuel injection. Either way, should be a fun project once I'm able to actually work on it.









Hopefully will be driving the TT in the next 3 weeks. Want to put 1500-3000 miles on it before finally trying to convert it to e-85.

*edited*

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Probably not the smartest thing but...she drove yesterday very poorly. Still no intercoolers so it was at 1 MPH but got to the end of the driveway, backed up and drove back to the garage. Feels so good!

In regards to the clear lens, I realized after looking at it that I put the texture toward the outside and I should have put the texture on the inside, similar to OEM. Would probably look better so I'll be trying that sometime before Sunday. Hopefully turns out nice. Torn on whether to remove the reflectors or not. Noticed the hockey puck bottom port was torn away a bit so...ordered a replacement while I continue to build a homegrown catch can kit.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Well, finally found a moment to complete the homebrew clear corners. Housing inserts are a little dirty and need to be cleaned. The biggest thing I'm going to have a hard time with is how to mount the LED strip in the housing so that vibration, etc don't jostle it or cause it to come loose. In fact, any suggestion that any of you all have would be greatly appreciated. Most of my brain power has been diverted toward the last two college classes I need to finish my Associates (finally). 










Aside from that, waiting for my dual smic to be finished so that I can actually drive it further than the end of my driveway! 

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## Converted2VW (Apr 8, 2009)

Looking good! Almost there!


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Converted2VW said:


> Looking good! Almost there!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I appreciate it. So close it's driving me crazy!


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## Converted2VW (Apr 8, 2009)

Hhahaha one day at a time sir!


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Got a call from the performance shop that had my intercooler and was told, "he estimated labor and he'd rather not do it." ....awesome. 

So I said screw it and went to get my parts back. Then I did this: https://youtu.be/VxVcOTgIeXQ

Needs a slight alignment, headlights, bumper, hood and top but I didn't care. 

Did a VCDS scan after pulling back in the garage:

AWD - 65535 Internal Control Module Memory Error
Centr. Locks - 01560 Passenger Door Can't Unlock
Headlight Range - 01538 Motors for Headlight Range Adjustment Short to ground (obviously as no headlights are installed).

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Haven't been able to do much as my wife had back surgery a few weeks ago meaning, I'm doing absolutely everything home related. That being said, I've struggled with how to mount/secure the led strip inside the housing so at this point I'm seriously considering just grabbing an orange bulb and putting the housings back together so that I can drive at any time. 

Still need to order a new top as she's currently topless. 

Trying to drive the car slow and smooth but dang it wants to spool! Partial throttle spools like crazy and I'm pretty sure it got into a little compressor surge. I'm worried I may have oversimplified the vacuum system so I'll more than likely be ordering a manual boost controller to cap the boost until grabbing a wideband ecu and custom tune. Also think I'll be ditching the Forge 007 soon. In the meantime, what blocks could I log to give me a good idea of what's happening?

Had a Neuspeed P-Flo on the car and honestly, it doesn't fit worth a darn so I'm starting to shop around and may end up making my own velocity stack setup. Have compiled most parts needed to build my homebrew Catch Can, just haven't decided if I want to use AN Fittings and Braided line or not. 

Also looking at some aftermarket seats as the poor leather is tired and worn. Something that might have a little more snug fit and probably ditch the leather altogether. Will miss the seat heaters for sure but cloth shouldn't be as bad. I don't imagine I'll ever track the car so I doubt I'll do a fixed seat with harnesses but you never know.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Wanted to drive it more so...put it all back together for the time being.









Headlights look like ass and there's still no convertible top. Thank God for 80 degree Alabama days in November. 

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Haven't been able to do much as my wife had back surgery a few weeks ago meaning, I'm doing absolutely everything home related. That being said, I've struggled with how to mount/secure the led strip inside the housing so at this point I'm seriously considering just grabbing an orange bulb and putting the housings back together so that I can drive at any time.
> 
> Still need to order a new top as she's currently topless.
> 
> ...


Look at airflow over RPMs, requested versus actual boost and throttle position. If you are hitting the surge line the airflow will stall and you will see it in boost drop too while on the throttle.

There is a good chance it's just N75 trying to bleed off extra pressure through the hot side. You have spring mod in place?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> Look at airflow over RPMs, requested versus actual boost and throttle position. If you are hitting the surge line the airflow will stall and you will see it in boost drop too while on the throttle.
> 
> There is a good chance it's just N75 trying to bleed off extra pressure through the hot side. You have spring mod in place?
> 
> ...


Thanks for that. I actually don't have the spring mod on. I just assumed because I took all the garbage off of the valve cover and went to a single-ish vac source that I caused a self induced problem. I'm also keeping in mind that it's a canned tune for the old K04 with none of the supporting mods. I'll log those though. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Quick update:

Have around 150 ish miles on it so far. I have to say, the first time I drove it she didn't seem to want to get going.. sort of like she was stiff. The more I drive it, the more she wakes up. I'm loving all of the work so far and trying to keep some momentum. I think I may have found someone else local to do intercooler welding for me but depending on how much he wants to charge, I may suck it up and buy a front mount. I was avoiding that because I don't want to strain the factory cooling system but may end up getting a Mishimoto Radiator anyway. 

The original seats are looking pretty rough and the bolsters aren't as strong as they once were. I'm looking at Braum seats as replacements, just need to measure for fitment purposes. Torn between Venom, S8 v2 or S8 v1. Sort of leaning towards the S8 v1 because of the color combo (I have mostly gray interior with a little black) but I have no experience with these seats. Wanting them to be a little more solid on twisty roads but also comfortable enough for me to take long trips. 

Have a top ready to order, just haven't placed the order yet. I need to quit slacking. 

I was hoping that once the exhaust warmed up some, it would settle and the tips would finally extend at least even with the bumper. Going to look at everything again and make sure I didn't manage to install something wrong but so far, it's about 1.5 - 2 inches too short.


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

hunTTsvegas said:


> I think I may have found someone else local to do intercooler welding for me but depending on how much he wants to charge, I may suck it up and buy a front mount.


What are you wanting to do? I'm picking up a TIG welder next week. It'd be a few weeks before I could make time, but if it's nothing too crazy, I'll need the practice.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

20v master said:


> What are you wanting to do? I'm picking up a TIG welder next week. It'd be a few weeks before I could make time, but if it's nothing too crazy, I'll need the practice.


I have aftermarket cores from early 2000s A6. Same dimensions, etc as Tyrolsport cores but I need to remove the end tanks that are on there and build new end tanks/mounts. I can BARELY mig and definitely wasn't going to try TIG but one performance shop here in the area has already looked at it and turned down the work.


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

hunTTsvegas said:


> I have aftermarket cores from early 2000s A6. Same dimensions, etc as Tyrolsport cores but I need to remove the end tanks that are on there and build new end tanks/mounts. I can BARELY mig and definitely wasn't going to try TIG but one performance shop here in the area has already looked at it and turned down the work.


I gotcha. I assumed you just meant piping, not fabricating the actual cores. If I had the means, I'd love to do it as I don't want a FMIC on my daily either. That said, my "fab shop" is lacking for equipment and just getting started in the grand scheme of things. :screwy:


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## cdketrow (Dec 21, 2014)

I can't tell in the picture, but what kind of rank insignia is that on the F100 windshield?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

20v master said:


> I gotcha. I assumed you just meant piping, not fabricating the actual cores. If I had the means, I'd love to do it as I don't want a FMIC on my daily either. That said, my "fab shop" is lacking for equipment and just getting started in the grand scheme of things. :screwy:


I figured. I really appreciate the thoughts but wouldn't put that on you while you're still trying to set things up. 



cdketrow said:


> I can't tell in the picture, but what kind of rank insignia is that on the F100 windshield?


It is 1SG rank. Prior owner is a retired 1SG.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

So, a friend of mine invited me to go on some twisty roads to help break in the engine a little bit. I prefaced that I would not be trying to keep up with them but then we went on roads that I was unfamiliar with in the middle of nowhere Tennessee. I ended up letting the boost build up too much and "POP!" Instantly, panic set in but the car was still running and I saw no trail of fluid behind me so I limped it to the nearest pull off and popped the hood. I had swapped all clamps with the exception of one: silicone boost pipe on passenger side where it connects to the boost pipe. For some reason, I had chosen to reuse the spring clamp there and it popped loose. Bought a pipe clamp and continued having fun. Thanks to that trip, have a little over 400 miles on it. It felt great in the curves. Planted to the road. Here's a pic of the cars I didn't bother trying to keep up with.










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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

Very nice. Me and my wife have been considering a move to Tennessee. All my boost hoses are double t-bolt clamped.

Not that ever drive my tt anymore but its nice to see one on the twisties its natural habitat.

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

jsmith2015 said:


> Very nice. Me and my wife have been considering a move to Tennessee. All my boost hoses are double t-bolt clamped.
> 
> Not that ever drive my tt anymore but its nice to see one on the twisties its natural habitat.
> 
> Sent from my LGMS330 using Tapatalk


Anywhere specific in TN? I grew up in Knoxville, currently live in Huntsville, AL (about 20 mins south of the State Line) and my National Guard unit is in Nashville so I'm getting more familiar with that area now. It's a beautiful place with plenty of twisty roads.


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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Anywhere specific in TN? I grew up in Knoxville, currently live in Huntsville, AL (about 20 mins south of the State Line) and my National Guard unit is in Nashville so I'm getting more familiar with that area now. It's a beautiful place with plenty of twisty roads.


Memphis area originally. Honestly anywhere we can afford though. Contemplating being semi retired untill our daughter gets old enough to be in school.

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## bwdz (Jan 21, 2015)

Maybe it's different in the south but here in the heart of automotive country we have 1000s of laid off fabricators and many list their services on Craigslist and could do your intercoolers for a fraction of what a shop would charge. I personally have a fabricator who does things for me for $20 per hour. He comes to my shop after work (he currently makes furnace blast doors but used to make armored cars, tanks etc...) or he makes small pieces at home and his garage is well equipped with a Bridgeport, lathes and some sweet welders. Nothing like finding a guy who really understands metallurgy and is willing to work for Mary Jane and beer money.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

bwdz said:


> Maybe it's different in the south but here in the heart of automotive country we have 1000s of laid off fabricators and many list their services on Craigslist and could do your intercoolers for a fraction of what a shop would charge. I personally have a fabricator who does things for me for $20 per hour. He comes to my shop after work (he currently makes furnace blast doors but used to make armored cars, tanks etc...) or he makes small pieces at home and his garage is well equipped with a Bridgeport, lathes and some sweet welders. Nothing like finding a guy who really understands metallurgy and is willing to work for Mary Jane and beer money.


Definitely different, at least in the part where I'm at; one of the major hubs for Aerospace/Aviation. The other disadvantage being into Euros instead of Chevy/Ford. 

Currently working to isolate a 01423 - Lateral Acceleration Sensor (G200), 57-00 - Electric Circuit Failure. I was hoping to be able to reset the coding and put it back in tolerance but when I go into the Basic Settings, 063 Block 2 tells me that adjustment is not possible and it's currently residing at -3.11 m/s^2 whereas the tolerance is -1.5 to 1.5 m/s^2. This is pretty disheartening considering how much that stupid little sensor costs. I'm also wondering if this is why my car suddenly quit building boost at all today. It was definitely trying, just not succeeding. 

Also working with 42DD to isolate why my exhaust is around 3 inches shorter than what it should be. I have to say, those folks are super responsive and didn't go straight to, "maybe you installed it wrong" like some companies would have. Will definitely continue to go to them for quality products and service. 

Pulled in the driveway with 492.7 miles on the engine so far. Thinking it's close enough for me to flush the engine oil, change the filter and put some better stuff in there. Also looking at AWP ECUs for the swap to wideband. Looking forward to the Insufficient SAI flow being coded out. 

Received a new windscreen belt from www.polytechdesign.com. It was extremely reasonably priced and arrived here in two days. I have also ordered a replacement convertible top that should be here before the end of the week. Last thing I'm trying to isolate is a memory error from the Haldex. I'll probably try to check the signal first but worst case scenario, I try to find someone with a known good Controller that they're not using and swap them out to see if my Controller took a dump. If so, would adding the new HPA Touchmotion Controller bypass and make the car think that everything is working properly? If so, that may be the cheaper option.


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

Not sure what they charged you, but here's another cheap source for the windscreen belt. 

http://shop.polybelt.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=B8N7862997


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

20v master said:


> Not sure what they charged you, but here's another cheap source for the windscreen belt.
> 
> http://shop.polybelt.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=B8N7862997


Haha. That's the exact place I got it from. I was confused when the package showed up because I was expecting Poly Belt so I went to www.polytechdesign.com, clicked Shop Online and it took me to shop.polybelt.com. The belt went on beautifully, it seems the motor that turns the belt doesn't have enough juice to do it more than once at a time though.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Ok, got the top mostly on finally.








Needs a little more snugging on the sides and I need to shim a few spots to line up the window trim. 

While the car was boosting just fine but am now experiencing limp mode. Though I deleted most of the vac line, I left the N249 plugged yet had capped it. Wondering if that or something else is the cause.







Will be ordering some silicone replacement hose to replace aging vac lines. 

Also have a Lateral Acceleration Sensor (G200) malfunction. Went through VCDS and went through the basic settings process. Worked for a day and then came back. Will be finding the sensor location to try and either fix or replace. 

Wanted to research and plan a little more before pulling the trigger on a catch can. Was torn between vta and recirc. Think I finally found a decent universal kit that'll allow me to do either. I was reading an old "mad max" thread but none of the pictures worked. Still got the point though. 

Bought a wideband ecu and hopefully will be able to send it off to Motoza for immo defeat & tune fairly soon. Made a very rushed first pass at cleaning up the headlights. Have to give it a second go but looked better than before (drivers side only so far).









Thanks to the help from from the support guys at 42DD, we established that there was an issue with my 034 motor mounts. Though brand new, I bought all three new mounts from BFI and installed them. Pulled the engine back a few inches which pushed the exhaust just enough. Still looks short to me but no more rubbing. Of course there's more NVH but oh well.









Last, I came across a deal I couldn't pass up. Got a 2001 Audi A4 FWD, 5 speed with 200k for $350. The guy had tried to repair the coil pack harness and managed to destroy part of the fuel injector harness, specifically the cam sensor. Also, the timing belt is loose so I'm assuming it's skipped time potentially. Looks like the guy dumped starter fluid or the intake tract caught fire or something. Pictures for entertainment.







melted MAF.







burnt air filter.

That's it for now.

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

How do those fuel trims look?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> How do those fuel trims look?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Good to hear from you Tony! Just pulled another log running to O'Reilly. Vac at Idle: 19 inHG, Idle: -1.9%, Part Throttle: 8.6% until WOT then 7.0%. Did a pretty decent Advanced log the other night but the truth is, I'm not sure what to do with it in Excel. Seems crazy to post the entire worksheet to me. Any suggestion is welcome. Thanks!


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

If you have a google account, you can load the data into a sheet and I can take a closer look at it and try to make some sense of it. The vac seems decent for idle and the long term is def within an acceptable range. I know some of the other sensors reading out of range will kill power. Are you still running narrow band ECU with APR tune on it? 


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Yessir. Still narrowband with revo stg 1. EVAP still in place. Waiting on resistors to arrive for SAI. Should be ordering catch can stuff and I assume the vac stuff under the intake mani is no longer needed since it'll be piped to the catch can? I have gmail but it'll be after the crazy little human goes to bed before I could find and send the log. 

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

The SAI is something that has to be handled by the software to truly take it out of the mix and keep things happy. The N249 on top of the valve cover can be solved with resistors (if you haven't ordered any yet I can send you a few). When I added my catch can I kept all the original pluming and just put the catch can in between the PCV valve and the TIP so air entering the intake trac would be oil free (close to it). 

I know there are a few ways to simplify the vac system so you might just be taking a different approach. 

The one thing that I did bump into after my upgrade was the MAF getting maxed out. Gonzo's tune actually called for the the original sensor in a smaller housing to account for the extra airflow. The original housing and larger housings got me in trouble with the ECU. 

No rush on the logs.. have to take my folks to the airport super early so will check out soon and can take a look tomorrow :beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> The SAI is something that has to be handled by the software to truly take it out of the mix and keep things happy. The N249 on top of the valve cover can be solved with resistors (if you haven't ordered any yet I can send you a few). When I added my catch can I kept all the original pluming and just put the catch can in between the PCV valve and the TIP so air entering the intake trac would be oil free (close to it).
> 
> I know there are a few ways to simplify the vac system so you might just be taking a different approach.
> 
> ...


Roger, I've been coordinating with Motoza to make sure all of that is coded out when I actually get the wide band ecu to them. I haven't placed the order for the resistors yet but they are sitting in the cart waiting for me to click "Buy." I was trying to find some around town but of course all electronic component places are suppliers only and not stores. Just silly. 

I read through quite a few different catch can setups and finally decided on two inlets (block breather and valve cover) with an outlet that goes back into the TIP. As Max's old thread suggested, I'll probably keep the PCV in the loop somewhere. I want to simplify the vac system as much as possible and if I've taken the block breather out of the loop then, as I understand it, I shouldn't need a vacuum pump, check valves, etc. I could be completely wrong though.

I was re-reading your thread earlier and noticed that with the MAF. I'll definitely make sure to coordinate with Motoza about what their tune will require.

Thanks sir. Enjoy your time with the folks. Thanks again. 29 Dec Log and 27 Dec Log (longer). They're in my Google Drive and I've made sure they're shareable but if you have any issues, let me know. Thanks again!


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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Roger, I've been coordinating with Motoza to make sure all of that is coded out when I actually get the wide band ecu to them. I haven't placed the order for the resistors yet but they are sitting in the cart waiting for me to click "Buy." I was trying to find some around town but of course all electronic component places are suppliers only and not stores. Just silly.
> 
> I read through quite a few different catch can setups and finally decided on two inlets (block breather and valve cover) with an outlet that goes back into the TIP. As Max's old thread suggested, I'll probably keep the PCV in the loop somewhere. I want to simplify the vac system as much as possible and if I've taken the block breather out of the loop then, as I understand it, I shouldn't need a vacuum pump, check valves, etc. I could be completely wrong though.
> 
> ...


Motoza can do proper emissions deletes. You will not need any resistors. Full emissions deletes including evap no resistors and i have no check engine lights and fuel trims adapt properly 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

jsmith2015 said:


> Motoza can do proper emissions deletes. You will not need any resistors. Full emissions deletes including evap no resistors and i have no check engine lights and fuel trims adapt properly
> 
> Sent from my LGMS330 using Tapatalk


Thanks for the info!


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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Roger, I've been coordinating with Motoza to make sure all of that is coded out when I actually get the wide band ecu to them. I haven't placed the order for the resistors yet but they are sitting in the cart waiting for me to click "Buy." I was trying to find some around town but of course all electronic component places are suppliers only and not stores. Just silly.
> 
> I read through quite a few different catch can setups and finally decided on two inlets (block breather and valve cover) with an outlet that goes back into the TIP. As Max's old thread suggested, I'll probably keep the PCV in the loop somewhere. I want to simplify the vac system as much as possible and if I've taken the block breather out of the loop then, as I understand it, I shouldn't need a vacuum pump, check valves, etc. I could be completely wrong though.
> 
> ...


I had a chance to look at the data a little closer. The best chunk is at the end of the 2nd sheet, which shows that the ECU is asking for pressure and the actual is much lower. This coupled with the N75 duty cycle @ 95% is pretty indicative of a boost leak, or the wastegate door being stuck open. Have you pressure tested the intake tract up to 20 psi recently?


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> I had a chance to look at the data a little closer. The best chunk is at the end of the 2nd sheet, which shows that the ECU is asking for pressure and the actual is much lower. This coupled with the N75 duty cycle @ 95% is pretty indicative of a boost leak, or the wastegate door being stuck open. Have you pressure tested the intake tract up to 20 psi recently?


I saw the same thing. I'm stopping on the way home to hopefully get the items needed to make a tester. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Have been saving money for parts and the other day experienced a strange issue. The battery light (assuming based on pixels) comes on, Speedo and tach zero out, radio pops and then it all disappears. Checked system voltage and shows anywhere from 9.4v to 11v. Doesn't seem like that alternator is charging and I guess that also results with various electrical bugs as well? The battery is new and tested good. Not sure what else it would be. 

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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

With car running.. put tester on alternator stud. Should be 14v+. If not.. then time for new alternator


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> With car running.. put tester on alternator stud. Should be 14v+. If not.. then time for new alternator
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Doh, I'm not all here. Waiting for coffee to kick in I guess. Thanks sir. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Have a known good rebuilt Bosch alternator on the way.

Received my instrument cluster back from speedo solutions. Nice having a fully functional cluster again.

Wideband ecu on the way back from Motoza.

Updates will probably be less frequent as I'm in the process of changing careers and taking a pay hit but will update when I can. 

















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## Boulderhead (Oct 21, 2012)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Have a known good rebuilt Bosch alternator on the way.
> 
> Received my instrument cluster back from speedo solutions. Nice having a fully functional cluster again.
> 
> ...


Been a long time since I have seen a cluster that clean looking  GL with the job change :beer::beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Boulderhead said:


> Been a long time since I have seen a cluster that clean looking  GL with the job change


Me too! I just sat there and stared for a few minutes. 

Thanks. Interviewed to fly for an airline. Going to be a shortage of pilots in the near future so they're starting to take Helicopter guys and help us build fixed wing time. Pretty exciting. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Rebuilt Bosch alternator as well as immo-defeated Wideband ECU from Motoza showed up yesterday. 

The day prior, I found some time to install the Unitronic wideband harness as well as start removing items under the intake manifold for the catch can.

Slow progress but ready to get it back on the road. More when I've put some miles on it.


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## Alec's TT (Jan 28, 2013)

Edit wrong post....


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Alec's TT said:


> Edit wrong post....


Ah, I always look forward to comments.

Update:

I've finally put around 2,000 miles on the vehicle. 

The wideband conversion was actually a success and I found that the O2 sensor I had was no good so I went to an LKQ yard and grabbed another one. Also installed the 550cc injectors when installing the Motoza tuned ECU. I was ecstatic to see my general fuel consumption go from 18 mpg to around 34 mpg so far. While I was at the LKQ yard, I grabbed a throttle body off of an A6 hoping it would fit the APR Intake Manifold I have but alas, it was also too small. If anybody has a throttle body that'll fit that intake manifold, I would appreciate some additional information as APR did nothing but tell me not to install the manifold and seemed to ignore my request for a part number of the throttle body used. 

Received a replacement G200 Sensor and swapped it out yet it didn't seem to correct the issue. I tried to go through Basic Settings but again, seemed to do nothing and I still have the trouble code. I'm curious about/wondering if the ABS Control Module could be going bad? Either way, I think I'm going to reference Max's ESP Coding thread and just code out the ESP hoping it'll remove the limp mode.

Grabbed a barely used Grimmspeed MBC here local so that I can have some fun while I continue to troubleshoot what's causing limp mode.


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## jsmith2015 (Mar 7, 2015)

Very nice. Love my tune from motoza. Did you get the e85 option ? I really like the logging software also....so nice to be able ti easily log from your phone via bluetooth

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

jsmith2015 said:


> Very nice. Love my tune from motoza. Did you get the e85 option ? I really like the logging software also....so nice to be able ti easily log from your phone via bluetooth
> 
> Sent from my LGMS330 using Tapatalk


I didn't get the e85 option yet. Started with just the K04 tune to continue engine break in with wideband and then once I finally get the DW65 pump installed, and a few other bits, I'll purchase the MTC for the e85. Dave and Amy have been a pleasure to work with so far.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Still trying to isolate "Limp Mode" and in my frustration, have coded out both ESP and EDL yet when I install the N75, still get 5psi. Taking the N75 out of the loop with the MBC equals a very strong pulling engine. 

I'm still getting an ABS light for the front right sensor though I've replaced it. Looking for signal test procedures before jumping straight to pulling the ABS Module. I'm fairly certain I can get to the module from the underside and leave the ABS Pump in the car. 

About to give up on the APR Intake Manifold since I'm having such a hard time finding the correct throttle body for it, and APR was no help at all for a part number. May have it for sale in the Classifieds soon.

Managed to pick up some 2.5 inch scrap piping for $17.00 and now just need to order the Treadstone core to complete an intercooler.


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

hunTTsvegas said:


> About to give up on the APR Intake Manifold since I'm having such a hard time finding the correct throttle body for it, and APR was no help at all for a part number. May have it for sale in the Classifieds soon.


Why not have the manifold redrilled for a different throttle if there is enough material, or get an adapter plate made for the RS4 TB bolt pattern. If I recall, the RS4 TB was 75mm, so bolt pattern may be the same as R32. Either way, it's not a deal breaker to use that RS4 throttle.


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

20v master said:


> Why not have the manifold redrilled for a different throttle if there is enough material, or get an adapter plate made for the RS4 TB bolt pattern. If I recall, the RS4 TB was 75mm, so bolt pattern may be the same as R32. Either way, it's not a deal breaker to use that RS4 throttle.


Thanks. I meant to edit that post a little later as I did some more digging and found the potential for R32 TB to work. At the LKQ yard, I grabbed a 2.8 TB mistakingly thinking it would work. It's close but doesn't quite line up so I'm searching for a resonably priced R32 TB. I need to find the time to gather excess parts I have and start posting some items for sale.


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

hunTTsvegas said:


> Thanks. I meant to edit that post a little later as I did some more digging and found the potential for R32 TB to work. At the LKQ yard, I grabbed a 2.8 TB mistakingly thinking it would work. It's close but doesn't quite line up so I'm searching for a resonably priced R32 TB. I need to find the time to gather excess parts I have and start posting some items for sale.


What's the ID on the VR throttle? If you're not going to use it, send me a PM as I need to upgrade from stock. :beer:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Haven't driven her much since returning from Fort Rucker a few weeks ago. Was able to meet up with Adam and his lovely wife. He gave me a fantastic deal on a tonneau cover he had.

As much as I'm not crazy about it, the manual boost controller stayed in place and has served it's purpose of increasing my boost leak. Will be doing a smoke test soon to find it. 

Door trim started separating right next to the window seal so I'm looking for something to glue that back down.









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## TheDeckMan (Sep 26, 2004)

Wow that looks great! 


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

TheDeckMan said:


> Wow that looks great!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks. Extremely pleased with it. 

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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Got around to pressure testing last night after the kid went to bed. Helped that my wife came out there with me. One of the check valves under the intake manifold has split (?) contributing to lack of boost. Thinking of getting rid of it tonight and testing again to make sure there aren't any more. I plan on deleting as much of that as possible once I FINALLY put the APR Intake Manifold on. 

Ordered a replacement AC Compressor plug (on the harness side) based on my vehicle VIN. The plug that came in is nothing like what is in the actual car so I pulled the plug that is currently on the harness and ordered based on the part number on top of the plug. 

Part of the door trim is starting to peel off (I guess the glue is finally giving out) so I'm looking for the proper adhesive to glue that back down.


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