# TrillyPop 09 2.5l Turbo Build (6AT)



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Hey guys, I made a build thread about a year ago, but since this forum jives most with my interests/car adventures, here you go. This is a build at first about cosmetic/wheel stuff, and then a 2.5L turbo build.

Here she is, new 09 Rabbit 6at o2g, 2.5L 5cyl:










Did a few things right away. Coils, darkened tails, colormatched sidemarkers (bulbs disabled), matte black mirror caps, tinted LED mirror bulbs, stubby:










Tried some wheel ideas. Off the SLK:










Had these on for a few days:











But I found something better from a friend for a smoking deal. 18x8.5/9.5, 225/35 245/35 :










Then I took some pics:





































Got the impact strips and bumper mouldings painted to match body. Got bored of headlights and didn't like any of the aftermarket options available for the MKV, so decided to retrofit 4 new projectors. This was my first headlight retro. Thanks to hidplanet and theretrofitsource, and lots of trial and error, I ended up with this: 

























































Got some 9.5 fronts and test them out. Decided against it, because of the amount of stretch that it would require. I wanted to keep some decently meaty tires on there for future power upgrades...




























Engine shot:










Got some projector fogs:




























Went for a drive with some buddies. Then the car grew a stache, and we went for some more driving:









































































Moustache ride!!!!:



















It was about to snow again, so this time I got new wheels/tires:




























Also got a JL sub and a 9500ix, oh and hatch pop kit (which happened near the beginning):





































Winter took its toll:










A dremel will fix that.










Got sick of the broke-ass lip after about 3 weeks so put a new one on along with 3000K fogs:



















This was winter:














Then got GTI brakes painted black with G2 kit, along with Adams rotors, Stoptech pads, and Neuspeed SS braided lines. Displaying some turbo parts acquired back in 2009.























































At one point I plastidipped the AMGs gold for about 3 weeks:










Ended up not liking the look, so I went back to the OEM color. Nothing new on the car at this point, but these pics sure make me miss summer.




















*Turbo Build*

In November 2012, I finally started the turbo build after a long wait for turbo tuning support for the 09+ ECUs. These are the parts I had acquired:

C2 log manifold
PT 5457
550cc injectors
inline walbro fuel pump
8.5:1 low CR head spacer
C2 SMIC intercooler
3" downpipe, full 3" exhaust
39mm wastegate
Forge 007
Forge mbc
United Motorsport custom tune

Had to pull the engine apart from the transmission (so just pulled it) in order to weld the oil return line to the upper sump instead of the lower oil pan, and some of the charge piping required modification to fit as well. But after a couple of weeks, it was all complete.








































Car was finished in the beginning of December. Ran it at 12psi to break everything in and was then planning on turning the boost up. Didn't dyno it, but it felt like it was making somewhere around ~300-320whp. I ran against my buddy's 335i with an intake and Vishnu tune from 20-120 and put a few bus lengths on him. The car ran like a champ (thanks to the United Motorsport tune), had awesome driveability, and it ripped. The 5457 is a nice size, starts building boost low around 2200rpm, reaching full 12psi at 3200 and holding it to redline. The stock 6 speed auto tranny also held up quite nicely. It gave pretty crisp shifts and held the power for the most part.

Here is a video. I apologize for the shoddy video. I was enjoying the car too much to take more video, and it was winter so road conditions varied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LLgIql_mvo












The video doesn't capture it well, but the 3" exhaust sounds amazing. Some of you guys have heard it, and we all know that distinct 5cyl sound.


So that was December. The car ran awesome for about 1000 miles, and then catastrophe struck. After letting the car sit for a few days, it started a little rough but quickly corrected, and did this a few times. Then the timing skipped and so much to damage some valves. It seems the timing chain tensioner had retracted and was not holding tension, causing timing to be off. Most likely a freak accident combined with less-than-perfect head spacer setup. So I had the option to just remove the head spacer and rebuild the head, run 8psi and be happy. But after driving at 12psi, I could not stand to downgrade. 




























Was even caught on the news, ha!










And here's the backup beast:










So naturally, we upgrade! I put an order in for some low CR 8.5:1 JE pistons and IE Tuscan rods, IE valve cover and catch can (the engine was venting tons of oil from the cap), ARP studs, and of course new valves. Even though the transmission was doing ok, I am taking the opportunity to upgrade it while the engine is out of the car. Level10 torque converter and valve body. I decided not to build the head with Ferrea stuff due to cost. Also, redline will stay the same around 6200 because of the transmission so I figured bottom end is more important. Hopefully at some point we will be able to change that with some UM TCM software.

As we stand today, engine is on a stand undergoing bottom end building, head is rebuilt with new valves waiting to go together, tranny parts are at en route to Level10 and scheduled to be back next week, and hopefully sometime end of next week or a bit later, we will be doing some logging to get everything running right. I am hoping to run 18-20psi to start with 

Welcoming all comments, criticism, and ideas. Cheers guys!


----------



## SocoJoe (Jul 4, 2009)

What makes you want to stick with the auto and not upgrade to the O2Q 6 speed?

:thumbup: on everything else though.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

Great build... Congrats on the turbo... 

I have to agree... Why leave the auto?? Manual or dsg wpuld be tons better... Many people wit bt 1.8 turbos and autos and level 10 upgrades said thatnit wasnt worth it...

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

I know it's automotive heresy, but I actually like having the auto. I drive a lot of city, and thus it's really convenient. Plus it behaves awesome with the turbo, shifts without losing boost and it feels like a DSG to me. Another reason is cost - it's like $1400 for the Level10 upgrades versus 3-4k for a swap. As far as how will turn out, we'll have to see. I have been in a BT 3.0 A4 with a fully built Level10 tiptronic, and it was awesome! Call me crazy, but taking into account all the benefts/costs of swapping in a manual or dsg, I decided to stick with the auto.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

lol, awesome build... cant wait for the rods and the rest of the bottom end...


----------



## vr6-kamil (Sep 14, 2008)

Level 10? What does that consist of? I've never heard of it maybe cause I'm a manual guy but could someone please explain?


----------



## carvizu88 (May 6, 2012)

Niko,

Cant wait to see the final product with torque converter and valve body installed. you sir are a pioneer and will probobly end up taking this route once i go turbo on the 2.5l 6at... keep us updated plzzzz :thumbup:


----------



## kevin splits (Aug 23, 2010)

:thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well the transmission valve body, torque converter, and TCM are at Level10 undergoing upgrades. Will be shipped out on Friday and back to me mid-next week. Engine is on a stand and will probably start being assembled early next week. 

Sorry about the lack of pics :thumbdown: Just keeping it updated.


----------



## Fancyhat (Jan 2, 2012)

Slightly off topic, what parts were used for your retrofit? It looks really good.

And where'd you get the mustache from?

Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk 2


----------



## GTACanuck (Feb 20, 2009)

Don't know how I didnt see this until now... lol

Looking forward to seeing the finished product! :beer:


----------



## Vash350z (Jun 25, 2007)

It for level 10 upgrades


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Fancyhat said:


> Slightly off topic, what parts were used for your retrofit? It looks really good.
> 
> And where'd you get the mustache from?
> 
> Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk 2


Thanks for the kind words :thumbup: I looked through yours and it looks nice as well! For the retrofit I used E55 projectors, Morimoto bulbs/ballasts/etc. I bought a set of DEPO black headlights to use for the retro, and retained the shrouds from those (luckily they fit barely but nicely). Also had angel eyes enabled for a couple of weeks, but now they are disconnected. I found out about hidplanet about half way through the build so it's not as perfect as I would like it to be. I would like to crack them open again and redo a couple of things and completely remove the angel eye rings, but need to find a few days to do so.

As far as the moustache, I really don't remember. If you seriously need to know, PM me and I can put some effort into searching through my email to find the online retailer.


----------



## Fancyhat (Jan 2, 2012)

TrillyPop said:


> Thanks for the kind words :thumbup: I looked through yours and it looks nice as well! For the retrofit I used E55 projectors, Morimoto bulbs/ballasts/etc. I bought a set of DEPO black headlights to use for the retro, and retained the shrouds from those (luckily they fit barely but nicely). Also had angel eyes enabled for a couple of weeks, but now they are disconnected. I found out about hidplanet about half way through the build so it's not as perfect as I would like it to be. I would like to crack them open again and redo a couple of things and completely remove the angel eye rings, but need to find a few days to do so.
> 
> As far as the moustache, I really don't remember. If you seriously need to know, PM me and I can put some effort into searching through my email to find the online retailer.


Retro looks good for a first one, and so does the rest of the car. Makes me want to turbo mine, but I am a broke college student 

I'd like to know where to get the musatche, but searching on the internet hasn't really proven helpful. If it's a hassle, don't worry about it


----------



## lessthanalex (Oct 12, 2009)

Fancyhat said:


> Retro looks good for a first one, and so does the rest of the car. Makes me want to turbo mine, but I am a broke college student
> 
> I'd like to know where to get the musatche, but searching on the internet hasn't really proven helpful. If it's a hassle, don't worry about it


Pretty sure ihatestickers.com sells mustache.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Fancyhat said:


> Retro looks good for a first one, and so does the rest of the car. Makes me want to turbo mine, but I am a broke college student
> 
> I'd like to know where to get the musatche, but searching on the internet hasn't really proven helpful. If it's a hassle, don't worry about it


PMed you. What are you doin after college? I've been there; don't worry, you'll have more money to go big with soon.


----------



## mk6matt (Jan 26, 2013)

Loving this build. I watched some of the youtube videos and it looks sick. Its something I am interested in doing in the next couple of years. Do you mind me asking what it cost you?


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

mk6matt said:


> Loving this build. I watched some of the youtube videos and it looks sick. Its something I am interested in doing in the next couple of years. Do you mind me asking what it cost you?


 Thanks man. You don't want to know...


----------



## mk6matt (Jan 26, 2013)

TrillyPop said:


> Thanks man. You don't want to know...


 Worth the money?


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

OP, i was re reading the thread. 

You said that catastrophe happened, and that the options were to re build the head, remove the head spacer and run 8 psi. 
Why? you can run up to 20 psi on stock motor...


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

mk6matt said:


> Worth the money?


 To me it has been worth it, no question about it. You can PM me if you wish. :beer: 



thygreyt said:


> OP, i was re reading the thread.
> 
> You said that catastrophe happened, and that the options were to re build the head, remove the head spacer and run 8 psi.
> Why? you can run up to 20 psi on stock motor...


 This was the recommendation of our legendary tuner from UM. Without an SRI (not worth it for me with the auto trans), he did not want me to run higher than ~8psi. This car is almost daily driven (at least until this summer when I plan on getting another car), and we are shooting for a reliable setup.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

TrillyPop said:


> To me it has been worth it, no question about it. You can PM me if you wish. :beer:
> 
> 
> 
> This was the recommendation of our legendary tuner from UM. Without an SRI (not worth it for me with the auto trans), he did not want me to run higher than ~8psi. This car is almost daily driven (at least until this summer when I plan on getting another car), and we are shooting for a reliable setup.


 Oh... I was tinking: why didnt he just get the sri and pump te boost? Lol.. There is my answer.

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## 637395 (Sep 15, 2011)

Where are said transmission upgrades coming from?


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

SimpleStaple said:


> Where are said transmission upgrades coming from?


 Level10 in NJ


----------



## Fancyhat (Jan 2, 2012)

TrillyPop said:


> PMed you. What are you doin after college? I've been there; don't worry, you'll have more money to go big with soon.


 Sorry for the late reply, I'm gong to school to be a auto repair tech. At least that way I don't have to pay someone else to do my mods  

Also I ordered that mustache


----------



## irishtim (Oct 28, 2011)

Excellent direction! Can't wait to see more!


----------



## jamerican1 (Dec 8, 2005)

Wow, impressive work. Props for being a pioneer and rolling with an auto. Definitely something different:thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Fancyhat said:


> Also I ordered that mustache


Haha, rock it well



irishtim said:


> Excellent direction! Can't wait to see more!


Thanks man! I'm excited to move out to Pgh



jamerican1 said:


> Wow, impressive work. Props for being a pioneer and rolling with an auto. Definitely something different:thumbup:


Thanks for the compliment! I'm hoping it turns out to be a killer combo :beer:


The bottom end is finally being worked on


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Also I ordered a 24mm H&R RSB today, in hopes that it will tone down the understeer and help the front tires propel the car through the twisties  I missed out on a 28mm A.W.E./H&R bar that was for sale and I doubt I'll ever find another one, but I really wanted the H&R for the bushings. It should be a good setup.

EDIT: cancelled order for 24mm bar and found that 28mm bar I was hunting for!


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

More progress to come soon...


----------



## eatrach (May 13, 2004)

Good build:thumbup: 
It's good to see an auto with a turbo mod.


----------



## rabbitlvr (Oct 8, 2011)

sub'd because fellow 6at owner


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

eatrach said:


> Good build:thumbup:
> It's good to see an auto with a turbo mod.





rabbitlvr said:


> sub'd because fellow 6at owner


Thanks fellas. I'm hoping the 6at proves to be a deadly weapon, I have high hopes for it. Some more engine porn pics...engine should be in the car this week:


----------



## vrsick147 (Jun 18, 2007)

i see the piston are in but, are those drop in or .5 overbore


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

I decided to do the factory size, because my engine is very young. Obviously the block was still honed but did not have to be bored.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

just honed or balanced as well?

curious because i'll be doing the same sooner than later.

also, what did you need to buy? i have rods, will buy pistons (and the rings), i hope they come with the pin and proper "locking"
i'm assuming i need new bearings for the piston-crank and new bearings for the crank-block

Also, ARP studs...

what am i missing?


----------



## zevion (Oct 23, 2009)

Here, what are the offsets on those 18x8.5 and 18x9.5 Mercedes wheels? Any rub issues?


----------



## GTACanuck (Feb 20, 2009)

zevion said:


> Here, what are the offsets on those 18x8.5 and 18x9.5 Mercedes wheels? Any rub issues?


Usually the 8.5 is ET38 and 9.5 is ET35. At least that is what is was with my Merc wheels.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

zevion said:


> Here, what are the offsets on those 18x8.5 and 18x9.5 Mercedes wheels? Any rub issues?





GTACanuck said:


> Usually the 8.5 is ET38 and 9.5 is ET35. At least that is what is was with my Merc wheels.


The 8.5 is et44 225/35 with an 8mm spacer. The 9.5 is et46 245/35. Absolutely no rubbing under any conditions. I'm planning to ditch the spacers and try to cram some 245/35 up front, but might settle with a 235.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

thygreyt said:


> just honed or balanced as well?
> 
> curious because i'll be doing the same sooner than later.
> 
> ...


That's most of it. I'll get you a detailed list soon, I'm on a flight which is taxiing to take off right now so no time!:wave:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Got my 2.5lb H3R Haltron extinguisher today  Not sure where I'll mount it. Probably in the trunk...any better ideas?


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

thygreyt said:


> just honed or balanced as well?
> 
> curious because i'll be doing the same sooner than later.
> 
> ...



This is my parts list:

ARP head studs
Tuscan rods which come with wrist pins
Rod bearings
Pistons which come with rings

No new bearings for the crankshaft

Your parts might vary because of the mileage difference. My car is at 20k, yours is >100k. I'd see what IE or your trusted shop has to say.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

TrillyPop said:


> This is my parts list:
> 
> ARP head studs
> Tuscan rods which come with wrist pins
> ...


Great, thanks. Yes, ill prolly go a little more.. overboard than that, but its a good start.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


----------



## mldouthi (Jun 26, 2010)

TrillyPop said:


> Got my 2.5lb H3R Haltron extinguisher today  Not sure where I'll mount it. Probably in the trunk...any better ideas?
> 
> ic:


Maybe somewhere you could reach it if you car catches on fire.


----------



## dhenry (Feb 10, 2009)

yea somewhere easily accessible to the driver. im going to mount mine like this.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

Where dis you guys buy it??

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


----------



## vrsick147 (Jun 18, 2007)

gotcha:thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

The best deal I found was autoplicity.com. It came with the mount as well. It was $127 shipped.


----------



## DerekH (Sep 4, 2010)

nickbeezy said:


> yea somewhere easily accessible to the driver. im going to mount mine like this.


 What seats are those man? Ive been looking into seats for a while and im having an issue with finding seats that fit my rock climbers back and into the car as well. any input would be awesome.


----------



## irishtim (Oct 28, 2011)

DerekH said:


> What seats are those man? Ive been looking into seats for a while and im having an issue with finding seats that fit my rock climbers back and into the car as well. any input would be awesome.


 X2


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 2, 2009)

Good call on the Halatron... 

I wanted to point out that.... While shopping for fire extinguishers, it's VERY tempting to purchase a standard dry chemical one. They are 1/3 of the price, or there abouts. However- the chemical they use is SO caustic and nasty that it literally does more damage then a small fire. Of course, it's better then nothing, but it will: ruin any anodized parts it touches (wastegates, bov, fuel rails, valve covers, etc), Etch it's way into the block and head and require aggressive media blasting to remove, and do massive damage to all other metal parts. 

In short- don't cheap out, buy a "clean" chemical extinguisher like a Halatron or similar. There are a bunch of different brand names for those.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

^Thanks for the post, I agree. 

Also, thanks to IE for all of the 2.5L support, I can't wait to see how all of your parts perform on the car!


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

The engine is mostly back together, so we're making progress.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Engine is back together, with the transmission bolted up. It should be ready to drive Tuesday. 

I need to get a new non-vented oil cap. Do you guys know if the JCaps oil cap is vented or non-vented? Outside of that, I think my only other option is the R8 cap. 

Pics for clicks:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

No new progress pics of the car, and sorry for the multiple posts by me! But the engine is back in the car, will hopefully start later tonight or tomorrow. Will run 50-100 miles of break-in oil, examine it for any metal shavings, then another few hundred of conventional to get the rings properly seated. During this time, I'll vary load and RPM, and very very slowly work things upwards. I've gotten a lot of different info regarding engine break-in from JE and IE and my local tuner shop, but it sounds like the safest thing is going to be to follow the above noted oil procedure, and additionally avoiding any boost for the first few hundred miles, and then minimal boost


----------



## rabbitlvr (Oct 8, 2011)

Glad to see progress! Have you ever thought of a DSG swap? or has anyone actually done this? I know of people doing the 6 speed but not the DSG. I have wanted to check into its possibilities but the lack of the time and resources (money) has stopped me.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

I have thought about it, and a few people have tried to convince me to do so. I think the swap would be pretty straightforward, but definitely more expensive than the 6 speed swap...and I have not heard of anyone swapping one onto a 2.5L. While DSG is obviously a superior transmission compared to the 6 speed automatic, I don't like the way it feels, drives, or makes the engine sound. I hope that the upgrades to the automatic transmission don't end up being wasted money. If they do, I will consider the swap more seriously.


----------



## rabbitlvr (Oct 8, 2011)

I can agree with the way it feels. I don't like the "slop" it has. As in when you put it in park and you are on a slight incline or decline it has a mile it can move around. I am afraid it wont stop and the park is broken. I was just curious on your thoughts and if in fact it could be done. :beer:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

And she roars today! Had a scare yesterday when we went to start it. Fuel pump would not start with the key in "on" - thought it was the ECU. After some more fiddling today, replaced the fuel pump relays, everything seemed ok, and she fired right up. Now for those break-in miles  It's going to be painful staying out of boost.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

Out of curiousity, what turbo do you have??? 

How many miles for the break in?? How different is the car with the new rods and pistons?? Congrats!! 

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

I have the precision 5457. The car doesn't really feel or sound any different with the motor built. It purrs like before. As far as break-in, I'm going to do about 300-500 miles on vacuum (and giving the engine various loads and rpm cycles), and then start turning the boost up by 2psi increments and logging until the fuel system is maxxed out. JE says the piston rings should be seated properly by 200-300 miles. IE says for a fresh engine they do an hour on the dyno before full boost, which can't be more than 100 miles. So I'm going to play it a bit safer and make sure it's done properly.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well, I'm about 350 miles into the engine break-in. Car feels solid. I'm very happy.

Got my Eurojet SRI and fuel rail in the mail today. Now it's deciding exactly which injectors, fpr, and rest of the fueling system I want to order.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

Shiny!!!

what are you waitin to put it on?? 

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## HollisJoy (Dec 26, 2011)

Dat Shine!!! :thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

thygreyt said:


> Shiny!!!
> 
> what are you waitin to put it on??
> 
> Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2


I'm planning on driving out to Jeff in 3 weeks to have the fueling system and tune sorted out, and figured I'll just do this at that time. In the meantime, here it is mocked up :


----------



## lessthanalex (Oct 12, 2009)

Looks fantastic. Congrats on the pickup. 

Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2


----------



## bmxer13 (May 9, 2012)

Does the Sri change how the turbo acts even if its a auto? Like dies it spool any faster or of that sort?


----------



## lessthanalex (Oct 12, 2009)

When it looks like that it doesnt matter. :beer::beer:

But in all seriousness. Should be able to run more boost. 

Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

It removes a restriction in the airflow (stock manifold), so the turbo should spool a little bit faster. As it is, it already spools super fast. The SRI will allow huge gains at higher RPM, as has been proven previously, so that was a big motivating factor to purchase it. It sounds like we'll be able to raise the shift point of the auto trans up to 7200-7500 to capitalize on this power  but we'll see in a few weeks when the master has the car in his hands. That all needs to be organized, but I have it fit into my schedule.

And man, I need to replace those orange caps with black ones...they are so ugly! Also need to adjust the R8 oil cap so it sits right.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

My 5457 .53 or.whatever spools lightning quick. By 2k starts spooling.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

lessthanalex said:


> Looks fantastic. Congrats on the pickup.
> 
> Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2


Thanks man! :beer:



thygreyt said:


> My 5457 .53 or.whatever spools lightning quick. By 2k starts spooling.
> 
> Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


Yea, it's .63ar. It's almost too quick...haha. First and second gear just spin the tires with these 225 gsd3s, but it is nice to have that low end torque in higher gears. Glad to see you got your 5858 back. I'm going to see how the 5457 is at ~20psi which should put me at around 420whp/440wtq and if it's too torque-y I may have to get something a bit bigger like a 5862.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

In my experience, its hard not to spool the 5457...

It's a fin turbo if what you want is boost all the time.

You will seriously be impressed with the response...


Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

I know, I drove it for a month at 12psi


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Update:

I did a few things yesterday/today. Installed the 28mm rsb and BSH end links. Have it on the soft setting to start. It's a very beefy bar, in fact, the biggest that I know of for the MK5, and about a full cm larger in diameter compared to stock. The car 3-wheels on driveways which makes me giggle 











Then I mounted the fire extinguisher in this convenient spot to the side of the sub. This way, I use otherwise wasted space and maintain as much trunk space as possible. It's still easily accessible. I didn't want to mount it in the cabin. If anything were to catch on fire, the first think I'd do is jump out of the car anyways.











Here's a shot of the catch can. The car has about 600 miles on it since rebuild, so I plan to empty it tomorrow and see what's in there.











And finally, a shot of the underside of the car. You can see where the fuel pump is mounted. Also, the car doesn't get driven a lot during the winter, but man do MN winters take a toll...crazy. Even the "full stainless steel" exhaust from 42DD is obviously not full stainless...











And finally, I did a full interior/exterior detail and wax. Will be going for a cruise tomorrow with some buddies so we'll probably have some pics/videos


----------



## cbs_24 (May 21, 2011)

Put that sway bar to the stiffest setting


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

lol, seriously! go with the stiffest setting.

also, APR, hotchkis and bsh are all 27mm... they are the "tickest" bars out there.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

How is 27mm thicker than 28mm?


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

TrillyPop said:


> How is 27mm thicker than 28mm?


lol, i said: all 3 are 27mm... or so it says online...


----------



## cbs_24 (May 21, 2011)

I have my 24mm whiteline sway bar set to the stiffest of the three settings and it is pretty serious bizness. I can't imagine what that 28mm would be like.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

I ripped around a bit today. I wanted to try the bar out on the soft setting (it only has 2) first to see what it's like, and then switch to stiff once I'm comfortable with it. It's definitely more composed around fast tight turns, and oversteers with mid-turn throttle lift. That's a sensation I've never felt with this car, and it's fun  On hwy on-ramps, I can't say that I can push the much more than before, but that may be because the car is already pretty low which eliminates a lot of body roll, and I'm probably reaching the limits of my tires. It is more stable though. Maybe I need to put it to full-stiff soon


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

This came out of the catch can after ~600 miles. It's about 10oz, appears to be very "clean," and I let the bottle sit for a couple of hours before taking the picture.










And just a random picture


----------



## cbs_24 (May 21, 2011)

TrillyPop said:


> And just a random picture



:thumbup:


----------



## HollisJoy (Dec 26, 2011)

Crapuccino!


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

HollisJoy said:


> Crapuccino!


Haha, indeed. I'm not really a fan of having to empty a catch can every 500 miles, but at least it solved my massive oil leaking issue. Block breather and crankcase breather for sure did it, and maybe a little help from the ARP head studs.

In other news, I set up the next round of improvements today. I'm dropping the car off at Innovative next Sunday/Monday, where they will install the SRI, fuel rail, either 1000 or 1200cc injectors, Innovate AFR gauge (have a center vent pod for it) and I'll ditch the Walbro 255lph in-line fuel pump in favor of an RS4 in-tank fuel pump. Innovative/UM say that the RS4 setup is good for 550-600hp. It's also cheaper and will be a MUCH cleaner install than having a surge tank. Then Jeff will have the car for 2 weeks to finalize the tune. The reason I'm having them do all of this work is because I'll be back home in Europe for 4 weeks before I start residency, so it's the perfect (and only) opportunity I'll have to drive out to CT and be without my car for a month. In the words of Borat, I am excite!! He said that, right?


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Set the rsb to full stiff yesterday  Partly because cbs_24 and Fred called me out haha 

I need to sort out my tire situation soon because, as is, with 225/35 DSG3 up front and 14psi on the 5457, it breaks loose in all of 2nd gear. When the power goes up next month, it's just going to get worse. So I did some test fitting.

These are 245/45 on my same wheel 18x8.5 et44 (stolen from father's S class merc):



















A bit too big. It touches the inside of the fender. So I rolled and pulled the fenders a bit and came up with this:










A bit better, but still ehhh. Here is my 225/35 (with 8mm spacers on) for reference:










So right now this is what I'm thinking - SRS-tec fenders which are 3cm wider and pretty much factory fitment with 255/35 on the 8.5" wide wheels. What do you guys think? I did the calculations and it should fit pretty damn well with those specs under those fenders. Any thoughts on that tire size on that size wheel though? Too wide? I wish I had 9" fronts, but ****, c'est la vie.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

I'm doing 245/40/17 et48 and I get tons of grip, and no rubbing at all.. not even on the mountains.

I'm sure 255s will yield more grip, but as you are finding out, fitment is more difficult.

You can do 245 on a 8" wide, you need 8.5 for the 255...

On another note, how do you like it full stiff?? 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Full stiff is great! I was a bit hesitant due to the thickness of the bar, but I really like the way the car takes corners now. I'm still working my way up (speed-wise) on circular hwy on-ramps and such, but the car just wants to keep being pushed. Front end traction is my biggest problem now. I really need to order those wide fenders and tires...


----------



## cbs_24 (May 21, 2011)

TrillyPop said:


> Full stiff is great! I was a bit hesitant due to the thickness of the bar, but I really like the way the car takes corners now. I'm still working my way up (speed-wise) on circular hwy on-ramps and such, but the car just wants to keep being pushed. Front end traction is my biggest problem now. I really need to order those wide fenders and tires...



Nice! Thats how it is with my Whiteline. Unfortunately there are not a lot of fun driving roads near me, so I haven't been able to find corners to challenge the car as much as it seems to want to be. It seems like it always wants to go faster.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well, I just dropped the car off at UM/Innovative. When I see it in a month, it will be making >400whp. I think soon after that I'm going to be looking for a pt5862, as the 5457 is probably only good for 450.


----------



## lessthanalex (Oct 12, 2009)

TrillyPop said:


> Full stiff is great! I was a bit hesitant due to the thickness of the bar, but I really like the way the car takes corners now. I'm still working my way up (speed-wise) on circular hwy on-ramps and such, but the car just wants to keep being pushed. Front end traction is my biggest problem now. I really need to order those wide fenders and tires...


Full stiff is where its at. What speed can you do on-ramps at? I'm on stretched Falken 912s, 215/40/18s, and I find I get great grip with full stiff sway bar. You're gonna notice you need seats next. Sounds stupid but if you are held in place you can focus on driving and less on staying in your seat.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

lessthanalex said:


> Full stiff is where its at. What speed can you do on-ramps at? I'm on stretched Falken 912s, 215/40/18s, and I find I get great grip with full stiff sway bar. You're gonna notice you need seats next. Sounds stupid but if you are held in place you can focus on driving and less on staying in your seat.


For big sweeping 180 degree ramps, I can go 70-75mph, sometimes more or less depending on the ramp, but around that speed I feel the front fighting for grip. I have 225/35 dsg3 that are sorta stretched on an 8.5. 

I have the SRS-tec fenders in my cart, about to buy them. Wider tires should help significantly.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well, I got the car back from UM with the 1200cc tune this past weekend. I'll write some longer impressions later, but the car made the trip from CT-->Pitt without a hitch. It's running awesome at 22-24psi. Makes a ton of power, and it's as driveable as it always has been. That actually surprised me with such big injectors, as many other friends' cars (JDM mostly) that run huge injectors tend to run like **** at idle and partial throttle and only run well at WOT. Jeff really did a stand up job with the tune, and I'm sure he'll be releasing it to the public soon.

Here's a pic of the engine bay with the SRI:


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

Awesome!!! Who Re did your piping?

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

thygreyt said:


> Awesome!!! Who Re did your piping?
> 
> Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2


Tom at Innovative. His work is top-notch. The C2 stuff just didn't fit well and had too much silicone. We also v-banded the intake side of things to make it handle lots of boost and the DV location/angle is ideal like this.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

TrillyPop said:


> Tom at Innovative. His work is top-notch. The C2 stuff just didn't fit well and had too much silicone. We also v-banded the intake side of things to make it handle lots of boost and the DV location/angle is ideal like this.


lol, yes. it looks like something he'd do... hence me asking.

He did jesse's R (2.5T) the same way.

Looks great!


----------



## [a]bek. (Jul 21, 2012)

Looks awesome! Glad to see that you're making your car more awesome than it already was! I really love the tail lights. Looks sweet!


----------



## abneneggs (Apr 1, 2009)

Car get heat soak with that SMIC? Seems a 5Cyl with 300+ hp, 18psi + is going to need a front mount?


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

[a]bek. said:


> Looks awesome! Glad to see that you're making your car more awesome than it already was! I really love the tail lights. Looks sweet!


Thanks!



abneneggs said:


> Car get heat soak with that SMIC? Seems a 5Cyl with 300+ hp, 18psi + is going to need a front mount?


It definitely should have a nice big FMIC core, I just wasn't ready for it, and clearly the SMIC isn't too restrictive as it's still able to run 24psi just fine. I haven't had any issues with heat soak, but luckiliy we're getting into the fall months where weather will save me and help decrease that effect. I probably will re-do the hot side of things next spring with a new manifold/turbo/intercooler.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

thygreyt said:


> lol, yes. it looks like something he'd do... hence me asking.
> 
> He did jesse's R (2.5T) the same way.
> 
> Looks great!


The 2.5T Golf R was at the shop when I went there. It's a sweet ride, especially those seats! They're awesome. Sometimes I think about upgrading the interior of my car, and then I realize that it's just a boosted economy car that I like to have fun with and any money I sink into it is going to be for power. Next car will have luxury and power


----------



## dhenry (Feb 10, 2009)

i like how the build is coming along. im sure the SRI made a big difference. :thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

nickbeezy said:


> i like how the build is coming along. im sure the SRI made a big difference. :thumbup::thumbup:


It gives it a nice deep grumble at low RPM...almost boxer-ish. :heart:


----------



## timmiller05 (Mar 26, 2010)

Sound/video clips please


----------



## lacesoutvic (Aug 31, 2013)

any updates?


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

lacesoutvic said:


> any updates?


A lot has happened in the last few months. Sorry for the lack of updates. But the car is running very strong, tranny (valve body/TCM) needs some minor tweaking to get it shifting just right but it holds the power at 26psi, and I put the car in winter mode the other day. I'll make a long post outlining everything when I get a chance (hopefully this week).


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

TrillyPop said:


> ... tranny (valve body/TCM) ... holds the power at 26psi ...


----------



## eatrach (May 13, 2004)

Glad to read that your car is coming along really good. :thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well, thought I'd update this thread just a bit. I'll just leave the salient points here. 

Moved to Pittsburgh for work last summer. Drove the car through winter without issue. Just switched back to summer mode about a month ago.

Installed a Treadstone TR8 FMIC to replace the SMIC. So I finally have 2.5" intercooler piping throughout. Oh man, what a difference that made. The car is noticeably more powerful and breathes a lot better at high RPM. Had to trim just a tiny bit of the steel bumper, a bit of the radiator support, and bits of the bumper here and there, but with some effort it fits snugly. I was able to retain all of the bumper grilles as well as my fog lights 

Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr

Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr

Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr

  by babovicn, on Flickr

  by babovicn, on Flickr

Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr

Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr


All the wood you see is so I can get into my driveway. Living in a townhouse place with an underground garage temporarily while I look for a house.

Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr


A shout out goes to IE and UM for providing excellent performance parts and tuning:

Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr


And I switched to these guys, Bosch FR5DTC to eliminate high boost spark blowout that I was getting with single electrode plugs. They're triple prong AND side-fire. A lot of the 20V 5cyl turbo audi guys switch to them when they go high boost for the same reason. Super hard to find but worth it.

  by babovicn, on Flickr


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Now that the engine side of things is pretty well set (minus a possible turbo upgrade), my focus is on two things:

1) Transmission
-02j swap with a very strong clutch/flywheel combo. Definitely open to suggestions here. I did think hard about a dsg swap, but for me, it's just not worth the price difference. I'd LOVE to do an AWD swap, but again, the $$$ is just not worth it to me. This is an economy beater car that I am building for power/fun. If I'm swapping, I'd prefer to have a 6 speed rather than another automatic tranny, keep it fwd and get traction by way of big ass tires.

2) Wheels/tires/fenders
-current plan is as follows:
-jdm fender flares. Thinking about 2.5" should give me adequate clearance for the setup I have in mind. They will be colormatched so should look pretty good.
-18x9.5 wheels all around (going to stick with current wheels, just get two more rears)
-not 100% sure on tires, but found a pair of 285/35/18 pilot sports with 50% tread for cheap that I'm going to pick up and use as a starting point. From there I'll be able to fine tune the offset, 
ride height of the car, fender flare dimensions, and tweak tire size if needed. I'm hoping to end up with tire size right around 285/35 all around.


Once those two big things are out of the way, I can play around with different turbos. I think the car will be pretty well "done" at that time and ready for me to try out some track events. Definitely open to any suggestions you guys might have re: tranny or fender :beer:


----------



## DerekH (Sep 4, 2010)

You can tuck 255s with a minor fender pull/roll. you wont need to go with a 2.5inch flare. obviously the wider the track width the better specially for auto cross. just saying you wont need to have a car that is 5 inches wider to accommodate 285s unless you want that in which case do it cause it will be awesome. also it will be easier to find wheels because you will be able to run a lower offset. To run a 285 properly you will probably want to run a 10inch.

Great work on the car so far man, really enjoying seeing someone have some fun with this engine.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

No big progress to report, except parts in the mail - bfi motor mount + dogbone insert (waiting to get tranny mount until tranny swap), 18x10 mystery wheels (final offset in -10 to 0 range), flares, 285/35s. Test mounting in next week or two then ordering adapters of ideal size. 

Hope everyone else is having fun with their 2.5s, I see dom autocrossing...I gotta get out there!


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well, this happened this evening when I got back from a trip. Wheels in pics are 18x10 et25, but keep in mind that adapters will need to be 18mm so final offset +7. These are the 2.5" jdm flares and I think I need to get the 3.25" for at least the front, if I want to have a chance of running the 285s all around. I could bump the tire size down to 265s or something and keep these and stay low, but that would defeat the purpose of doing all of this...anyways here are some mock up pics...








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]  by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]  by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]  by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]  by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]  by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]


----------



## Eli2.slow (May 29, 2010)

Incredible build!

Love the fact you are using the auto trans.
What exactly did you use from level10?
Id love to do the same since the PO did take good care of the trans & now it needs a rebuild :banghead:
So i figure do some mods in 1 shot 

:thumbup: keep it up, cant wait to see whats next


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Whoopsies 









[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]


----------



## ScienceJesus (Jun 6, 2013)

Nice to see another Pittsburgh bunny guy around here. Looks great, boss! Incredible job. *HIGH FIVE*


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

ScienceJesus said:


> Nice to see another Pittsburgh bunny guy around here. Looks great, boss! Incredible job. *HIGH FIVE*


Thanks! Do you make it out to any meets or cars'n'coffee?

Here are some almost finished pics...mounted them up today. Still need to drop it back down about 1" all around. I think I will get them painted body color eventually but I like the black too...at least it's cheap and easy to touch up...

Thoughts/suggestions welcome!


----------



## zevion (Oct 23, 2009)

Looks wicked :thumbup:


----------



## ScienceJesus (Jun 6, 2013)

TrillyPop said:


> Thanks! Do you make it out to any meets or cars'n'coffee?
> 
> Here are some almost finished pics...mounted them up today. Still need to drop it back down about 1" all around. I think I will get them painted body color eventually but I like the black too...at least it's cheap and easy to touch up...
> 
> Thoughts/suggestions welcome!


I don't really get out much for any of the meets or anything. Though I also don't really bother to find out when/where anyone sets them up. Mostly I just play with mine at home. Sometimes, the girlfriend's brother comes over but mostly just to watch what I'm doing. He's young and just trying to learn the little bit that I can teach him about these cars/engines (he's got a 2.5 Jetta MkV). Or for me to figure out what this weeks Check Engine light means with the vagcom. hahaha

Looking slick though. I think it'll look a bit cleaner with the color-matched flares. It kinda reminds me of my old Jeep as it stands now with the black fender flares. 

I feel you on getting that extra drop. But maybe the black fenders plus the Jeep memories make me see it sitting a little higher than it really is.


----------



## HollisJoy (Dec 26, 2011)

Badass :thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

ScienceJesus said:


> I don't really get out much for any of the meets or anything. Though I also don't really bother to find out when/where anyone sets them up. Mostly I just play with mine at home. Sometimes, the girlfriend's brother comes over but mostly just to watch what I'm doing. He's young and just trying to learn the little bit that I can teach him about these cars/engines (he's got a 2.5 Jetta MkV). Or for me to figure out what this weeks Check Engine light means with the vagcom. hahaha
> 
> Looking slick though. I think it'll look a bit cleaner with the color-matched flares. It kinda reminds me of my old Jeep as it stands now with the black fender flares.
> 
> I feel you on getting that extra drop. But maybe the black fenders plus the Jeep memories make me see it sitting a little higher than it really is.


Nice, yea I've met a couple cool guys here since I moved last year. One drives a 2.5T  I mostly just check the pittsburghcarscene fb page and have gone to a few meets...the 28th st bridge this weekend was huge! Oh, and cars n coffee of course.

Yea I bought rivnuts and nice black hardware as you can see in the front, but couldn't use the rivnuts in the rear due to a double walled fender...thus the raw bolts which make it look like a truck. And I definitely will drop it more, just need to shape the front a bit more to accommodate. Now I can't wait to do some autocross


----------



## dhenry (Feb 10, 2009)

any idea what SCCA class an aftermarket turbo puts you in? i think street modified but i am not sure. i need to know for when i get boosted.


----------



## SocoJoe (Jul 4, 2009)

dhenry said:


> any idea what SCCA class an aftermarket turbo puts you in? i think street modified but i am not sure. i need to know for when i get boosted.


SMF I believe


----------



## ScienceJesus (Jun 6, 2013)

TrillyPop said:


> Nice, yea I've met a couple cool guys here since I moved last year. One drives a 2.5T  I mostly just check the pittsburghcarscene fb page and have gone to a few meets...the 28th st bridge this weekend was huge! Oh, and cars n coffee of course.
> 
> Yea I bought rivnuts and nice black hardware as you can see in the front, but couldn't use the rivnuts in the rear due to a double walled fender...thus the raw bolts which make it look like a truck. And I definitely will drop it more, just need to shape the front a bit more to accommodate. Now I can't wait to do some autocross


Kickass. I've been thinking of going turbo for a while and keep going through this same series of "you have so much more other work that could be done first" followed by "but it's so expensive" and followed by "but it would be so ****ing rad" thoughts over and over. I need to even drop mine first (though I have the coilovers sitting in the basement & ready to go in, just haven't had the time to do it) and the other handful of projects that I want to do that are a lot cheaper. 

Maybe I'll actually look at coming to a cars n coffee or something sometime soon. As long as it doesn't involve me driving into the cesspool that is the South Hills or the yuppie jerkoffs that can't drive anywhere near McKnight road, I'd be down. Just need to actually remember. 

Were you thinking about blending the flares into the fenders? Or leaving the obvious dividing line even after color matching?


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

ScienceJesus said:


> Kickass. I've been thinking of going turbo for a while and keep going through this same series of "you have so much more other work that could be done first" followed by "but it's so expensive" and followed by "but it would be so ****ing rad" thoughts over and over. I need to even drop mine first (though I have the coilovers sitting in the basement & ready to go in, just haven't had the time to do it) and the other handful of projects that I want to do that are a lot cheaper.
> 
> Maybe I'll actually look at coming to a cars n coffee or something sometime soon. As long as it doesn't involve me driving into the cesspool that is the South Hills or the yuppie jerkoffs that can't drive anywhere near McKnight road, I'd be down. Just need to actually remember.
> 
> Were you thinking about blending the flares into the fenders? Or leaving the obvious dividing line even after color matching?


Cars n coffee is in Wexford so it's nice an open and no idiot drivers from my experience going up there. It's every other Saturday, so not this upcoming one but the weekend after. I'll probably go out to that one :thumbup:

I have no plans to mold the flares into the fenders...way too much money on body work/paint which I am not interested in. The primary purpose of the flares is to cover up the big wheels/tires and a secondary purpose (waaay lower priority) is looks. The car has plenty of little battle scars from being low and me scratching it with tools, and my "vision" for it is to be a high hp fun little car I can rip around in and do some autocross with. I'll get another car soon (trying to find the right w211 e55 estate) which will be low and clean


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

dhenry said:


> any idea what SCCA class an aftermarket turbo puts you in? i think street modified but i am not sure. i need to know for when i get boosted.


I have no idea  probably street modified...would make sense to me. But I'm just a baby when it comes to the sport, just starting to learn! Any major principles or advice for when I get started?


----------



## ScienceJesus (Jun 6, 2013)

TrillyPop said:


> Cars n coffee is in Wexford so it's nice an open and no idiot drivers from my experience going up there. It's every other Saturday, so not this upcoming one but the weekend after. I'll probably go out to that one :thumbup:
> 
> I have no plans to mold the flares into the fenders...way too much money on body work/paint which I am not interested in. The primary purpose of the flares is to cover up the big wheels/tires and a secondary purpose (waaay lower priority) is looks. The car has plenty of little battle scars from being low and me scratching it with tools, and my "vision" for it is to be a high hp fun little car I can rip around in and do some autocross with. I'll get another car soon (trying to find the right w211 e55 estate) which will be low and clean


I'll be out of town next weekend (and this one) so I probably won't make it out. But it does sound like a decent time. Maybe I'll try to keep in touch & remember to head out to one. Sadly, saturdays tend to be my "work on the car" days. Or my "do all the damn yard work" days. But at least it's not in the South Hills. I can deal with the north hills to a degree (I'm an east hills/east end guy) 

And leaving the flares does give it a pretty badass look. Just wasn't sure what your plan was for it.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

^ awesome, thanks Dom. I'll sign up for the steel city SCCA (Pittsburg area) and try to get out to some events this year yet. Not sure that I'd be able to make it to NJ, but you never know. I'm going to try and make it out to H2O this sept though so hopefully that works out and I'll get to meet a bunch of 2.5ers. :thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well, just another intermittent update. I'm so bad at updating this thing as a stream. Anyways, a lot has happened, including an 02q tranny swap which is nearing completion. Things I have left to do are: wire up clutch position sensor and reverse light sensor, bolt up axles, and plug in ECU once it arrives back from UM. Hoping to have the ECU back and then the car will be done that day.

I also bought a new turbo which will be arriving tuesday so naturally will be going in tuesday as well. Precision 6262 ball bearing. .82AR T3 to 3" vband, ported S housing (CEA antisurge, 4" in, 2.5" out). Yea, I'm staying with the T3 log manifold...really want to get the jdl or a custom tubular mani, but would also need a new downpipe then. And I can't really swing another 2k right now with the tranny swap and turbo and all. So hopefully the big 6262 performs well in T3 trim.

Here's the swap list for the tranny swap. All in all, parts came out to about 3.5k but could be done with 2.5k if you tried. Done in my garage on 4 jack stands, an engine brace, a jack, and hand tools primarily. Actually quite easy, just took me 3-4 days of pretty constant work. Planning was key - was missing 3 nuts to mount the clutch pedal and that's it - $2.50 from the dealer.

-6spd 02q tranny
-6spd axles
-brake and clutch pedal
-master cylinder
-2.0t clutch line (USP SS line, from master to bleeder/slave) 
-2.0t bleeder valve for clutch line – ECS modified
-brake master to clutch master line (brake master has nipple, needs to be cut)
-starter
-shifter assembly/box
-shifter linkage/cable bracket (APR solid)
-shifter boot/trim (aftermarket leather)
-shift knob (BFI GS2)
-Diesel Geek Sigma6 short shifter
-Clutch kit – BFI/competition clutch stage 4 (billet SS flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, OEM throwout/slave)
-lower coolant hoses x2 and coolant flange– standard rabbit 5speed oem. Eliminates tranny cooler
-tranny fluid and drain plugs
-brake fluid
-coolant flush
-oil change
-clutch position sensor
-reverse light sensor
-pins and wire to hook up clutch position/reverse light sensors
-BFI tranny and motor mounts, dogbone insert
- a bunch of random bolts
-Bentley manual (was quite useless honestly...actually didn't even use it)
-new UM tune/ECU


----------



## Thatguywhodrivestherabbit (Dec 19, 2014)

This thread is my inspiration! A turbo 6spd swap rabbit that started as an auto. Exactly what I want to do!


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Thatguywhodrivestherabbit said:


> This thread is my inspiration! A turbo 6spd swap rabbit that started as an auto. Exactly what I want to do!


Thanks. If you need to know what parts are necessary to do so, I can definitely help you out! 



Today I bolted up the 6262. It is such a tight fit in several places...less than 1mm clearance from passenger axle...but alas it fits. Surprisingly, it doesn't look much bigger than the 5457 side-by-side. I can't wait to try it out opcorn:

Tomorrow I'm going to wire up the clutch position sensor, put intake tubes and battery back on, and drop the car on the ground. I'm just waiting on the software update from UM so whenever that happens I'll fire it up. 








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]


----------



## dhenry (Feb 10, 2009)

:thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well, here's a little story for you guys.

Got mostly everything put back together, minus battery and intake piping, decided to start filling the engine with oil, and it leaks between engine and tranny/bottom of tranny. ****. It has to be something bad, so I unwillingly take the tranny back off and stumble upon this discovery:









[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]

Now I did grind quite a bit off the bellhousing before mounting the transmission. But a lot was not enough. I was too conservative by 1-2mm and this is what happened. So I ordered a new lower timing cover, bolts, rear crankshaft seal, and sealant and got that thing replaced. Not really that bad of a job with a buddy helping.








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]




Filled her up with oil and all good. Put the tranny back on and car back together, and ECU should finally be arriving in the next day or two. Cannot wait to have it back on the road! Also scored a super ricer exterior part that I'm very excited about  pics soon


----------



## killerbunny (Jul 10, 2008)

Glad to see you got everything worked out with the timing cover. I have taken both the upper and lower timing covers off...fun times. 

What are you planning on doing for the the intake now that you are running an S-cover? I know when I ran an s-cover I had trouble finding a silicone 3" to 4" elbow that would fit in that area. This is something I saw the other day that might be useful: http://www.treadstoneperformance.co...dname=3"-4"+Silicone+Reducer+90+**Clearance** Not sure what your intake piping looks like so you might not need something like this.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

I got a 4"-3" 90* elbow from siliconeintakes.com, exactly the same as the treadstone you linked but $10 cheaper. It barely clears the tranny but there is a bit of space...my intake pipe is custom made, maybe that's why I didn't have any issues, just slight variation in angles and stuff.


----------



## aquino (Mar 12, 2007)

opcorn: great stuff


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Well I haven't updated this in ages, almost a year in fact, but I feel that it's time. I post stuff on instagram here and there, but having a documented build thread is something I appreciate.

Last summer/fall, the car began to have a difficult time building boost. After ruling out simple stuff, I pulled the manifold and found it to be cracked :thumbdown: To add to it, with the C2 mani, the 6262 was rubbing on the passenger side inner axle boot and tearing it, so I made the decision to upgrade the hot side with jdl mani/dp and I also had a new intake made at a local performance shop. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. After some random oil leaks here and there (random bolts in upper pan backing out, front main seal), I finished the car about a month ago. Then I'm overboosting for some reason...in the process of pulling the wg off to see what's going on, a bolt snapped in the wg flange on the mani. So I ended up having to remove the mani it to drill it out, AND the wg diaphragm had a tear in it! Terrible luck. But luckily, it's all coming together later today. Also, last year I tore up my car to bolt on some fender flares, and never really made it look nice, so I refit them recently and I'm actually picking them up from paint today. Oh, and I got a D3 S8 as a winter car which has been super nice, 5/10cyl :heart: I'll update after it's all put back together. Enjoy!








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]

Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]


----------



## killerbunny (Jul 10, 2008)

Looking awesome man!

I am having similar boost creep issues with the same manifold setup-custom JDL T3, with a 38mm WG. I was thinking it was the WG not getting enough flow, or the WG being too small, haven't had time to dig into it. Let me know if your issues are fixed after you get it back together.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

What spring do you have in it?

I just got the car back together and it's still doing the same thing. I'm using the 18lb blue spring, and replaced the diaphragm with a new one, everything is bolted up nice and snug. I guess next thing is I gotta double check all the vacuum lines and make sure they're not torn or clogged...it's just weird because the lines are new, and I never had boost creep/overboosting issues with the 39mm wg and the old manifold, even at 25psi...


----------



## killerbunny (Jul 10, 2008)

TrillyPop said:


> What spring do you have in it?
> 
> I just got the car back together and it's still doing the same thing. I'm using the 18lb blue spring, and replaced the diaphragm with a new one, everything is bolted up nice and snug. I guess next thing is I gotta double check all the vacuum lines and make sure they're not torn or clogged...it's just weird because the lines are new, and I never had boost creep/overboosting issues with the 39mm wg and the old manifold, even at 25psi...


On my Tial F38 I had I believe a 7.5PSi spring and hit 18psi+ and creeping. I didn't have issues with the F38 on my C2 manifold, I know JDL normally puts a larger wastegate port on the manifold they sell in their kits. I was going to give them a call some time and see if they could modify it, but haven't had a chance to call.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

killerbunny said:


> On my Tial F38 I had I believe a 7.5PSi spring and hit 18psi+ and creeping. I didn't have issues with the F38 on my C2 manifold, I know JDL normally puts a larger wastegate port on the manifold they sell in their kits. I was going to give them a call some time and see if they could modify it, but haven't had a chance to call.


Yea jdl by default puts a 44mm vband wg flange on their mani. I have been told that a 39mm wg, as long as running at least a 15lb spring, should be able to flow plenty for the 6262. So I'm not sure exactly what's going on but will figure it out.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Got my fender flares painted finally and put them on last weekend:








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url]Untitled by babovicn, on Flickr[/IMG]


----------



## mk6matt (Jan 26, 2013)

Whats size tube did you use to go above the corner of the subframe in your last post?


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

mk6matt said:


> Whats size tube did you use to go above the corner of the subframe in your last post?


All of my intercooler piping is 2.5".


----------



## mk6matt (Jan 26, 2013)

Have you had any issues with it rubbing? I redid mine recently and took the same route. I feel like its rubbing but Im going to check tomorrow. I was just curious if you've had any issues.


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

mk6matt said:


> Have you had any issues with it rubbing? I redid mine recently and took the same route. I feel like its rubbing but Im going to check tomorrow. I was just curious if you've had any issues.


What do you mean by rubbing? It's def a tight fit, and it touches the subframe/lower oil pan, but I have not had any issues with it (noise, anything wearing).


----------



## mk6matt (Jan 26, 2013)

I was most concerned about wear, I wasn't sure if the engine movement would rub a hole in it. Glad to hear yours is working out! :beer:


----------



## killerbunny (Jul 10, 2008)

TrillyPop said:


> Yea jdl by default puts a 44mm vband wg flange on their mani. I have been told that a 39mm wg, as long as running at least a 15lb spring, should be able to flow plenty for the 6262. So I'm not sure exactly what's going on but will figure it out.


Did you ever figure out your over boosting issues?

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

killerbunny said:


> Did you ever figure out your over boosting issues?
> 
> Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


For the most part, yes. With tweaking wg springs, I'm able to control boost at about 25psi, Lower than that, and it creeps pretty bad. I definitely will be switching to a 44mm wg (have thought about 60mm but don't think the manifold collector has space for it), probably over the winter.


----------



## killerbunny (Jul 10, 2008)

TrillyPop said:


> For the most part, yes. With tweaking wg springs, I'm able to control boost at about 25psi, Lower than that, and it creeps pretty bad. I definitely will be switching to a 44mm wg (have thought about 60mm but don't think the manifold collector has space for it), probably over the winter.


For me I ended up adding a 45mm wastgate, and the boost creep has gotten a lot better. Now have a 6.5lb spring in there and highest I seem to be hitting is 11psi. Still have to go through and check everything over. 

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


----------



## mjb8482 (Mar 4, 2008)

I'm sure you checked this a long time ago, but I had overboost issues when I was using a MBC. The ball would stick on the seat and cause boost spikes. I was sick of trying to fix it and just deleted the MBC. Issue gone. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

killerbunny said:


> For me I ended up adding a 45mm wastgate, and the boost creep has gotten a lot better. Now have a 6.5lb spring in there and highest I seem to be hitting is 11psi. Still have to go through and check everything over.
> 
> Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


Makes sense. With a big turbo you need a bigger wg to keep pressure low and have good consistent boost control. I guess I'm hitting the limit of the 39mm wg with the 6262 and it forces me to keep the boost up really high, which is ok I guess.



mjb8482 said:


> I'm sure you checked this a long time ago, but I had overboost issues when I was using a MBC. The ball would stick on the seat and cause boost spikes. I was sick of trying to fix it and just deleted the MBC. Issue gone.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I do have a mbc. Actually changed it out from a Hallman Pro to an IE one during the process of tweaking all of this. I wish I could simplify the setup but I need a mbc to make things work. When I put >20psi springs in the 39mm wg, the responsiveness is just not there and it won't open quickly enough so it overboosts like mad. The mbc allows me to open the wg sooner and keep a small spring in there.


----------



## mjb8482 (Mar 4, 2008)

Oh man, running that kind of boost I can see the need for a larger WG. At 11 psi, the 39mm works well for me without a MBC. 

BTW, love your car! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## squelchy451 (May 19, 2016)

Nice going on this build! I've a 2013 Golf with a 6AT. It's not a DSG but better than most automatics out there.
For me, I'm usually fine with the speed, maybe except once in a while on highways, but that's because I baby my car and keep things under 4k (unless I'm in a tunnel). I'm sure if I was in third gear I can haul some ass, but that would bring down my already deplorable 24 MPG from a German econobox

Maybe a turbo is down the road, maybe not. Until 90K I'm under warranty and I'm sure there are more things I can do to improve the car rather before boost (mostly suspension and driver training)


----------



## Thydroids (Aug 12, 2017)

Update? Were you ever able to increase the Rev limit on the 6speed auto before swapping it?


----------



## halbwissen (Jul 20, 2001)

Thydroids said:


> Update? Were you ever able to increase the Rev limit on the 6speed auto before swapping it?


United Motorsports and Reflect Tuning are both working on J217 (transmission control unit) flashes that raise the rev limiter to 7,000+.
However, neither are released yet. I'm sure both outfits will post on their social media accounts once the tunes are ready for public consumption.


----------



## Thydroids (Aug 12, 2017)

ciphertext said:


> Thydroids said:
> 
> 
> > Update? Were you ever able to increase the Rev limit on the 6speed auto before swapping it?
> ...



That's great news to hear! Did they give any sorta eta? Also where'd you hear this, can't find anything online about it


----------



## halbwissen (Jul 20, 2001)

Thydroids said:


> That's great news to hear! Did they give any sorta eta? Also where'd you hear this, can't find anything online about it


No ETA that I'm aware of. 

Reflect has posted about it publically. 
UM hasn't said anything, but there's a video out of it on a dyno pass and one of their dealers confirmed it was their [UM] software.


----------



## rabbitwolf (Jun 10, 2014)

I’m planning a 6spd auto boost but having trouble finding a three inch exhaust. What did you use? And what transmission mods did you do???


----------

