Well, what can you say at the end of a project...
I plan to say lots, do sit down. lol.
I say the end of the project, however we are yet to install the 3" TIP which should make for some interesting reading, but I may well open another thread for that.
Firstly, and most importantly, should be the big thanks to Bill. This car has been a complete ******** to map. The lack of wideband lambda combined with the constant issues with injectors etc have made it a bit of a headache for him, but he stuck with it with constant good humour despite the level of set backs. Also for lending me the Badger5 head bolt tool. Again.
& :thumbsup:
Lets start with the couple of photos I took today...
The car, where it spent the whole day getting spanked... (and ruining my MPG average...)
A slightly relaxed attitude to work... lol.
So...
It's making good power and drives well. As Bill said, the manifold has done the business with regard to EGTs, however didn't really increase the top end power. I think it would be fair to say that the power made would have been achievable (or close to at least) with the stock manifold. It has made a big difference with regard to heat, and ultimately reliability. Money well spent IMO.
The 550s bought from IE have been just the job, very impressed with them I'd recommend them to anyone as they are well priced, and a direct fit into the 1.8T inlet manifold and fuel rail. No spacers required.
Initial runs gave us close to the final output power with the MBC set to around 24.5 PSI peak. However, once the fuelling was nailed, Bill actually dropped that down to as low as the UNOS with the hard spring can give. This gave peaks of ~23 PSI. It did also allow there to be an extra 3 degrees of timing advance added, which ultimately gave it more power than previous runs, as well as keeping the heat level low.
Lesson = more boost doesn't necessarily mean more power.
Anyway, the drive home was great fun, it really does drive nicely. Peak power is well up from the previous versions of the map, at around 6650. This gives the benefit of it feeling very strong as you change into the next gear and flat the loud pedal back down.
So, I'm a very happy boy
.
My conclusions:
VXR Injectors. One word, NO. Even if they could be made to provide enough fuel with the 4 Bar, 4 Bar = not good. For the extra 30 odd quid I paid, it's better to go with 550s, or even proper 440s. VXR injectors are good value for money - however this is less relevant when they don't actually do the job they were bought for.
High flow manifold. Yes. Well worth the extra spend to keep the power more stable and ultimately more reliable. Not (on my engine at least) good for much extra power though. Word of advice - fit the damn thing whilst the head is off. Fitting in situ, whilst possible, is simply a large pain in the ****, and not worth the hassle. To be fair, with the hybrids, I would say this is a must as keeps EGTs down.
Turbo Intake Pipe. And absolute must. Nuff said.
Turbo itself. Very well made, although did need porting. Worth investigating before fitting. Bill has advised CR that this needs to be done, so future CR hybrids shouldn't be affected. Other manufacturers may not do this - as said, worth looking at BEFORE fitting, as it;s an **** to take it back off again. I know.
Rods. Covered a million times. Yes. You need them. End of.
Mapping. IMO these turbos should NOT be run on Stage 1/Stage 2 cars. They are very different in performance and characteristics to the K04, and therefore will not perform as a generic map expects. Running them on the maps, under N75 control especially, will provide enormous boost spikes that the ECU neither expects, nor is capable of handling. Not good. You will also not get the best from them, and can normally expect to see some 'spazzing out' of the ECU.
Value for money. The big question - hybrid vs BT bang for buck comparison. Difficult one to answer to be truthful. The hybrid, when you include mapping and the high flow manifold, is comparable in hardware cost. This is where the similarity ends. What needs to be remembered here is that the K04 hybrid, and associated parts, are literally off the shelf items. They fit on, you bolt them together and off you go. BT conversions require large amount of fabrication work, lots of custom piping, as well as modification of various parts of the car itself. This is where the cost is incurred with BT work, and that is always worth bearing in mind.
Power Output. IMO, these hybrids are good for up to and maybe a little above 320 with suitable hardware. This would include WMI and possibly a 3" TIP. This is yet to be seen or proven.
Overall. Not a bad job to do, and if you are familiar with the 1.8T engine, a project for someone handy with a spanner I would say. Driveability is good, as there isn't the lag associated with BT applications, however, there isn't the top end grunt either so I guess it's a trade off... Impressed with the turbo capability based on the fact it's in the same shell as a K04.
The bottom line is that the graphs say it all. 55 BHP gain. :thumbsup:
