AGU tuning opinions...

[A3 Dale]

Im new to the forum and the tuning world!
Not long got my hands on my a3 1.8t agu. Im lead to believe my car is running stage 1 rtech map by previous owner and i have fitted my own custom CAI with pipercross filter, other than that completely standard, so i will be getting my turbo back exhaust, 007 dv. However recently found excessive play in my turbo. Trying to decide what route to take with my engine tuning!! K03s vs k03 hybrid. Has anyone experienced both setups and could share some views as im stuck whether to spend the extra pennys on the hybrid route or whether to get a nice custom stage 2 tune with supporting mods on a k03s setup. I will obviously be upgrading the chassis components such as brakes and suspension etc. Would just like some opinions on the power side of things!!! :-D

 

[Munch]

Check out prawns project thread mate, is pretty much agu porn, ha. I'm much in the same boat as yourself, with an agu and looking at tuning. For the sake of this being my only car, I'm going to rebuild another engine with bigger turbo etc over the course of next year, then fit it when it's done.

 

[A3 Dale]

Ok mate il have a look. I dont mind having it stripped etc at times im able you use my zx6, not to sure this winter though aha. What are your plans for your 2nd engine then?

 

[coatesy]

As said check prawns build thread also check mine out I have a k03 fitment hybrid on my agu. Pulls like feck, silly fast, what more do you want lol

 

[A3 Dale]

Just looked at your build thread Coatesy! So nice progress there what a jump! Very interested in that turbo of yours! Did you change rods for peace of mind or are they a must at that power? Iv ready they are ok under 300 ponies? Am i right in saying
K03 hybrid
Turbo back exhaust
Forge dv
Red top injectors
Silicone tip
3" maf
Fmic
And a map

Is all thats need? Thats alot of pennys to looking around the 2k mark really?

 

[Prawn]

I'd say coatseys ko3 hybrid seems like a pretty good way to go, it depends ultimately how much power you want, but the 280ish it produces will be more than enough to make most people very happy indeed.

At st2 with a ko3s they can be mighty pokey, so Alex's one must really fly, and it's SO much less work than my ko4 hybrid, which to be fair was a right ball ache! does go well though

 

[A3 Dale]

I can imagine they are both weapons id love 280 but im thinking that may be a little too much for my little fwd a3 haha am i right in saying 230 is your lot from a k03s?

 

[Prawn]

I can imagine they are both weapons id love 280 but im thinking that may be a little too much for my little fwd a3 haha am i right in saying 230 is your lot from a k03s?

nah, 280 isn't too much at all, I've got 300+ and want more!

230 is about your lot from the ko3S really, some have got more with lots of mods, but it's not really that cost effective when you can bolt a ko4 on relatively cheaply.

Ko3s St2 in an A3 goes really well, was enough for me for many years

 

[A3 Dale]

Hmmmm im going to have to just bite the bullet arnt i haha! (hybrid) if i do it id want to do it once wouldnt want to be getting borded amd wanting more too soon aha what would you say a safe hp figure is for engine internals well rods as they seem to be the only fault at high hp?

 

[coatesy]

i put forged rod in mine as a safety thing and i was rebuilding the engine so i thought it would be rude on to lol

its not known what the max out of my turbo is but im going to find out in the new year, now iv got my WMI installed i might even make 285bhp, i was told the turbo could flow more so that's a good thing.

with the hybrid like mine you don't need to change the manifold of oil and water lines or DP if you already have an after market one where as with prawns you do, but it depends what power you want and i suppose both of our a3's will feel completely different with the way the car makes the power, all turbos spool different and all that.


i cant say exactly how much it cost me but heres a picture of id say two thirds of the receipts i have and the rest are email invoices lol

id guess about 3k maybe 4k. it all soon adds up but on top of that i did have to buy a full new set of valves and a piston.

its all good fun ill be looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

you could get dan (beachbuggy) to make you a k03 hybrid that he made for an other member on here that made around about 250bhp i think, if you didn't want so much power

 

[Prawn]

there is no safe figure for rods really mate!

Some have gone on stock 210 S3's, yet some have run 350bhp for 4 years on stock 19mm AUQ rods, it's a massive lottery.

Age and mileage will play a large part, but on the whole anywhere near 300bhp/300lbft and you're really on borrowed time.

I wouldn't do rods for a ko3S build, but anything else it'd be wise.

 

[coatesy]

what would you say a safe hp figure is for engine internals well rods as they seem to be the only fault at high hp?

it seems to be torque that kills rods, you cant really say what could cause it, as welly put a larger fmic on his s3 and then it bent a rod ages ago. its better to be safe than sorry i say.

nah, 280 isn't too much at all, I've got 300+ and want more!

there's never enough power

 

[A3 Dale]

Iv sent beachbuggy a message to see what sort of turbo he can make up. My turbos on its way out too soon! funds are tight lol if i were to fit a hybrid is it ok to run it with evrything standard if the n75 is unplugged, to run it in until i can bolt the extras on and take it for a map? Thanks for the help and advise guys much appreciated!

 

[Prawn]

if i were to fit a hybrid is it ok to run it with evrything standard if the n75 is unplugged, to run it in until i can bolt the extras on and take it for a map?

As long as you don't thrash the nuts off it then yes, that should be OK. it's essential to keep the N75 unplugged though!

Your list above is pretty much bang on, make sure the FMIC has 2.5'' pipework though, thats essential above ko3S level.

You may also require a fuel pump, but that's more dependant on the condition of your current one. Easiest option there would be a used LCR pump which will drop straight into your tank.

 

[coatesy]

You may also require a fuel pump, but that's more dependant on the condition of your current one. Easiest option there would be a used LCR pump which will drop straight into your tank.

I run a LCR fuel pump that was from gsf it hardly cost anything.

Best thing for you to dude is make a list and buy bits every month until you have got everything on your list then do all the work at once.

That way you will only take your engine apart once and it will save you down time on your car!

 

[A3 Dale]

Thats what i orginally wanted to do. But ****** turbos on its last legs :-( so needs to be done soon but i wont be able to fund all the other mods and mapping yet :-/ if i could run the hybrid on a standard engine for 500-1000 miles il be alright lol?

 

[Prawn]

Be fine mate, you've just got to keep the n75 unplugged and don't floor it, just drive around normally for a while until you can get it sorted.

 

[A3 Dale]

Finally bit the bullet iv gone for a k03s hybrid k03s coldside with k04 hotside, fitted and running with n75 unplugged. Aiming for the 250hp mark any ideas on a torque figure? Also will i be able to run my standard injectors and maf? I dont want to upgrade injectors and they be overkill :-\. Slowly collecting all the pieces for the puzzle!

 

[Prawn]

without injectors and a MAF you're absolutely limited to normal ko3s figures mate, which are 230bhp and 260lbft or there abouts. at this point, both the MAF and injectors on the AGU are right on the limit.

What you need, is a set of saab red top 346cc injectors, which typically go for £75-100 tops, and a VR6 maf housing, which usually go for £20-30 tops, so not expensive parts at all.

Depending on the rest of your spec (exhaust and intercooler) that'll see you capable of figures like coatseys, 270bhp / 290lbft.

if you've spent all that cash on the hybrid, and you're going to spend a load of cash on a custom map, it really would be very foolish to leave the stock injectors in, as all the money is effectively wasted.

 

[Prawn]

iv gone for a k03s hybrid k03s coldside with k04 hotside

Reading this again, is this a typo? or just not a clear explaination?

Are you talking about housings, of wheels?

A ko3s cold side with a ko4 hot side, if you're refering to the turbine and comp wheels, will be a ko4-001 effectively.

If you're talking housings, and you've got those back to front, a ko3 hot side with a ko4 cold side would almost certainly be all ko4 internals like coatseys....

Need clarification on that bit mate, although either way, it'll still need injectors and a maf to crack 230bhp.

 

[A3 Dale]

Cheers mate. Sorry i was talking about the wheels. Will red top injectors be too much or ok? Also will i need the 3" maf?

 

[Prawn]

so you've got the 'smallest' form of hybrid yea? a ko3s compressor wheel with a ko4 turbine wheel, so a ko4-001?

That'll still need bigger injectors and a vr6 MAF to get the best from it.

 

[coatesy]

Cheers mate. Sorry i was talking about the wheels. Will red top injectors be too much or ok? Also will i need the 3" maf?

Red tops will be sounds for this.. you will need the vr6 maf housing as well

 

[A3 Dale]

If im going for the vr6 maf housing, what shall i do about a tip with the maf being 3". Also whats the part number for the red tops? Are there any other injectors that will work?

 

[A3 Dale]

Will a passat vr6 maf fit? Part number is 0280217504. The mk3 golf vr6 maf part number is 0280217512. What maf part number are you using? Thanks