My S3 Thread

[Sam_]

Also i have family in oz (perth) and my cousin says its mega bucks to tune cars out there!
This true or is he being a girl?

Most stuff is expensive over here. Insurance, rego etc all add up. Police tend to like targetting modified cars but they usually go for the japanese stuff like WRX's, 200SXs. I've never been pulled over in 3 or 4 years of driving here. I generally get parts from overseas as the retailers take the **** with their prices here and then moan that everyone gets parts from overseas? The lifestyle is good though, I work 5 minutes away from the famous Manly...

That clutch does look nice mate... hopefully you'll have it all together before mine wears out again so you can tell me if its any good in case I fancy a change... I do about 5k a year and the clutch lasted 20-25k last time so you should be ok ;P

<tuffty/>

Hah, I'll probably have changed the clutch at least once by the time you need a new one! I'm kinda worried how long it'll last. At least I know the clutch won't be the weak link, it'll be passed to something else expensive to break...

 

[Sam_]

A few bits arrived today...

Going to drop these off at the engine builders and grab the IE inlet manifold so I can test install it on the engine with the 80mm TB and make up a new IE to TB hard pipe and get the right silicon joiners.

 

[Tony77]

What power u going for?

 

[Sam_]

Realistically with the cams 450-500hp (fly) should be comfortable but we'll see. I want to it to last reasonably well and not be too highly strung. I think it'll go well with the stroker.

 

[Tony77]

Kl kl like it😉

 

[StaceyS3]

Clutch looks sexy.....I want lol

 

[Sam_]

Clutch looks sexy.....I want lol

Yeah, shame it'll not be visible. It should cope with a fair bit of stick. If you need one, give Mike Hood at Ringer Racing a shout. He done a good deal on it shipped with the IE cams etc.

Are you totally rebuilding from scratch? I check out your thread when you update but didn't know you were starting over??

 

[StaceyS3]

Yeah, shame it'll not be visible. It should cope with a fair bit of stick. If you need one, give Mike Hood at Ringer Racing a shout. He done a good deal on it shipped with the IE cams etc.

Are you totally rebuilding from scratch? I check out your thread when you update but didn't know you were starting over??

If was starting from scratch would definately be after that clutch, but am getting the flywheel machined and replacing the friction and pressure plate

I pulled the motor as done the selector on the box and thought it was a good idea to check it over due to the low oil pressure

One thing led to another though and picked up the hta35 dirt cheap so there will be a few changes and a lot of the finishing touches that I ran out of time with last time will be sorted

You must be getting near a full collection of parts now

 

[Sam_]

Oh, I bet the mrs is happy with that! I know mine wants to have a kid and so me spending cash on the car is hardly making her happy!

That HTA35 will be a bit of a beast GT30 is so last year it seems.

Yeah, I nearly have all the parts now I think. Small bits and bobs to buy but nothing substantial, need to get some pipes welded up (the big L shaped hard boost hose and one for TB to IC) and do a few bits. Hopefully it goes well but you never know...

 

[driftymcgee]

Hey Sam,

Looking good, that clutch is pure porn!

You still having Seb do the work? Seems like Sevv has had a nightmare time with him.

 

[Sam_]

Heh, it's a nice bit of kit. I tossed up for a while between getting a Sachs paddle and using OEM flywheel etc but the cost of it all wasn't too far from this. I'm hoping it should cope with a lot of stick but not sure how much wear I'll get out of it.

Yeah, still using Seb. I done his website for him (Euro Revolution - Euro Revolution) so in return I'll get a bit of a discount on the job but we shall see how that pans out. I'm hoping to do most of the work myself to reduce the labour costs but things like gearbox rebuilds I won't be able to do. I'd like to give them a go but far better for someone else to do it since I'd have to buy all the tools etc. There's still a fair way to go.

How's yours going?

 

[driftymcgee]

Haha, mine, going slowly. As is always the way when you have all the tools, but none of the motivation. Actually every time I go to do something I found another thing done by the previous owner I don't like and need to fix up.

Clutch has survived a good number of launches but easier to drive than ever which is nice.

Trying to find a good garage to do some of the harder work and keep coming back to BWA Auto out my way. Good chaps to speak to and they take it really seriously while still not being over the top like some of the bigger tuner out here.

 

[Sam_]

You have a decent amount of space to work in then? You've seen where I do my work I think? Small apartment garage, not ideal but I can get some stuff done.

Well today I done the usual 6 month greasing of the rear ARB. It seems to shed all grease from the bushes over time and then starts squeaking which is a bit embarrassing as it does it every time I drive into the work car park. A fiddly but easy job to do. It's just annoying.

I also made the trip out to the guy helping with the engine build and dropped a load of parts off. I also met Sevv there and had a chat about his 8P build which is coming along. I grabbed the IE inlet and vacuum + fuel rails so that I can sort out the TB to IC hose. I'll get a new one made up with a map sensor boss and also the mount for the Tial QR. Should tidy it up nicely. I have to get a battery relocation kit first though so there's space for the new pipe. Not looking forward to that job, that's for sure. I bet it's a pain?

Anyhow, here's the inlet. I wanted a black fuel rail but meh, it'll work:

I was happy to find out the boost pressure sensor for the SPA dual gauge fits straight into the vacuum rail:

 

[dannyh]

Oooooo looks sexy!

 

[driftymcgee]

You have a decent amount of space to work in then? You've seen where I do my work I think? Small apartment garage, not ideal but I can get some stuff done.

I've got plenty of room, that is for sure and also have a LOT of tools. Just need the funds to buy as much mad gear you've collected.

It's going to be mental, hopefully all the research pays off and most of it goes on without issue.

Waiting for shots of progress to be as awesome as all of the parts porn provided so far.

 

[Sam_]

Yeah the mrs is never really too happy when I tell her the actual value of things I buy so I often do what I used to do with my parents and tell her like a third or half the price (hope she never reads this).

I've been considering upsizing the turbo already to a GTX3576 as on paper it looks to be a nicely matched turbo but we shall see.

This just arrived:

Not looking forward to fitting it. I know it's going to be a right mission.

 

[Sam_]

The AN4 fittings for wastegate cooling arrived so I tried it all on for size. Fits perfect with the OEM 90 degree heater core fittings with the extra outlets, just incase anyone was thinking of doing the same. It's not strictly necessary to water cool it but Tial suggest it when the wastegate doesn't get much airflow (which I doubt it does where it sits) and it helps it last longer. It also stops it going brown over time

 

[Sam_]

Another day, another part delivery. This time a PTP turbo blanket. I've lined up someone to ceramic coat the manifold, downpipe and turbine housing but can't harm to have a bit more heat management going on.



Their demo vid is pretty cool:



Dropped the mrs at work on Sunday at 6am so took a few snaps in the nice morning light:



Also got a brand new HTA3582 lined up. Plan is to sell the GTX on, buy a .82 Tial housing for the HTA (it's coming with a T4 twin scroll). Some will say the .82 is too bug but HTA don't recommend it and by all reports it barely effects spool on the HTA and adds a fair bit more up top. Should be good for future power requirements

 

[<tuffty/>]

Not a fan of those tbh mate... obviously they work as intended but do tend to keep the heat in the turbo... this is arguably less of an issue for turbos with metal bearing conversions or journal bearings to a degree but My personal preference is to shield rather than cover on that part of the turbo... I have made a reflective shield for mine, should allow the heat to dissipate from the hotside but reflect it away from stuff to prevent too much heat getting where it shouldn't...

Too many mixed reviews to suggest how much of an issue it could be but the fact that it could be put me off

<tuffty/>

 

[Sam_]

I know there's a lot of mixed opinions on it. Maybe I'll offload it then If that was the case then ceramic coating the turbine housing probably isn't advised either then?

 

[<tuffty/>]

I know there's a lot of mixed opinions on it. Maybe I'll offload it then If that was the case then ceramic coating the turbine housing probably isn't advised either then?

Same principle realistically... I did consider it myself tbh... like you say, extra heat management shouldn't harm but in this case I am not so sure... I have seen how easy it is for these things to melt and as I know I haven't got a metal cage upgrade I am erring on the side of caution... don't know if your HTA has got the upgrade but even if it does I think my preference would be reflection over insulation

<tuffty/>

 

[Sam_]

Yeah fair one. Sounds like I'll get it on eBay for one of the drag lot over here...

 

[Sam_]

I was wondering whether FP change the bearing cage myself...

 

[Sam_]

Few more bits arrived today so I have all the parts now to get that sorted. Need to crack on and do the battery relocation so then I can fit all these bits and fab anything up that needs doing (mainly the IC to TB hard pipe). I lent the Hemi TB to a guy in Brisbane to get his car going since he's closer to getting his done and needed one.

Anyhow here's the fuelling setup:



The IE surge tank will sit either where the battery was or over where the windscreen washer tank is (and relocate that to where the battery was). AN8 from Bosch 044 to rail, everything else AN6. I'm retaining the OEM tank to bay lines and have a new OEM in-tank pump. OEM lines are adapted to AN6 with IE's adapters (bottom left in the photo above).

 

[Scullies]

Nice bling !!!

I would sit the tank in the washer bottle area for 2 reasons.
1 - it would get air blowing over it to keep it "cooler" compared to sitting in the engine bay where is going to get heat soat
2 - Shorter fuel lines to run to the tank. Seen a TT with the surge tank in the battery area. Fuel lines ran across the front of the engine to the tank, then from the tank to the rail.

 

[limbo118118]

some nice looking kit your getting there!

 

[Sam_]

Deal is done on the HTA3582 so that's all good. Lining up a .63 Tial housing (very cheap) and will probably get a .82 since many say that it doesn't make a big difference to spool but flows a fair bit more. Once they all arrive, I'll take the downpipe, housings and downpipe for ceramic coating.

Nice bling !!!

I would sit the tank in the washer bottle area for 2 reasons.
1 - it would get air blowing over it to keep it "cooler" compared to sitting in the engine bay where is going to get heat soat
2 - Shorter fuel lines to run to the tank. Seen a TT with the surge tank in the battery area. Fuel lines ran across the front of the engine to the tank, then from the tank to the rail.

Yeah they're too very good reasons that would sway me that way. I've seen a few people mount them there. I do worry a bit about any kind of impacts, the surge tank will take a bit of a hit. It's only a small tank though I suppose.

I'll probably end up getting a washer tank like this then to squeeze in somewhere:

some nice looking kit your getting there!

Yeah, just wish I had more time/money to finish the build. It'll come in good time I guess.

 

[Sam_]

Not much to report other than the HTA3582 is on it's way from the states as is a .63 Tial housing. I'd already bought a .82 but the .63 came up so cheap it was rude not to. It might be handy if the .82 turns out to be too big. The .82 arrived today from 034 Motorsport. Some pics of it next to a PPT .72 housing (for a GT30) which Gordie is hopefully buying. As you can see, it's a little bit larger...

 

[Gordie_S3]

 

[Sam_]

Get it bought

 

[Sam_]

And it's here... I'll chuck the Tial on it later and get some better snaps:

In other news, I need new tyres. Two are properly bald on the inside shoulder. I need to get geometry tweaked clearly and either drop some camber or tweak the toe. Problem is it's daily driven so 2.5 degrees might be a bit much. After a bit of thinking, I'm going to stick with AD08Rs and considering going to 255/40/17 rear and 235/45/17 front.

 

[Sam_]

So I removed the 1.06 T4 twin scroll housing as it's a bit on the, errr.... large side. Bolts are sunk into the housing a bit making them a right **** to get to. The housing should sell for decent money as apparently they're hard to get.



Next to a Tial .82...



Then fitted the Tial...



Quite a big fella...



Paul/Tuffty sent me this photo of a GTX35 (same frame just using a Garrett billet wheel rather than HTA) mocked up on a TSR manifold. I think there might have to be some "adjustment" to a part of the valve cover for it to fit ok.

The mrs has put her foot down so I might have to stop spending for a little bit. That or keep it on the sly a bit better.

 

[Sam_]

Got bored so took some more pics with the HTA82 mocked up

 

[Sam_]

In other "purchases that need to be hid from the mrs", I may have secured a JNL head for the new engine. My head had already been worked but luckily Seb has agreed to use my AGU head (with big valves, spring, retainers etc) and I'll use the JNL head. It's not cheap but it sounds like great spec and JNL are renowned.

- Supertech single keeper valves-inlet and exhaust , exhaust are +1mm inconel
- Titanium retainers + springs
- Head fully reconditioned, reshaped combustion chamber
- Deck cooling mod

Handily it's also been ported to match the CVA2 cams.

It's not final yet but should be fairly awesome. It'll also save me a few $$ in the end actually.

 

[Andrew@A.L.D]

One awsome S3 when done.

 

[Sam_]

Hopefully yeah! It's not definite about the head yet. Half of me would be happy, half would be a bit sad as it's a friend that's considering bailing on his build to pursue other things. We'll see.

 

[Sam_]

New tyres ordered. Managed to get in on the Yokohama 4 for 3 offer for a new set of AD08Rs but the downside is I could only get them in 255/40/17. It's going to be even tighter. Definitely going to need to get the guards/wings rolled/pulled somehow. I'm not sure the 5mm on the outer edge will make a huge difference. There's enough room on the inside.

 

[Sam_]

Unfortunately the deal with the head didn't happen. I'm exploring other options but I think I'll just use the head I had originally lined up - a stock big port with Ferrea +1mm valves and valvetrain. I'll look at porting later.

I dropped the manifold and downpipe off at a ceramic coating place this morning (Hi Octane Coatings for anyone in Sydney). I've gone for their "Turbo X" ceramic coating which is supposedly rated for up to 1300c. It's a kinda off black finish and looks pretty nice. Should take a week or so. Other than that, not much to report. Next up is ordering the parts for the hard boost pipes. I think after seeing a picture of an engine bay that Hi Octane done some parts for, I'm going to powder coat a few bits in black wrinkle finish - the inlet manifold, any hard boost pipes (the large L turbo to IC and IC to TB) and the valve cover most likely.

 

[Sam_]

So the block is ready apparently. Once I get the OK, I'll shoot over to Seb's and get some photos of everything.

I ordered an AGN smooth valve cover (from the UK actually) and a few cans of black wrinkle spray to paint it with which should look pretty awesome. Going to do the dual port breather setup too. Looking a bit worse for wear but it should clean up ok...

I'd been umming and erring about running E85 with this new engine. It's a great fuel that's not really available easily in the UK from what I gather but as the name suggests it's 85% ethanol. E85 is 104-105 octane and is more knock resistant, so can tolerate more boost or a higher CR. The downside however is that you require ~40% more flow to reach the same AFRs. This means bigger injectors and another 044. So I've bought some ID2000 injectors (modified Bosch 2200cc) and am sorting an IE dual 044 tank. E85 is pretty easy to get here, there's a station near my work and one near home. It's also a fair bit cheaper but it's kinda evens out though since you use more of it. Oh, and it's better for the environment - save the trees man!!

 

[Gordie_S3]

I envy you Sam!