Prawn and BigAls A3 Track Car

Nick
Great plan i reckon. Get the job done right no matter how long it takes. Bet you are missing the car right now. Finally some sunny weather!!!

320bhp on a stock lump. still into pushing your luck i see
 
Can't wait to see this thing in it's next guise. 064 Hybrid is going to be nuts in a wrong wheel drive family hatch surely!? Thank god for BTCC slicks....
 
666markyboy said:
Rods ?
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No rods no. They're coming out of the old engine and being re-bushed to be used in the new build.

I've got a slightly lower 11psi actuator from BBT, so boost on spool will be just 11psi, and I'll ramp that up slowly to ~18psi at 7k, with the limiter at 7k also.

The old 200k + stock engine used to make almost 300bhp at 1 bar, and did 10 000 happy track miles holding 18psi flat from spool to 7400rpm, so keeping the boost low early on and limiting to just 7k should ensure this hold together.

To be honest, I just want to drive it again!
 
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whats the reason behind going 1.9 over 2.0, is it just the cost of the 2.0 crank or do you think the 1.9 is better suited to the rest of the build?
 
Dubster5 said:
whats the reason behind going 1.9 over 2.0, is it just the cost of the 2.0 crank or do you think the 1.9 is better suited to the rest of the build?
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Whilst it suits many people, for my uses, a 2.0 stroker holds absolutely zero interest.

Strokers seem to take less timing than their standard stroke counterparts, which whilst it's not the end of the world, goes against my preference for low boost and high timing.

Also, by nature, an engine with a longer stroke is less revvy than that with a shorter stroke. and I like revs!

Strokers give increased low down torque and quicker spool up, both of which are things that are already pegged back within my mapping because being FWD I'll always be traction limited.

I'm incredibly happy with how it's performed so far at mid 300's, so knowing that I could take it into low/mid 400's in future and still have it very driveable I don't feel the need to go any futher.

If I could guarantee a perfect bore I'd stick with the stock bore and AGU pistons, but bore condition and ovality seem to be getting so hit and miss with these engines all having covered more and more miles now. I'd rather eliminate ANY chance of substandard results by reboring and having a fresh bore to bed in as I choose :)

Hopefully I'll have the proper engine built up later this year to install this winter, ready for full power fun next year!
 
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Prawn said:
Strokers give increased low down torque and quicker spool up, both of which are things that are already pegged back within my mapping because being FWD I'll always be traction limited.
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Weight is more important tbh

primary reason why billet cranks can rotate freer and faster, even with an increased stroke

But you can of course get a shorter billet stroker - eg 77.4/75mm

eurospec
 
how is it going to be a stroker with less stroker.. An Anti-stroker... Bore max limited generally.
hell of a range they list there.
 
Found the perfect t-shirt for you:

Wrwrblk
 
Destroking is popular in the Mini scene. Taking a 1275 block and running a short stroke crank to pull back to 1071 Like the early Cooper S.

In my case, I'm not interested in increasing or decreasing the stroke at all. i don't want to go longer and away from the revvy nature of the current engine, and I don't want to go shorter and make it MORE revvy at the cost of torque. Where it is currently is about perfect for me.

Going for a rebore and 1900cc will give ever so slight gains from the capacity, but nothing huge, and it keeps it nice and revvy.

The Autotech TT in Combe Saloons runs 1900cc with a Billet 3076, which is my ultimate goal one day. it does 500+ bhp and seems to spool really nicely.

That's a very long way off though! For now I'm perfectly happy with that I have :) And testing a hybrid next year will make it even more fun :D

Big turbo in the future when funds allow, but I'm in no hurry :)
 
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hi all i am new here its took an age to read this far ha amazing how you have transformed this car an kept this diary hats off to you prawn.but the reason why i am here is because i will be doin this almost exact same thing with my leon cupra auq i'm converting to bbt hybrid k04-64 410bhp proven my question is do i wait for this new one thats being tested an what do you think the gains will be over the current unit an will the wait be worth it in the long run or do i just go with this current unit im currently standard k04 runnin 280hp an 309 ftlb an itching to hit 380+
 
Hi Mike,

From what I've seen behind the scenes the newest hybrid looks set to be a decent step up. larger redesigned wheels on both turbine and compressor side, and on paper enough flow for ~450hp. Whilst that's unlikely to translate directly to the real world, it certainly seems that 420bhp+ will be a real world target for the new hybrids. I'd be tempted to get in touch with Clive and tell him you're keen to get yourself first on the list!







In A3 related news, it's still sat in the garage, looking exactly as it did when I pushed it in there back in May, only slightly more dusty than before.

I was planning to fix it next weekend, but the Slushbox on the BM lived up to it's name yesterday, and turned into a box of slush half way up Holden Hill, leaving a comical tailback for god knows how many miles :laugh:





Yay.

I love cars
 
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you need a proper turbo
none of this hybrid smallframe **** :p

man up - lol
 
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ok looks like i will be waiting i got about a 4to6 month wait before the cash comes available to me anyway i have tried texting clive an with super fast replies of whats available now for order but he aint talking about the new one with time frames just that its in testing lol cant blame him i,l keep poking him he may give in or not probably end up on his block list lol cant wait for your build to progress so get out put the hours in at work so we all got something to read sooner :whip::respekt:
 
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we will all happily go bt sooooo what discounts you got goin i,l take a GTwhatever you got goin:whistle2:lol
 
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Hey Nick, just thought I'd say hi (haven't been on here in a while).

Just wanted to say how much your A3 has changed since I last checked this thread and how impressed I am with your progress. Sorry to read it went pop, but I know that won't stop you. I haven't been through the complete thread .... still reading .... 203 pages!! Looks like you went standalone and have added a miriad of chassis tweaks.

I only wish I read this earlier as I was back in the UK in May ..... I still have a garage full of bits including valves and springs and could have helped you out.

Anyways, congrats on getting married and I'll go back to reading the rest of the tread now. All the best mate.

Kev
 
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alright man, been fighting my way through this thread for the past 7hrs as ive been up all night ill, only at page 168 just now but im going out to the doctors, well done so far, im really liking it, was wondering if you have tackled knockhill yet, know you'll love it, only ever managed it on the bike so far but hopefully have the car round it at some point. alot of the videos ive seen from your track time the circuits have been really flat looking, and the ones you seem really happy about being abroad, and ups and downs, just a thought.
 
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HTC said:
Hey Nick, just thought I'd say hi (haven't been on here in a while).

Just wanted to say how much your A3 has changed since I last checked this thread and how impressed I am with your progress.

Anyways, congrats on getting married and I'll go back to reading the rest of the tread now. All the best mate.

Kev
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Hi Kev! Great to see you on here again. I miss the old days sometimes when this place was so busy!

I still think back to the ride I had in yours when you were first IHI'd and how insane it felt with 315bhp back then! It's crazy how time has passed and the game has continued to move on isn't it?

If ever you are back over in the UK give me a shout if you're down south, I've not gone far at all from Pompey. We live in Eastleigh now :)

JsHarthill said:
alright man, been fighting my way through this thread for the past 7hrs as ive been up all night ill, only at page 168 just now but im going out to the doctors, well done so far, im really liking it, was wondering if you have tackled knockhill yet, know you'll love it, only ever managed it on the bike so far but hopefully have the car round it at some point. alot of the videos ive seen from your track time the circuits have been really flat looking, and the ones you seem really happy about being abroad, and ups and downs, just a thought.
Click to expand...

Thanks for reading! It's great to know that people are still finding the thread and taking the time to read through it. One day I'll re-read the whole thing and I think it'll help me realise just how much has occured and changed.

I think you're right in that I'd LOVE knockhill, I was watching BTCC this weekend thinking exactly that. All the European tracks with the undulations are so much more interesting than the flat UK tracks, I think that's one reason I love Dony so much due to Craner Curves on the steep down hill, then the Old hairpin and you change elevation and head back up the hill. Knockhill is definitely on the 'to do' list, but probably one to leave until I've got my B+E and a tow bar on the BMW to drag it up there!

It's been a quiet few years for the track car in general it seems. very little track time last year, and after a good start to this year it's gone a similar way it seems. Everything has just been so busy, and blowing the engine up didn't help either!

Speaking of which.....



I'm sad to report I had a failled weekend working on the BMW. We got the torque converter swapped out, but sadly, due to a small school boy error (and autos being utterly Fu*king backward) I managed to break the oil pump drive within the box, so rather than mess about pulling the box apart I've cut my losses and purchased a low mileage box to swap straight in. Fingers crossed that'll be the end of that Drama



I also spent a small fortune at TPS last week (£102!) on a very small pile of bits.



It does mean that I now have all the sundry items required to reassembe the car and bring it back to life. It's just a matter of time!
 
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I've got knockhill August on bank holiday Monday I cant wait! I've been once in (please forgive me) my mates Honda Civic Type R and it was awesome!
Were doing it reverse direction, so its a long sprint down to the hairpin !

Nick bad luck about the BMW man, auto boxes baffle me. Pixies and all that. Hopefully full steam ahead on the track car soon mate !
 
Hate to say I told ya so about the slushbox :welcoming:

If you service them they are decent!!!

Whens your 18yr old heap of rust expected to be back on the road :whip:
 
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hi prawn, finally finished the last 40 pages this morning, congrats on the wedding, sorry bout the valve and if you need a hand with anything and your in stirling/falkirk/edinburgh/bathgate ''+20miles or so'' area, (future breakdowns/pitstops/coffee, feel free to ask.

just out of curiosity, since you have the s3 bumpers there and aim to make your rear diffuser in the not too distant future, would you consider selling the a3 rear when its finished and fitted, tis hard to find a rear in black up my way that hasnt been completey destroyed, mine has had some dodgy repair work by the last owner and has almost disintegrated, think he used paper mache lol
 
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Yeah Nick, seems like ages ago and well done on all the work you've done. People can read this thread and obtain reliable tested information on what does and doesn't work regarding 8L 2WD A3s.

My garage is like the Mary Celeste, like someone downed tools and ran away :). My car is still there and started first time after years of not being used. I still have so many parts that never got fitted!

Like you say, so many things have changed and I am amazed at what can still be achieved with these cars. I will give you a shout when I am next over for sure .... although I'm not sure when that might be.

All the best mate.
 
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alright man,

was searching the interweb cause its stupid oclock in the morning and found this
C12a4e15dbe1acde5096212328cebe5e


a carbon fibre tailgate for the a3, and i instantly thought of you, they dont have a price on theyre website POA, might be able to get a discount for some advertisement or something, but here it is anyway. http://mcomposit.com/sale.php?sale_id=25

they do a bonnet aswell, (although you have one, a friendly reader may be after one) but once again, no prices, thought it would be good for your crusade in weight reduction and plexiglass that rear window, should save a hell of a lot of weight, best regards
 
audi upgrades
may i add they say it weighs 2200grams, so thats 2.2 kilo's
 
Jesus a lot of going backwards in here recently.

That tailgate looks very interesting.
 
No idea what the stock tailgate weighs, great find though ok the carbon!

So, I've attempted to progress this over the weekend, and it's fought me every single step of the way! Argh.

I think the car is enjoying the break.
 
So, Satursay morning came, and i got the two engines together, old and older :laugh:



Progress soon came to a halt when I removed the sump to swap it over, only to find out my baffled sump was cracked internally on both lateral baffles:








Thankfully, we fixed the 530d on Thursday night, so we jumped in that and headed over to see Ben on Littlehampton who very kindly welded it up there and then for me, what a legend! Thanks Ben :)



Not the easiest job due to the oil contamination stopping a clean weld, but Ben did a good job as always!






All cleaned up and ready to go on:



Next up, off with the sump on the temporary engine:



Oil pump out:



And my oil pump fitted, whilst it's not new, it's only done 20k and I know it's history, so it's better than a complete unknown:



Cleaned oil pickup and windage tray back in:



Sump on next, I took a pic, but really? It's a sump. It's very dull :laugh:

Next up stud removal from the head ready to accept the adapter plate, standard 2 but method:



All studs out and face cleaned up, and that's where I left it for Saturday night:

 
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Sunday morning and I started with some nice easy jobs.

Front bracket on, along with PAS pump and alternator. Also the oil filter housing and breather pipes:




The coolant hard pipe washer was looking a little manky:



Thankfully, Big Bad Dad had given me this set, so a replacement was easily found :)



Next up was the new master cylinder, I'd snapped a bleed nipple off on mine back at Castle Combe and I hadn't been able to drill it out successfully. 30% discount code at ECP last weekend was handy.



Fitted:



Next up I started removing the tfsi adapter plate from the old (dead) head.

First job was to remove the studs.



A few came out, but most didn't want to know. So I soaked it all on wd40 and decided to change plans whilst I let the wd soak in.

Instead, I pushed the a3 outside (getting quite used to pushing these things around), and drove the BMW into the garage.

After last weekend fails on the BMW, I'd picked up a complete gearbox in the week which Luke, Sam and I fitted on Thursday evening.
I'm glad to report the BM is now back to full health and going great.

We'd filled the new box with fresh oil on Thursday, but I was keen to drop it one further time to make sure it's really clean in there.

This was the inside of the sump after dropping the oil today:



And this was the condition of the magnet in the new box:



Compared to this in the old box for comparison:



It's safe to say this is in much better health!

Sump cleaned:



And back along, along with a new filter, a tube of Shudder Fix, and 6litres of Dexron 3.

Whilst under there, I fitted new drop links, and aside from the MOT on Tuesday, that's the BMW done with for a while hopefully!

Back to the a3, and the studs had had some time to soak, so I started removing those.

Most wound out ok, although this one needed some heat:



Now for the sh*t part.....

2 years ago, one of the studs snapped on situ whilst replacing the turbo. It left enough thread to get a nut on still, so I decided I'd deal with it when I was forced to.

That time was now.

This lovely short stud did NOT want to come out. It was too short for my stud extractor, so I tried welding a nut to the end:



Max power, concentrated on the centre. And I have no idea why, but the welder absolutely would NOT penetrate onto the stud :(



I tried EIGHT times, and only one of those stuck enough to try and Undo the stud:



That one time. The ******* thing just snapped off lower down!





So there we go!



I've got the adapter off, but the angled thread has a stud stuck in there, and I myself cannot get it out.

I'm sure it's a simple enough job for an engineering shop to drill it out, but with the tools I've got I've tried and I just can't get it out.

Buying a new adapter is out of the question, especially when I KNOW this can be sorted, but until such time as its sorted, the car is once again on hold :(
 
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Stick the adapter plate in your freezer tonight

~assuming bigger enough freezer of course

One of those freeze sprays might work
 
Last edited:
Freezing contracts/shrinks metal - might be worth a try
 
What type of metal is the spacer and stud made from? Wouldn't want the spacer shrinking more than the stud. Plus, things get brittle when cold and hammers are involved. I'm thinking the engineering shop might be a better option.
 
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