1g TSI AWD 300-350hp build

[customdsm]

Ok, so I'm planning on doing a 300-350hp build for my car. It's a reasonable goal since I'm only asking like an extra 150hp and 100ft/lb of torque. I'm trying to get an idea of what I need to get together to get going. Don't get all angry about "use the search", because I'm really looking for is suggestions on which parts you guys have had success with, and which path not to go down, etc. Not like a how-to. I've already read the tech articles, etc. I'm looking for people that have already done this and gone through the headaches of shopping as well as getting different brand parts to work together.

Here's what I'm already planning to do.
-Full 3" exhaust, straight pipe from turbo back, no cat. I might go all the way to the bumper or just route out to under the door. Ported O2 housing too.
-Remove emissions.
-Paint, I need it, so I'm going to do that no matter.
-upgrade to 4 bolt rear end. Anyone got one for sale? Or is there a better route to go? Newer driveshafts.
-255 fuel pump, with 550cc injectors. Should I get bigger injectors? I think 550's would be fine.
-Wideband O2. LC-1 or LM-1? or different one altogether?

Stuff I would like advice on:
-BOV, does it matter or keep the stock one? Any advantage of switching to atmospheric type?

-Clutch and flywheel. Ok, I was planning on sticking with my stock one until it blew since I only have 300 miles on it right now. If need one though I probably do a fidanza hybrid flywheel, as full Aluminum. would wear out too quick. Which part number for fidanza as they have like 5 for 1st gen? Brand and type recommendations on clutch? Spec, ACT, etc?

-FMIC going to be bar and plate, yeah I know there is huge treads on this one, especially about ebay cores, which as far as I can tell seem to work fine, and probably what I'll be using. But I'm wondering about size (probably 3 to 3.5") and pipe routing options really. Will I need to get an aftermarket bumber so it can breath properly? I'm not opposed to getting a body kit since I will be painting anyways, but I still want to be able to go over curbs, not a fan of the dropped stuff. By the way any suggestions on that? My plastic stock ones now are kinda warped from age, so might not be a bad idea to do a full body kit.

-Intake, ok there seems to be two routes to go on this one. The GM 3" with the translator, and the 2nd gen intake? Is there a better way besides those or one of the two that works better?

-Exhaust manifold, has a lot to do with turbo too. I was thinking t3/t4 route. With the spiraled type of manifold. Or does that design suck totally and I should just port an evo3 one? Switch to external wastegate while I'm at it? I was thinking about gt30's or gt35, unless you guys think that kinda setup is waste for my goal and there is something cheaper to accomplish the same end. Should I just get turbo/manifold kit, probably cheaper huh? By the way I plan on heat wrapping both the intake and exhaust. I already have a MBC.

-Pulleys, should I even bother? If so what type of setup, there is like 6 different setups. I'm not opposed to removing the A/C.

-Cam gears. Again should I even bother?

-ECU, I have no idea what to do here.

Anything else I should do? Somesort of fuel management system, go piggieback or what? Any non-street legal mods to include? There is no emissions or inspection where I live, so I can do whatever I care to do to my car. Well, besides drive without a hood, because no hood altogether is lighter than CF and way cooler looking, that's a joke incase you missed it. Thanks for reading.

 

[burnnxs]

keep reading

 

[diddy456]

That all sounds good. Just make sure you tune up everything before you start. I am not sure if you have ever built up a DSM before, but if you haven't you need to follow the guide. http://www.dsmtuners.com/sub.php?page=1gtupgrades Read this and then on the right do the different Stages. Stage 0, 1, and 2 should get you more than you are asking for. Hope this helps.

Diddy

 

[SRiz]

I just hit 298hp.... I did it with a Small 16g at 16psi, 190 fuel pump, 2.5-3.0 inch exhaust, ECU+ tuning, 660cc injectors... I have a lot of stuff holding me back... I have a really small turbo at not much boost, i have 7.8:1 1g pistons, and My timing isnt agressive at all. Its very very easy to get 300 HP with a good tune. Im at around 65% injector duty cycle so at that rate my fuel shold support 350-400hp. I think you should be ok with ## clutch untill you take it to the track a couple times then you will need something better than organic. In the end get a 16g (whichever model) some good fuel and a good tune and you will easily get 300hp.

 

[customdsm]

As a I said I have read the tech articles. Like the stage 0, stage 1, stuff. I'm just looking for advice on what parts actually work. There are so many for 1g's I'm kinda overwhelmed shopping. I Think my fuel pump and injectors will do fine then. No, its not my first DSM build up, more like my fourth. First DSM build up on a car I actually own though. Car is running fine at stock currently. 16g really? I just thought the small upgrade advantage over the 14 wasn't worth the money? Then again there's no way I'm going past 20psi, that's just stupid for what I'm doing. I might as well get a full 16 or 20, if going to do it though and just turn it down. How did you tune your ECU, just reprogram or new pre-built chip? What settings should I use on the ecu for high altitude? Advice about the intake and exhaust?

 

[customdsm]

Ok, so I think I'll stick with my stock turbo and run and external wastegate and increase my MBC. What manifold design seems to work best for performance? I've seen at least 6 different layouts. Should I go a ported/beefier stock design, short runner design, spiral, full tubular? I've done two different ones before, but one due to its design got in the way of the PS pump and had to remove it.

 

[Booztit]

here s my view
First i d get 660ccs, why buying 550cs when you can get 66c for 20$ more and they re not that hard to tune
I have a 255, with no afpr and I m fine, but that s my car, get a walbro 190, you wont need an afpr and you should be fine

I dont know much about widebands unfortunately so i wont answer that

Your stock bov will be fine
For the flywheel, it wont make you gain any power, but it is more fun to drive, and I advise a 12lb flywheel, the 8lb one are just a pita for daily driving, I got a Act one and I love it

For your fmic, the stock bumper is usually fine, some cut it even more to have more air, but that s up to you, in hot areas, some people buy more powerful fans for the rad, but that s about it
As for the 3" or 3.5, it s all about how much you re ready to cut of your metal bumper, and bumper cover
As for the intake, I personally went for the 2g/safc/datalogger combo, but that s just me, cause I bought all that on ebay for about 200$....
I would obviously advise a dsmlink, but that depends on your budget

Turbo: i would suggest a evo316g
Much easier to install, fit right on to your ex manifold, internally gated, and that s just perfect for your goal
a 20g is a good option also
For your ex manifold, 1gs are not the best, get a 2g and port it is a good cheap option or a cast Evo3 form FP, is what i would advise
Pulleys, just dont touch the aluminum ones

Ecu, your stock one will be just fine for what you wanna do, you could always add a chip that ll make it easier to tune + you get some cool features, check it out http://www.dsmchips.com/ but you will either need an Eprom Ecu, or have someone weld a Eprom socket on your Ecu

And for other mods, revised lifters are a must,
if you dont get a dsmlink, a datalogger is a must also
and alot, alot a lot of reading, you need some
Hope that helps

 

[customdsm]

I had read the stock bov's weren't really good past 18-20psi, that's why I thought I would get a new one, is this mis-information? I already got some 550's and a 255fp, so I probably won't bother with 660's or higher for now. I was thinking about buying an obx shortrunner layout manifold w/wastgate and t3 flanges, is that a good one or is there a better design? I'll attach pic later if I can figure out how. I can't find any reviews on manifold layouts. Basically if money didn't matter whats the top 3 ex manifold designs? I think I will get one of those chips. 2g route for intake is cheaper? I found a 3" GM for $30, and MAF for like $150, that's not too expensive to me. So what works better? I don't care about cost if one way works better than the other. I wanna' do external wastegate on the manifold, or is it better off the o2 dump (was going to buy 3" one anyways), or does it even matter? Something new, EBC, or stick with my MBC? I mean are EBC's all that awesome and I should only bother keeping the MBC just do to cost?

 

[customdsm]

there's even more layouts than these out there. These are just examples of why I'm confused about choosing one.

 

[Raph]

@Customdsm.. well if your using a 16 or 20g..you cant use one of the manifolds you pictured,those are for t3/t4 turbos.(which usuually dont have an internal gate)

Im sure the evo3 mani/2g mani will suite your goals fine.. those tubular manis rafiate alot of heat,some are prone to cracking too.. and theyll reqiure an EWG (=more $) a different downpipe altogether (=more $) , some tubular manis are a tight fit under the hood,the heat may cause your fresh paint to fade..

I think the Tubular mani isnt that well suited for a DD .

 

[customdsm]

well it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and do a t3/t4 manifold with EWG setup, since I'm gonna' have that stuff pulled out and be redoing my enitre exhaust from the turbo back anyways. It will make future power goals easier too. No sense doing things twice, that would be more expensive in the longer run. I'll just convert my 14b to external for now and turn it up. Way down the road when I beef up the motor and head I'll probably throw a nicer turbo like a gt35 or super 60 on.

Is it better to have the EWG comming off of the mani or off of the 02/downpipe like I've seen some people do? I know what you mean about heat and tight fit. Will wrapping the pipes help cut down the heat a lot? Still any recommendations of the like best 3-5 manifolds ever made for dsm's? Maybe I'll try and find some pics of what the drag racers have done. I guess really crazy would be to cut a hole in the hood and mount the turbo upside down and add a deflector, , that would cool it and increase intake.

 

[dj_justice]

For the bov you can modify the stock one to hold more boost http://www.thedodgegarage.com/turbo_bov_mod.html
As for the MAF 2g vs gm the gm will flow more but isnt really cheaper since you have to buy the translator which is about $200

 

[wvturbo2]

I thought you were only wanting to make 300-350 whp? You keep talking about the Gt30r,35 and a 60 trim. I'm confused, if your shooting for 450+ awhp those are turbos to look at. What are you goals really. Do you want 300 whp or are you looking for muchs more before everyone tells you how to reach your goal I think it is important that you know your goal, because that affects what parts you are told to buy.

 

[jongreene]

By the way your talking , your going to be spending ALOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTT of money for just 300awhp.

If thats really all your looking for, then listen to what everyone else has said, no need for EWG or for the tubular manifold, definitely wont need the gt35 either.

 

[SlickGSX]

Walboro 255, 680cc injectors, SAFC, full 3" exhuast, Evo3 16G, 2G ported O2 housing, 2G ported exhaust manifold and some kind of front mount intercooler = 350awhp all day long.

 

[jongreene]

Walboro 255, 680cc injectors, SAFC, full 3" exhuast, Evo3 16G, 2G ported O2 housing, 2G ported exhaust manifold and some kind of front mount intercooler = 350awhp all day long.

Throw in cams, get rid of SAFC for dsmlink or combine SAFC with a chip, then maybe.

 

[SlickGSX]

Throw in cams, get rid of SAFC for dsmlink or combine SAFC with a chip, then maybe.

My car with all that stuff plus a 2g maf did 341awhp @ 22lbs with stock ecu.

 

[vaboys2ndgen]

full 3" exhaust sounds good, ported 2g o2 housing(alot of 1g guys might agree) ported 2g exhaust manifold will along more than enough flow for 300whp. as stated 255 will need fpr(if you want to do it the safe way). i myself like AEM UEGO as for widebands. 1g bov should be good enough for your goal also. may need to do the 'crush' mod to it to make sure. i know alot of dsmers like act 2600 clutch(im an auto guy though) gm maf setup is a good setup for 1g(i know a certain wise man that tunes his car using just this along with a chip'd ecu) a 16g/18g is more your goal as far as turbo choice goals 30r is more for 400+ hp range goals. im a fan of brian crower camshafts and i choose to go with findaza cam gears but for your goal i'd say oem gears are fine. getting a chip for your ecu is a damn way to go for tuning easily on a 1g. safc is also not a bad idea as long as you have a logger for tuning.

 

[customdsm]

Ok, sounds like some guys are confused. Yes it is a 300-350 hp build, but I would also like to do so prep work for the future, because I will probably want more power in the future, which is why I listed some the parts I did.

- As far as a manifold, I have decided on a steel one rather than a cast iron,
- I will be doing a external wastegate setup for sure, I will vent it to the atmosphere off of the manifold. This means I will probably get a turbo setup for external rather than modding the stock one.
- I will do a full 3" exhaust from the turbo back, including O2, no cat, etc.
- I will get a FPR for my 255 FP and 550cc injectors, brand recommendations for FPR, manual adjust?
- I will definately get my ecu chipped. Will go ahead setup for logging, even if not using it right away.
- I will upgrade my lsd to a 4 bolt.
- I will go with the gm 3" and translator route, as well as make a metal intake to replace the stock rubber one.
- I will keep my stock clutch, it is brand new (until it blows)

- Not decided on FMIC design or routing.
- SAFC really necesary? If so what brand has everyone had luck with?
- Wideband is something I just thought would be nice for the future.

Is this enough to reach my goal, or am I still missing something?

 

[90 TSI FWD]

Ok, sounds like some guys are confused. Yes it is a 300-350 hp build, but I would also like to do so prep work for the future, because I will probably want more power in the future, which is why I listed some the parts I did.

- As far as a manifold, I have decided on a steel one rather than a cast iron,
- I will be doing a external wastegate setup for sure, I will vent it to the atmosphere off of the manifold. This means I will probably get a turbo setup for external rather than modding the stock one.
- I will do a full 3" exhaust from the turbo back, including O2, no cat, etc.
- I will get a FPR for my 255 FP and 550cc injectors, brand recommendations for FPR, manual adjust?
- I will definately get my ecu chipped. Will go ahead setup for logging, even if not using it right away.
- I will upgrade my lsd to a 4 bolt.
- I will go with the gm 3" and translator route, as well as make a metal intake to replace the stock rubber one.
- I will keep my stock clutch, it is brand new (until it blows)

- Not decided on FMIC design or routing.
- SAFC really necesary? If so what brand has everyone had luck with?
- Wideband is something I just thought would be nice for the future.

Is this enough to reach my goal, or am I still missing something?

Since you're chipping the ECU, you should've bought bigger injectors, but since you got 550s already, you're limited on how much boost you'll be able to run.. depending on the turbo of course.

For the SAFC, there is no other brand besides APEXi, so just find a new or used SAFC2 (used is alot cheaper).

I suggest getting John at jestrtuning.com to do the chipping work. All he needs is your mod list and he'll give you the whole shebang (I believe it has everything a stage3 chip would have). Plus, if you upgrade again, he'll do another chip for a fraction of the original cost (real good deal)

 

[customdsm]

Ok, I'm lost. Not sure where to research this. What's the deal, SAFC and chip or DSMLINK? they both seem to cost about the same and do similar things. Is one setup better than the other, is it just preference? Using a computer to plug into the thing and tune is not a problem. Which one is more expandable or flexible in its capabilities?

 

[jongreene]

A chip is a fraction of the price of DSMlink.

Basically the chip has some good tuning on it according to your modifications and if you change something or want something else added to the chip you pay $20 for a change.

DSMlink, is wayy more in depth and is more of a fine tune compared to a chip but also a lot more expensive.

Some people choose a chip and an SAFC for "fine" tuning and some people like the chip on its own.

 

[FlyByNight]

Is it better to have the EWG comming off of the mani or off of the 02/downpipe like I've seen some people do?

Could you post a picture of someone's turbo setup with the EWG on the O2 housing or downpipe, I would like to see this. As for yourself, mounting a EWG there would be redundant, as it would defeat the purpose of the WG altogether. Remember, the wastegate is used for the exhaust to bypass the turbine to control turbo speed, hence boost. A WG downstream of the turbo is useless.

You may be thinking of an internal wastegate, but this is not a part of the O2 housing or downpipe.

 

[BoostFrenzy]

"No, its not my first DSM build up, more like my fourth"

you sure about that? because you seem not to know too much about how the tuning and turbo/exhaust/o2/DP system works to well. if you have built them up before, you should know who is a good manufacturer and what you will need to make them all work together. I could be a snob and tell you to read more, but im not. (even tho you do need to. average tuners on here read about EVERYTHING for about a 3-6 months before they post)

First off, for not having ANY logging/tuning system at all with that MBC. If you search for DSMLink or a AFC+logger setup, im SURE you will find everything you will ever need to know about both of them. Im a fan of DSMLink. Most of my posts say this.

So this is what you need. keep your MBC (manule boost controller) if it is of a good quality. buy that FRP (fuel pressure regulator) to keep the 255 tamed. do all of your other supporting mods FIRST before the turbo upgrade. That means Full o2 back exhaust with whatever you want since no regs where you are. Full intake. Even do the Front Mount IC while you are at it because you will need that for later. (SMIC=heat soak) and im sure it will work fine with that 14b. (T-25 on the other hand...) The 4 bolt rear sounds about right. as does the upgrade to the Clutch when it starts to slip.

as for things down the road: The evo3 16g turbo is a nice choice. its the standard first choice for a moderate turbo upgrade. as for the manifold, you can do an evo 3 one as well (or a 2g). i say stick with that design because it works for lots of people. Tubular manifolds get really hot and really close to the hood. so that paint will be bye bye in no time. wraps dont really help, but if ANYTHING gets on them, they smell really bad when it heats up. so im not such a big fan. and any other mods really are for whatever you plan on doing with the car. just remember to get all the necessary extras when you get all these new goodies. other then that, hope your car turns out well.

 

[customdsm]

Since you asked here is pic of what I was talking about people running an EWG off of the O2 and routing it back in to the exhaust. I've also seen atmosphere dumps from the O2 off the EWG here too. This is NOT the setup I will be going with. As an update. I think I will be going the the chiped ECU and SAFC route after all. Down the road I might switch to a standalone system or something like a HKS VGC. I got all my parts picked out now except for my exhaust manifold (you guys seem to dislike tubular and SS setups, but I'm afraid of cast iron manifolds cracking on me, its happened before, suggestions?), FMIC, and intake setup.