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My S3 Thread
- Thread starter Sam_
- Start date
Sam_
Down under
I had the geo done on the car last week. I must say it feels awesome to drive. So planted. 3 degrees camber up front looks awesome but I think I'll need those 245/40s before too long. Due to some issues with the top mounts, I ended up scalloping the front tyres a little which hasn't helped.
However, I still have a very light knock over bumps when the suspension has warmed. It's not extra noise from rose joints either, this is a "something is loose" noise. I've literally replaced/retightened/re-greased everything. It also creaks sometimes when hot. This pointed to the top mounts which re-greased again and that's helped a bit. It's really frustrating as when it's cold it's fine, making diagnosing it pretty difficult. I had a thought that it could be the dampers (not the first time I've heard of it with Bilstein/H&Rs) but I had those checked around 18 months ago and they were in top nick. ****** thing.
Suspension setup is now:
- H&R RSS Clubsport coilovers (unknown age but rebuilt/re-greased around 18 months ago)
- Ground Control top mounts (new bearings 2 months ago + re-greased at the same time)
- USRT/IDF Tubular arms (2 years old)
- Genuine TRW ball joints (few days old)
- Genuine GKN driveshafts (passenger < 6 months old, drivers few days old)
- Solid Tyrolsport subframe mounts (~18 months old - new OEM bolts used)
- Solid Tyrolsport rack mount (~18 months old)
- Genuine drop links (~18 months old)
- Meyle tie rods + ends (~ 18 months old)
- SuperPro anti roll bar bushes
Brakes
- Cayenne 18Z calipers
- Pagid pads (pads < 2 months old)
- ECS 2 piece 334mm discs (~ 2 years old)
Literally everything has been replaced recently. I had it aligned and they said all the numbers were spot on. I'm at a loss. What else could it be that would only make noise when it was warm?
Starting to wish the Mk4 chassis had a proper top mount setup like the Mk5/6. The idea of chucking my engine into a nice 3 door Mk5 R32 chassis is very appealing. Of course, it's a bit of a pipe dream.
However, I still have a very light knock over bumps when the suspension has warmed. It's not extra noise from rose joints either, this is a "something is loose" noise. I've literally replaced/retightened/re-greased everything. It also creaks sometimes when hot. This pointed to the top mounts which re-greased again and that's helped a bit. It's really frustrating as when it's cold it's fine, making diagnosing it pretty difficult. I had a thought that it could be the dampers (not the first time I've heard of it with Bilstein/H&Rs) but I had those checked around 18 months ago and they were in top nick. ****** thing.
Suspension setup is now:
- H&R RSS Clubsport coilovers (unknown age but rebuilt/re-greased around 18 months ago)
- Ground Control top mounts (new bearings 2 months ago + re-greased at the same time)
- USRT/IDF Tubular arms (2 years old)
- Genuine TRW ball joints (few days old)
- Genuine GKN driveshafts (passenger < 6 months old, drivers few days old)
- Solid Tyrolsport subframe mounts (~18 months old - new OEM bolts used)
- Solid Tyrolsport rack mount (~18 months old)
- Genuine drop links (~18 months old)
- Meyle tie rods + ends (~ 18 months old)
- SuperPro anti roll bar bushes
Brakes
- Cayenne 18Z calipers
- Pagid pads (pads < 2 months old)
- ECS 2 piece 334mm discs (~ 2 years old)
Literally everything has been replaced recently. I had it aligned and they said all the numbers were spot on. I'm at a loss. What else could it be that would only make noise when it was warm?
Starting to wish the Mk4 chassis had a proper top mount setup like the Mk5/6. The idea of chucking my engine into a nice 3 door Mk5 R32 chassis is very appealing. Of course, it's a bit of a pipe dream.
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Mine makes a few noises too mate. I've checked all the safety and geometry critical points on the whole car and it's all perfect. It did around 1000 track miles last year and nothing fell off, so I'll just have to live with it 
When I have some indoor space I'll be cutting off my strut tops for something better. Seen a really neat solution using compbrake mk5 top mounts.
When I have some indoor space I'll be cutting off my strut tops for something better. Seen a really neat solution using compbrake mk5 top mounts.
Sam have you ever run 245s? I think I saw an older post of yours saying you used them? Did you need to have anything done to the arch/fenders?
Sam_
Down under
Mine makes a few noises too mate. I've checked all the safety and geometry critical points on the whole car and it's all perfect. It did around 1000 track miles last year and nothing fell off, so I'll just have to live with it
When I have some indoor space I'll be cutting off my strut tops for something better. Seen a really neat solution using compbrake mk5 top mounts.
Good to hear I'm not alone!
Yeah it's really annoying but at least it's safe like you say. The annoying part is Ground Control don't seem to offer much help in getting it sorted.Vorshlag (awesome name) make some really nice mounts for the later chassis but of course nothing for the mk4's ***** turrets.
Yep, I ran 245/40/17 AD08s all round previously. Now I'm on 255/40/17 AD08Rs. 245s up front were a better fit but I couldn't get AD08Rs in that size for 3 months or something mad and Yokohama had a 4 for 3 deal on. The 245s were close but never caught the wings. The 255s catch more often. It's worth noting that I run ET20 (from memory) on the front to clear the cayenne calipers. If you can run a higher offset then obviously you'd get more clearance. I have around 10mm tyre to coilover clearance. I also have super firm suspension and run it pretty close. You'd think it caught all the time if you saw it. Looks tough but I'll be going back to 245s. Bonus is they are slightly lower profile too.
I currently have standard wheels with spacers and 225s. I've got the ecs brake kit coming with the 334mm (I think) two piece discs, which I think is what you have?
I'm getting some enkei rpf1s in 18s and weighing up 8" width with 225s or 8.5" with 245s
If you ran 245s without issues I'm tempted to go down that path
I'm getting some enkei rpf1s in 18s and weighing up 8" width with 225s or 8.5" with 245s
If you ran 245s without issues I'm tempted to go down that path
Sam_
Down under
Yeah I have the ECS discs. Not looking forward to getting new rotors though. I'm hoping their a standard format as I've heard ECS can be an **** about it.
Nice! I like those Enkei's. Gordie had them on his silver S3 and it looked awesome.
Yeah 245s were fine but like I say, the H&R clubsports are super firm.
Nice! I like those Enkei's. Gordie had them on his silver S3 and it looked awesome.
Yeah 245s were fine but like I say, the H&R clubsports are super firm.
I was browsing through some threads today and I saw that someone managed to get just the discs off ECS. So I imagine if you ask nicely they will help you out.
Surely the discs will last quite a while though! What colour did Gordie get them in? My S3 is silver and I was thinking black wheels
Surely the discs will last quite a while though! What colour did Gordie get them in? My S3 is silver and I was thinking black wheels
driftymcgee
Registered User
From the ECS Website
Ready for a replacement set of rotors? ECS offers discounts on pairs of replacement rotors to the original customer or customers showing proof of ownership. Please contact the Sales Department for additional information.
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-TT_MKI-Quattro-225HP/Braking/Performance/ES2713047/
Sam_
Down under
Not huge progress on the engine but at least it's actually getting closer now. I've been told all the machining will finally be finished after World Time Attack. The machinist is building several engines for the competition so it's a busy time. Ah well, it should be worth it, he's won it a couple of years in a row now I think.
In the mean time I've made a few changes. The fuel pump I'd originally planned to use (Holley Dominator) has turned out to be a dud. I'd recommended it to a guy here doing a similar build (GTX3076, stroker, Vipec ECU etc) and his tuner said the pump was struggling at higher pressures. It seems it's great for big lazy NA V8s (it's rated to 1000hp or something) that don't need pressure but need lots of fuel. I sold that pump to a local guy and a few late nights later settled on converting my surge tank to take 2x Walbro E85 450lph pumps. Radium being the clever guys they are do a kit to convert the tank I'd bought. In fact you can fit 3 pumps although 2 should be more than adequate. The new Walbro E85 pumps are said to be much quieter and cooler running than a Bosch 044 so that's a bonus.
I also picked up a flex fuel sensor. I plan to run E85 but it won't always be available so this can detect the octane level of the fuel and tell the ECU to change the map accordingly. Pretty awesome. It's an OEM part used in US cars.
I also took a trip to the US for a cousin's wedding recently and took the opportunity to swap my IE CVA2 cams for their CVA1 cams. There's mixed opinions on them but most seem to get along with them. I'd have got a set from Bill if the swap wasn't free and the AUD wasn't so crap. Anyhow, who can't like this idle
I also ordered a few more of the small parts that I need to put everything together, the small parts like seals, gaskets, pumps that add up. My only concern is the ECS oil pump listed as "OEM supplier" which translates to "Some shack in China", that will probably be going back (the shady brown box). I went for the NA 2.0 gasket, it's slightly thinner and raises the CR but as much as .5 if what I've read is correct. Got the steel selector forks there too.
Couldn't help buying some bling when it was on offer too. The billet 034 RS4 maf housing was $50 (might still be?) so grabbed one:
More bling in the form of billet coolant housings and fittings. I hate the chocolate grade plastic used and have already had to replace a few parts that have failed so figured it was worth getting this second hand set that popped up on Vortex. Also got the Pag Parts manual tensioner kit which uses OEM parts. Got some ARP crown wheel bolts unused from Vortex also. I'm probably going to get the Wavetrac diff which doesn't include the bolts so it was perfect timing that these popped up.
Something most people seem to hate fitting as it covers their nice cam pulley but a new cam belt cover.
Epytec 02m strengthening parts:
The parts room is looking pretty full now
I've also picked up a complete spare S3 drivetrain. I only intended to buy the gearbox but the guy changed his mind and wanted to sell everything as a job lot. It seemed like a good idea to have spares anyway so I ended up buying the lot. Rented an SUV, stripped out the back and drove the 6 hr trip to get everything. No pics as it's all hidden away but essentially an AMK engine (complete), gearbox, transfer box, driveshafts (4), propshaft, rear diff and haldex (and subframe) and picking up the front and rear hubs soon.
The plan was to get the gearbox rebuilt with the new forks, diff and strengthening parts first but the AUD is currently tanking and buying the diff might have to wait for a bit (in the hope it goes back up!). Hopefully there's some engine progress to show off next time
In the mean time I've made a few changes. The fuel pump I'd originally planned to use (Holley Dominator) has turned out to be a dud. I'd recommended it to a guy here doing a similar build (GTX3076, stroker, Vipec ECU etc) and his tuner said the pump was struggling at higher pressures. It seems it's great for big lazy NA V8s (it's rated to 1000hp or something) that don't need pressure but need lots of fuel. I sold that pump to a local guy and a few late nights later settled on converting my surge tank to take 2x Walbro E85 450lph pumps. Radium being the clever guys they are do a kit to convert the tank I'd bought. In fact you can fit 3 pumps although 2 should be more than adequate. The new Walbro E85 pumps are said to be much quieter and cooler running than a Bosch 044 so that's a bonus.
I also picked up a flex fuel sensor. I plan to run E85 but it won't always be available so this can detect the octane level of the fuel and tell the ECU to change the map accordingly. Pretty awesome. It's an OEM part used in US cars.
I also took a trip to the US for a cousin's wedding recently and took the opportunity to swap my IE CVA2 cams for their CVA1 cams. There's mixed opinions on them but most seem to get along with them. I'd have got a set from Bill if the swap wasn't free and the AUD wasn't so crap. Anyhow, who can't like this idle
I also ordered a few more of the small parts that I need to put everything together, the small parts like seals, gaskets, pumps that add up. My only concern is the ECS oil pump listed as "OEM supplier" which translates to "Some shack in China", that will probably be going back (the shady brown box). I went for the NA 2.0 gasket, it's slightly thinner and raises the CR but as much as .5 if what I've read is correct. Got the steel selector forks there too.
Couldn't help buying some bling when it was on offer too. The billet 034 RS4 maf housing was $50 (might still be?) so grabbed one:
More bling in the form of billet coolant housings and fittings. I hate the chocolate grade plastic used and have already had to replace a few parts that have failed so figured it was worth getting this second hand set that popped up on Vortex. Also got the Pag Parts manual tensioner kit which uses OEM parts. Got some ARP crown wheel bolts unused from Vortex also. I'm probably going to get the Wavetrac diff which doesn't include the bolts so it was perfect timing that these popped up.
Something most people seem to hate fitting as it covers their nice cam pulley but a new cam belt cover.
Epytec 02m strengthening parts:
The parts room is looking pretty full now
I've also picked up a complete spare S3 drivetrain. I only intended to buy the gearbox but the guy changed his mind and wanted to sell everything as a job lot. It seemed like a good idea to have spares anyway so I ended up buying the lot. Rented an SUV, stripped out the back and drove the 6 hr trip to get everything. No pics as it's all hidden away but essentially an AMK engine (complete), gearbox, transfer box, driveshafts (4), propshaft, rear diff and haldex (and subframe) and picking up the front and rear hubs soon.
The plan was to get the gearbox rebuilt with the new forks, diff and strengthening parts first but the AUD is currently tanking and buying the diff might have to wait for a bit (in the hope it goes back up!). Hopefully there's some engine progress to show off next time
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Sam_
Down under
Yeah, it's going to take ages but should be fun. Trying to minimise the downtime but coming to the realisation I'm going to need to buy something depressing as a runaround.
I was just looking at this thread last night and noticed no updates since March....
View attachment 68115
OF PARTS
Haha. Yeah, I've been a bit quiet since there's not been much going on. Hopefully the next big update will be something decent like shots of a machined head and block!
Sam_
Down under
Martin Anderson? Not sure if you know him. He's not on here. His has a sidewinder manifold. Another silver S3
I'd love a Vipec but will have to wait for now.
I'd love a Vipec but will have to wait for now.
Sam_
Down under
Sam_
Down under
More parts ordered:
- VVT CCT
- Genuine oil pump, chain, tensioner and pickup
- INA lifters
- IE billet crank pulley
- IE/ARP crank bolt
- IE/ARP cam bolt
Fairly dull stuff. It's taking time getting everything together and knowing what I need.
The block is in the house:
Propped up on some wooden blocks to prevent any damage to the trigger wheel.
The head will be done soon. It's a bit more involved as the head will be running +1mm valves so new inlet seats will need to be machined up. The guy doing it has been built the engine for the Evo that's won ETAC three years in a row here so I have faith it'll be awesome once done. Here's the said Evo in action this year:
In other news, the crank sensor on the car started giving up (horrible symptoms, conking out at the worst possible time etc). I luckily had a spare but it was some sort of chinese knock off. I hesitantly fitted it, realising it didn't have the second o-ring lip and that it would probably only last 3 days but I had no choice. A week or so passed and I noticed a few drips of oil when parking up at work. The ****** thing was leaking! After taking it off I realised that the tab that bolts to the block was at a funky angle and the bolt hole wasn't aligned right. This meant when the sensor was bolted up, the sensor didn't sit flush in the hole in the block. I tried dremel'ing it flat but it didn't help.
Have to drive it onto a brick to jack it up...
This is it after the dremel work. Still bad.
Tip: buy a decent sensor! I went and bought a Delphi sensor and all is good.
- VVT CCT
- Genuine oil pump, chain, tensioner and pickup
- INA lifters
- IE billet crank pulley
- IE/ARP crank bolt
- IE/ARP cam bolt
Fairly dull stuff. It's taking time getting everything together and knowing what I need.
The block is in the house:
Propped up on some wooden blocks to prevent any damage to the trigger wheel.
The head will be done soon. It's a bit more involved as the head will be running +1mm valves so new inlet seats will need to be machined up. The guy doing it has been built the engine for the Evo that's won ETAC three years in a row here so I have faith it'll be awesome once done. Here's the said Evo in action this year:
In other news, the crank sensor on the car started giving up (horrible symptoms, conking out at the worst possible time etc). I luckily had a spare but it was some sort of chinese knock off. I hesitantly fitted it, realising it didn't have the second o-ring lip and that it would probably only last 3 days but I had no choice. A week or so passed and I noticed a few drips of oil when parking up at work. The ****** thing was leaking! After taking it off I realised that the tab that bolts to the block was at a funky angle and the bolt hole wasn't aligned right. This meant when the sensor was bolted up, the sensor didn't sit flush in the hole in the block. I tried dremel'ing it flat but it didn't help.
Have to drive it onto a brick to jack it up...
This is it after the dremel work. Still bad.
Tip: buy a decent sensor! I went and bought a Delphi sensor and all is good.
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Still trying to work out if building a car or stocking up to be Aus's number one VAG tuning parts shop ;P
Nice to see it progressing mate and sound advice on sensors... genuine ones (well, decent branded ones rather than cheap ebay stuff) are essential imo
<tuffty/>
Nice to see it progressing mate and sound advice on sensors... genuine ones (well, decent branded ones rather than cheap ebay stuff) are essential imo
<tuffty/>
Sam_
Down under
Haha, it's definitely been slower than I'd liked but it's not easy with the limited space/tools I have here.
Next big purchase will be a Wavetrac diff (and possibly Peloquin rear) and then get the box built up down in Adelaide.
Next big purchase will be a Wavetrac diff (and possibly Peloquin rear) and then get the box built up down in Adelaide.
Sam_
Down under
A long overdue update but not a massively exciting one.
In terms of the new engine build, not a huge amount has happened but more on that later. Back in April the shifter bushes went, rendering the car useless. I wrote about that here:
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/sloppy-gear-lever-replacing-shifter-bushes.267914/#post-2707536
Then a little later, I bought the new ECS billet dog bone to replace the delrin bushed VF engineering dogbone I had (pretty much solid) but I knew I'd have to fix the gearbox thread that was on the edge last time I changed the dogbone. I bought a TimeSert kit as they are said be stronger than helicoil and better for applications of higher load. Not cheap but seem like a really good solution.
The delrin bushed VF dogbone which was super solid. Nice gear shifts but everything in the car vibrated:
What was left of the thread:
The kit with the new bolts etc
The process of adding the timesert means drilling out the old thread which is a bit daunting:
All done and feeling a lot nicer:
More recently, before our trip to the UK in June, I noticed the car was loosing a bit of water, later working out it was coming from the water pump. ******. I got together a new pump, tensioner, belt and rollers to do it along with a new auxiliary belt + tensioner when we got back in July. Bit of a pig of a job to do purely because of the lack of space and how tight the belt is to get on. Getting the engine mount bracket out is a bit of pain but I found dropping it down out of the bottom (after lowering the engine a touch) was easiest.
Water pump looking a bit worse for wear after the water top ups:
Belt didn't look ideal either to be honest:
Anyhow, got it all finished and full of coolant only to find it was leaking coolant still but now from another spot. This time the o-rings on the heater matrix connections. Once those were changed all seemed good but I spoke too soon. The radiator seemed to be leaking. Luckily someone local had a Nissens one in stock (would have preferred Valeo) so grabbed that. I fitted it today which wasn't too bad of a job at all other than the Nissens radiator is a lot more fragile than the OEM one so resulted in a few bent fins.
All together and the AH Fabs V2 intercooler still looking good - also showing the recently refurbished headlights (I used the 3M kit):
Fingers crossed this is the end of the water leaks. I'm sick of seeing the coolant low warning usually when I have no opportunity to stop and fill it up (of course, having to wait as well).
I also got some new AD08Rs fitted yesterday (while collecting the rad) - I opted for 235/40 this time. 245/40 might have been ideal but 235s are cheaper and lower profile - the 255/40 always seemed to look over tyred and too big for the car. I really like how it sits on the 235/40s. I'm off to Heasman's Steering on Tuesday to have the geo setup properly - they're a local place that are very well regarded so hopefully it all goes well.
So.... onto the engine. I've finally got the head back. Spec is:
- ADR big port head
- IE spring kit and retainers
- Supertech +1mm inconnel single groove exhaust valves
- Supertech +1mm stainless single groove intake valves
It's not ported but that may be done later. The +1mm valves wouldn't have been my choice but at the time, the guy sorting out the head for me just went ahead and ordered them without consulting me. Oh well.
I've also bought a Wavetrac diff which is on it's way from the US.
The plan is:
- Order remaining parts required from ECS (small bits and bobs)
- Buy Link G4+ plug in ECU
- Assemble engine (bought an engine stand)
- Fit 8AN fuel lines from bay to boot
- Relocate battery
- Fit diff and steel forks to spare gearbox (for now - rebuild later)
- Get inlet pipes fabbed
- Get exhaust made
- Mapped by Micks Motorsport in Sydney
Also, the wife is pregnant so I need to get cracking and finish in 6 months. We need the parts room back as a bedroom I'm going to keep the S3 though and buy a Mazda 3 or something as a family car.
In terms of the new engine build, not a huge amount has happened but more on that later. Back in April the shifter bushes went, rendering the car useless. I wrote about that here:
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/sloppy-gear-lever-replacing-shifter-bushes.267914/#post-2707536
Then a little later, I bought the new ECS billet dog bone to replace the delrin bushed VF engineering dogbone I had (pretty much solid) but I knew I'd have to fix the gearbox thread that was on the edge last time I changed the dogbone. I bought a TimeSert kit as they are said be stronger than helicoil and better for applications of higher load. Not cheap but seem like a really good solution.
The delrin bushed VF dogbone which was super solid. Nice gear shifts but everything in the car vibrated:
What was left of the thread:
The kit with the new bolts etc
The process of adding the timesert means drilling out the old thread which is a bit daunting:
All done and feeling a lot nicer:
More recently, before our trip to the UK in June, I noticed the car was loosing a bit of water, later working out it was coming from the water pump. ******. I got together a new pump, tensioner, belt and rollers to do it along with a new auxiliary belt + tensioner when we got back in July. Bit of a pig of a job to do purely because of the lack of space and how tight the belt is to get on. Getting the engine mount bracket out is a bit of pain but I found dropping it down out of the bottom (after lowering the engine a touch) was easiest.
Water pump looking a bit worse for wear after the water top ups:
Belt didn't look ideal either to be honest:
Anyhow, got it all finished and full of coolant only to find it was leaking coolant still but now from another spot. This time the o-rings on the heater matrix connections. Once those were changed all seemed good but I spoke too soon. The radiator seemed to be leaking. Luckily someone local had a Nissens one in stock (would have preferred Valeo) so grabbed that. I fitted it today which wasn't too bad of a job at all other than the Nissens radiator is a lot more fragile than the OEM one so resulted in a few bent fins.
All together and the AH Fabs V2 intercooler still looking good - also showing the recently refurbished headlights (I used the 3M kit):
Fingers crossed this is the end of the water leaks. I'm sick of seeing the coolant low warning usually when I have no opportunity to stop and fill it up (of course, having to wait as well).
I also got some new AD08Rs fitted yesterday (while collecting the rad) - I opted for 235/40 this time. 245/40 might have been ideal but 235s are cheaper and lower profile - the 255/40 always seemed to look over tyred and too big for the car. I really like how it sits on the 235/40s. I'm off to Heasman's Steering on Tuesday to have the geo setup properly - they're a local place that are very well regarded so hopefully it all goes well.
So.... onto the engine. I've finally got the head back. Spec is:
- ADR big port head
- IE spring kit and retainers
- Supertech +1mm inconnel single groove exhaust valves
- Supertech +1mm stainless single groove intake valves
It's not ported but that may be done later. The +1mm valves wouldn't have been my choice but at the time, the guy sorting out the head for me just went ahead and ordered them without consulting me. Oh well.
I've also bought a Wavetrac diff which is on it's way from the US.
The plan is:
- Order remaining parts required from ECS (small bits and bobs)
- Buy Link G4+ plug in ECU
- Assemble engine (bought an engine stand)
- Fit 8AN fuel lines from bay to boot
- Relocate battery
- Fit diff and steel forks to spare gearbox (for now - rebuild later)
- Get inlet pipes fabbed
- Get exhaust made
- Mapped by Micks Motorsport in Sydney
Also, the wife is pregnant so I need to get cracking and finish in 6 months. We need the parts room back as a bedroom
I'm going to keep the S3 though and buy a Mazda 3 or something as a family car.
Sam_
Down under
Sam_
Down under
A little bit of activity this weekend. I got the engine stand built up and chucked the block on it. I had originally thought about painting it but it looks like the builder has done a pretty good job of it already. Saves me a job...
Also a few more bits arrived to allow me to put the engine together, including:
ECS cast thermostat housing. I have one of the JRM billet housings but would mean some fiddling around with hoses so got this while I had an ECS order in.
Geba water pump. After a bit of research, this seems to be the better of the metal impeller pumps. I'm sure it'll still leak but by the time it does, it'll need to be changed along with the belt anyway. I had used a Hepu one before and this looks to be much better quality...
My final SPA dual pressure/temp (will be used for oil) gauge arrived also from Merlin Motorsport. This will sit in the centre vents:
The engine room is looking pretty full. You can see the Wavetrac diff in there now which also just arrived:
I trial fitted the Forge sump to the block and it has the classic trait of their sumps; it's not flat. All is not lost though, it seems to be pretty easy to pull it flat. I'll drop Forge an email though to see what they recommend. Pretty annoying.
Another job I need to do is the nearside outer CV boot. I got a place that was doing some suspension work to fit a new boot on a brand new OEM shaft that had a ripped outer boot and they used a cheap pattern one and it's gone already. I've done them before but always struggle to get those straps tight. I don't like to use zip ties for something like that so I got the proper tool:
I have around 5 months before the Mrs pops so I need to crack on! Next step is to strip down the donor engine I bought to nick some parts from it and setup ElsaWin to get torque ratings and assembly info.
Also a few more bits arrived to allow me to put the engine together, including:
ECS cast thermostat housing. I have one of the JRM billet housings but would mean some fiddling around with hoses so got this while I had an ECS order in.
Geba water pump. After a bit of research, this seems to be the better of the metal impeller pumps. I'm sure it'll still leak but by the time it does, it'll need to be changed along with the belt anyway. I had used a Hepu one before and this looks to be much better quality...
My final SPA dual pressure/temp (will be used for oil) gauge arrived also from Merlin Motorsport. This will sit in the centre vents:
The engine room is looking pretty full. You can see the Wavetrac diff in there now which also just arrived:
I trial fitted the Forge sump to the block and it has the classic trait of their sumps; it's not flat. All is not lost though, it seems to be pretty easy to pull it flat. I'll drop Forge an email though to see what they recommend. Pretty annoying.
Another job I need to do is the nearside outer CV boot. I got a place that was doing some suspension work to fit a new boot on a brand new OEM shaft that had a ripped outer boot and they used a cheap pattern one and it's gone already. I've done them before but always struggle to get those straps tight. I don't like to use zip ties for something like that so I got the proper tool:
I have around 5 months before the Mrs pops so I need to crack on! Next step is to strip down the donor engine I bought to nick some parts from it and setup ElsaWin to get torque ratings and assembly info.
Sam_
Down under
Another thing I forgot to mention is ordering the Aeroquip PTFE lined hose. I'm going to be running E85 so need PTFE lined hose and it's not cheap. Luckily I've found that Aeroquip sell their performance hose cheaper through their wholesale hydraulics business:
http://hosewarehouse.com/Hydraulic/Hydraulic-Hose?mfp=18-series[S-TW]
The fittings are steel which is a bit of a downer but again they are cheaper than others. They say they won't rust so I'll probably just use them but it's possible to use other brands fittings providing the OD & ID's matched.
http://hosewarehouse.com/Hydraulic/...th-hose-series[S-TW],13-hose-dash-size[06,08]
http://hosewarehouse.com/Hydraulic/Hydraulic-Hose?mfp=18-series[S-TW]
The fittings are steel which is a bit of a downer but again they are cheaper than others. They say they won't rust so I'll probably just use them but it's possible to use other brands fittings providing the OD & ID's matched.
http://hosewarehouse.com/Hydraulic/...th-hose-series[S-TW],13-hose-dash-size[06,08]
Sam_
Down under
A small update.
Firstly, we've having a boy so I'll have someone to help me work on the car, hopefully
Following on from my seemingly endless coolant issues, I fitted a warranty replacement Nissens radiator and genuine coolant reservoir. The reservoir seem to be much better quality than the Febi/Bilstein one and the Porsche cap fitted a lot better. Previously the last turn or so was sometimes impossible to do, making me nervous it was actually sealing. It also started leaking through the sensor pins!
So this was the scene for the 2nd time in an as many months:
All back together after some fiddling around with panel gaps (the front end has a fair bit of adjustment in it, something to consider when putting it back together), it was all back together and leak free - forever now touch wood! The plan is to get an alloy radiator at some point to replace the Nissens when it inevitably shits the bed for a second time. I'd have fitted genuine but this one was free and the first time round I was fairly desperate. There's a few options:
Anyhow, onto more interesting things, I've been stock piling more parts as ever for the build but tomorrow there will be some actual progress. A friend with a built A4 with an EFR turbo is popping down from Brisbane for WTAC; a big car event here in Sydney and he's giving me a hand assembling the engine tomorrow so expect some more engine porn
I'm going to be running an AGN cam cover and am having it glass bead blasted and two extra AN12 fittings welded to it. I popped in today and picked up the oil filter housing and front main crank seal housing. They look like new:
Because I didn't want to take these housings, bolts, pipes etc from my current engine (still using it) and the head and block that were machined are pretty much "bare", I bought a donor engine just to grab parts from; an AMK S3 engine. It had been left outside for a while though so was pretty rough. I sold Ian on here the turbo that looked ok visually from the outside but inside was another matter. I don't have any "before" pictures of the housings but they were basically black. Here's a picture of how well serviced the coolant system of the donor engine was though:
You get the idea
I also pulled out the turbo and drilled and tapped a 1/8" NPT thread for the boost valve. I used an 1/8" NPT to AN4 adapter as I had some spare fittings. Came out well:
The Link G4+ Extreme plug in ECU arrived. I was holding off buying it until later but eBay had a 15% off voucher a couple of weeks back and the price was too good to turn down (basically the cost of mapping the ME7.5). I also bought the XS loom which allows some extra inputs and outputs such as the flex fuel sensor I'm going to run (to allow switching between 98 RON and E85).
I put an order in with Jim Ellis Audi in the US for a load of bolts and parts that were unsalvageable from the donor engine. Sadly the windage tray was cracked, so that had to come from Germany. There were bolts that had damaged heads too. To be safe, I ordered a new non return valve for the above oil filter housing. As it's an AMK it has the earlier screw-in type valve, later are a press in with an o-ring. I'm not sure either type is "better" as it's a simple valve really. For $30 it seemed wise to replace it. The pressure relief valve in the bottom of the housing can be cleaned and re-used.
Also bought a new, genuine oil pump to be on the safe side:
Forge also sent me a replacement sump for the one that wasn't flat which is really good of them. I think I'm going to skim the original and use that. I've bought the billet AN fittings from IE for the sump and turbo as I'm going to make a new return line. I'm not massively impressed with the TSR line kit frankly. The rest of the lines are usable but the drain line was just plain ghetto.
I'd also ummed and erred about changing my Nortech/TSR manifold for the 1.5" version. I have the original 1.25" version, which actually measures 36mm (the 1.25" is something to do with how it flows rather than dimensions as such) and the 1.5" version is 43mm ID. In theory spool should be better on the 1.25" but that has a side effect that boost control can also be an issue. Guys on the Evo forums seem to say that 1.25" is good for 650-700whp on their engines (from testing 1.25" vs 1.5") and JDL use 1.25" for up to 800whp (seems high) on the 1.8T. We shall see I guess. I'm going to stick with it for now and see how it goes. I don't have any head work which might well have made the 1.5" worthwhile anyway.
Firstly, we've having a boy so I'll have someone to help me work on the car, hopefully
Following on from my seemingly endless coolant issues, I fitted a warranty replacement Nissens radiator and genuine coolant reservoir. The reservoir seem to be much better quality than the Febi/Bilstein one and the Porsche cap fitted a lot better. Previously the last turn or so was sometimes impossible to do, making me nervous it was actually sealing. It also started leaking through the sensor pins!
So this was the scene for the 2nd time in an as many months:
All back together after some fiddling around with panel gaps (the front end has a fair bit of adjustment in it, something to consider when putting it back together), it was all back together and leak free - forever now touch wood! The plan is to get an alloy radiator at some point to replace the Nissens when it inevitably shits the bed for a second time. I'd have fitted genuine but this one was free and the first time round I was fairly desperate. There's a few options:
- Direnza
- Moshimoto
- CSF Imports
- PWR
Anyhow, onto more interesting things, I've been stock piling more parts as ever for the build but tomorrow there will be some actual progress. A friend with a built A4 with an EFR turbo is popping down from Brisbane for WTAC; a big car event here in Sydney and he's giving me a hand assembling the engine tomorrow so expect some more engine porn
I'm going to be running an AGN cam cover and am having it glass bead blasted and two extra AN12 fittings welded to it. I popped in today and picked up the oil filter housing and front main crank seal housing. They look like new:
Because I didn't want to take these housings, bolts, pipes etc from my current engine (still using it) and the head and block that were machined are pretty much "bare", I bought a donor engine just to grab parts from; an AMK S3 engine. It had been left outside for a while though so was pretty rough. I sold Ian on here the turbo that looked ok visually from the outside but inside was another matter. I don't have any "before" pictures of the housings but they were basically black. Here's a picture of how well serviced the coolant system of the donor engine was though:
You get the idea
I also pulled out the turbo and drilled and tapped a 1/8" NPT thread for the boost valve. I used an 1/8" NPT to AN4 adapter as I had some spare fittings. Came out well:
The Link G4+ Extreme plug in ECU arrived. I was holding off buying it until later but eBay had a 15% off voucher a couple of weeks back and the price was too good to turn down (basically the cost of mapping the ME7.5). I also bought the XS loom which allows some extra inputs and outputs such as the flex fuel sensor I'm going to run (to allow switching between 98 RON and E85).
I put an order in with Jim Ellis Audi in the US for a load of bolts and parts that were unsalvageable from the donor engine. Sadly the windage tray was cracked, so that had to come from Germany. There were bolts that had damaged heads too. To be safe, I ordered a new non return valve for the above oil filter housing. As it's an AMK it has the earlier screw-in type valve, later are a press in with an o-ring. I'm not sure either type is "better" as it's a simple valve really. For $30 it seemed wise to replace it. The pressure relief valve in the bottom of the housing can be cleaned and re-used.
Also bought a new, genuine oil pump to be on the safe side:
Forge also sent me a replacement sump for the one that wasn't flat which is really good of them. I think I'm going to skim the original and use that. I've bought the billet AN fittings from IE for the sump and turbo as I'm going to make a new return line. I'm not massively impressed with the TSR line kit frankly. The rest of the lines are usable but the drain line was just plain ghetto.
I'd also ummed and erred about changing my Nortech/TSR manifold for the 1.5" version. I have the original 1.25" version, which actually measures 36mm (the 1.25" is something to do with how it flows rather than dimensions as such) and the 1.5" version is 43mm ID. In theory spool should be better on the 1.25" but that has a side effect that boost control can also be an issue. Guys on the Evo forums seem to say that 1.25" is good for 650-700whp on their engines (from testing 1.25" vs 1.5") and JDL use 1.25" for up to 800whp (seems high) on the 1.8T. We shall see I guess. I'm going to stick with it for now and see how it goes. I don't have any head work which might well have made the 1.5" worthwhile anyway.
Last edited:
Sam_
Down under
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2008
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Sam_
Down under
Its about time lol...
<tuffty/>
Haha, yeah it's been a long time coming. The impending new member of the family has meant speeding things up
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2006
- Messages
- 12,100
- Reaction score
- 4,340
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Eastleigh
- Website
- twitter.com
That is a thing of beauty!
I'd absolutely kill for a tubular manifold and BT setup
One day.......
I'd absolutely kill for a tubular manifold and BT setup
One day.......
Sam_
Down under
Going to cap the standard outlet with a core plug and then use those two plus the block breather (also AN12) to a catch tank where the OEM airbox was mounted. I found a company that made a nice one that fits there. Hopefully they can make more for reasonably money.
Sam_
Down under
Last week I refitted the cams as we weren't sure we'd got the timing quite right. It turns out it was correct but the exhaust cam had just rolled back while we were doing the caps up hence making the cam pulley a tooth out when I went to put the belt on. I removed and refitted the cams (the worst part is re-doing the ****** RTV) and make sure to hold the cam to match the arrow while I done the caps up. All good - the cam pulley lines up with the valve cover and the timing mark is lined up with the arrow on the cap (as is the inlet cam). Fitted a Contitech belt (no bling blue gates "racing" belt for me) and the Pag Parts TFSI sprung manual tensioner. Tensioned it correctly which is surprisingly easy with that setup. Blimey the valve springs are stiff! It was pretty hard to turn over but none the less, got two full rotations, lined up the cam pulley and block with their TDC marks:
Looking good. I whip off the valve cover to double check and what the...
The cam mark doesn't quite seem to line up with the arrow but the valve cover is spot on. Very strange. I emailed IE as the CVA1 cams are meant to use the OE timing marks. They took a look and said everything is ok and looks normal. My initial thoughts were that I'd need to adjust the vernier but I couldn't see a logical reason why if the cams use the OE timing marks. Fingers crossed it's okay.
Got the crank bolt done up on the engine stand. 78 lb/ft + 90 with red loctite. The 90 was pretty insane to do. I had to have the (pregnant) mrs hold the engine stand while I used a jack handle on my breaker bar - I only managed 85 but it should be fine. I don't think it's going anywhere soon (touch wood). It's got the ekagrip friction disc, the IE press-fit billet pulley and the ARP bolt.
(shoddy photo as I was knackered)
Then I turned my attention to the exhaust. I'd been recommended to change the exhaust studs while I had the access so I got the genuine "manifold fitting kit" which includes studs, copper nuts, spacers and a new gasket. Removing the studs was relatively straight forward; two nuts on the stud, snug them up against each other and then undo the inner nut. The new studs were a little shorter but nothing major.
Next step is to get the inlet sorted (ordered some stainless studs) and finish the valve cover (bought some 1/2" NPT plugs for it).
For now it's sitting in our spare room!
I couldn't resist getting a few pics of it
Looking forward to getting it in...
Looking good. I whip off the valve cover to double check and what the...
The cam mark doesn't quite seem to line up with the arrow but the valve cover is spot on. Very strange. I emailed IE as the CVA1 cams are meant to use the OE timing marks. They took a look and said everything is ok and looks normal. My initial thoughts were that I'd need to adjust the vernier but I couldn't see a logical reason why if the cams use the OE timing marks. Fingers crossed it's okay.
Got the crank bolt done up on the engine stand. 78 lb/ft + 90 with red loctite. The 90 was pretty insane to do. I had to have the (pregnant) mrs hold the engine stand while I used a jack handle on my breaker bar - I only managed 85 but it should be fine. I don't think it's going anywhere soon (touch wood). It's got the ekagrip friction disc, the IE press-fit billet pulley and the ARP bolt.
(shoddy photo as I was knackered)
Then I turned my attention to the exhaust. I'd been recommended to change the exhaust studs while I had the access so I got the genuine "manifold fitting kit" which includes studs, copper nuts, spacers and a new gasket. Removing the studs was relatively straight forward; two nuts on the stud, snug them up against each other and then undo the inner nut. The new studs were a little shorter but nothing major.
Next step is to get the inlet sorted (ordered some stainless studs) and finish the valve cover (bought some 1/2" NPT plugs for it).
For now it's sitting in our spare room!
I couldn't resist getting a few pics of it
Looking forward to getting it in...
Last edited:
Sam_
Down under
Picked up some fittings tonight for the fuelling setup and stopped at the local shop to grab a few bits. I waited in the car outside (luckily) and as I was sat there, I saw a "luton" sized van cut into the space in front of me really sharply (for whatever reason, there was **** loads of space) and sure enough, he clipped the front right corner, hitting the wheel and bumper in the process, resulting in...
I got out and asked for his details which he grudgingly gave. His first reaction was "Oh just a bit of paint on the wheel, that's ok then?". I said it'd need powder coating again and would be in touch. Called him when I got home and no answer. *****. He gave the right number as I called him there and then so he's just being a nob it seems - we shall see. I got home and gave the wing, bumper and wheel a quick going over with some rubbing compound and some polish and the mark on the wing is gone and 95% of the scratches on the bumper are gone. Not so bad then. The wheel cleaned up ok but does still have a chunk of powder coat missing:
To relieve my pain, I decided to finish off the valve cover. As I'm not going to be using the two OEM breather ports (for now), I decided I would stick a core plug in the side port but I couldn't get it fitted for love nor money. Tried freezing it before fitting and greasing it up to press it in. No dice. I decided that I could tap it to 1/2" NPT as that way if I needed to use them later, I could just put 1/2" NPT to AN12 adapters in there and run extra lines. Tapping it to 1/2" NPT was a bit of a mission. For now I just bought some hex head caps to fit in there and it looks pretty decent:
I picked up a few other bits too. 2 3/8" to AN6 adapters for the flex fuel sensor:
Adapters for the OEM fuel filter location to feed the surge tank and return to tank:
AN6 x 2 to AN8 adapter to join the output from the two Walbro E85 pumps to the feed to the engine:
I got out and asked for his details which he grudgingly gave. His first reaction was "Oh just a bit of paint on the wheel, that's ok then?". I said it'd need powder coating again and would be in touch. Called him when I got home and no answer. *****. He gave the right number as I called him there and then so he's just being a nob it seems - we shall see. I got home and gave the wing, bumper and wheel a quick going over with some rubbing compound and some polish and the mark on the wing is gone and 95% of the scratches on the bumper are gone. Not so bad then. The wheel cleaned up ok but does still have a chunk of powder coat missing:
To relieve my pain, I decided to finish off the valve cover. As I'm not going to be using the two OEM breather ports (for now), I decided I would stick a core plug in the side port but I couldn't get it fitted for love nor money. Tried freezing it before fitting and greasing it up to press it in. No dice. I decided that I could tap it to 1/2" NPT as that way if I needed to use them later, I could just put 1/2" NPT to AN12 adapters in there and run extra lines. Tapping it to 1/2" NPT was a bit of a mission. For now I just bought some hex head caps to fit in there and it looks pretty decent:
I picked up a few other bits too. 2 3/8" to AN6 adapters for the flex fuel sensor:
Adapters for the OEM fuel filter location to feed the surge tank and return to tank:
AN6 x 2 to AN8 adapter to join the output from the two Walbro E85 pumps to the feed to the engine:
Sam_
Down under
So my insurance is going to repair my car and recover the costs from the other guy on my behalf. Handy! I'll try and get the front bumper resprayed while I'm there. We shall see.
Today in my lunch break I was a little bored so I fitted the upper cam belt cover. Due to running the TFSI sprung tensioner setup, I had to cut a small hole and dremel part of the back of the cover to give clearance for the tensioner:
Looks decent fitted:
Still not sure what I'm going to do about coils. I'll probably use the TFSI ones and somehow get them to fit the AGN cover. I'm not sure how well they are going to fit.
Today in my lunch break I was a little bored so I fitted the upper cam belt cover. Due to running the TFSI sprung tensioner setup, I had to cut a small hole and dremel part of the back of the cover to give clearance for the tensioner:
Looks decent fitted:
Still not sure what I'm going to do about coils. I'll probably use the TFSI ones and somehow get them to fit the AGN cover. I'm not sure how well they are going to fit.
Sam_
Down under
Not much happening on the S3 engine front. Some boring stuff like brand new knock and crank sensors and the 034 3/4" NPT block breather adapter arrived. The engine has been banished to the hallway as result of.....
Our son, Dominic arriving last Monday. It's been pretty hectic with a lack of sleep. Definitely a life changer.
I am still not sure if I'll carry on with the build. Half of me thinks the sensible option is to sell it all (before I chuck the engine in and it's all worth less), bank the money and use it towards a house deposit. The other half of me (including the mrs surprisingly) says just finish it, enjoy it for a bit and then sell it. Selling a built 1.8T over here would be pretty tricky as it's such a small market. If I do carry on with the build then I'll be putting in the engine in a month or two.
With the arrival of Dominic, we'd always planned to get a more suitable family car. I'd been looking at Tiguans mainly as the wife likes SUVs (like most women it seems!) and they were cheap. Problem is the boots aren't that big really so I started looking at wagons. I test drove a 2012 118TSI Passat wagon and thought it was great, almost pulled the trigger but lucky I didn't as after some research found it has the horribly unreliable DQ200 DSG.
While I was at the dealer, I noticed they had an almost fully loaded silver R36 wagon. I'd always liked the R36 but it was a little out of our price range. I took it for a drive and instantly liked it, a really solid build and felt tight as new. Reasonably compliant over bumpy roads. I put a deposit down and got a full inspection done just to make sure I'd not missed anything. They picked up some minor wear and tear stuff that I could use to negotiate a better price. The rest was history and...
It sounds awesome
I don't have a great deal planned other than:
- A major service which I had done today (mainly Engine, Diffs, Gearbox, Haldex and Brake fluids and filters, cabin filter and those crazy expensive spark plugs)
- K&N panel filter
- Tints (seems to have none)
- New front discs and pads (DBA 4000 series) on their way, fitting this weekend
- Fix up the bodged silver paint on one of the calipers due to a shoddy wheel "repair" - I hate dodgy dealer quick fixes like that
- New front tyres - I went with Michelin PS4s, rears later
- Lakin plate bracket for the front (get rid of the big black bracket for a tiny plate)
I just want to get it mint really and just enjoy it. I'd feel less bad about selling the S3 if I had this which is another reason I went for it over the Tiguan. If I sell the S3, I'll get some nice BBS rims and some decent suspension for the R36.
Our son, Dominic arriving last Monday. It's been pretty hectic with a lack of sleep. Definitely a life changer.
I am still not sure if I'll carry on with the build. Half of me thinks the sensible option is to sell it all (before I chuck the engine in and it's all worth less), bank the money and use it towards a house deposit. The other half of me (including the mrs surprisingly) says just finish it, enjoy it for a bit and then sell it. Selling a built 1.8T over here would be pretty tricky as it's such a small market. If I do carry on with the build then I'll be putting in the engine in a month or two.
With the arrival of Dominic, we'd always planned to get a more suitable family car. I'd been looking at Tiguans mainly as the wife likes SUVs (like most women it seems!) and they were cheap. Problem is the boots aren't that big really so I started looking at wagons. I test drove a 2012 118TSI Passat wagon and thought it was great, almost pulled the trigger but lucky I didn't as after some research found it has the horribly unreliable DQ200 DSG.
While I was at the dealer, I noticed they had an almost fully loaded silver R36 wagon. I'd always liked the R36 but it was a little out of our price range. I took it for a drive and instantly liked it, a really solid build and felt tight as new. Reasonably compliant over bumpy roads. I put a deposit down and got a full inspection done just to make sure I'd not missed anything. They picked up some minor wear and tear stuff that I could use to negotiate a better price. The rest was history and...
It sounds awesome
I don't have a great deal planned other than:
- A major service which I had done today (mainly Engine, Diffs, Gearbox, Haldex and Brake fluids and filters, cabin filter and those crazy expensive spark plugs)
- K&N panel filter
- Tints (seems to have none)
- New front discs and pads (DBA 4000 series) on their way, fitting this weekend
- Fix up the bodged silver paint on one of the calipers due to a shoddy wheel "repair" - I hate dodgy dealer quick fixes like that
- New front tyres - I went with Michelin PS4s, rears later
- Lakin plate bracket for the front (get rid of the big black bracket for a tiny plate)
I just want to get it mint really and just enjoy it. I'd feel less bad about selling the S3 if I had this which is another reason I went for it over the Tiguan. If I sell the S3, I'll get some nice BBS rims and some decent suspension for the R36.
Last edited:
Sam_
Down under
So it's been almost a year since I've updated this thread and not a huge amount has happened in that time other than a lot of nappy changes and hacking the R36 around. The S3 has been unregistered (equivalent of SORN) since August and hasn't really moved since. However, I finally got some cash to throw at the car and I bought this...
A DQ500 from a petrol Tiguan (NZT code) + transfer box, driveshafts, shifter and starter motor.
I had originally intended on using the 02M and fitting all the usual strengthening parts (the 4th gear support, billet input shaft insert, brace, etc) and a Wavetrac diff but the idea of a DSG conversion had always appealed to me. The DQ500 (DSG) and MQ500 (manual) are the strongest transverse boxes you can get currently for the platform so it made sense - they are used on the RS3, TTRS, Tiguan, Q3 and T5 (I think). Some of the RS3, TTRS and R3x turbo guys are using them with upwards of genuine 1000nm+ without issue on the original clutch packs. I don't think I'll get near that. Another factor was cost; I picked up this DQ500, driveshafts, shifter and starter from a Tiguan with a only 23,000 miles on it for less than the cost of a decent gearbox rebuild over here and even then I'd still potentially end up with a weak box. I'm going to be getting the other conversion parts from a guy called Andreas Teufner from Austria who is like the DQ500/MQ500 conversion expert. I'll need to make custom shafts (S3 outer, Tiguan inner, custom shaft), custom engine mounts, a CAN bus conversion box, and the software for the ME7.5 to run it. One challenge is going to be working out how to get the paddles working as Andreas hasn't managed that yet. The Mk4 R32 and 8N TT 3.2s that came with the DSG didn't use CAN for the paddles but later models do so it might be a case of trial and error and a lot of fiddling. We'll see! I'm hoping to order the conversion parts in the next few weeks and then I can finally think about getting the engine in the car. It's been way too long.
A DQ500 from a petrol Tiguan (NZT code) + transfer box, driveshafts, shifter and starter motor.
I had originally intended on using the 02M and fitting all the usual strengthening parts (the 4th gear support, billet input shaft insert, brace, etc) and a Wavetrac diff but the idea of a DSG conversion had always appealed to me. The DQ500 (DSG) and MQ500 (manual) are the strongest transverse boxes you can get currently for the platform so it made sense - they are used on the RS3, TTRS, Tiguan, Q3 and T5 (I think). Some of the RS3, TTRS and R3x turbo guys are using them with upwards of genuine 1000nm+ without issue on the original clutch packs. I don't think I'll get near that. Another factor was cost; I picked up this DQ500, driveshafts, shifter and starter from a Tiguan with a only 23,000 miles on it for less than the cost of a decent gearbox rebuild over here and even then I'd still potentially end up with a weak box. I'm going to be getting the other conversion parts from a guy called Andreas Teufner from Austria who is like the DQ500/MQ500 conversion expert. I'll need to make custom shafts (S3 outer, Tiguan inner, custom shaft), custom engine mounts, a CAN bus conversion box, and the software for the ME7.5 to run it. One challenge is going to be working out how to get the paddles working as Andreas hasn't managed that yet. The Mk4 R32 and 8N TT 3.2s that came with the DSG didn't use CAN for the paddles but later models do so it might be a case of trial and error and a lot of fiddling. We'll see! I'm hoping to order the conversion parts in the next few weeks and then I can finally think about getting the engine in the car. It's been way too long.
