1552 v.2 blog #11: VW Mk5 GLI BT Upgrade

Nov 20, 2008 - Magazine Coverage

2008-11-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

Check out Performance VW magazine's feature on this GLI:

For a full scan of this article, please check out our media section.

Nov 11, 2008 - Update

2008-11-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

The Imola Yellow Jetta has been running under GT3071R power for over 5000 miles so far. Yeah, we need to get back to work on this blog and fill in the gaps between the last installment and now, but at least we're posting up some decent progress pics illustrating the upgrade work required to go from the VF RSS kit to this ATP/Revo GT3071R set up.

The software file for this system is a beta version constructed by Revo. As a Revo tuning partner, we are fortunate in being able to offer these cutting-edge upgrades as soon as possible. The DSG transmission required a bit of extra tweaking on Revo's part (based on the logs and recommendations we shared with them), and at the moment we're required to use the stock diverter valve. Results are fantastic and the GLI now has a huge increase in power (around 100-hp extra!) vs. the GT28RS-based set up, and its demeanor is amazingly like stock - no surging, funny idle, flat spots or check engine lights. What's more, the DSG seems perfectly happy controlling the extra power. How long it remains that way is still to be determined, but affordable clutch packs and TCU tuning are just around the corner, so the future for DSG owners looks very bright.

It's tempting to scoff at the thought of 400-hp being delivered via two front tires, but the GLI's ability to effectively transfer its power in just that way is astounding. There is no torque steer or drama of any kind. Yes, wheelspin is excessive in the first two gears, but a careful right foot mitigates most of that and the car is an absolute terror on the highway.

We've recently added methanol injection to the mix and this has allowed us to get much more aggressive with the Revo software settings. This is a really impressive car with excellent every day usability. As proud as we are with our efforts, the owner really needs to be congratulated for his performance modification choices.

We'll provide more details and updates as we get time, but for now it's great to report that the car is being used daily and our owner is very happy with the results. How long he stays that way is up in the air, so don't be surprised if you see the phrase, GT35 upgrade in some future update...

May 27, 2008 - Stage 2?

2008-05-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

A quote from the Feb. 1 update for this project:

We'll keep you updated on the GLI and how the kit is performing with even more miles on the clock. We'll mention here that our customer is currently saving up for VF RS/R version of this kit, with the larger GT2871R turbo and upgraded rods and pistons. I guess at some point we'll be determining if the DSG transmission can handle even more power - right around 400-hp worth.

Think back to the last update while considering the above quote and you'll probably easily see where this update is headed. The biggest twist so far is that since the VF RS/R kit is not yet available, we're going a different route altogether.

With the RS/S kit we already have an excellent compilation of quality parts, so it makes sense to use as much of them as possible. So while the turbo and GIAC programming will not be used from here on out, the turbo manifold, intercooler and plumbing, fuel injectors and fuel pump will al be reused. We're not exactly building our own version of the RS/R in that we'll be keeping the stock pistons and compression ratio and substituting a larger Garrett GT3071R turbo for the RS/R kit's GT2871R. Tests have shown that the difference in spool-up time between the two turbos is minimal when used in an FSI environment and since it's unlikely that our customer will ever be satisfied with any level of power for very long, the bigger turbo gives us more headroom for the future.

To work with the VF manifold we'll be using a (relatively) small T25 exhaust housing, but we don't expect to see a noticeable compromise in output or efficiency. Since we expect to go beyond 350-whp we've ordered up a set of Integrated Engineering forged connecting rods for some much needed bottom-end extra strength - for now and in the future.

Ultimately none of these high quality components means very much without some quality engine programming to make them all work together. As luck would have it, fifteen52 is a Revo Technik tuning partner and as such we have access to their yet-to-be-released 2.0TFSI GT3071R programming upgrade. Besides putting out quality programming options, Revo gives its dealers room to tweak for different fuel and timing scenarios.

By now some of you are wondering, "what about the completely stock DSG transmission - is it safe to put so much power through it?" The answer to that is that we do not know, but sure as hell aim to find out. You see, our customer understands there is an option should he require extra strength as far as his transmission his concerned, but he also understands that currently that option is priced in the $7k+ range. It's just a matter of time until other options become available and when this happens there's no doubt the cost will come down dramatically. We have good reason to believe he'll be just fine until then, and if something happens in the mean time we have a few tricks up our sleeve.

Below you see the pics of the disassembly process - nothing too interesting here - and tomorrow we'll begin by installing the new rods as well as removing the 28R turbo and installing the new 3071.

May 6, 2008 - The Pursuit of Happiness

2008-05-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

Did your parents ever tell you that power can be a corruptive influence? Well, here's your proof.

Mar 15, 2008 - Gauge Install

2008-03-31T16:07:00.000-07:00

A few thousand more miles since the last update and all is well. VF-Engineering has inspected the high-flow fuel pump used in this beta RS/S prototype kit and concluded it's in perfect working order with no premature wear to be concerned about. We'll soon have it back and reinstalled in short order.

In the mean time, our customer has made a wise decision to outfit his GLI with a series of gauges designed to offer critical diagnostic information in a real-time format. Purchased from New South Engineering, the 3-gauge pod holds boost, oil pressure, and EGT (exhaust gas temperature) gauges, also purchased from NSP and designed to perfectly match the VW's OE red and blue light displays.

The installation was a bit of a challenge, but only because the turbo housing for the GT28RS was an issue by interfering with the fitting of the oil pressure sending unit. Tapping the downpipe for the EGT sensor was time consuming, but straightforward. In the end, the efforts were totally worthwhile as our customer now has a substantially greater amount of vital engine information within easy eyesight.

We're using this update to show off some of the other updates our customer has made over the past few months, with a set of sinister 19x8 black OZ Ultraleggera wheels being the main attraction.

Feb 1, 2008 - 5000-Mile Check-Up

2008-02-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

There are now 5,000 trouble-free miles under the belt of our VF-Engineering RS/S GLI and today we scheduled a quick check-up. With the car up in the air, there was nothing unusual to note, and each component is situated properly and free from wear. No leaks, no chafing, no errors.

And as mentioned in the last update, we've been asked by VF to swap out the mechanical fuel pump and return it to them for an examination. This pump is integral to the ability to supply enough fuel to the bigger injectors, and VF wants to check for unusual wear* or anything else that may need to be tended to. If you remember, our RS/S kit is a beta version of the soon-to-be-released production version, and we've partnered with VF as a way of providing valuable feedback and real-world experience that will be incorporated into the production kit. We'd like to take a moment to note that there has been some concern amongst various forum posters regarding the reliability of high-flow fuel pumps. Apparently, there have been a few occurrences of what has been described as "fuel pump failures."

*We want to point out that we have yet to see actual proof that these incidents were caused by the fuel pumps themselves. It's an establish fact that some of the earlier 2.0TFSI cars were manufactured using camshafts with sub par materials. Since the FSI design uses the intake camshaft to operate the mechanical rail fuel pump, any premature wear on the camshaft will prematurely wear the point of contact on the fuel pump and eventually lead to a failure. As far as we're concerned, this scenario is far more likely than a random fuel pump failure and it should be noted that currently there are four RS/S beta cars on the road (including our customer's) with at least 4 months of use, and none has had any issues related to the VF high-flow fuel pump.

We'll keep you updated on the GLI and how the kit is performing with even more miles on the clock. We'll mention here that our customer is currently saving up for VF RS/R version of this kit, with the larger GT2871R turbo and upgraded rods and pistons. I guess at some point we'll be determining if the DSG transmission can handle even more power - right around 400-hp worth.

You'll also be seeing this Imola Yellow GLI in other blogs on our site, since we're using the car as a testbed for future fifteen52 products. First up will be a 1552/Alcon 4-wheel big brake kit.

Dec 10, 2007 - Updates, Impressions

2008-02-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

After more 500 miles, the VF RS/S GLI is performing great, and yes, the DSG transmission is still in one piece.

In actuality, the DSG seems a perfect match for the bigger turbo, as the lightning-fast downshifts keep it spooled and relatively lag-free. The extra power is impressive, but it's not just the peak numbers that impress. Whereas the OE K03 turbo runs out of breath over 6k rpm, the GT28RS makes usable power all the way to redline. GIAC has tuned the DSG version of this kit for a bit less initial torque, so in most situations an RS/S 2.0T accelerates more smoothly than most stock turbo "chipped" cars. And what about all the hand-wringing regarding too much power in a fwd vehicle? Well, we won't kid you and say that traction isn't limited in certain situations, but the more moderate torque curve with the RS/S actually makes it easier to use your right foot as an effective form of traction control. In any situation other than a standing start, this RS/S GLI is extremely quick and very easy to drive. On the highway it's a seriously fast sedan.

We'll let our owner put some more miles on the car and then we'll get him back here for a check-up. We're also going to swap out the VF fuel pump for another and send the original back to VF for a quick exam.

Nov 20, 2007 - Installation Complete

2008-01-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

What's left to do? Not much, thankfully.

Today we buttoned up the intake side of the kit and trimmed the engine cover to fit over the new components.

The VF intake is simple, but effective. Utilizing a high-flow filter element, the intake is able to draw more than enough air to suit the bigger turbo. As you might imagine, an engine bay can get pretty hot during stop and go traffic, so VF incorporates a heat shield that properly seats against the underside of the hood when it's closed.

Believe it or not, trimming the airbox turned out to be one of the more time consuming tasks we undertook. Unlike past VW engine covers, the version used by the new GTI doubles as the factory "airbox" and filter element. As such, there's quite a bit of bulky plastic under the outer skin, and that needs to be trimmed in order to clear the new intake assembly. With dremel tool in hand, it was just a matter of measure, trim, measure, trim, etc. Keeping in mind that the goal here was to make the end result look as OE as possible, we trimmed slowly and only as much as absolutely necessary. We're quite pleased with the end result and more importantly, so is our customer.

With the installation now complete, it's time to put some miles on the car, data-log some critical factors and then go over all our work to make sure nothing is interfering with something else and that nothing has worked it's way loose. More on that next time...

Nov 19, 2007 - Pump, Injectors, VF Engine Mounts

2008-01-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

Almost done.

Today we swapped out the mechanical rail pump for the VF high-flow version, as well as the new high-flow injectors. A few words about the pump and injectors: The GTI' FSI fuel delivery is radically different than anything previously employed by any volume manufacturer. For example, whereas most current fuel injection systems operate at anywhere from 45 to 120 psi of pressure, VW's FSI system operates at up to 1600 psi of pressure. As a result, the FSI fuel pump and injectors are also radically different than anything currently available on the aftermarket. What does that mean? It means that to increase the fuel flow to suit a bigger turbo, we can't just call up an aftermarket supplier and order up some "bigger" injectors and a high-flow pump. No doubt these parts will someday be available, but the fact is they aren't right now. VF has been working on these issues for over a year now, and their solutions meet the bigger turbo's requirements while maintaining an OE approach to the job.

Bleeding the fuel pressure from the pump before removal is critical, as the above-mentioned fuel pressure is enough to slice off a finger or worse. After the pressure is released, the removal and installation of the VF unit is quite simple - not so with the injectors, though. As the pictures illustrate, quite a bit needs to be removed in order to access the injectors. Once done, removal requires the use of a special tool specific to the VW FSI injectors.

With the last of the kit's hardware installed, we turned our attention to the optional intercooler. This part of the job couldn't have been easier, as the core fits perfectly and with almost no trimming to the stock front bumper needed, and all the connecting tubes and hardware also fit very nicely.

We finished the intercooler sooner than expected, so we chose to install the VF engine mounts. OE GTI mounts are designed with as much attention addressed to mitigating noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) as toward performance. The GTI has three engine mounts and these mounts are tasked with holding the engine and transaxle in place while effectively getting the engine's output to the front wheels. Simply put, the stock mounts are too soft to adequately handle the second part of the above job description. The VF mounts are machined from solid billet aluminum and integrate polyurethane bushings as a way of isolating NVH from the driver. It's a shame they're hidden by other components, as they're really quite impressive to look at.

You'd imagine a set of stiffer mounts would equal a pretty major compromise on the NVH issue in exchange for better performance, but this is a case of having your cake and eating it too. The VF mounts do transmit a little extra bit of engine noise into the cabin, but the effect is minimal. There is no noticeable added vibration at idle or at speed. Needless to say, we recommend these mounts to any enthusiast with a Mk5-chassis 2.0TFSI.

We ran out of time before finishing the entire installation, so next time we'll install the VF intake and trim the engine cover to fit the new components.

Nov 17, 2007 - Work Begins

2008-01-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

Today we begin disassembly and installation of the VF manifold and GT28RS turbo.

The work is pretty straightforward and thankfully there's a decent amount of room between the turbo, downpipe and the engine firewall.

Looking at the pics below, you can see the difference in size between the two turbos. The GT28RS is hardly a big turbo (it's best suited for smaller engines and with the 60mm compressor it will max out at about 360 crank horsepower [chp]). It's only when it's compared to the original puny K03 that it looks so mighty. Why has VW chosen such a tiny OE turbo? From their perspective (seeking 200-chp and zero turbo lag) it does its job and does it well. VW is well aware of the K03's lack of headroom and in fact they have larger turbos to use in their higher hp 2.0TFSI applications (S3, TT-S, 30AE GTI, etc.)

VF has chosen the GT28 turbo with 60mm compressor for its quick spool and efficient boost curve, and it is extremely well suited to this application. For those looking for even more power, the VF/GIAC RS/R kit will soon be available and that kit forgoes the 2860's 60mm compressor for the 71mm compressor found in the 2860's larger brother, the GT2871. In addition to the larger turbo, the RS/R kit comes with upgraded rods and pistons and is good for enough boost to yield approximately 400-chp.

Now that the bigger turbo is installed on the GLI, next up is installing the new fuel injectors, fuel pump, and whatever else time permits.

Nov 15, 2007 - The RS/S Kit In Detail

2008-01-11T16:58:00.001-08:00

*We'd like to apologize ahead of time for the terrible quality of the pictures presented in parts of this project series. We were without our usual DSLR Nikon and had to make do with a very cheap point 'n shoot.

For this project we're starting with a customer-owned 2007 VW GLI 2.0T DSG Fahrenheit Special Edition. Yeah, that's a lot of words to describe one yellow 4-door sedan, but the car is in fact pretty special and happens to be just one out of only 1200 examples to be produced.

It comes to us with a mere 3,000 miles on the odometer, but those few miles were enough for our owner to know he needs (yes, needs) more than the 200-hp it comes with standard. Quite a bit more, actually.

The new 2.0T engine in this yellow GLI is a big departure from the old workhorse 1.8T that's served the enthusiast community so well. Not only is it 200cc larger in displacement, the 2.0T has a new 16-valve (vs. 20-valve) cylinder head and fuel is delivered directly into the combustion chamber via VW's FSI injection. Direct injection (FSI) allows for a more consistent delivery, so while making more power due to increased efficiency, the new engines also goes further on a gallon of gas. An additional advantage to delivering fuel this way is how it now cools the combustion process and allow for a higher compression ratio. In the old days, a turbocharged car from the factory rarely made it to the showroom with a compression ratio (CR) greater than 9.0:1. As an illustration of the effectiveness of the FSI process (along with modern knock sensors and engine management), consider that the 2.0T in this GLI comes from VW with a CR of 10.3:1.

Even with that relatively high CR, there's still plenty of room to up the boost and make more power without touching the engine's bottom end, and that's exactly what we plan to do.

We've worked closely with VF-Engineering and GIAC on the development of their RS/S and RS/R 2.0T big turbo kits, so it was only natural for us to use these products here. As a matter of fact, the RS/S kit we're using isn't officially on the market yet and there's even less data regarding the long-term effects of the RS/S's 330-hp on the DSG transmission. Our customer understands the risks involved in a beta-test situation like this and he's quite okay with his "guinea pig" role (the truth is we've made a deal with him that takes into account the fact that this GLI will provide VF and us with some valuable data and feedback).

The VF RS/S kit comes complete with everything needed to upgrade your transverse 2.0T from its tiny KO3 turbo and replace it with a much larger Garrett Turbo GT28RS item. New and better-flowing FSI fuel injectors are included, as is a new high-flow mechanical rail pump. The VF cast exhaust manifold is a quality piece and accepts either the GT28(60) or its larger sibling, the GT2871, as found in the even wilder VF RS/R kit (more on that later). Add a VF open element filter and tubing as well as all the couplers and hardware required for install, and that's pretty much all there is.

Because the GLI is daily driven in Florida heat and humidity, our customer opted for the VF-Engineering front-mount intercooler. This FMIC completely bypasses the stock intercooler and is advertised to fit behind the standard front bumper with minimal mods.

Making this much power is no good if you can't get it to the ground, so we'll also be installing an excellent set of VF engine mounts.

We're ready to go and the next update will cover disassembly and the installation of the "Disco Potato" (GT28RS).