J.Phlip

hi audi fans,

I need your help... im thinking about buying a 97 A4 5 speed 1.8T, and id like to upgrade it from 150hp to about 250hp or a bit more eventually, but i dont want to spend more than 3000-4000$ in upgrades for now, 2500$ would be ideal for a start.

i was thinking of buying either the ATP Turbo 300hp GT2X Bolt-on kit or the ATP Turbo 350hp GTRS Bolt-on kit + the most important upgrading components to lower the risk of system failure(anything going wrong or blowing up!)

what should i install 1st(to be able to safely use the turbo kit) to make sure i dont blow up my car?

ill write of a list of some components ive been thinking of buying, let me know whats the most important, whats not important, and if there's anything else i havent mentionned thats important for my 250hp+ project.

wastegate
catback or turboback???
fuel pressure regulator + gauges
intake kit
intercooler
airfuel with 02
boost controller
fuel injectors
BOV
diverter valve: do i need one if i want a BOV?
silicone hoses (inlet and throttle)
02 and exhaust housing (does that come with the turbo kit??)
and do i have to change my engine's manifold???

thanks

kayakman13

Here's my suggestion: Go get it chipped and if you still think you'll want more get a KO4 and a chip. Throw a cat(or turbo)back exhast on, maybe a cone air filter intake, an intercooler, some gauges, a new DV (Forge SPLTR?) hoses and then spend some money making that car shine. (Polished intake, rims, new suspension, tint) and maybe a new clutch. The chip on a KO3 will take you to ~200 horses, a KO4 maybe 220. Add on a turboback ~30 and you've got the 250. The thing with big turbo is they require plenty of work to tune and retune and keep it running well. Maybe you've thought that through, I don't know. Its what turned me off of the whole Elim kit idea. Big turbos suck up wallets as well as air.

J.Phlip

ok thx a lot kayakman...

is the k03 the stock turbo?

is that k04 reliable? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/K04-A...271410004r3364

or should i go with the neuspeed kit: http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/n...1-p-52052.html

can u explain me whats the difference between an diverter valve and a BOV
and also is a turboback better than a catbakc in my situation????

why are some kits called eliminator kits? ive read someone say, elims kits arent worth the money, if u want power go with a full blown turbo like gareett (can u explain; wahts an elim turbo kit???)

thanks

Existentialist

Stock on your generation is a K03.

Never buy a ebay K04. K04s will run anywhere from 500 used to 800+ new. After you upgrade everything else, the K04 will only add about 20hp. Waste of money if you plan to go bigger later. Save for a kit with the proper power to begin with. Chipping your car now with the stock K03 is fine if you go with a company that allows you to upgrade later for a small fee. GIAC, Unitronic, Revo, MTM, and possibly others will let you upgrade to a different program if you do decide to go with a bigger turbo later.

A diverter valve is similar to a blow off valve in its purpose, but go about it differently. A BOV releases excess pressure to the atmosphere, hence the louder noise. A DV releases that pressurized air back into the intake system where it can be reused and is much quieter.

On the 1.8T, a turboback and cat-back are essentially the same. The "cat" is bolted right to the turbo on our cars. A cat-back system replaces all of the exhaust from the cat, back. I guess you would call it a turbo back if you also replace the cat with a high-flow cat, or a test pipe that eliminates the cat.

Eliminator kits are kits in which you can still use the stock exhaust manifold. The turbos have the same mounting and flanges as the stock one, so less work and parts are involved in the setup. They do make high-flowing exhaust manifolds that can be used with these, but they are not necessary.

I'll refer you to this post by a popular aftermarket tuner, 034 motorsports.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=266477

You can see the different "stages" offered, along with required hardware. Stage 1 is the K04. Stage 2 is an eliminator kit. These are the eliminators which have 2 turbo options allowing for 350hp from the GTSR and 400hp from the higher-flowing GT2871R at the expense of a later spool-up. If you think these are a waste of money, you can look to the stage 3 and up kits. These will require that you replace at least the rods to handle the power. The eliminators, when tuned properly, can run on stock internals unless you push them to their limits.


Hope I covered everything. I recommend you read through that entire thread I posted as it has a lot of good information.

Existentialist

Forgot to mention something. If you are a 1997 with a stock clutch, prepare to replace that along with adding power. The torque made with most of these kits will wear out your a stock clutch pretty quickly. You don't want to spend your limit on one of these kits, and then be left unable to drive because your clutch is gone. If you go with a good aftermarket clutch and a light-weight flywheel plan on anywhere from $800-1000.

Figure out your long-term goals and plan from there. For example, don't buy a K04 if you plan to go with an eliminator kit in a year. Do upgrades that can support your current and future mods. Don't buy silicon inlet pipes until you know what turbo you will go with. They won't fit all turbos, and some turbo kits require you have a larger MAF, so your pipe would not fit either end in a new set up. Read what different tunings require to run. Then you can buy mods that will assist you in meeting your end goal.

Some good upgrades that will benefit you now, and with later upgrades:
Exhaust & high-flow cat or test pipe.
Chipping (if you can upgrade later for cheaper)
Suspension
Front-mount intercooler
Clutch/Flywheel
Upgraded engine and transmission mounts

But the most important thing you can get now is a boost gauge. You need to be sure you don't have boost leaks and everything is as it should be stock before you go modding it. If you engine is not properly running now, adding anything to it will only exacerbate the problems.