A4darkness

Wanted to move this out of the long thread to get some more opinions.

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For the past two weeks, I've been reading a LOT about turbo upgrades... all of em. Here, AZ... pretty much every post I can find and I'm still thinking K04. Here's why.

- AWE GTRS kit would be optimum but that's just too much loot
- I live in LA and spend a lot of time in traffic between 30-50mph which is more the K04 range with it's uber low-end goodness
- costs associated with going larger than a K04 [besides the basics... clutch, FMIC etc] escalate rapidly
- larger, more complicated turbo systems need special attention from one with more firsthand knowledge and tools than myself
- CA emissions requirements freak me out... I've already had to throw money at a car to pass smog and get tags or be impounded... ah, the Bling-tegra days
- this is my daily driver, not something I race [street or track] or can leave on a lift for a week... that and I have no lift, lol

That said, my thought is this... with a really powerful SB clutch [to deliver the low end torque] and massive intercooler [to significantly battle K04 heat-sink issues]... wouldn't performance be fairly steller? MikTip certainly seems to think so and I believe this may be my course as well. I think I need to find someone with a good K04 setup in SoCal and go for a ride.

I'm hoping my rant will generate some feedback from you fellas... although I know the trend is BT all over the place.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a4gen2/msgs/1082703.phtml">Original Thread</a></li></ul>

AvantMnkyA4

is close to me and they are dealers. Let me me know how your result end up. Once i upgrade my SMIC, I'm going to get the K04 then a custom exhaust. Good luck with your set-up man.

A4darkness

that exhaust is more of a must than an option with the K04. Probably a good idea... we both may want to do that first. All in good time.

MC Hammered

All the mods that support a K04 will also work for a GTRS

What blows my mind is I get better gas mileage now with my monster turbo that is running rich than I did with my APR K04 setup.

A4darkness

Figured you'd reply and, of course, have raised an interesting point which I wasn't really considering... the necessary upgrades support BOTH setups.

Maybe I'll just keep contemplating till I get a FMIC, clutch, TIP etc. and then figure it out.

And that's really strange about the mileage thing. Winnah = you.

[**edit** Of course, I went back to my notes file / saved posts and started re-reading everything. Damn you MC Hammered!]

MC Hammered

I averaged 380km per tank with the K04 and I am getting about the same with the 3076 and if I am doing a lot of VAG logging the mileage drops to about 350km a tank. Add in the fact I have oversized injectors which make me run rich all the time even when tweaked with Lemmiwinks makes it all even more remarkable.

Last tank I got 425km. I never broke 400km doing city based driving with the K04.

I have the proper 430cc injectors arriving tomorrow so I'll see how the mileage is with them installed.

The K04 is fun but the torque spike started to get annoying. If a slightly larger turbo, that is plug and play like the K04, provides a smoother power delivery and a better top end I would suggest that instead.

Something to consider is the cost of a K04 compared to the next size up if all of the supporting equipment is the same.

diagnosticator1

For street use, the main focus should be on midrange torque, and especially the area under the torque curve below 3500 rpm.

jwj

on a Borg Warner, (old KKK) if you are replacing turbo. As diagnosticator1 addressed, go with a dual ball bearing turbo as they work so much better then the K04. I realize it may be a price issue, (as why Audi still uses the "cheap" turbos instead of using Garrit or another higher end ball bearing set up).
The torque curve with the K04 does get old, (I believe MCHammered addressed this). I had better overall performance with a modified K03, (which used the K03 shell and had a larger bearing, compressor and 10 degree tipping of the blades). This flowed much more air then a K04 and still kept the low end torque. But, once over 4k rpm there was nothing left.
GT28rs or other large turbo set up works very well above 3-3500 rpm. You do loose some of the low end grunt but make up much more above. I have been using with Tip tranny for over 55k miles and all works well. Plus, you have Revo software, injectors, test pipe, etc. that makes this all work together so your is more competitive to others on the hwy.
Personally, after using all 3 set ups I would go with the GT28rs and a lighter flywheel.
If, (for me) I was to do all over again, I would have a 6 spd with a lighter flywheel with the R71 compressor. Each there own.

bhvrdr

not that I am advocating the k04, but the supposedly quick spooling garretts are not making peak torque in the 28rs sometimes until well into the 4000rpm range.

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/74799/dyno1.jpg"><ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a4gen2/msgs/908297.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/a4gen2/msgs/908297.phtml</a</li></ul>

bhvrdr

i'd upgrade the intercooling. Clutch as needed. I'd definitely stick with the stock flywheel.

Ko4 = low end torque with less power

gtrs = greater overall power and top end with decreased low end torque by about 1000rpm.

Both can be handled by similar supporting mods like FMIC, clutch, etc