FishWick
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Everything posted by FishWick
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Cheers Jim! I'll let you know if I need the support brackets. With all that weight hanging off the manifold, plus the manifold itself, I think that is the strategy I will be taking with the next manifold! I don't want to go ATP unless I have to, I'll keep you posted.....
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By the way, I'm not on some kind of hate campaign or finger pointing mission. These manifolds have wasted a lot of my time and money and I just want to get to the bottom of it. A few other friends of mine who have also done / doing VRT conversions have discovered the same faults as me, so I'm not alone. These pictures will hopefully better explain the port alignment issues. The gasket clearly wasn't being compressed enough on 3 cylinders. If this is a genuine issue SPA aren't aware of, then this is an oppurtunity for them to correct it. And my instruction to the fusion welders.
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The welding was required in the ports themselves because they were so out of line with the head. 3 of the ports need fillet welding, then ground back to correctly shape and align the ports. That needed doing because I also had gasket blow by issues. Here's a pic of my first one, just dug it out of the shed. That amount of rust is definitely a sign of a very low nickel content, if any at all. But the same crack is present and I think I know why they cracked now. The casting is very thin at that point. If SPA can offer me some assurance a replacement won't go the same way and that the p
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No, it's as supplied. I asked the iron specialists to correct the ports and skim the mating faces. Also, if you look at the pic where the studs/washers are, those manifold surfaces needed cutting flat aswell because the first manifold kept pulling the studs out of the head because it wasn't flat. Their process didn't affect the manifold. They use a special technique of fusion welding, by making up rods of the exact same material as the manifold, which is how it came to light it is just pure cast iron and a cheap grade of iron at that. Where the crack is, I would say is the main concentra
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It's been like that for some time as I've heard an exhaust leak when cold for ages now. Finally plucked up the courage this morning to lift the heat shield and confirm.....and.....Bugger :-( No turbo damage, the GT35R is strong as an Ox :-) The crack closes up a bit when hot and is drivable, but it causes the lambda probe some grief. Now that it's settled, it could be drilled either side of the crack and welded, but I just don't trust it. Having no nickel means it will just crack again somewhere else. Oh well, more cash wasted :-(
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Well, here's a good example of why I try and stress the importance of not cutting corners with turbo projects. This is an SPA turbo manifold, allegedly. It's the second one I've had and it has cracked in exactly the same place as the first one. Not only that, the port alignment is shoddy as hell, on both. This one was sent off to a cast iron specialist for modification before fitting and guess what the nickel content is? Zero. It's a shame because of all the VRT manifolds I've seen, this one is the best design in my opinion, but the quality is apalling. Please do not use! The supplier
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"Risk it" LOL! :-) If your car isn't a daily driver and you've got £500 to spare, I say go for it. IMO you have nothing to lose and only more knowledge to gain, which when self taught, is priceless. There's nothing bad or wrong in buying cheap parts, we don't all have intergalatic budgets, but what more investment buys you is more strength, more quality, and more reliability. It's the same as GSF versus VW parts. They look the same, but the quality is VERY different. There aren't enough of these kits in use to show a reliability track record. As Jim says, those turbos in the cheap kits
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No VW enthusiast's toolbox should be without these :- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360080481203
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Either sensor can be used on either ECU (OBD1 or 2), but personally I would use the early metal one. The later ones are plastic and not as robust / reliable. -
Sadly so :-( Nothing British made is cheap. Ebay is also your friend for AP. A lot of private race teams get through a lot of brakes during circuit testing and often only use them for one race then sell them on the bay!! The only VW specific bit is the bell and carrier. I've not compared my APs, size for size, to a Brembo setup so it's hard to say how they would compare. Either way, slowing down from 120 to 20mph in what feels like 10 yards is totally addictive :-)
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VR Turbo - plugs & external fuel pressure regulator (where?)
FishWick replied to david_h's topic in Engine Tuning
On a standard engine I would probably use the BKR5EIX. -
VR Turbo - plugs & external fuel pressure regulator (where?)
FishWick replied to david_h's topic in Engine Tuning
I use these with "out of the box gap" - http://www.spturboparts.com/aftermarket/ViewDetails.aspx?prod=16209 You can also use standard BKR7E plugs, but I prefer the colder non-projected core in VRT applications. Fuel Reg - I use a 3 port SX regulator on my Schimmel intake. It's by far the most stable and accurate one out there. Sparkplugs.co.uk can supply the plugs and I don't know of any UK suppliers of SX kit. Aeromotive is a clone alternative though, which some UK places sell. -
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PM your email address mate and i'll forward you the Excel graphs. I've seen much worse timing pull, so yours is pretty good. Good effort with the turbo install, drives very well :-)
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check the green/black wire on the rear left sender on the oil filter housing, that's your MFA temp signal source. The two large sensors at the front of the oil filter housing monitor for a drop in oil pressure (flashing red dash light). Common sources of water leaks on the VR6 are:- Water pump transfer pipe Thermostat housing (warped) Main water pump seal blown Heat exchanger pipes Sometimes the auxillary water pump can leak too. Lift out your spark plugs. Any that have been steam cleaned by coolant will be obvious
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Find someone near you with VAG-COM. Make sure the ECU isn't unhappy before delving into the mechanicals. A dead cam sensor will lose you 30hp and a dead / dying coilpack will cause misfires and lumpy performance. Air flow meter will cause problems aswell if it's knackered..... prepare yourself for a shock for a new one. They're about £300 from VW! VR6 oil pumps are noisy when cold, but should be silent when hot.
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Kinetic kits have a good rep in America. I like their manifold a lot. They cut corners with the turbo though imo, but it's a good kit to get you started. There will be some issues fitting on a RHD car, but they're not difficult to overcome :-)
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Until you try some good brakes, you have no idea how bad the standard ones are :-) Don't get me wrong, we don't all have deep pockets, but seriously......4 pots and 330mm discs are what high performance VR6s need. Junctions and roundabouts come up real quick ;-) 312s with Ferodo DS2500s are about as good as you can get with stock bolt on parts, but AP Racing or Brembo is the way to go if you can afford it :-) I would also change the Master Cylinder for a MK4 24mm item
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Cool :-) If you start smelling petrol, don't worry, it's because the tank vent (clear hose) is open to free air ;-)
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If you really want to remove the carbon can, you also need to block the port on the throttle body and because the ECU is mapped to compensate for the fuel vapours, you also need to remove (or unplug) the black (or blue if OBD1) solenoid attached to the offside turret. Personally I would relocate the carbon can. It fits easily alongside the radiator. You car will fail the mot if the tester sees a tank vent pipe dangling in free air!!
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24mm Master Cylinder from a MK4 Golf should work.
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Loads! Depends on which size blower you go for. More details here - http://www.stormdevelopments.co.uk/ £400 a month on petrol! You must do some miles? My VR6 turbo doesn't even use that much :-)
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OK dude, see you soon....
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There are no sensors in the intake breather, it's a dummy plug. In cars destined for colder climates, it's a heater. If you lose the breather, you'll need to run a length of hose down to the steering rack or you'll smell fumes in the cabin. Personally I would leave the breather arrangements as they are.
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4MO's remap OK, to around 220hp at the most, but with all that weight, you'll hardly notice it. As Alex suggested, forced induction is the way to go. Put the traction to good use :-) And you're talking £1000s by the way. There's no point starting off small to be honest, not much to be gained. Save the money and spend it on petrol instead!
