Lettuce Build Thread, Fast Cars and Fast Women: Stage 2 and Beyond

[blbroo]

Let's see one actually run a 12 second quarter.... If when released even breaks into the 11s

Has anyone clocked a K04 E85 car yet?


For News 3, I'm Chuck Taylor

[lettuce]

You should post your drag times on the S4 forum just to make them freak.

lol

[4ringnut]

lol

Oh this is gonna be gooooood!!! Let's see how long it takes them to realize it's an A4.

[blbroo]

That is awesome

[lettuce]

That is awesome

Oh this is gonna be gooooood!!! Let's see how long it takes them to realize it's an A4.

Just realized I should have posted it without my signature. Oh well, hopefully it will just add to the fun.

[4ringnut]

Just realized I should have posted it without my signature. Oh well, hopefully it will just add to the fun.

No that's the best part

[4ringnut]

I can't believe no one bit yet.

[lettuce]

I can't believe no one bit yet.

Meh, I doubt any of them care. 90% of the people in that thread are running 11s. I'm only really beating stock S4s and I don't think too many stockers are posting their time slips.

[integroid]

High 11's will be the fastest they can run on a S4 without investing a ton of money.

[kskevin]

High 11's will be the fastest they can run on a S4 without investing a ton of money.

there are about 10 posts with times in the 11.5s -11.6s all running APR/GIAC S2+pulley on 104 gas.

[lettuce]

there are about 10 posts with times in the 11.5s -11.6s all running APR/GIAC S2+pulley on 104 gas.

I think he was probably referring to runs in stock trim on pump gas. Personally that's all I'm concerned with for a street car.

[zcspec]

Lettuce, how's your TR8 holding up? It's January's mid-winter project for me.

[Lambda13]

Lettuce, how's your TR8 holding up? It's January's mid-winter project for me.

MY TR11 is still sitting in my trunk...

[zcspec]

MY TR11 is still sitting in my trunk...

Wow...you went for the BIG BOY...get on it!

[Lambda13]

Wow...you went for the BIG BOY...get on it!

Haha I know right? It was the same price as the TR8 so I said, why not?

[lettuce]

I've been meaning to make this post for a few weeks now. I bought 034's new 50 durometer engine mounts as my old ones were toast (the passenger-side one at least) along with the billet transmission insert. I wanted to wait to make this post because I had only replaced the passenger-side mount and wanted to wait until I did the drivers side one as well, but my laziness is getting the better of me and the car feels perfectly fine now so for better or for worse I'm probably not going to get around to it anytime soon.



When researching the stock mounts I couldn't believe these things are essentially rubber bladders filled with fluid. Since doing all this engine work on my car I've been able to feel them getting progressively worse, and the past few weekends up at the track finally did them in. My engine would thrash around so violently in the engine bay on hard shifts and throttle de/applications that I'm pretty sure I was activating my knock sensor and temporarily retarding my timing, causing it to bog down big time for a second or so. That, coupled with the tiny little puddles of fluid underneath my mounts when parking my car in the garage was all I needed for motivation to get these things replaced.



On the outside they look almost identical, except for one being torn open and dripping with fluid, of course.





The install went pretty smoothly. Didn't take more than a couple hours and didn't have many hangups. One issue that I was a bit worried about was the main bolt that secures this thing into the engine bracket (not the two smaller bolts on the sides) was acting like it was cross threaded once I got it all the way in. It was incredibly tight like it was just about to be completely seated, but it would just not stop turning. I was using an extension on the handle of my socket wrench and had to really put some muscle into it, so I was using a dickload of leverage on this thing. It's possible I was over-torquing it. Either way it never got loose and I couldn't budge it with the extension off the wrench, so I just let it be. I've checked it a few times since and it's still as tight as ever in there so I don't think it'll be an issue.

Then about a week later (enough time to get acclimated to the changes in driveability from the new motor mount in order to give me a better idea of the difference each component made), I installed the 034 transmission insert as well.



Honestly I couldn't really tell the difference with this thing in. I suppose theoretically it's good to have with all the extra power I'm putting down over stock just to keep everything nice and tight, but personally I think the price was a bit steep for what it is. I did get a nice deal on it though so I can't really complain.

So I did this work almost a month ago and it's been smooth as silk ever since. Tighter than stock and I imagine the new motor mount will be a bit more durable over the long haul than the awful stock unit. Absolutely zero added vibrations or rattling or anything at any speed. High and low idle, cruising speed, stopped, highway, etc -- it's all as smooth and quiet as stock. Pretty impressed that these solid rubber units are able to give such a smooth ride comparable to the over-engineered fluid-filled units from Audi. Kinda makes you wonder why they didn't just make em like this from the factory. And seeing as the 034 aftermarket units are cheaper than stock replacements I honestly can't see any possible reason not to get these instead.

Note that I got the 034 Motorsport's 50 durometer mounts. 034 also sells 65 durometer mounts (harder rubber) as well as motorsport-spec billet/rubber mounts, both of which I believe do increase noise and vibration as a trade off for being even firmer. They're all around the same price, so pick whichever ones are best suited to your needs.

Again, I couldn't really notice much of a difference with the transmission insert, but I'm honestly not as discerning as most. It could be slightly better and I just didn't pick up on it. Maybe if I pulled it out for a couple weeks after driving with it in for so long I'd be able to feel the difference. I've chosen to view it as preventative maintenance insurance, that by tightening up my drivetrain even further it'll prolong the life of my other mounts and driveline components. As a whole though the entire upgrade has made a big difference in driveability. My race car now feels as posh and refined as a base model German luxury sedan should feel.



And if I ever forget that I'm driving a used, mid-12 second two-stroke A4 with over 100k miles, all I have to do is floor it and see that beautiful, thick cloud of smoke in my rear-view mirror enveloping all the cars I'm leaving in my oil-soaked dust.

Edit: Now that the honeymoon period is over and I've been driving on this setup for a few months I'd like to update my review a bit. Contrary to what I said earlier there is a very slight increase in NVR over stock with these new mounts, but it's only noticeable at idle when stopped and in gear. And by slight I mean very slight, definitely nothing to worry about but at the same time I felt it was worthy of a mention. In Park and off-idle once you get moving there is zero difference compared to stock. Still extremely pleased with this setup overall and wouldn't hesitate to get them again over stock replacements.

[lettuce]

Lettuce, how's your TR8 holding up? It's January's mid-winter project for me.

TR8's holding up great. Really can't say enough good things about it. It's basically the cheapest setup out there, and performs as well as you could ever expect an intercooler to perform. 6-15 degrees F over ambient temps on an 80 degree day during WOT full 2nd and 3rd gear pulls. If I didn't take the logs myself I'd honestly have a hard time believing that was even possible.

[19birel]

Compared to the stock engine mounts before they gave up the ghost, how does the 034 setup feel in comparison? Any more vibrations?

[lettuce]

Compared to the stock engine mounts before they gave up the ghost, how does the 034 setup feel in comparison? Any more vibrations?

It feels better than it did the day I brought it home from the dealership for sure. Of course I bought it with over 100k miles and I'm pretty sure these were the original mounts, but they at least weren't leaking before I started futzing around with the motor.

As far as vibrations go I haven't been able to pick up on anything. I actually meant to include that in my review so I'll edit it to say that somewhere.

[zcspec]

TR8's holding up great. Really can't say enough good things about it. It's basically the cheapest setup out there, and performs as well as you could ever expect an intercooler to perform. 6-15 degrees F over ambient temps on an 80 degree day during WOT full 2nd and 3rd gear pulls. If I didn't take the logs myself I'd honestly have a hard time believing that was even possible.

Great to hear! For a few days, I considered the TR11 that lambda13 is running but then I read your comment that it would need to be mounted behind the crashbar and from the size of it, some of the top would be covered as well. I'll stick to the TR8 setup like yours.

[19birel]

It feels better than it did the day I brought it home from the dealership for sure. Of course I bought it with over 100k miles and I'm pretty sure these were the original mounts, but they at least weren't leaking before I started futzing around with the motor.

As far as vibrations go I haven't been able to pick up on anything. I actually meant to include that in my review so I'll edit it to say that somewhere.

Thanks for the info, I should probably look into upgrading mine as well as I think they're original and have 155k on them.

[lettuce]

In case any of you guys were wondering what a mid-12 second B8 A4 sounded like with stock exhaust, I found a short clip of someone running an identical setup to mine driving somewhere down in Mexico.

http://webmshare.com/play/0g8Vd

[blbroo]

In case any of you guys were wondering what a mid-12 second B8 A4 sounded like with stock exhaust, I found a short clip of someone running an identical setup to mine driving somewhere down in Mexico.

http://webmshare.com/play/0g8Vd

Can you tell that stranger that his vid isn't working?

[lettuce]

Can you tell that stranger that his vid isn't working?

Works for me in all my browsers. It's a webm if that makes a difference.

[19birel]

Can you tell that stranger that his vid isn't working?

Try a different browser, it wouldn't work for me in Safari,but i was able to see it in Chrome no problem.

@Lettuce Has a nice subtle growl to it, I like

[Smellie]

Ugh, I am convinced to go frankenturbo from your thread..

But after winter haha

Are you garaging your car for the winter?

And hitting the dyno any time soon?

[blbroo]

Try a different browser, it wouldn't work for me in Safari,but i was able to see it in Chrome no problem.

@Lettuce Has a nice subtle growl to it, I like

Wouldn't work on my iphone, but listened to it at work.

Sounds similar to mine, but I hear more turbo sounds.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_...M3WHZsZGs/view (the point that it goes quieter is what it sounds like at 85 in 6th)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_...FObnVWS0k/view

[lettuce]

Wouldn't work on my iphone, but listened to it at work.

Sounds similar to mine, but I hear more turbo sounds.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_...M3WHZsZGs/view (the point that it goes quieter is what it sounds like at 85 in 6th)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_...FObnVWS0k/view

Yeah that was taken with his windows up. Apparently the turbo spool is only really audible when the windows are down. At least that's what he tells me.

Your car does sound just like that one that's like mine. Very nice. I do notice though at the '85 in 6th' part, there's a bit of a constant whine. Is that from the turbo or your manual transmission? I have nothing like that in mine.

He was able to share some new vids as well. Just some stupid clips driving home from work, nothing special.

Turbo spool sound with windows down:
http://webmshare.com/play/BqmW4

AWD traction loss as turbo spools up in first gear from a roll:
http://webmshare.com/play/8LO0Z

Exhaust note with the windows down:
http://webmshare.com/play/n8oKL

[lettuce]

Ugh, I am convinced to go frankenturbo from your thread..

But after winter haha

Are you garaging your car for the winter?

And hitting the dyno any time soon?

Unfortunately I only get the garage for the summer. Have too much equipment that needs to go in there for the winter. I'll be DDing it all winter of course regardless in case that's what you mean.

Dyno, maybe. I want to do a meth injection setup first. When the engine's done I'll dyno it but I'm in no hurry. I only really care about real-world performance measures (1/4 mile times) to be honest.

[blbroo]

Yeah that was taken with his windows up. Apparently the turbo spool is only really audible when the windows are down. At least that's what he tells me.

Your car does sound just like that one that's like mine. Very nice. I do notice though at the '85 in 6th' part, there's a bit of a constant whine. Is that from the turbo or your manual transmission? I have nothing like that in mine.

He was able to share some new vids as well. Just some stupid clips driving home from work, nothing special.



Turbo spool sound with windows down:
http://webmshare.com/play/BqmW4

AWD traction loss as turbo spools up in first gear from a roll:
http://webmshare.com/play/8LO0Z

Exhaust note with the windows down:
http://webmshare.com/play/n8oKL

My windows were up. That whine is probably transmitted from the shifter. I had my hand on the shifter with the phone in it.


Do you have an AFE filter and silicone turbo inlet pipe? That will add more turbo noise above what this mexican driver has.
His car jumps up in speed quick in that second video. I can slap my rear out if I punch it hard on a sharp turn, but can't get the tires to chirp in a straight line.

[lettuce]

My windows were up. That whine is probably transmitted from the shifter. I had my hand on the shifter with the phone in it.


Do you have an AFE filter and silicone turbo inlet pipe? That will add more turbo noise above what this mexican driver has.
His car jumps up in speed quick in that second video. I can slap my rear out if I punch it hard on a sharp turn, but can't get the tires to chirp in a straight line.

Yeah I have all those intake things. Did you do a sound box delete? I didn't.

But yeah first gear is like a time warp in that thing. From the moment the turbo hits in first gear at around 3k till it's time to shift your brain just kind of shuts off and you go off instinct. Then when it's over you're like "how did i get here.. what year is it". It feels like 3k-redline was instantaneous and yet at the same time it feels like you just spent the last week and a half glued to the driver's seat holding on for dear life. Sort of like how the passage of time feels when you wake up in the morning in relation to when you went to bed, or like how Gandalf the Grey fought that Balrog and then fell into that chasm and went into space where he floated around for eons talking to other alien wizards and then came back to Middle Earth like a day later as Gandalf the White.

[Smellie]

Unfortunately I only get the garage for the summer. Have too much equipment that needs to go in there for the winter. I'll be DDing it all winter of course regardless in case that's what you mean.

Dyno, maybe. I want to do a meth injection setup first. When the engine's done I'll dyno it but I'm in no hurry. I only really care about real-world performance measures (1/4 mile times) to be honest.

I'm looking for some long term usage review before I pull the plug after winter, so that'll be handy

I've seen some dyno charts for the f23L but their power versus the time you got doesn't really match up, which is where your time is a much better measure of your car haha


Love your build so far! Inspiration for me

[blbroo]

Yeah I have all those intake things. Did you do a sound box delete? I didn't.

But yeah first gear is like a time warp in that thing. From the moment the turbo hits in first gear at around 3k till it's time to shift your brain just kind of shuts off and you go off instinct. Then when it's over you're like "how did i get here.. what year is it". It feels like 3k-redline was instantaneous and yet at the same time it feels like you just spent the last week and a half glued to the driver's seat holding on for dear life. Sort of like how the passage of time feels when you wake up in the morning in relation to when you went to bed, or like how Gandalf the Grey fought that Balrog and then fell into that chasm and went into space where he floated around for eons talking to other alien wizards and then came back to Middle Earth like a day later as Gandalf the White.

WOW!

Yeah, I ripped that sound box out and capped the hole.

[zcspec]

look what santa dropped off early...



Thanks to you and a few other members who were front-runners for this TR8 IC. Part of a few winter projects I'll have going on.

[blbroo]

look what santa dropped off early...



Thanks to you and a few other members who were front-runners for this TR8 IC. Part of a few winter projects I'll have going on.

Great choice! 🏻🏻

[b6Hate4]

Glad to see so many members are seeing how awesome the treadstone units are. If I didnt have a forge I would buy one in a heartbeat.

[Smellie]

My tr11 comes tomorrow, still sorta worried how big its gonna be LOL

[blbroo]

My tr11 comes tomorrow, still sorta worried how big its gonna be LOL

You can always spray a really light coat of black radiator paint on it if you don't want it showing behind your grill. Or, mount it set back from the crash bar, instead of under it.

[b6Hate4]

My tr11 comes tomorrow, still sorta worried how big its gonna be LOL

Its large compared to the stock unit, but not overly massive. Fitment wont be an issue.

[blbroo]

Its large compared to the stock unit, but not overly massive. Fitment wont be an issue.

I think he is worried about people seeing his big new unit behind the RS grille.