intercooler upgrade?+stock boost

[honzinator]

would a front mounted larger intercooler make any difference for a stock turbo pushing stock boost?

[andyrew]

no

[Seerlah]

It will help the turbo from heat soaking, but don't expect any gains. Except that which comes from heat soak. Lower Intake Temps. But it is def beneficial when going with a chipped/flashed ECU and is needed for BT appications (even k04-15) because heat soaking will be a major concern then.

FWIW, I am on a flashed ECU and don't have an fmic. But it is winter time and not a major concern for me right now.

[biketsai]

You'll looose psi

[andyrew]

^^

Yup. only difference you'll see is less HP.

Not going to have any heatsoak on a stock turbo running the stock 7psi.

[Kyle H]

^^

Yup. only difference you'll see is less HP.

Not going to have any heatsoak on a stock turbo running the stock 7psi.

Lies! I had heatsoak on my car running the stock ecu. Canyon runs or just spirited driving in general when its above ~90º will cause it to heatsoak.

[Spykce]

poor 7 psi.... I so want more!

It'll look cool but wait till you have at least a chip.

[fernando]

^^

Yup. only difference you'll see is less HP.

Not going to have any heatsoak on a stock turbo running the stock 7psi.

true that......i installed my FMIC before chipping my car, and if i though the thing was a sled before, it became a led sled after the FMIC....if you are not chipping your car or plan on going BT don't waist your money on an front mount

[biketsai]

true that......i installed my FMIC before chipping my car, and if i though the thing was a sled before, it became a led sled after the FMIC....if you are not chipping your car or plan on going BT don't waist your money on an front mount

or hacking up the stock front bumper

[fernando]

or hacking up the stock front bumper

sorry, i forgot about that minor detail....LMAO

[honzinator]

well thanks for the tip on avoiding a waste of money haha.

[andyrew]

If your completely stock and looking for something to do... Get a KNN filter.

[nynoah]

The reason audi used a small IC is because the larger you go, the more volume you have to fill. You will get a lot of lag and pressure drop. I laugh when I see pics of HUGE intercoolers or whacked out piping that goes all over hell and back. Having the right IC size is a balance. A give and take. First you want to give a little more boost, before you take away by adding more space to fill.

[honzinator]

definitely, i already have a k&n filter and baileys diverter valve dropped in along with a custom heat shield. what i really want to do is build a custom 2.5 inch exhaust....any tips on that?

[fernando]

definitely, i already have a k&n filter and baileys diverter valve dropped in along with a custom heat shield. what i really want to do is build a custom 2.5 inch exhaust....any tips on that?

APR sells a very nice 2.5 catback system....that's what i am running....depending on what type of sound your looking for, the APR is very stealthy, but flows extremely well

[honzinator]

ive been looking at those and also the borla options. but i would rather build my own and save four or five hundred...or maybe just buy a miltek down pipe and work off that since i cant find just the bracket to weld off from.

[fernando]

ive been looking at those and also the borla options. but i would rather build my own and save four or five hundred...or maybe just buy a miltek down pipe and work off that since i cant find just the bracket to weld off from.

this is just my 2 cents.....i have been in the mod scene for a long time, and i also worked as a tech for 12 years, and the one and most important thing that i learned is WHEN YOU CHEAP OUT IT WILL END UP COSTING YOU MORE IN THE END.....DO IT ONCE DO IT RIGHT...

[njm23]

i don't get everyone saying it will make you lose psi.. I put in a 28x9x2.5 core with 2.25" piping and stayed at 8 psi while it was stock.. but either way, what everyone else saod.. just help prevent heat soak in the summer.. nothing to gain

[honzinator]

what about a turbo timer?...

[njm23]

really?... they're useless.... get an exhaust.

[Kyle H]

I think you need to decide what you want out of your car, then figure out mods that will get you there.

How much to you have to spend?
How fast do you want to go?
How do you want the car to handle?

[honzinator]

more power/speed but nothing too extreme like a huge turbo. my a4 doesn't get any track use but some handling upgrades or suspension mods would be fun to do......about a grand to spend to answer your question, for now.

[Kyle H]

If I were you, I'd get a speedtuning chip, a Bosch 710n diverter valve, VDO boost gauge, JHM shift kit, and H-sport swaybars.

That should be right around a grand, you'll have plenty of power to have fun with (the chip will turn up your boost and change fueling), you'll be able to monitor your boost with the boost gauge, and the h-sport sway bars will get rid of your understeer and get your body roll under control, the shift kit will make your shifts feel amazing and will get rid of the sloppy stock shifter feel.

From there if you still want to put more money into it, a spring/shock combo and wheel set will complete the look and handling. New engine and transmission mounts will give you a solid drivetrain, and maybe the rear diff carrier and mounts. The only other thing I would recommend down the road is a clutch (southbend stg 3 is great for that power level) so you can take advantage of our solid drivetrains these cars have (unlike a certain other turbo awd car....). Upgrading your snub mount is the best cheap upgrade possible, 034 sells a setup for ~$50 iirc and that will tighten up your engine a bit.

First things first-- make sure your maintenance is all up to date. Make sure the timing belt and waterpump setup is within it's service interval (how many miles are on the car?), check your control arms and tie rod ends, and check your cv boots. Get familiar with www.audidiy.com so you wont be paying ridiculous labor charges if a small thing goes wrong.

Have fun


edit-
Oh, and a high flow cat from techtonics or random technology would be a good idea.... as well as a ~2.5" catback exhaust. I'd do that after the suspension and engine/tranny mounts though.

[djwimbo]

what about a turbo timer?...

That's the second mod I ever did to my car.

As far as the FMIC, I'm sure you could get a really small one to take advantage of the increased air flow up there, but it would increase lag due to the volume.
If you really wanted, I'd look up a small 2" thick core, but I don't know if anyone makes one. Even a 24X6X2.5" core would be too big for stock boost/turbo.

FWIW, I'm running 18psi on stock side mount. Yea, it heat soaks, but I rarely beat on it enough to.