Modified GT 1.4 TSI airbox

[POLARBEAR666]

Hi guys,

I decided to improve my GT 1.4 TSI airbox by cutting out a small square hole where the factory over the radiator air intake should be going into, then removing the plastic screen that covers 90% of the surface area under the air filter and finally installing a circular hole in the right hand side of the airbox to mount a cold air pipe to the lower foglight area.

looks totally stealth from above as the pipe is black and the factory system is still 100% present.

This should flow enough air to compete with aftermarket air intakes as the intake size of the turbo and supercharger is so small that the existing pipework from factory is more than enough provided the airbox gets better air feeds like I have done.

Enjoy.
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/POLARBEAR666/TSI/P7080014.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/POLARBEAR666/TSI/P7080016-1.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/POLARBEAR666/TSI/P7080017.jpg

[Shteifen]

good job man.

it should have come like that from factory!

-steve

[DaveMack]

Have you had the chance to get a feel for how it might have changed performance yet Polar Bear?

Dave

[POLARBEAR666]

I feel like the car is a little more perky when its been running for a while. To be honest the cold air pipe on the right hand side is probably overkill for our little engines but because I had it there and had the pipe it was easy to do. I will put a longer pipe on in future and have it hooked up to a circular hole in the foglight covers.

To get 90% of the gain I think you should just open your airbox up so the stock intake can work properly. Do this by cutting the square hole I cut to allow straight airflow from the factory induction.

Also remove the plastic screen you will find under the air filter, it pops out and so you could put it back before a service and they would not even see the square hole you cut! factory!

To make the square hole use a soldering iron, just stick it into the plastic and drag it around. Makes fairly easy holes and they can be quite precise. I just did it quickly. You can also melt the plastic back onto a pipe and make it snug

:driver:

The rest of the system that I can see seems fairly optimal at 200hp levels. Even the intercooler pipework seems good. I ran 300kw@wheels in my WRx which I just sold and its pipework to and from intercooler was similar in size to the TSI's. 2 inch pipe can flow 600hp so don't let any rice shops sell you on 2.5" or 3" intercooler pipes!

EXHAUST will be the big improvement but I have not come across anyone who has posted results or if it causes fuel cut issues etc. The stock exhaust is great from the dump pipe back so I would only put a new dump pipe and cat and then replace the rear muffler. The rest of the factory system is mandrel bends in stainless which is as good as it gets.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/07/AirboxTop-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/07/Airboxtop2-1.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/POLARBEAR666/TSI/AirtoTube.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/07/Deceptacon-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/07/Gottint-1.jpg Got tint?

[DAN682]

Nice work Polar.

How many K's does the GT have? It looks like new!

[POLARBEAR666]

It had 4000 when I got it.

I got it for about 7k less than new price with free tint and extended rego.

[GoLfMan]

nice write up mate good work :)

[DAN682]

It had 4000 when I got it.

I got it for about 7k less than new price with free tint and extended rego.

Nice work!

Is it an early 07?

Does it have the half size or Full side MFD?

[POLARBEAR666]

It is a built in May 2007 car. The MFD is the red display I assume and it is full size.

The only diff between my car and the 2008 is no MP3 player which will soon be rectified with full sat nav system and GT badge on back instead of TSI.

Are there any other differences?

[DAN682]

Yours and mine are about the same then. Mine is July 07 I think.

Mine had the MP3 player and has the TSI badge on the back.

I think the front grille on the old one's just had GT but the newer ones have GT Sport

[Greg Roles]

Nice writeup mate, and interesting to see the TDI and TSI airboxes are quite different. I started out with a similar stock airbox modding route, until I ended up with a Modshack pod housing. The biggest restriction in the inlet is the MAF grid ( 22% ) and the 90 degree bend in the lid, the grid is there to smooth out the airflow after the 90 degree lid bend according to Modshack. What I can say is once you get a straight pod setup and can then remove the grid, the car runs fine, and it's noticably more responsive. Still, nice to see you hacking up a new car all the same, nice to have company! :biggrin:

[POLARBEAR666]

If I removed the MAF screen would it just reduce the super rich A/F a tad or would the Motronic compensate using the oxygen sensors?

I have descreened MAF's before on LS1 v8's and it was great for reducing a super rich factory tune with no side effects.

For me its not about hacking up a factory car its about going "Thats not optimal by any stretch of imagination and therefore must be cut/burnt/chopped till its optimal"

[Paul_OH]

Nice write-up. I'm looking to do something similar but haven't been able to remove the airbox. It seems the clip/attachment closest to the LH headlight is the issue with a 'mushroom' head type ficture. Any hints on how to release this?

Thanks in advance

[POLARBEAR666]

1. Unscrew all screws in airbox lid to pull it upwards and expose air filter,
2. unscrew the front air intake with star shaped alum key and pull it off.
3. pull the bottom half of airbox upwards at each point where a pole with knob comes up through a rubber grommet in the airbox. Apply force upwards and you cant go wrong. There are 3 grommets around 3 poles.

By the way my cold air intake is showing me air intake temps on the Scangauge 2 of 23'c when the outside temp is like 18'c.

[Revo Kev]

Nice work, will have to get something done with our tsi... not touched any hardware yet other than fitting the factory revised DV and obviously uprating the software! Is yours a 140 or 170bhp version?!

[POLARBEAR666]

It is 170hp but I am sure it has more.

Car feels about 140kw

Sometimes it feels like a 6 second car especially with the revs up on bends or winding roads.

I have shed about 40kg from the car and another 20kg will go when I change to light wheels eventually.

Spare wheel is 15 or 20kg cant remember. Plus I have removed all the tools and underbonnet insulation and other rubber bits etc. Rear exhaust was 13kg from factory but replaced with 5kg replacement pipe.

[TSi2NV]

Hey Polorbear666 did this give you any performance enhancement?

[POLARBEAR666]

Well my temps on my scangauge went down from 10-12 degrees c above the outside temp to about 3-5 degrees.

Theres gotta be performance in that change.

It feels perkier. My butt dyno would definitely give it better throttle response and possibly 5-10hp but mainly its the response you feel. SHARP.

[INA]

Do you have any plans to upgrade the engine?

[KWICKS]

Do you have any plans to upgrade the engine?

?SPAM:frown:

[INA]

?SPAM:frown:
Not sure I follow?
Again...
Do you have plans to upgrade the engine as in change the size of the supercharger wheel etc?

[POLARBEAR666]

Not at this stage.. just waiting for a tune and then possibly an intercooler at some point after that ...or a down pipe depending on what gives most gains.

Just heat wrapped the exhaust manifold and the dump pipe top half and reassembled with my custom heat shield.

[ozgti]

I left the intake bit for now, but I'll get around to making a cold air intake for it when i get some time.

Before
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm5/pissedpigsonheat/IMG_0204.jpg

After
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm5/pissedpigsonheat/IMG_0203.jpg

[Greg Roles]

It seems the 90 degree lid outlet is the main point of restriction in the stock airbox, which apparently flows pretty well stock. In hindsight I would probably just mod up the stock airbox and add a aFe style curved lid outlet, would be as good as a noisy and open to water ingress POD in my opinion. Still I do love how noisy my tractor is with the POD, along with the clattery injection it's nicely antisocial.