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Sharkie
10-11-2013, 09:17 AM
See this post for the latest status on this build at all times .... I'll keep it updated :cool:


2013 MY14 300TSI Dual Cab 6spd Manual

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Factory Options:
- Tornado Red (yes GTI red!)
- Cruise control with Multifunction Display (MY14 "new" MFD)
- Lights and Vision Package (auto wipers and lights)
- Multifunction Steering Wheel
- Premium Bluetooth
- Upgraded RCD310 with 6 speakers
- Rear PDC and rear black bumper
- Rear Diff lock

Dealer Options
- Rubber mats F+R
- Rhino Spray-on liner
- Colour coded front bar
- VW OEM Towbar

My accessories
- Black Rear Sports Bar
- Front Fog Lights
- RNS510 SatNav with MFD integration
- Interior 3m Carbon Vinyl Wrap
- BMW X5 Wheels 255-60-18 Plastidipped Black
- UtesDirect Torneau Cover
- VW OEM sidesteps plasti-dipped black
- RVC

Sharkie
10-11-2013, 09:21 AM
So the Amarok arrived at the dealer 2 weeks ago for pre-delivery, been a slow 2 weeks ....

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Apart from normal pre-delivery, the following has to be done:

- Front bar to be colour coded
- tub to be rhino lined
- VW OEM towbar to be fitted
- rubber mats to be fitted

Sharkie
10-11-2013, 09:30 AM
Accessories waiting in the garage to be fitted once I have it:

OEM Black Sports bar

OEM RNS510 H model
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OEM Front fog lights
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3m Carbon fibre look vinyl wrap for interior trim bits (Stock trim quite plain - almost ute like .... :) )
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BMW X5 wheels (255-60-18 Contis)
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Sharkie
10-11-2013, 10:06 AM
Non Performance Accessories currently planned to be fitted post delivery
- Dark Window Tint
- Tourneau cover
- thinking side steps - still undecided
- Bushwacker flares - wrapped in carbon vinyl

Sharkie
10-11-2013, 10:08 AM
Performance Accessories under consideration for future fitment
- ECU Tune
- Full exhaust
- Upgraded FMIC
- K04 turbo
- Turbo boost guage - still thinking about how to best do this without a "rice effect"
- Front and rear brake upgrades - rears are drums so exploring disc options from T5s
- different wheels?

tigger73
10-11-2013, 05:13 PM
Subscribed!!! :D

bombsquad21
10-11-2013, 07:03 PM
Looking good! I would maybe suggest don't rush into the tourneau if you haven't already paid for it. I love all the things you have set said for it, plus the red is awesome!

Sharkie
15-11-2013, 09:49 PM
Delivery happened today.

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Turns out I got lucky and Big Red has the MY14 upgraded MFD and the MFSW with buttons on the right! Awesome :)

The colour coded front bar came out perfect!

Sharkie
15-11-2013, 09:52 PM
Wasted no time when I got home and installed the RNS510

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Quick code with VCDS and test to pickup the satelites and done.

OPS Rear sensors working perfectly too!

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Mod 1 Complete :cool:

Coded the RNS510 properly this morning, now displaying on the MFD ...

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tigger73
15-11-2013, 09:57 PM
Wasted no time when I got home and installed the RNS510

Mod 1 Complete :cool:

Wow less than 24 hours and your first mod already done... not staying "stock" for long :D

Sharkie
16-11-2013, 07:58 AM
Fitted the BMW X5 wheels this morning. 255-60-18 Continentals on them.

Very pleased with the result, suits the Rok well :cool:

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Now needing flares .....

brad
16-11-2013, 08:09 AM
re: sidesteps.

Wife has them on her Captiva. They serve no useful purpose. Do not want.

Also, the front mudflaps dont stop the mud from accumulating on the top of the sidesteps. 'Rock may be different.

tigger73
16-11-2013, 08:10 AM
Fitted the BMW X5 wheels this morning. 255-60-18 Continentals on them.

Very pleased with the result, suits the Rok well :cool:

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Now needing flares .....

Looks so much better than with the stock steelies


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Sharkie
17-11-2013, 06:31 AM
re: sidesteps.

Wife has them on her Captiva. They serve no useful purpose. Do not want.

Also, the front mudflaps dont stop the mud from accumulating on the top of the sidesteps. 'Rock may be different.

The only reason I'm interested is that apparently due to the Amaro's height the sidesteps serves as perfect protection against opening car doors next to it ....... not sold on it yet.

Sharkie
17-11-2013, 06:32 AM
Been very busy yesterday :)

Fitted the front fogs mid morning

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Sharkie
17-11-2013, 06:34 AM
And spent the afternoon fitting the rear sports bar. Came out great :cool:

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tigger73
17-11-2013, 06:48 AM
And spent the afternoon fitting the rear sports bar. Came out great :cool:

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I like it. Why buy the top of the line Amarok when you can buy the base model and customise :)

Do the X5 wheels bolt straight up? And are you able/going to get VW centre caps for them?

Keen to see where this one goes.

Sharkie
17-11-2013, 06:57 AM
I like it. Why buy the top of the line Amarok when you can buy the base model and customise :)

Do the X5 wheels bolt straight up? And are you able/going to get VW centre caps for them?

Keen to see where this one goes.

RE Wheels: You need spigot rings to adjust for the bore differences (BMW 72.6mm and VW T5 65.1mm), both 5x120 though and BMW wheels bolts to allow for the rounded seat (kit available from the UK for about $70)

I will be swapping caps over, just need to get some VW T5 or OEM Amarok caps.

I already had a guy in a Highline Amarok stop late yesterday and ask me how he could get his hands on 1 like mine ...... seemed very dissapointed he would have to "downgrade" .... lol

Baseline in Red with some nice additions plus petrol engine will make it a knockout - most powerful Amarok in the world soon .... :)

Transporter
17-11-2013, 07:03 AM
After long wait, it's good to see you enjoying it. It is looking good. :)

Sharkie
17-11-2013, 07:03 AM
Thinking of getting these flares: 2012 Volkswagen Amarok Fender Flares (http://blog.bushwacker.com/2246/bushwacker-builds/2012-volkswagen-amarok/)

And leaving them black. Look at the white Amarok, looks awesome ... will need some black wheels possible though.

Sharkie
17-11-2013, 07:10 AM
After long wait, it's good to see you enjoying it. It is looking good. :)

Thanks Miro, yup 6 months after order and problably 6 months before looking and debating whether to buy :)

Its been great so far, smooth and surprisingly punchy.

More mods coming, though at a slower pace now that I have the basics sorted ....

brad
17-11-2013, 12:33 PM
The only reason I'm interested is that apparently due to the Amaro's height the sidesteps serves as perfect protection against opening car doors next to it ....... not sold on it yet.

There would be that as a positive. Also, slightly less trashed sills if you tend to use dirt roads.

I fixed the mudflap issue by adding some ute/box trailer basic rectangular mudflaps on top of the OEM units. Squared them up at the sides & extended downwards another 50mm.

On the Captiva, the vehicle is low enough that you don't have to use the side step to get in the vehicle (wife=162cm, me = 167cm). What it does do is effectively make the sill of the vehicle another 100-150mm wider, so you have to step out wide. It tends to rub against your clothes. Maybe different on other makes.

I watch with interest. Amarok TSI with mods very much appeals to me.

Sharkie
17-11-2013, 06:20 PM
Only 1 mod today .... very important 1 though :)

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Also, did a 230km roundtrip to the Sunny Coast and back. 180km highway 50km urban, fuel consumption 8.4l/100km, very impressed I am.

Sharkie
22-11-2013, 05:01 PM
Utesdirect torneau and red R8 coils on the way .... :cool:

brad
23-11-2013, 08:33 AM
for a moment there I thought you'd bought coil springs off an R8, not coil packs.

What's the intercooler like on the Amarok? big enough or can an S3 or twintercooler be slotted in?

bombsquad21
23-11-2013, 07:36 PM
Utesdirect torneau and red R8 coils on the way .... :cool:

When fitting that cover make sure those aluminium angles are fitted exactly as per the instructions, also get a very good rivet gun, the stainless rivets are a killer!

bombsquad21
23-11-2013, 07:38 PM
Also what site did you get the R8 coils from Sharkie? I'm getting mad misfires and these will hopefully help cure that!

Sharkie
23-11-2013, 08:19 PM
for a moment there I thought you'd bought coil springs off an R8, not coil packs.

What's the intercooler like on the Amarok? big enough or can an S3 or twintercooler be slotted in?

Intercooler looks similar to the other VWs with this engine. I'm hoping to upgrade in due course. Will post pics when I get to it :)



When fitting that cover make sure those aluminium angles are fitted exactly as per the instructions, also get a very good rivet gun, the stainless rivets are a killer!

Thinking Stainless bolts and lock nuts instead of the rivets to allow removal whem I need to.


Also what site did you get the R8 coils from Sharkie? I'm getting mad misfires and these will hopefully help cure that!

Groupbuy here on the forum. http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f24/r8-coil-pack-group-buy-ecs-83808-9.html#post1010752

Damien has 1 set left as of this morning.

Sharkie
01-12-2013, 05:40 PM
After an aborted attempt at fitting the torneau (rails too long :( ) this afternoon I made my 1st foray into carbon vinyl wrap.

Very pleased with the results.

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More to come soon :)

Jarred
02-12-2013, 09:20 AM
Nice.

Looking forward to seeing what happens with this.

retailraymond
03-12-2013, 09:48 AM
Hi Sharkie,

Your front bumper came out really nicely, and it's been something I've been wanting to do for a while now. Where did you get it done and how much did it cost if you don't mind me asking? Does the coarse texture of the bumper show through in the paint, or do you have to sand it back so it's smooth?

McG

Sharkie
04-12-2013, 06:26 AM
Hi Sharkie,

Your front bumper came out really nicely, and it's been something I've been wanting to do for a while now. Where did you get it done and how much did it cost if you don't mind me asking? Does the coarse texture of the bumper show through in the paint, or do you have to sand it back so it's smooth?

McG

Its a panel shop used by Austral VW. I've asked for their name and will post once I have it.

Essentially had 2 options .... 1 colour coded with a bit of the coarse texture showing $600 and 1 completely smooth (sanded back) $950

I chose the latter and it really is indistinguishable from an OEM painted bar. Highly recommended!

brad
04-12-2013, 07:32 AM
Sharkie

how do you think the bumpers would go with vinyl wrap?

tigger73
04-12-2013, 08:09 AM
You could either wrap them or plasti-dip them. Both options would be cheaper but less permanent.


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Sharkie
04-12-2013, 08:29 AM
The Bump Shop (http://www.thebumpshop.com.au/)

It was done by The Bump Shop, Eagle Farm Brisbane.

Neither Vinyl Wrap or Plasti Dip would give you a completely smooth finish. The way mine was done, it looks OEM factory, which is what I wanted.

brad
04-12-2013, 08:37 AM
The Bump Shop (http://www.thebumpshop.com.au/)

It was done by The Bump Shop, Eagle Farm Brisbane.

Neither Vinyl Wrap or Plasti Dip would give you a completely smooth finish. The way mine was done, it looks OEM factory, which is what I wanted.

fair enough. I just look at how trashed my bumper & first 400mm of my bonnet are after 5yrs/125,000km & keep wishing I'd had the front end wrapped in clear from day1. Figured it might kill 2 birds with one stone (colour & protection)

tigger73
04-12-2013, 08:42 AM
Neither Vinyl Wrap or Plasti Dip would give you a completely smooth finish. The way mine was done, it looks OEM factory, which is what I wanted.

Agree 100%. Plus you can colour match the paint.



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bombsquad21
05-12-2013, 07:27 PM
After an aborted attempt at fitting the torneau (rails too long :( ) this afternoon I made my 1st foray into carbon vinyl wrap.

Very pleased with the results.

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More to come soon :)

Looking Great mate! What gear knob is that?

Is that an auxiliary port down there under the head unit?

Sharkie
06-12-2013, 06:10 AM
Looking Great mate! What gear knob is that?

Is that an auxiliary port down there under the head unit?

Gear knob is standard ... its the 1 you get when you option the MFSW I believe

And yes, aux port at the bottom :)

More carbon to follow this weekend, and at least 1 x black wheel ...depending on time available.

bombsquad21
06-12-2013, 12:31 PM
Gear knob is standard ... its the 1 you get when you option the MFSW I believe

And yes, aux port at the bottom :)

More carbon to follow this weekend, and at least 1 x black wheel ...depending on time available.


What are you going use to paint that wheel?

Sharkie
16-12-2013, 11:06 AM
What are you going use to paint that wheel?

After debating this for more than a week and after seeing Gavin's (h100vw) black plasti dipped wheels on his GTI yesterday, I decided to go down that route and have now ordered 4 cans. It should be here in time for me to do this over the Christmas period.

tigger73
16-12-2013, 11:10 AM
After debating this for more than a week and after seeing Gavin's (h100vw) black plasti dipped wheels on his GTI yesterday, I decided to go down that route and have now ordered 4 cans. It should be here in time for me to do this over the Christmas period.

What colour plasti-dip? Fluoro pink or yellow? ;)

Actually once you're happy with the colour you can get them painted properly. But plasti-dip it pretty good option if you ever want to reverse it.


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Sharkie
16-12-2013, 11:15 AM
What colour plasti-dip? Fluoro pink or yellow? ;)

Actually once you're happy with the colour you can get them painted properly. But plasti-dip it pretty good option if you ever want to reverse it.


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Plasti dipped wheels actually looks really good, I was hoping to go Fluro Green (in homeage to FF) but settled for black in the end. Pity as the red and fluro green may have been a killer combo.

Lams
08-01-2014, 03:36 PM
very nice Sharkie, kinda glad you stuck with black wheels. I just bought the same wheels for my T5.1 - now have to find some tyres!

BaxMk1
08-01-2014, 09:15 PM
looks good Sharkie! I am in the process of buying a Black Single cab Tsi Amarok through austral at the moment! keen to see some performance upgrades!!

Sharkie
09-01-2014, 06:51 AM
Thx guys, been too busy lately to do much, but torneau WILL go on this weekend :)

Lams, get a fitting kit for those wheels from the UK, cheapest by far, 4 spigot rings and 20 bolts suited to the BMW rims for about $70. Also, pm me if you need a spare rim ...... I bought a second set to get a spare and now have too many :facepalm:

Sharkie
12-01-2014, 06:41 PM
Well, what a mission this was today.

Finally got around to fit the Torneau cover today. :cool:

Took most of the day due to the rails between the sports bar legs not being a perfect fit, meaning I had to subtly shorten them. Then drill holes, rust protect those holes and wait for the paint to dry before finishing it off.

Good result though IMO .... :banana:

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Sharkie
19-01-2014, 08:04 PM
Played a bit with the Rok again today .... :cool:

Swapped the HeadLight switch out for 1 with Chrome and front fogs, now I can wire the switch up to work with my front fogs, instead of the stand-alone switch I currently have .... :banana:

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Sharkie
19-01-2014, 08:08 PM
Then plastidipped my spare. Taped it up to try a spoke config .....

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Too hasty at the end and ruined it a bit, but still OK enough to judge if I like it .... I do, but prefer the solid black, so that will be the go for the rest.

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Sharkie
22-01-2014, 08:02 AM
Having had a bit of time on my hands I finished off the wheels yesterday. (took 2 days all up)

Need a full sun picture to show it properly, but here is a taster in the meantime .... :cool:

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Black Edition TSI Amarok visual "upgrades" almost done ..... only ClimAir weathershields and tint outstanding (and possibly sidesteps) .... TBH pics dont do it justice, it is big, red and mean up close :bluesbro:

Then it will be time to performance tune the beast..... :facepalm:

team_v
22-01-2014, 08:27 AM
Looks ace, i actually really like the spare in that method.

You need to get it tuned so you can bring it to happy laps in February!

Sharkie
23-01-2014, 08:31 AM
You need to get it tuned so you can bring it to happy laps in February!

Working on it ..... ;)

Sharkie
25-01-2014, 08:17 AM
Finally a "sun" shot of Big Red in his current state .... :)

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Sharkie
27-03-2014, 07:05 PM
Package arrived today ..... possble placedo effect only, but I've always loved and ran with K&N on my cars.

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Normally a bit more noise as well, panels obviously a lot less noise than an open cone .....

Sharkie
20-04-2014, 09:09 PM
Picked up a Golf R intercooler today ......

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tigger73
20-04-2014, 09:55 PM
Picked up a Golf R intercooler today ......

Be interested to hear how this one goes. Given that you're running at stage 0 tune at the moment probably not a big performance gain I imagine.

What is the size of the stock Amarok intercooler? Is it a 32mm unit?

Sharkie
21-04-2014, 07:39 AM
Be interested to hear how this one goes. Given that you're running at stage 0 tune at the moment probably not a big performance gain I imagine.

What is the size of the stock Amarok intercooler? Is it a 32mm unit?

Yeah stock unit is the 32mm one.

This won't go on till after the tune. Only preparing for Stg 2 after. Exhaust and R FMIC upgrade to go on as soon as stg 1 tune done and sorted ..... :) Obviously with a Stg 2 tune to go with it ......

tigger73
21-04-2014, 08:46 AM
Yeah stock unit is the 32mm one.

This won't go on till after the tune. Only preparing for Stg 2 after. Exhaust and R FMIC upgrade to go on as soon as stg 1 tune done and sorted ..... :) Obviously with a Stg 2 tune to go with it ......

I'm really interested to hear your result with the intercooler. If it's anything like mine it will make a massive difference to a stage 2 car to go from the 32mm core to something more substantial. I suspect the 32mm core causes a reasonable restriction to the air flow and removing this restriction frees things up and you essentially get "free" power :P

Gotta love that :)

Ramee
21-04-2014, 09:09 AM
Very nice build thread Sharkie :) Now I got one more build thread to follow! :D


Yeah stock unit is the 32mm one.

This won't go on till after the tune. Only preparing for Stg 2 after. Exhaust and R FMIC upgrade to go on as soon as stg 1 tune done and sorted ..... :) Obviously with a Stg 2 tune to go with it ......

Yeah! I would not surprise about intercooler size considering VW only intend to produce 118 kW from the engine originally. I am not sure how much power jump these will have once tuned haha! could be the largest power jump we have ever seen from a stock car :) It is shame these TSI versions don't come with 4x4 with DSG. If it is could have been one hell of an Ute :P

Also being manual and going for K04 could that be a issue with the clutch? I can see you have to explore many new frontiers during this build :respekt:

brad
21-04-2014, 11:15 AM
Just fit it now Sharkie. Will help with heatsoak even if untuned.

Sharkie
22-04-2014, 08:43 AM
Just fit it now Sharkie. Will help with heatsoak even if untuned.

In working with the tuner (s?) I'd prefer to assist in providing a base for a stg 1 tune (so totally stock to start with), with then a base for a stg 2 tune immediately after. Makes it easier to sell to more than 1 customer I hope which may bring down the cost of the development work for all involved .... :cool:

Sharkie
03-05-2014, 12:25 PM
Sourced some OEM VW sidesteps for a good price .... problem was they were in chrome and not suited to the Red/Back colour scheme ..... :(

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So, I plastidipped them black and fitted up this morning :cool:

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Foxpuppet
03-05-2014, 03:22 PM
Looking amazing sharkie.... How much do you reckon you've saved getting the stock and modding vs the highline.


Sent by courier pigeon

Sharkie
04-05-2014, 09:37 AM
Looking amazing sharkie.... How much do you reckon you've saved getting the stock and modding vs the highline.


Sent by courier pigeon

Even the Highline stock misses out on some features, light and sight, 18" wheels and RNS510 is extra, so with those Highline be over $60k ..... :eek:

At present I'm still well under $40k total spend ...... :cool: But that includes a massive discount I negotiated at order time ....:P

Still to come (and in this order), stg1 tune, exhaust & upgraded FMIC to go to stg2 and finally fender flares at which time I'll hit $40K total spend.

Considering custom black leather interior with red stitching ..... and then stg3 upgrade at which time I may get to $50k total spend ....

Sharkie
17-05-2014, 02:08 PM
Package arrived yesterday ..... hoping to fit it up tomorrow.

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Sharkie
18-05-2014, 12:13 PM
Going in for some loving in well known hands this week ;), so decided not to mess with wiring and put off the camera install.

Gave it a wash instead, loving it so far ..... :cool:

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bombsquad21
18-05-2014, 07:50 PM
How far off are we Sharkie?? I need to get back in the good books with my rock!

team_v
18-05-2014, 09:01 PM
Keen to hear how the upgrade path goes.
We do have a coupld of spots spare at the QR Happy Laps still.

VWindahouse
20-05-2014, 07:07 PM
Killing it Sharkie, love your work mate! :)

Sharkie
22-05-2014, 10:26 PM
Well ........ Discovered this week that the TSI Amarok, rated by VW at 118kw, actually makes more power on a dyno than the 132kw BiTDI ......

125kw (118TSI) > 121kw (132TDI) > 110kw (120TDI) at the hubs on a DynaPack dyno ......

Obviously drivetrain losses may be slightly different but the actual power getting to road certainly explains why the 118 TSI has been tested over 1s quicker to 100km/h than the 132TDI

team_v
23-05-2014, 06:33 AM
Well ........ Discovered this week that the TSI Amarok, rated by VW at 118kw, actually makes more power on a dyno than the 132kw BiTDI ......

125kw (118TSI) > 121kw (132TDI) > 110kw (120TDI) at the hubs on a DynaPack dyno ......

Obviously drivetrain losses may be slightly different but the actual power getting to road certainly explains why the 118 TSI has been tested over 1s quicker to 100km/h than the 132TDI

Interesting.
Hope that means the development of a tune for these will see big results.

Sharkie
23-05-2014, 08:20 AM
Power curve of the TSI Amarok stock is very similar to the 125/132TSI Tiguans ..... only with more torque

Guy_H
23-05-2014, 05:11 PM
TSI Amarok has great potential. :cool:

Because its mounted longitudinally in a big engine bay it has an extremely well flowing intake / exhaust / intercooler standard, its potential power will be far greater than when its mounted sideways in an engine bay on a Golf or Tiguan!

Sharkie
14-06-2014, 05:30 PM
Finally wired up the front fogs to the VW OEM switch today ....

Went from this:

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To this:
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And it works!

team_v
15-06-2014, 11:21 AM
Nice work Sharkie.
Now you just need to replace the bulbs with LED's haha.

Sharkie
15-06-2014, 02:24 PM
Took me 2 days all up combined with the fog light wiring, but finished the RVC install :banana:

Very happy with the result .... cost $99 including shipping !

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The RVC comes with all wiring, coding instructions and a plug that fits straight into the RNS510.

Sharkie
15-06-2014, 02:27 PM
Mmmmm thinking of fitting this to the rear ..... :cool:

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Should I?

tigger73
15-06-2014, 02:34 PM
Mmmmm thinking of fitting this to the rear ..... :cool:

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Should I?

Does it have a tune?

I would take off the TSI and just have the APR of I was going to do it.


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brad
15-06-2014, 03:07 PM
Mmmmm thinking of fitting this to the rear ..... :cool:

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Should I?
Not a fan unless the red exclamation mark could replace the I in TSI.

I'm not big on badges

team_v
15-06-2014, 07:34 PM
Got any details on the amarok reverse camera?

Transporter
15-06-2014, 09:55 PM
I've fitted the same camera to mine, and unless the camera is defective (which I doubt), the image quality is far from the VW RVC as we have in our Tiguans. So, unless you're on a very, very tight budget, do yourself a favour and spend a little bit more and get the VW one.

Sharkie
16-06-2014, 10:50 AM
I've fitted the same camera to mine, and unless the camera is defective (which I doubt), the image quality is far from the VW RVC as we have in our Tiguans. So, unless you're on a very, very tight budget, do yourself a favour and spend a little bit more and get the VW one.

I don't know Miro, I am quite happy with the quality of the image, but then I don't have an OEM VW camera to compare to. For my purposes (and probably for most people) I think these are just fine especially since the price is so low .... $100 including shipping compared to at least $400 for an OEM VW lowline camera.

Sharkie
17-06-2014, 06:41 AM
Got any details on the amarok reverse camera?


Have a look here: RGB Parking Camera FOR RNS315 RNS510 810 RCD510 Rear View Reverse Backup Camera | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171036204250?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649)

Sharkie
21-06-2014, 03:27 PM
213.6HP at the wheels (DynoDynamics dyno) at the moment, early days still ...... more to follow :cool:

Helmet
21-06-2014, 10:05 PM
Looks promising. Stage 1 35kw increase?. Whats stage 2 and what will it incorporate?
What does it drive like?
Looking forward to update..

Sharkie
22-06-2014, 06:37 AM
Looks promising. Stage 1 35kw increase?. Whats stage 2 and what will it incorporate?
What does it drive like?
Looking forward to update..

214HP is 160kw .... At the wheels ..... So about 200kw on the engine, ~ 88kw increase ...... It is a lot of fun :cool:

tigger73
22-06-2014, 07:51 AM
214HP is 160kw .... At the wheels ..... So about 200kw on the engine, ~ 88kw increase ...... It is a lot of fun :cool:

Your Amarok is FWD am I right? i.e. no 4WD in petrol?

So comparison between your car and the Stage 2+ Roc is probably not too strange as they both have the similar drivetrain.

Helmet
22-06-2014, 08:23 AM
My bad, your power figures thread confused me with 125kw output on hubdyno. I take it this latest is in a rolling road dyno?
125kw (std)atw- hub dyno
160kw(stage1)atw- rolling road?
200kw guesstimate at engine.
.
Which ever way it's still a good result

tigger73
22-06-2014, 08:56 AM
Was the Scirocco seriously down on Power?

I would have though a stage 2+ Roc would have been 200+kWaw given that it is running a K04.

I'd be interested to see the rest of the results to put the numbers into context.

Sharkie
22-06-2014, 09:01 AM
My bad, your power figures thread confused me with 125kw output on hubdyno. I take it this latest is in a rolling road dyno?
125kw (std)atw- hub dyno
160kw(stage1)atw- rolling road?
200kw guesstimate at engine.
.
Which ever way it's still a good result

Yes, rolling road DynoDynamics dyno. Petrol Amarok is RWD and had some issues with wheelspin on the dyno (given that they probably weren't expecting this sort of power from an Amarok, strap down initially may not have been too tight) and ABS interrupting proceedings. Way to many variables to be taken too seriously on a rolling road ...... also no fans for cooling were used ......

As a bonus (not) the Amarok's wheels (18" 255s) weigh over 40kg each so wheels dyno will read quite a bit lower than hub dyno by a fair margin.

For a stg 2 Scirrocco R to only have 21HP more, I'm pretty happy ..... heard mumbles about the dyno reading low, but don't care, was happy with the result.

For a beta stg1 tune with nothing else done, the results are awesome.

Stg 1 Hub dyno figures will be released when the tune is finalised.

Sharkie
22-06-2014, 09:05 AM
Was the Scirocco seriously down on Power?

I would have though a stage 2+ Roc would have been 200+kWaw given that it is running a K04.

I'd be interested to see the rest of the results to put the numbers into context.

Not many cars on the day to compare with I'm afraid, only 3 x 2.0Ts, Amarok, Scirrocco R and Mk6 GTI Stg 3 (275HP) And you're correct, I was expecting more from the Rocco as well. Don't believe the GTI owner was too happy either.

4 more FWDs ... Mk3s and a Mk1 Cabrio (none of which cracked 100HP) so the numbers had very little reference to each other.

The rest was aircooled much older VWs .....

Sharkie
22-06-2014, 09:19 AM
Just as a reference, from testing during tuning, we already know that the Stg1 Amarok makes more power than a MK6 GTI Stg2 ..... :cool:

Stg 2 on the Amarok to be an exhaust and possibly an intake, though the stock intake is pretty good and will be hard to beat. Some scope for improvement in the exhaust but not much, possibly ~5kw ....

The stock intercooler on the Amarok is massive with a different end tank design than any of the other 2.0Ts from VAG so we don't believe it will be possible to improve on it, even with Stg 3.

Stg 3 (K04) is expected so deliver good results (~+50kw) so look out for that in the future .....

tigger73
22-06-2014, 09:21 AM
Not many cars on the day to compare with I'm afraid, only 3 x 2.0Ts, Amarok, Scirrocco R and Mk6 GTI Stg 3 (275HP)

That's a bit of a pity. What turbo was the Stg 3 GTI? I would have expected the Roc to be around that power level....

There's another dyo event being held with more watercooled cars: http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f21/dyno-day-saturday-28th-june-97704.html

I know they're looking for a couple more cars to make the numbers to run the event ;)

Sharkie
22-06-2014, 09:29 AM
That's a bit of a pity. What turbo was the Stg 3 GTI? I would have expected the Roc to be around that power level....

There's another dyo event being held with more watercooled cars: http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f21/dyno-day-saturday-28th-june-97704.html

I know they're looking for a couple more cars to make the numbers to run the event ;)

Yeah, .... no. I don't have a lot of faith in rolling road dyno's. Have a number (sort of now), and will be sticking to the hub dyno from now on, where tyre pressures, wheel weights, strap down and cooling don't have an impact.

Considering the GTI will likely be running at that event again, I'll just take the figures and apply a correction factor to the Rok to see where it would have been on that dyno ..... ;)

Transporter
22-06-2014, 12:42 PM
Great result Sharkie! :)

Helmet
22-06-2014, 02:14 PM
Any idea when the tune's will be available?
Also interested in seeing what economy on cruise (if you can control your right foot now,lol) you get?
.
I have had a play around with the air intake behind the grill on mine and about to delete the centre muffler and had thoughts about cutting the cat out and replacing with a 100 or 200 cell high flow and get the cell rectified when the tune is available to us plebs.
.
Any ideas on what the difference is between the amarok tsi300 turbo and the golf gti turbo is?
.
Sorry many questions, but no one seems to be playing with the TSI300 amarok.

Sharkie
23-06-2014, 08:50 AM
Any idea when the tune's will be available?
Also interested in seeing what economy on cruise (if you can control your right foot now,lol) you get?
.
I have had a play around with the air intake behind the grill on mine and about to delete the centre muffler and had thoughts about cutting the cat out and replacing with a 100 or 200 cell high flow and get the cell rectified when the tune is available to us plebs.
.
Any ideas on what the difference is between the amarok tsi300 turbo and the golf gti turbo is?
.
Sorry many questions, but no one seems to be playing with the TSI300 amarok.


Don't worry, all the playing with the TSI300 Amarok (Or should I say TSI450 ;) ) happens right here ....

Tune should be out in a few weeks time. Still doing some testing including road testing now, APR will release full figures and details when they are ready.

TSI300 Amarok's engine probably most closely related to Audi Q5 2.0T's with the turbo very similar but not exactly the same. Golf GTI and Amarok runs 2 different turbos and the Amarok runs a different exhaust cam to the GTI. K04 upgrade appears to be straight forward and easy to do and will be "tested" in due course ..... :cool:

The Amarok's stock intake is very good (as in high flowing) and we have tested a few configs on that so far. Other than aesthetics, not much to be gained by changing unless you go beyond Stg2.

The exhaust due to the layout of the engine (longitudinal) is also pretty good, gains to be had though by going larger 3" v 2.5" and replacing the stock cat with a high flow cat. Due to anticipated low demand for this piece of hardware unlikely to be offered by any of the tuners, sho will have to be a custom job for those that want it done.

Sharkie
23-06-2014, 12:19 PM
Also, fuel economy largely appears to be unaffected ..... did a 200km run yesterday (Brisbane => Sunny Coast => Brisbane with a bit of running around at the coast). Fuel economy at a fairly liberal interpretation of the speed limit still at 8.8l/100km overall.

In town using the extra power also seems to be consistent at ~12l/100km.

bombsquad21
23-06-2014, 06:23 PM
Do your wheels really weigh 40kg Sharkie? I look very fwd to catching up with you finally and doing some comparisons..

brad
24-06-2014, 08:05 AM
Do your wheels really weigh 40kg Sharkie?..
It wouldn't surprise me. OEM 17x7.5 with road tyres on an Audi A4 will weigh in at 21-25kg depending on the style of the wheel. Every extra inch in diameter will add 1-2kg and every extra inch in width will add 1-2kg. Add in that they are "heavy duty" off road style rims & 40kg isn't outside the realms of possibility. All in the wrong spot too (outside of the cylinder).

If you can pull some weight out of the wheel tyre combo you'll see some noticeable gains in acceleration & suburban fuel economy.

Guy_H
24-06-2014, 09:36 AM
My Stock Amarok 16"s were 32" kg's each (with tyres) on my Rok, I know have 18" ATS rims & 32.5" All Terrains, they weigh 39kg's a corner.

Load ratings are going to mean a certain mass with wheel / tyre that won't be easily overcome.

Doesn't worry me too much as I have a canopy, water tank, steel bullbar, winch, dual batteries etc etc....

brad
24-06-2014, 10:08 AM
Unsprung weight v sprung weight.

isn't the rule of thumb that 1kg of unsprung weight is equal to about 2.5kg of sprung weight? Plus the rotational inertia that has to be overcome.

I can see your point though. I once spent an afternoon swiss-cheesing & deburring the panels on a Cortina a mate raced. Possibly I pulled 1 or 2 kilos out of the panels. The driver was a BFF and weighed about 140kg. No amount of panel drilling was going to offset the tub of lard in the drivers seat.

Sharkie
05-07-2014, 08:55 AM
So ...... we are well down the track of finalising the Stg 1 tune for the TSI Amarok .....

Bear in mind that this is really the last of the Gen 2 EA888s and in the Amarok with totally different hardware (stock FMIC, intake and exhaust all "better" and exhaust camshaft & turbo different) than any FWD engined EA888 VAG vehicle, closest comparison really a Q5 2.0TFSI.

Not releasing any official numbers as yet, but as a teaser .....

APR Stg 2 Mk6 GTI makes 174kw/380NM at the hubs on APR's hub dyno ..... what do you think the TSI Amarok makes ? ......

APR Stg 3 (K04) Tiguan makes 204kw/418NM at the hubs on APR's hub dyno ..... what do you think the TSI Amarok makes ? ......

Ramee
05-07-2014, 12:35 PM
So ...... we are well down the track of finalising the Stg 1 tune for the TSI Amarok .....

Bear in mind that this is really the last of the Gen 2 EA888s and in the Amarok with totally different hardware (stock FMIC, intake and exhaust all "better" and exhaust camshaft & turbo different) than any FWD engined EA888 VAG vehicle, closest comparison really a Q5 2.0TFSI.

Not releasing any official numbers as yet, but as a teaser .....

APR Stg 2 Mk6 GTI makes 174kw/380NM at the hubs on APR's hub dyno ..... what do you think the TSI Amarok makes ? ......

APR Stg 3 (K04) Tiguan makes 204kw/418NM at the hubs on APR's hub dyno ..... what do you think the TSI Amarok makes ? ......

How can we know?? you are the one should know it :P

Let me take a guess... mmm 151kw ? :)

10655

Sharkie
05-07-2014, 01:26 PM
How can we know?? you are the one should know it :P

Let me take a guess... mmm 151kw ? :)

10655

More .....:P

Quite a bit more actually ......

Hint: kw somewhere between the 2 above, torque more than both ....... :eek:

Ramee
05-07-2014, 01:34 PM
More .....:P

Quite a bit more actually ......

Hint: kw somewhere between the 2 above, torque more than both ....... :eek:

ah! I thought it would generate same power as AUDI Q5 2.0 TSI APR Stage 1.

Anyways then a second guess 189kw at the hubs. ( pure assumption :P )

Sharkie
05-07-2014, 01:46 PM
Anyways then a second guess 189kw at the hubs. ( pure assumption :P )

Pretty good guess, close but still a few kw low ......

Anyway you get the idea .... best stg 1 gen 2 EA888 result ever..... :cool:

Full results in due course to be released by APR.

At this stage we just don't know what to expect from stg 2 ..... lots more, or just a bit?

MGV
05-07-2014, 06:32 PM
I'll have a guess at 'just a bit'... But holding that peak power to 6000RPM instead of tapering off at 4500RPM.

Nice work as usual Sharkie!

mattex69
20-07-2014, 09:18 PM
Looks good Sharkie

Sharkie
23-07-2014, 09:13 AM
Thanks guys .....

Well I can now confirm that with a perfect change 2nd to 3rd an easy mid 6s 0-100 is possible in a stg1 TSI. With a more leisurely 2nd to 3rd (best to protect the box) consistent low 7s are achievable (all Racelogic confirmed) ...... pretty quick for a close to 2 ton dual cab ute :)

bombsquad21
23-07-2014, 04:08 PM
Thanks guys .....

Well I can now confirm that with a perfect change 2nd to 3rd an easy mid 6s 0-100 is possible in a stg1 TSI. With a more leisurely 2nd to 3rd (best to protect the box) consistent low 7s are achievable (all Racelogic confirmed) ...... pretty quick for a close to 2 ton dual cab ute :)



sssssh!! I want to surprise people at traffic lights, well after my latest fiasco is over! Also I really really need to get cruise control :wink:

Ramee
17-08-2014, 11:52 AM
Looks like APR finally released the tune for Amarok.
APR 2.0 TSI ECU Upgrade for the Volkswagen Amarok (http://www.goapr.com/products/ecu_upgrade_20tsi_amarok.html)

11324

263 hp at the crank not bad :)

bombsquad21
17-08-2014, 12:16 PM
I've heard it's pretty good. RWD, 6 speed. Probably throw in some redline gear oil and get that 0-100 time under 7 seconds.
Also, whats a racelogic?

brad
17-08-2014, 12:21 PM
That would be an estimate because the use a wheel or hub dyno, not an engine dyno.

Have a really good look at the graph & the "report" underneath. It's like a study in confusion when you try & work out what fuel, rpm, etc they are talking about.

As a simple "Will this vehicle go better?" exercise... Hell Yeah!

Ramee
17-08-2014, 12:23 PM
Also, whats a racelogic?

VBOX Australia (http://www.vboxaustralia.com.au/)

Racelogic performance box is a GPS based car performance measuring unit. It is quite accurate and most magazines and car reviewers use it to measure vehicle performance.

Sharkie
17-08-2014, 03:18 PM
That would be an estimate because the use a wheel or hub dyno, not an engine dyno.

Have a really good look at the graph & the "report" underneath. It's like a study in confusion when you try & work out what fuel, rpm, etc they are talking about.

As a simple "Will this vehicle go better?" exercise... Hell Yeah!

Yes, since APR Aus uses a hub dyno, its a bit confusing working it all out as nobody knows for sure what the drivetrain losses are ..... 263HP at the crank probably a bit low .... as the 240HP at the wheels = 180kw at the wheels ......

195kw at the hubs was seen before pulling a bit of timing out (to better protect the engine) to land on ~190kw at the hubs. In excess of 430NM at the hubs as well!!

And thanks APR for using a red Amarok on your page ..... :cool:

Sharkie
17-08-2014, 03:27 PM
We knew were up for something amazing when the 1st Beta file made 180kw at the hubs .......

In case anybody was wondering, this is what a Stg1 200+kw 500NM Amarok looks like .....

11326

So the next question, is where to now?

Stg 2 to follow when I come back from holidays in Sep ..... stay tuned ..... :P

Jarred
17-08-2014, 04:43 PM
awesome

bombsquad21
18-08-2014, 03:56 PM
We knew were up for something amazing when the 1st Beta file made 180kw at the hubs .......

In case anybody was wondering, this is what a Stg1 200+kw 500NM Amarok looks like .....

11326

So the next question, is where to now?

Stg 2 to follow when I come back from holidays in Sep ..... stay tuned ..... :P


I will know what to look out for at traffic lights!

Sharkie
18-08-2014, 05:28 PM
Fitted an open pod filter just for kicks yesterday morning and boy does it whistle and growl now ....... Waste gate sound is awesome !

Probably not going to keep it on but it sure is entertaining, lol

Guy_H
19-08-2014, 11:55 AM
http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg520/Guy_H/Project%20Amarok/IMG_0886_zpsda5f21f4.jpg

bombsquad21
19-08-2014, 07:01 PM
Thats cool ^^

Sharkie
14-09-2014, 07:05 PM
In Thredbo ..... halfway through a 3000km roundtrip

11988

3 adults and 2 late teens, 4 snowboards 1 set of skis and all other essentials for a 7 days snow holiday loaded up with no problem.

Very comfortable cruise really and given the power it has, still returned 9.1l/100km fully loaded .....

team_v
14-09-2014, 07:36 PM
Good to see it getting a workout.
Shame about the snow conditions though.

Sharkie
15-09-2014, 02:46 PM
Good to see it getting a workout.
Shame about the snow conditions though.

It was actually amazing how comfortable a drive the Amarok was long distance. And the luggage space was amazing tbh. Even the Multivan had a lot less space for luggage and without a pod would never have taken 4 snowboards .....

12000

12001

12002

Snow was actually quite good. Up high there was plenty and all the major runs down to village was still on a thick base. Did a number of mixed village / super trails runs (in excess of 4km) each day.

In the village itself obviously no snow ...... :(

Burner
16-09-2014, 05:51 PM
Nice Sharkie,

As soon as i saw APR advertise their Amarok TSi software was avail i called the local dealers. I wasn't surprised when they said they dont have a file for it. So annoying really! Guys are clueless and support would probably be just as bad! Thats S.A!

On another note got another software company to flash a file but not too happy with it. Engine surges, almost like boost cut and then wakes up again after 4000rpm. So ill be doing a few logs to see whats happening and hopefully they can tweak the map a little. Coming onto boost WOT the turbo sounds like its wants to takeoff literally, it might be more the diverter valve but its a very high pitched "flute sounding" noise.

On the dyno it got 196.9kw @5566rpm and 421nm tq @ 3268 rpm, 1.3bar boost.

MGV
16-09-2014, 06:51 PM
Good report!

Wonder how many people from Brisbane own their own snowboards? :D

bombsquad21
17-09-2014, 05:43 AM
Glad it all went well on the road trip Sharkie, when I took my Tsi to Melbourne and Canberra in July I also enjoyed the practicality of the tray. I have the roll n lock too, so all the belongings stayed dry and secure. 2 Thumbs up!!

Sharkie
17-09-2014, 08:10 AM
On another note got another software company to flash a file but not too happy with it. Engine surges, almost like boost cut and then wakes up again after 4000rpm. So ill be doing a few logs to see whats happening and hopefully they can tweak the map a little. Coming onto boost WOT the turbo sounds like its wants to takeoff literally, it might be more the diverter valve but its a very high pitched "flute sounding" noise.

On the dyno it got 196.9kw @5566rpm and 421nm tq @ 3268 rpm, 1.3bar boost.

PCV return appears to be the culprit for the flute noise. Its like blowing across a bottle top ..... I have it too. Its not the diverter as I run a GFB modified diverter, yet the sound is still there.

When the exhaust is built that will eliminate that as a possible culprit (though unlikely to be anyway) and then the K04 turbo should do the trick .....

With APR's tune we saw 210+kw and 480+NM before de-tuning a bit (to a final 196kw/433NM) for engine safety's sake.

I've seen reports of 250kw/550NM on a K04 upgrade on the TSI Amarok's out of the UK, so hoping we can achieve that too.

Sharkie
17-09-2014, 08:13 AM
Good report!

Wonder how many people from Brisbane own their own snowboards? :D

Not too many I'd expect :)


Glad it all went well on the road trip Sharkie, when I took my Tsi to Melbourne and Canberra in July I also enjoyed the practicality of the tray. I have the roll n lock too, so all the belongings stayed dry and secure. 2 Thumbs up!!

Loving the flexibility of the UtesDirect cover so far. And its totally waterproof (drove through a storm on the way) but not as secure though.

Burner
18-09-2014, 06:27 AM
PCV return appears to be the culprit for the flute noise. Its like blowing across a bottle top ..... I have it too. Its not the diverter as I run a GFB modified diverter, yet the sound is still there.

When the exhaust is built that will eliminate that as a possible culprit (though unlikely to be anyway) and then the K04 turbo should do the trick .....

With APR's tune we saw 210+kw and 480+NM before de-tuning a bit (to a final 196kw/433NM) for engine safety's sake.

I've seen reports of 250kw/550NM on a K04 upgrade on the TSI Amarok's out of the UK, so hoping we can achieve that too.

Yeah APR tune sounds thoroughly tested, those are some insane figures... this tune i have feels like all they adjusted was boost...!! Have a mate who tunes with Dimsport. He is pretty keen to get his hands on the ecu to see what he can do, very respected tuner in SA, really makes sure engine is "Safe" so lets see...

Thanks for the reply...

Sharkie
18-09-2014, 06:45 AM
TBH anybody who thinks another tune can compare with APR is just kidding themselves or trying to justify their alternative .......

In this case there was almost a 100 individual dyno runs with tune mods after each and lots of road kms for data logging. Guy (or Mark) can probably confirm but I think there was over 70 files uploaded and over 50man hours spent by APR Aus in developing this tune. They did such a great job and the fruits of their (and the engineers at APR in the USA each night) labour is now starting to be used across the world where TSI Amaroks are being sold.

The topping on it all is that port tuning is also opened up for further/future changes.

Brendan_A
27-10-2014, 09:36 AM
Hi Sharkie, did your factory bluetooth work fine when you did the rns510 upgrade?

Will be doing the rns510 upgrade in mine sometime soon.

Transporter
27-10-2014, 10:11 AM
It should be,
it did in mine when I installed the RCD510.

Brendan_A
27-10-2014, 10:29 AM
It should be,
it did in mine when I installed the RCD510.

That's good to hear. Thanks

Sharkie
27-10-2014, 05:25 PM
Yes, no issues with the BT at all. On MY14+ models the RNS needs VCDS coding to integrate with the MFD.

also a RVC will need coding to work if you decide to add that too. In BNE I can help with that if you need.

Brendan_A
27-10-2014, 08:40 PM
Cheers mate

Sharkie
11-11-2014, 06:19 PM
From MY14 onwards many Amarok models lost the drivers side A-pillar grab handle :(

After getting a VW parts quote for $300, I started looking around breaker yards ..... and found this for $60 off an Ultimate

13042

And after 10mins this afternoon

13043

handle installed :) :cool:

Brendan_A
11-11-2014, 06:32 PM
Nice buy. I'll swap ya instrument cluster...:) miss having a coolant temp gauge.

Sharkie
10-12-2018, 02:12 PM
Fitted OEM 18" Durban alloys, custom powder coated in satin black a while ago.

40643

Its been everywhere from the snow to the beach over the years I've owned it, been absolutely awesome. Will be in the family for a quite a while longer. (5years old last month and only 37000km)

4064440645

Soon will (finally) get an upgraded exhaust.

Sharkie
10-12-2018, 02:20 PM
Briefly considered a top mount dual exhaust (donated from my Mustang) .... in the end decided not to :nana:

40646

Sharkie
10-01-2019, 02:45 PM
Seems my (unique) colour scheme has taken the fancy of someone at VW Aus product planning. Lots of Red Dark Label V6 580s now in the country.

I'll take royalty payments in credits towards 1 of these beauties, thanks VW AUS ... :cool:

46904

46905

Sharkie
05-08-2019, 08:44 AM
Gave the Amarok some love this weekend. After 41000km and some silly driving up and down Mt Mee by my 18yr old son, the Amarok was in need of new brakes .... :mad: Needless to say this type of driving by him has been banned ....

Fitted these on Saturday, and they do work well. Drilled with little slots and high performance pads (minimal to no dust TG!).

46906

Incidentally discovered that the Amarok front brakes are 2 pot calliper units, did not know that and quite impressed. :cool:

Coxy09
13-08-2019, 07:45 AM
Gave the Amarok some love this weekend. After 41000km and some silly driving up and down Mt Mee by my 18yr old son, the Amarok was in need of new brakes .... :mad: Needless to say this type of driving by him has been banned ....

Fitted these on Saturday, and they do work well. Drilled with little slots and high performance pads (minimal to no dust TG!).

46906

Incidentally discovered that the Amarok front brakes are 2 pot calliper units, did not know that and quite impressed. :cool:

What brand are the disc's and pads you're running? Do you have a link? I am due soon I think

brad
13-08-2019, 08:18 AM
What brand are the disc's and pads you're running? Do you have a link? I am due soon I think
You don't need holes unless you just want "the look" as (most disc rotors) they aren't cast-in (they are a drilled plain face rotor) or stress relieved and if you give them a pounding, spider cracks will start to emanate from the holes.

The slots are good if you have a problem with pad material out-gassing or need to wipe the pad face of glazing but they need to be almost the full width of the rotor.

Personally, I'd just get plain face DBA 4000 series (heavy duty) rotors and talk to Brakes Direct about what pad would suit my usage / driving style.

Coxy09
13-08-2019, 08:24 AM
You don't need holes unless you just want "the look" as (most disc rotors) they aren't cast-in (they are a drilled plain face rotor) or stress relieved and if you give them a pounding, spider cracks will start to emanate from the holes.

The slots are good if you have a problem with pad material out-gassing or need to wipe the pad face of glazing but they need to be almost the full width of the rotor.

Personally, I'd just get plain face DBA 4000 series (heavy duty) rotors and talk to Brakes Direct about what pad would suit my usage / driving style.

I like having a good feel set of brakes, I've found most "Heavy Duty" rotors give almost no feedback and not a huge amount of bite, I quite like Tarox which I have on my abarth. Sure the wear rates are quicker, but like my feeling towards tyres, I'd rather have them when I need them......I was never a huge fan of DBA but I'll look into it as I'm only new to having a rok....

Sharkie
13-08-2019, 12:36 PM
DBA Slotted will be better than what I have as these are both for looks and better braking than stock.

Drilled discs are about 5% worse than solids. Drilled and slotted about the same as stock, but slotted only such a DBA T3 is at least 5% better than solids on stock type pads.

By fitting higher performance pads you improve braking across the board by 5-10% at least (and could be even more depending on the pad you select).

In my case I'm probably only 5% better than stock given the slotted and drilled discs AND high performance pads. Bonus is low to no dust which is a MAJOR improvement over stock.

Coxy09
14-08-2019, 08:47 AM
DBA Slotted will be better than what I have as these are both for looks and better braking than stock.

Drilled discs are about 5% worse than solids. Drilled and slotted about the same as stock, but slotted only such a DBA T3 is at least 5% better than solids on stock type pads.

By fitting higher performance pads you improve braking across the board by 5-10% at least (and could be even more depending on the pad you select).

In my case I'm probably only 5% better than stock given the slotted and drilled discs AND high performance pads. Bonus is low to no dust which is a MAJOR improvement over stock.

Dust isn't an issue if you coat those wheels ;) We need to have a chat about that =P

Sharkie
30-03-2020, 09:21 AM
So after resisting the urge to fit an exhaust to the Amarok (and mainly due to the fact nobody had an exhaust for the TSI Amaroks) my son finally convinced me last week.

We parked next to a mates TDI400 and compared the exhaust from underneath. Looked pretty much identical, so took a chance on an XFORCE DPF back stainless 3" for a TDI400. I figured since the bends all looked the same, I'd at worst have to make 1 cut and join near the front.

The XFORCE looks good, I have seen better but certainly seen worse too.
48102

Turns out it is actually a perfect fit all the way through. Even the join at the front to the catback is EXACTLY the same as the DPF back diesel join.
48103

48104

48105

It now has an awesome sound to the exhaust, meaty and growly .... with a pop on overrun. I should have done this ages ago!

SO ... for the few TSI Amarok owners out there ... an exhaust upgrade is do-able and cheap ($570 from Sparesbox delivered).

brad
30-03-2020, 09:40 AM
great price! was expecting $1500-$2000 because exhausts are such rip-offs now

Sharkie
30-03-2020, 09:49 AM
great price! was expecting $1500-$2000 because exhausts are such rip-offs now

I know ... for a 3"stainless no less ... could not say no at that price lol

I did have to buy 4 x gaskets and 8 x high tensile bolts though ... it came without :facepalm:

Lucas_R
30-03-2020, 11:12 AM
That is a good price Sharkie and looks like its fits well on the Amarok. Sparesbox quite often have discounts on Xforce products and you can pick them up for cheap. 18 months or so ago I picked up 2x Xforce Varex mufflers and the Smartbox to control the valves - saved nearly $500 all up buying them on sale.

Delft Maloo
03-04-2020, 04:37 PM
Great work next thing on the list for my sons ute. Iv had it tuned via APR already but it looks like the turbo isn't that healthy so im running it back on the stock tune until i get the turbo rebuilt.

Delft Maloo
08-04-2020, 10:23 PM
Hi Sharkie, how much research did you end up doing on turbo upgrades for it and what was actually involved in a swap? Theres nothing really out the for the amarok tsi and seeing its age there's not much chance of it happening. You seem to be the only one who looked into this.
Tim

Sharkie
09-04-2020, 08:24 AM
Hi Sharkie, how much research did you end up doing on turbo upgrades for it and what was actually involved in a swap? Theres nothing really out the for the amarok tsi and seeing its age there's not much chance of it happening. You seem to be the only one who looked into this.
Tim

We did look into this, yes.

The TSI Amarok runs a modified version of the MK6 GTI engine (and similar to the MK6 R). The OEM turbo is actually similar (ie the same) to the 1 found on the Q5 2.0 TFSI in the way the plumbing of the PCV works. Very similar to the MK6 R too. So from a stock perspective the MK6 R turbo will actually fit well.

The problem is .... the cams (mainly the exhaust cam) is different to the GTI (and R) and thus you cannot simply fit the turbo and load the R stg1 tune. This would have resulted in about 230kw instead of the ~195 of the tuned TSI though less torque. Given the unique nature of the TSI, it has a totally custom tune (no other tuner in the world has 1 that is actually built for the TSI Amarok) taking into consideration the unique cam and turbo combination.

So if you upgrade the turbo, you will also need a totally new custom tune to suit the Amarok and since there are so few out there in the world, no tuner is willing to spend the time to develop 1. It took about 100 dyno runs to sort the current Stg1 tune out with APR and even that is not perfect. I believe it has a fuelling issue at low RPM in higher gears and WOT (though you can drive around that).

An option I am considering (and will do at some point in time) is to buy a wrecked MK6 R (TBH I'll probably try a wrecked MK7 R) in a manual to transplant the entire engine and ECU. The MK6R route is practically guaranteed to fit and work. This then allows you to go a full Stg 3 on the engine with many tuners able to help you. 300+kw Amarok? yes please :)

Avwboy
17-04-2020, 12:40 AM
Hey mate, unable to pm for some reason but would love to chat about your car
I have a tsi single cab on the way and access to multiple k04’s or even entire byd engines (same as a cdl mk6r essentially)
Can you contact me if possible ?

Sharkie
11-05-2020, 01:12 PM
It was time for some Amarok love today (by my son for a change). He decided to black out the badges, which looks really good and something I probably should have done a long time ago already. Used plasti-dip to do the job.

Front
48299

Back
48300
48301
48302

And the Amarok
48303

Note to me ... need to get black number plates ...

Sharkie
22-06-2020, 08:45 AM
After years of stock airfilter, then a K&N panel filter for a short while, followed by a K&N pod filter sitting in the the (open) airbox, finally the whole airbox was removed with a pod sitting in the very generous space left by the airbox.

Need to finish it off with a heatshield, but it makes nicer noises now ..... :facepalm:
48561

Sharkie
22-06-2020, 08:48 AM
Also fitted Conti CrossContacts to Big Red recently .... what a let down compared to the Conti SportContacts it replaced. Very noticeably less grip on the road and in the wet. :mad:

TSOTSI
24-06-2020, 04:53 AM
looking good Sharkie, might do the mod too. pity over the tyres. Loving my Pirelli`s

Sharkie
11-01-2021, 08:25 AM
Big Red got some love this weekend too .... for a change.

Painted the front calipers red

52530
52531
52532

This thing's front brakes are huge ... and 2 pot calipers too!

Transporter
11-01-2021, 12:18 PM
It looks great mate. Even splashed some red paint on the vehicle stands. :)

brad
11-01-2021, 12:20 PM
This thing's front brakes are huge ... and 4 pot calipers too!

It looks like a 2 piston sliding caliper to me.

Sharkie
11-01-2021, 01:30 PM
It looks like a 2 piston sliding caliper to me.

Sorry, yes, don't know why I type 4 :facepalm:

Sharkie
11-01-2021, 01:32 PM
It looks great mate. Even splashed some red paint on the vehicle stands. :)

LOL, there is an astonishing amount of paint in that caliper paint can, so everything is getting some red paint :P

Will be able to do the TSI's brakes too with what is left in the can :banana:

brad
11-01-2021, 02:22 PM
Sorry, yes, don't know why I type 4 :facepalm:

Life goals

Sharkie
19-03-2021, 08:39 AM
Big Red got some more love this week .... fitted black 19" Aragonit wheels to it :cool:

52735

Next up would be a RCD330+ I think.

I am also on the lookout at the auctions for a stat write off manual TDI400 .... AWD TSI is coming :P

TSOTSI
18-04-2021, 05:06 PM
Looking good Sharkie,

gonna be giving my TSI so love too, interior fitting a MK6 GTI golf ball gear lever soon and looking for some recaro bucket seats.

keep on Rok-ing

EZZA
22-04-2021, 10:13 AM
The Roks looking great mate! First time poster here, came across this thread while researching TSI vs TDI Amaroks. This build inspired me to choose the petrol over the diesel 4cyl.
They're rare as hens teeth down here in Melbourne but managed to pick up a low KM 2013 TSI this week and have a few questions, this seems to be the main thread for TSI300 discussion.
How do they go towing a small caravan under 1200kg?
Does the APR tune have a milder tune to use while towing if needed?
What KM should I be looking at having the timing chain changed as i've read some horror stories online (mines at 105,000km).
Cheers, Eric

Sharkie
22-04-2021, 02:11 PM
Thanks Eric, we still love it after 7 years of ownership, its been a great car/ute.

Towing is no issue with the TSI Amarok. Ours quite often tows trailers (see photo) and has no issues although you need to have 2000+rpm on to make progress.

52888

APR's tunes offer switchability between modes and for less power you could opt for the 95RON mode. I always run it in 98RON mode and have not had any issues.

I'm only on 71K kms but have asked my mechanic about this and he said to replace at 120K kms. If I was you, I'd probably do it now (at 105K) just for peace of mind.

EZZA
22-04-2021, 04:06 PM
Thanks for answering all my questions mate, appreciate it!

A few people have told me that if I tow at all I should be buying the diesel 4 banga at a minimum but I disagree. I think the chassis+suspension and design of the ute has a lot more to do with towing ability than outright power/torque.

Good to hear about the switchable tune modes, just have to find a shop down this way who deals with APR products and see what they charge for the stage 1 tune. From what I've read Prestige Auto Works down here in Melbourne do APR stuff so will be in contact with them once I'm sure the cars mechanically solid.

As for the chain I think your mechanics advice of doing it at 120km is a good idea but I'm with you and will try to get it done sooner for piece of mind.

Cheers

EZZA
23-04-2021, 10:55 AM
Also quick question mate. Did the K&N panel filter help hear the turbo spool? Was driving for the first time last night and can hardly tell it's there haha

Sharkie
23-04-2021, 11:27 AM
The airbox is closed too well to get much sound out of it with the stock tune. With an APR tune it certainly is more noticeable, but still pretty quiet. What you do get (some love it others hate it) is a weird whistle once tuned due to the PCV return into the turbo.

Also, a K&N panel does not do anything to the sound, may breathe a bit better, but that is still debatable.

We run an open Pod filter (its far enough away not to get too much heatsoak as measured by intake temps) and this makes some serious noises :cool:
52893

EZZA
23-04-2021, 04:53 PM
Ah nice, looking forward to getting it tuned already!

That's a nice pod setup, I'm sure you get plenty of sound out of that.

I noticed the stock air box setup has a pipe that runs to the front grille, thinking if this was removed it may give a bit more noise and flow also. Although usually the factory designs things for a reason but I've had a couple of turbo Subaru Foresters that had a sneaky intake resonator in the front guard which once removed made a nice difference to intake noises!

EZZA
30-04-2021, 09:39 AM
Thought this would be a good place to ask, any idea what the APR stage 1 tune costs?
Is it a plug and play type thing that I can order online or do I have to go to an APR dealer to have it installed and setup? I'm in Melbourne and have messaged APR directly with no response.
Cheers

Sharkie
30-04-2021, 10:24 AM
Details of the APR tune here: APR ECU-20T-EA888-1-L APR ECU Upgrade - 2.0T EA888 Gen 1 (Longitudinal) (Amarok) (https://www.goapr.com/products/software/ecu_upgrade/parts/ECU-20T-EA888-1-L)

Look at their dealer search APR Dealers (https://www.goapr.com/dealers/), type in Melbourne, Australia and a lot of dealers show up. Contact the closest to you directly I'd suggest.

EZZA
30-04-2021, 11:02 AM
Thanks mate, found all that info and some Melbourne dealers but ones I've tried don't messaging through messenger. Will give Volkwerke a call at lunch and see what they say.
Was wondering whether it was more like a Cobb accessport style tuner where you don't need a shop to install or more of a flash tune into the computer where a shop needs to do the install for you.

Lucas_R
30-04-2021, 12:00 PM
Thanks mate, found all that info and some Melbourne dealers but ones I've tried don't messaging through messenger. Will give Volkwerke a call at lunch and see what they say.
Was wondering whether it was more like a Cobb accessport style tuner where you don't need a shop to install or more of a flash tune into the computer where a shop needs to do the install for you.

If you want a DIY style tune (which personally im a huge fan of and have had good success with on various cars) then look at Tarmac Engineering (Spectune) in QLD who do an optional hand controller. They only have the 2.0TDI listed on their webiste, but worth getting in touch with them to see if they offer a tune for the petrol version. Amarok Archives - Tarmac Engineering (https://www.tarmacengineering.com.au/product-category/vw/amarok/)

Otherwise I would have recommended Integrated Engineering who also have a DIY option but I dont believe they offer anything for the Amarok.

Sharkie
30-04-2021, 01:55 PM
If you want a DIY style tune (which personally im a huge fan of and have had good success with on various cars) then look at Tarmac Engineering (Spectune) in QLD who do an optional hand controller. They only have the 2.0TDI listed on their webiste, but worth getting in touch with them to see if they offer a tune for the petrol version. Amarok Archives - Tarmac Engineering (https://www.tarmacengineering.com.au/product-category/vw/amarok/)

Otherwise I would have recommended Integrated Engineering who also have a DIY option but I dont believe they offer anything for the Amarok.

Lucas, unfortunately no tuner in Australia does tunes from scratch. ALL of them uses an overseas provider for the "base" tune and then either "custom" tune your car with some minor modifications to the base file (for all Aussie tuners that claim they can custom tune your car) or just use that base file as provided (APR providers for instance).

The problem with the TSI Amarok is that world-wide only 1 tuner (APR) took the time to develop the base file necessary. As such no other tuner has a file that can be used on the TSI Amaroks. Some use a GTI base file and try to modify it on the fly (like etuners I believe) but never end up anywhere near the results of the APR file. (Note the Amarok runs a gen2.5 version of the EA888 ) I've seen custom tuned upgraded turbo (KO4) files for TSI Amaroks that make no more power than a stock base APR file ....

So, in short, no DIY options exist for the TSI Amarok which is a bit sad. This has always prevented me from going to a larger turbo on the stock Amarok engine.

EZZA
30-04-2021, 02:21 PM
Thanks again for the info guys. Yes from my research Sharkie is correct, when you google 'TSI300 Amarok tune' this thread is the first to come up!
So got a reply from local tuner, APR stage 1 tune is $699 which is pretty good value in my books considering all the time they put into developing the base file and results achieved.

Lucas_R
30-04-2021, 02:30 PM
Makes sense I guess. I just looked on CarSales and there are 7 petrol Amarok's for sale versus 985 diesels. I didnt realise the petrol Amarok was so rare/unpopular. Given the Aussie (and no doubt o'seas also) ute market is flooded with (mostly) underpowered diesel's I don't blame tuners for not putting in the R&D to develop a tune for the petrol Amarok.

EZZA
30-04-2021, 02:38 PM
Makes sense I guess. I just looked on CarSales and there are 7 petrol Amarok's for sale versus 985 diesels. I didnt realise the petrol Amarok was so rare/unpopular. Given the Aussie (and no doubt o'seas also) ute market is flooded with (mostly) underpowered diesel's I don't blame tuners for not putting in the R&D to develop a tune for the petrol Amarok.

Yes mate, they're a rare breed! I hunted one down over a few months and had to make a few compromises but am very pleased I chose the TSI over the TDI so far. Being manual & 2wd only it was never very popular I don't think.

Sorry for hijacking your thread Sharkie!

Sharkie
30-04-2021, 03:00 PM
Thanks again for the info guys. Yes from my research Sharkie is correct, when you google 'TSI300 Amarok tune' this thread is the first to come up!
So got a reply from local tuner, APR stage 1 tune is $699 which is pretty good value in my books considering all the time they put into developing the base file and results achieved.

Yes, over 100 dyno runs and about 2 weeks of work (on my Amarok no less).
52914

Anybody who claim they can tune a car in an afternoon or even a single day is flat out lying ....

Sharkie
30-04-2021, 03:17 PM
Its all a misconception by the buyers of Utes that it needs to be diesel .... Amarok TSI is lighter on fuel than the TDIs (even stock) and faster than all but the V6. And then when tuned it is even faster than the V6 ..... No EGR/DPF issues either but alas only RWD (which incidentally save 100kgs over the AWD)

I will eventually replace the engine with a more tuneable version of the EA888 and do an AWD conversion from a donor TDI400 manual. All of my other projects are keeping me too busy to do this yet.

PS. In the USA you can get a Ford Raptor with the 2.3 Ecoboost engine (which is a petrol engine) and it sells like hotcakes .... and boy is it quick .... if Ford put that engine in the Raptor here I'd be buying 1 ....

Sharkie
30-04-2021, 03:39 PM
Makes sense I guess. I just looked on CarSales and there are 7 petrol Amarok's for sale versus 985 diesels. I didnt realise the petrol Amarok was so rare/unpopular. Given the Aussie (and no doubt o'seas also) ute market is flooded with (mostly) underpowered diesel's I don't blame tuners for not putting in the R&D to develop a tune for the petrol Amarok.

BTW, the 2nd hand prices have jumped a bit lately on the TSIs. Only sold for 2 years 2013/2014 and low numbers.

I see there currently is a low mileage fully optioned (FOR a TSI) MY14 on Carsales for $25K. That would be the best buy at the moment.

EZZA
30-04-2021, 03:57 PM
BTW, the 2nd hand prices have jumped a bit lately on the TSIs. Only sold for 2 years 2013/2014 and low numbers.

I see there currently is a low mileage fully optioned (FOR a TSI) MY14 on Carsales for $25K. That would be the best buy at the moment.

Yes that's the thing, 200+ on a TSI is getting up there. I bought the white one with the ugly fender flares (taking them off) and he wanted 25K (started at 27k) but managed to get him down to 20k as there were a few cosmetic issues with the body.
The Grey on for 25k popped up about half a week after I bought mine and I was shattered as it looks like it's only been driven to church on Sunday haha!

Sharkie
05-07-2021, 11:08 AM
New boots on the 19" rims for Big Red.
53087

These are 255/55/19 109W, performance SUV tires. Soft so should only last 25-30000km but the grip is amazing.

In 4 months' time he will be 8 years old, currently on 75,000km and holding up really well. We still love it.

EZZA
06-07-2021, 10:41 AM
Looking good mate! What tyre pressures are you running on the 2WD with 19's?

Sharkie
09-07-2021, 12:05 PM
So .... although the XForce exhaust was a definite upgrade to stock, it was always a bit tinny sounding. Not bad, but not as good as the Millteks fitted to 3 of the 5 VAG cars in the family.

Jnr fitted a Milltek this morning. Early video after fitting Big Red Milltek exhaust - YouTube (https://youtu.be/69-7kycIwXQ)

It sounds absolutely f..... amazing. (and I have only heard the video will only hear it in person tonight)

Better 1 to follow over the weekend.

Sharkie
09-07-2021, 12:07 PM
Looking good mate! What tyre pressures are you running on the 2WD with 19's?

32PSI at the moment. Saw a placard that said 30 but that seemed low.

EZZA
12-07-2021, 09:35 AM
That a mean sounding Rok, must confuse people when that powers away from the traffic lights haha!!

Yeah I saw the same, I read 29psi on a placard but I'm more around 35psi. Tried 29psi but it looked like I had a flat.

Sharkie
09-08-2021, 11:01 AM
Bought some LED taillights from Ebay (you can get them on AliExpress too) .... after some initial confusement by the seller's (they asked for a photo of an Amarok to see if it will fit :confused: ) , they arrived within 3 weeks and fitted up over the weekend.

Fitted in 5 mins, looks great, works great .... throws an error LOL Will fix that up with a canbus suitable resistor.

53232
53233
53234

It even has sequential indicator LED's (can't see in the photos though)

TSOTSI
13-08-2021, 04:49 PM
Looks DAM good those, I am definitely gonna buy me a pair. just bought the sequential side indicators.

EZZA
31-08-2021, 10:51 AM
Utes looking good mate!

Finally went and got my APR stage 1 98 tune yesterday, very happy with the result. Engine performance is night and day, absolutely rips now!!

Sharkie
31-08-2021, 11:32 AM
Utes looking good mate!

Finally went and got my APR stage 1 98 tune yesterday, very happy with the result. Engine performance is night and day, absolutely rips now!!

Nice .... should be quicker than a stock GTI to 80 now .... that d@mn 3rd change hurts it to a 100 :banana:

TSOTSI
31-08-2021, 05:07 PM
Stop enticing me LOL, I so wanna APR mine. cant wait to get it going replace even the ignition coils with APR ones too when I service it and replace the PCV valve.

EZZA
06-09-2021, 11:20 AM
Nice .... should be quicker than a stock GTI to 80 now .... that d@mn 3rd change hurts it to a 100 :banana:

Haha have been caught out by that stubborn 3rd gear change a few times already!

Did you ever get to the bottom of the PCV return flute noise? Did the exhaust get rid it?

EZZA
06-09-2021, 11:21 AM
Stop enticing me LOL, I so wanna APR mine. cant wait to get it going replace even the ignition coils with APR ones too when I service it and replace the PCV valve.

You have to do it, best $700 you'll ever spend!!

EZZA
27-09-2021, 12:47 PM
Sharkie, which GFB diverter did you use? they don't seem to list one for TSI Rok on their website?!

Sharkie
27-09-2021, 02:10 PM
Sharkie, which GFB diverter did you use? they don't seem to list one for TSI Rok on their website?!

The 1 for the MK6 GTI is a perfect fit. (I still have the box in the garage, I'll check the model #)

Remember the TSI engine is a MK6 GTI engine with only 2 differences .... (1) a different exhaust camshaft and (2) a different turbo (which is in fact similar in configuration/orientation to the K04 on the MK R, only at K03 size). All other part numbers are identical, so if you ever want to do a built engine, all the rods/pistons etc from a GTI engine will fit.

Could literally do a Stg3 build on it (and replace the exhaust cam) and run a GTI Stg3 tune .... 300+kw anyone?

I will actually do this 1 day, just too many projects to do at the moment. Need to finish fixing the Polo, finishing the Up! project, do an AWD conversion to Big Red and then its on for a Stg3 build. At this rate it is still a few years away LOL .... and somewhere in there is taking the R to Stg 2 (only need the intercooler and clutch).

EZZA
27-09-2021, 02:46 PM
Thanks for confirming, thought that might be the case. I think it's T9351 then.

Mate you'd need the AWD conversion to put that sort of power to the road, already the stage 1 APR tune makes for an interesting drive in the wet!!

I'll be keeping a look out for that build, certainly would be a unique machine!

Sharkie
19-11-2021, 11:51 AM
Had these on the shelf for a while now ... fitted last weekend.

R8 Coils :cool:

53496

TSOTSI
22-11-2021, 05:18 PM
well done on the coils LOL, swear we had same mind set over the week end :banana: mines running like a dream now

Sharkie
23-11-2021, 08:17 AM
I actually started out to fit a Bar-Tek PCV delete. Only had the adaptor plate, figured I could use a cheapie eBay catchcan .... I was wrong :facepalm:

53512

The Bar-Tek adaptor is very good (comes from Germany), but had to order the rest of their kit. Could not be bothered to try and make something else fit.

Could not do nothing, so fitted the R8 coils only.

EZZA
23-11-2021, 10:41 AM
Nice work, red coils look great in your engine bay!

Is the PCV delete to get rid of the steam train whistle?

Every time I look at this thread my wallet gets a whole lot lighter!!

Sharkie
23-11-2021, 11:24 AM
Alas no, the PCV is just to clean up the oil vapors into a catch can and remove a point of failure. The whistle comes out of the turbo directly. If you take the boost pipe off the turbo you will see the PCV return there ... that return acts like a bottle top when blown across ... high speed air creates the whistle. It's pretty unique to tuned TSI Amaroks and (some) tuned MK6 Golf Rs.

However, this is in Big Red's future too .... IE VW & Audi 2.0T Intake Manifold | Fits FSI & TSI Gen1/2 Engines (https://performancebyie.com/products/ie-vw-audi-2-0t-intake-manifold)

EZZA
23-11-2021, 02:18 PM
Ah right got it. It certainly is a unique sound but you get used to it after a while.

That manifold is very nice!

TSOTSI
23-11-2021, 04:42 PM
love the manifold, busy eyeing on at a local VW shop, www.vagcafe.co.za

Sharkie
29-11-2021, 07:27 AM
The BarTek kit (the rest of it anyway) arrived within 5 days from ordering. Much to be said for German efficiency (and a $100DHL shipping fee ...)

Fitted it all up over the weekend.




Made a bracket to fit the can which looks almost OEM. Would have liked a different angled adaptor the inlet to the can and may order that to improve the look (OCD much).

TSOTSI
29-11-2021, 11:27 PM
Looking good, had a dam scare today PCV pipe popped off and started to idle uneven engine light:facepalm:. but saw only pipe popped off thank goodness.

EZZA
06-12-2021, 11:28 AM
That's looking good mate. The red top R8 coils really suit the engine bay also.

Will be looking to do coils on mine soon. Just had plugs done on mine, mechanic says most likely was the first plug change it's ever had at 118,000km and it's running so much smoother now down low & at idle.

EZZA
20-01-2022, 09:13 AM
Hey Sharkie, any idea what boost levels we run on the stage 1 APR tune? I'm running the ODB Fusion app and seeing up to 18psi max but unsure if this is correct as it seems high.

Lucas_R
20-01-2022, 09:57 AM
Hey Sharkie, any idea what boost levels we run on the stage 1 APR tune? I'm running the ODB Fusion app and seeing up to 18psi max but unsure if this is correct as it seems high.

That sounds about right as per my old Mk6 GTI (same engine). It was around 18-19psi on stage 1.

EZZA
20-01-2022, 10:04 AM
That sounds about right as per my old Mk6 GTI (same engine). It was around 18-19psi on stage 1.

Thanks mate! The app I'm using requires me to key in a volumetric efficiency % for my engine to give an accurate on the fly boost reading and at 120% it seems to be about spot on then.

Sharkie
04-02-2022, 10:23 AM
Yeah, about 18-19PSI is my understanding too for Stg1. I will confirm this soon as I have a boost tap connector on the way.

Sharkie
04-02-2022, 10:27 AM
Another popular GTI/R mod for the 2.0 TSI (Turbio Muffler delete) also made me think about doing it to the Amarok. Essentially the same engine other than a different exhaust cam and a better flowing OEM downpipe, this should be a straightforward bolt off bolt on mod ... Except the stock muffler outlet on the turbo, due to its location, is different :rolleyes: it has bend in it :mad:

53774

MK6 GTI common Muffler Delete
53780

Fitted
53776

Easy fix though with a 90deg silicone bend and small connector to the OEM intercooler pipe,
53781

TSOTSI
04-02-2022, 05:54 PM
Well Done Sharkie, you answered my Question i have been asking myself. so going to do the mod. any difference? noticed,

Forge or Raceline offer units so which one

Forge Motorsport IHI RHF5 Turbo Muffler Delete 2.0 Petrol Turbo (EA888) - VAG Cafe (https://www.vagcafe.com/product/forge-motorsport-ihi-rhf5-turbo-muffler-delete-2-0-petrol-turbo-ea888/)

Racingline Turbo Muffler Delete for EA888.3B - VAG Cafe (https://www.vagcafe.com/product/racingline-turbo-muffler-delete-for-ea888-3b/)

Lucas_R
04-02-2022, 06:50 PM
Sharkie I believe you purchased a muffer delete to suit the Gen 3 EA888 engine. I have fitted a muffler delete to both my Mk7 GTI and my previous car, a Mk6 GTI. The Mk6 GTI one came with a bend (as per this link) https://www.vagcafe.com/product/forge-motorsport-ihi-rhf5-turbo-muffler-delete-2-0-petrol-turbo-ea888/ whereas the Mk7 one is shorter and straight (as per your 2nd pic above).

Doesnt matter if you got it to fit though.

Sharkie
05-02-2022, 09:10 AM
Sharkie I believe you purchased a muffer delete to suit the Gen 3 EA888 engine. I have fitted a muffler delete to both my Mk7 GTI and my previous car, a Mk6 GTI. The Mk6 GTI one came with a bend (as per this link) Forge Motorsport IHI RHF5 Turbo Muffler Delete 2.0 Petrol Turbo (EA888) - VAG Cafe (https://www.vagcafe.com/product/forge-motorsport-ihi-rhf5-turbo-muffler-delete-2-0-petrol-turbo-ea888/) whereas the Mk7 one is shorter and straight (as per your 2nd pic above).

Doesnt matter if you got it to fit though.

It's the exact same metal delete pipe as your kit, Lucas, the 1 I bought just didn't come with the silicone bend. Easy fix by making our own though.

It is also identical to the 1 I fitted to the R :confused: which is weird as the turbos are very different, yet that muffler is identical ....

Sharkie
05-02-2022, 09:22 AM
Well Done Sharkie, you answered my Question i have been asking myself. so going to do the mod. any difference? noticed,

Forge or Raceline offer units so which one

Forge Motorsport IHI RHF5 Turbo Muffler Delete 2.0 Petrol Turbo (EA888) - VAG Cafe (https://www.vagcafe.com/product/forge-motorsport-ihi-rhf5-turbo-muffler-delete-2-0-petrol-turbo-ea888/)

Racingline Turbo Muffler Delete for EA888.3B - VAG Cafe (https://www.vagcafe.com/product/racingline-turbo-muffler-delete-for-ea888-3b/)

Minor but noticeable improvement in responsiveness. Either of those will work, the Forge kit just comes with a silicone bend, you'd still need to connect the bend to the OEM intercooler pipe (which is rubber) so a 2" connector will be needed as well.

Piping from the turbo to the intercooler is totally different on the Amarok due to the positioning of the turbo in relation to intercooler.

Incidentally ...

What I do notice more these days is power delivery differences between my cars, the 1.4TSI actually has a bit of lag before boost builds, then it comes in with a massive rush, the Amarok has less lag (and now even a little bit less after this mod) but a more linear power delivery that feels muscular all the time but without that rush (almost like a big NA car) whilst the R is just near instant massive power with quite a bit of rush at the top too. IE's tune on the R (still Stg1 but the high torque version) is brilliant. And then the V8 ..... nothing touches that above 4000rmin, its 4th gear wheelspin time whilst already moving , downright scary car to drive. And then I climb in the Up! and have no power at all, just ridiculous corner speeds, it probably outcorners the R ..... power fix for it is almost ready though.

Sharkie
08-02-2022, 09:15 AM
So this arrived yesterday :cool:

53822

To be installed coming weekend ...

EZZA
08-02-2022, 01:52 PM
Nice!! I'm waiting for a steering wheel to come in the mail also so I can replace the standard pov pack vinyl wheel that's on there now.

Will be keen to say what boost level you see once you hook up the boost gauge.

Lucas_R
10-02-2022, 10:43 AM
Nice. The Mk6 GTI steering wheel is in my opinion, one of the nicest OEM steering wheels. Great shape and thickness etc. This will be a great addition to the Amarok interior and overall driving experience.

The steering wheel in the Mk7 GTI/R is a huge step backwards. Thin, shapeless and the leather is poor quality.

Sharkie
14-02-2022, 09:18 AM
Busy weekend, car wise (just the way I like it) :cool:

The Polo project needed a LF window switch, so I took the opportunity to "upgrade " the Amarok's switches all round (and reuse the old ones in the Polo). Had the switches sit in a cupboard for over 5 years :facepalm: just never go around to fitting them. Easy job, don't know why delayed it this long.

Old master switch
53839

New switch
53840
53841

Sharkie
14-02-2022, 09:22 AM
Then the important job :cool: Fitted the GTI steering wheel

Original wheel (which was nice already due to option packs I ordered at build)
53860

GTI wheel
53861

Sharkie
25-02-2022, 11:41 AM
Hey Sharkie, any idea what boost levels we run on the stage 1 APR tune? I'm running the ODB Fusion app and seeing up to 18psi max but unsure if this is correct as it seems high.

22Ppsi I understand now that the gauge is in. I'll update with photos over the weekend.

EZZA
01-03-2022, 09:31 AM
22Ppsi I understand now that the gauge is in. I'll update with photos over the weekend.

Nice! Bit more than I expected to hear but not surprised as it's a pretty spicy tune.

Sharkie
01-03-2022, 01:36 PM
Nice! Bit more than I expected to hear but not surprised as it's a pretty spicy tune.

Due to the floods in Brisbane, I'm actually stuck on the Sunshine Coast and have been unable to return since Friday night. I will get a video of the boost gauge in operation once I'm back, which should be tomorrow .... also, I run a BETA version of the APR tune (pre-production) and the boost may have been wound down a touch for the actual production file, which is why BigRed makes over 200kw compared to the official 196kw.

TSOTSI
02-03-2022, 04:47 PM
Looking Great Sharkie, uhm time to start shopping around for a wheel.

i see you have the new style cluster, plz guide me as i have the old red one and perhaps i could update the old girl

Sharkie
03-03-2022, 07:35 AM
Looking Great Sharkie, uhm time to start shopping around for a wheel.

i see you have the new style cluster, plz guide me as i have the old red one and perhaps i could update the old girl

For the steering wheel, you need a MK6 Golf GTI/R wheel from a manual WITH the airbag. Amarok airbag won't fit the GIT/R wheel.

MY14 onwards had the newer cluster. I know of 1 person who successfully fitted an upgraded cluster. Not easy I understand. Lots of parts and some very special low level coding required.

Avwboy on here was the man who did it with help from Kamold. Used a scan off my cluster to code the new cluster.

Sharkie
08-03-2022, 11:05 AM
Peak boost of ~22PSI on the TSI. Simply can't do a launch video holding a phone as its a bit violent .... ~6.5s 0-100 in an Amarok is a wild ride :cool:


https://youtu.be/EIrdtdSZf2M

kentwbird
09-03-2022, 07:40 PM
welcome to tuned v6 life! :P

Sharkie
10-03-2022, 08:39 AM
welcome to tuned v6 life! :P

Its actually been tuned since 2015 (well before the V6s came out) :P Launching a manual tuned petrol Amarok is much more violent than any of the V6s ..... That auto box in the V6 takes most of the violence out of it .... I know, have done both :cool:

TSOTSI
10-03-2022, 04:55 PM
OOO LALA, That looks like fun, I hope neck braces are std in your TSI.

EZZA
11-03-2022, 10:31 AM
Peak boost of ~22PSI on the TSI. Simply can't do a launch video holding a phone as its a bit violent .... ~6.5s 0-100 in an Amarok is a wild ride :cool:


https://youtu.be/EIrdtdSZf2M


Nice!! I like the sound of the exhaust too. Gotta love the old 'Puffing Billy' train whistle as my kids call it haha!

I'll second the tuned TSI launch, reminds me of my old 13B RX3 bridgeport but alot less wheelspin:banana:

Blue RX3 Stampede at Easternats 2009 - YouTube (https://youtu.be/2e58dwR_aq0)

kentwbird
13-03-2022, 10:24 AM
Its actually been tuned since 2015 (well before the V6s came out) :P Launching a manual tuned petrol Amarok is much more violent than any of the V6s ..... That auto box in the V6 takes most of the violence out of it .... I know, have done both :cool:
there are manual v6's now too tho...love the tsi tho

EZZA
19-05-2022, 02:52 PM
Hey mate, wondering if you've done any research into HD clutch kits. Mines been tuned for about 20,000km now and the clutch is slowly letting go. Mechanic says go standard Sach's or Exedy kit but i'm looking into HD kits like Xtreme Outback dual mass to help hold the extra power. Thoughts?!

Dinogzav
21-05-2022, 06:28 PM
Hey mate, wondering if you've done any research into HD clutch kits. Mines been tuned for about 20,000km now and the clutch is slowly letting go. Mechanic says go standard Sach's or Exedy kit but i'm looking into HD kits like Xtreme Outback dual mass to help hold the extra power. Thoughts?!

Maybe also talk to NPC. They make some nice clutches. I had one in my 800Nm TD42 Patrol.

Sharkie
12-07-2022, 05:17 PM
In planning stages on taking Big Red to a K04 upgrade in the not too distant future. I have mapped every engine part to the equivalent engine part in the MK6 GTI (engine code CCTA) and there are only 3 material differences ... exhaust cam, turbo and ECU (and the Amarok intake manifold does not have the runner flaps it seems)

Use these as a starting point and navigate up to the correct engine section.

Amarok TSI
intake system; vacuum system Amarok (AMA) 2013 year Volkswagen EUROPA 133030 (https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/rdw/amarok/ama/2013-749/1/133-133030/)

GTI engine - look for CCTA
intake system; vacuum system Golf/Variant/4Motion (GOLF) 2012 year Volkswagen EUROPA 133030 (https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/rdw/golf+variant+4motion/golf/2012-729/1/133-133030/)

Found the K04 (2.0T K04 Turbo Upgrade Longitudinal
– HPA Motorsports (https://www.hpamotorsports.com/collections/black-friday-sale-2021/products/2-0t-k04-hybrid-turbo-upgrade-longitudinal)) needed and the intake (2.0T FSI/TSI Intake Manifold V2
– HPA Motorsports (https://www.hpamotorsports.com/collections/intake-manifolds/products/2-0t-fsi-tsi-intake-manifold-v2)) upgrade to do the swap from HPA Motorsports. Then "only" need to load the appropriate K04 tune (HPA Stage 3 K04 Hybrid Tune
– HPA Motorsports (https://www.hpamotorsports.com/products/hpa-stage-3-k04-tune)) to the Amarok ECU. Sounds easy but I am still researching whether this would be possible ...

~270kw/500NM is the expected result I believe :cool:

Also researching what would be needed to "build" the motor for stage 3 and since the Amarok and CCTA engines uses the exact same pistons, rods and rings, any aftermarket forged setup suitable for the CCTA will work :banana:

TSOTSI
12-07-2022, 08:20 PM
going to be and epic build and fun drive I would say. busy doing a decarbon on mine will get to mods as well

The_Hawk
12-07-2022, 08:47 PM
I love watching your builds :D

EZZA
13-07-2022, 11:45 AM
This thing is going to be a beast once you're done!!

Sharkie
15-04-2023, 07:50 AM
So as part of the path to getting a full Stg 3 motor build, we identified that traction will be a problem due to the fact the TSIs only ever came in RWD. With Big Red developing a 3rd gear synchro issue of late, and with us getting more adventurous with our builds, this arrived this week ....

Manual TDI400
55121 55122

Can a conversion be done? All research points that way, so we will found out over the next few months.

TSOTSI
17-04-2023, 05:07 PM
Cant wait to see this progress build going to epic Sharkie...

lloydus67
18-04-2023, 09:07 AM
I thought I read somewhere that the zf gearbox was only good for 450nm torque and/or 200kw? Not totally sure on the numbers but that’s why the v6 was auto not manual.(apart from a limited number of detuned cores)


Sent from me [emoji2957]

Sharkie
18-04-2023, 10:59 AM
I thought I read somewhere that the zf gearbox was only good for 450nm torque and/or 200kw? Not totally sure on the numbers but that’s why the v6 was auto not manual.(apart from a limited number of detuned cores)


Sent from me [emoji2957]

Stock rating on the 6spd manual for the BiTDI and TSI is 450NM. That does not mean it cannot handle more ..... Tuned BiTDIs typically put 550+NM through the boxes with little complaint.

My Golf R's 6spd manual is rated at 350NM and has handled more than 500NM for over 3 years quite happily so far.

For what it's worth this conversion will include a visit to a gearbox specialist as I want the internals redone to lengthen the ratios on 1st, 2nd and 3rd and to fit more robust synchros and possibly stronger gears. And finally will be followed up by an aftermarket clutch that can handle up to 750NM.

Sharkie
03-05-2023, 08:28 AM
Bit of an update ....

The AWD conversion actually looks pretty straightforward. All the mounts etc, bolt holes etc are all there on the TSI chassis. Once I finish work on the GTI Polo (which is nearing the end now) the conversion will start.

Once the AWD conversion is in and running the next power stage build will commence. Thanks to a donation of a MK6 GTI exhaust camshaft from HP, i ordered the KO4 kit from HPA (thanks Spring sale:banana:) 2.0T K04 Turbo Upgrade Longitudianal
– HPA Motorsports (https://www.hpamotorsports.com/collections/spring-sale-2023/products/2-0t-k04-hybrid-turbo-upgrade-longitudinal), so a MK6 GTI K04 Stg 3 tune will be able to be loaded netting 250+kw and well over 500NM of torque.

EZZA
03-05-2023, 10:44 AM
Wow this thing is going to eat V6 Ranger Raptors for breakfast :banana:

EZZA
20-06-2023, 10:27 AM
Hi mate. Currently getting my exhaust altered and was wondering what the specs are on the Miltek system you have? Is it 3" cat back with a single muffler?

Sharkie
20-06-2023, 11:48 AM
Hi mate. Currently getting my exhaust altered and was wondering what the specs are on the Miltek system you have? Is it 3" cat back with a single muffler?

That is the 1 currently on the car yes. Beware that it is (IMO) too loud with some drone in the midrange. At idle it is awesome, at full throttle it is LOUD. Too loud for me but OK for my son. We even had a custom resonator fitted which improved it a bit, but not enough I think. The X-Force we had before sounded tinnier but was less loud and build quality was below average whereas the Miltek's build quality is great.

When we go KO4 later this year, we will have a full custom turbo back (probably 2.75") made and fitted.