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    18t tuning guide

    1.8T tuning guide - Guide for tuning up a 1.8T engine

    Read below how to tune your 1.8t engine. It is a very common engine in the VAG group. It is durable and can be tuned to 350 hp. without opening the engine. We have sold incredible many parts for tuning this engine and that is something that always works well. 

    How can we help you! 

    Many people want to know if they have all the parts they need to put a new turbo on their car. If in doubt, do the following:

    • Create a login on the website
    • Now you are a customer
    • Add all the items you expect to use to the shopping cart.
    • Send an email to me - I can see the items you have added to the shopping cart and if you need more items you can add these to the shopping cart as well.

     

    Stage 1 tuning - Upgrade turbo on the original system - up to 230 HP.

    If you would like to have some extra HP, you can choose to assemble a bigger turbocharger. For that, we have a K04 turbo - that can pull approx. 225 HP, with some small changes - and approx. 210 HP by assembling this turbo along with chip tuning. 
    We have sold a lot of these turbochargers and there have never been problems with them. You can make these turbochargers for both transverse and longitudinal engine. 


    To draw full power (230hp) out of these turbochargers, please install the following:

    Transverse K04 upgrade turbo - Turbocharger for cars with transverse engines

    Longitudinal K04 upgrade turbo - Turbocharger for cars with longitudinal engines

    Upgrade exhaust manifold 1.8T - Exhaust manifold with large channels with good flow

    Downpipe transverse - Downpipe for the transverse engine 

    Downpipe longitudinal - High-performance downpipe for longitudinal engine

    Downpipe longitudinal remove cat - Remove the catalytic converter with this 3" tube for longitudinal engine

    Performance exhaust system - For maximum power, you must have a 2½" exhaust 

    Performance catalyst - More flow through the catalyst and less exhaust resistance 

    KN air filter - A performance air filter provides more air for suction, please select an insert filter for easy installation

    Intercooler - This is a complete kit and plug-and-play

    Intake pipe - Intake pipe with good air flow

    It is not necessary to assemble all parts at once if you are low on money. However, it is best to have your car reprogrammed (chip tuned) when all parts are installed. It is the most effectful way.


     

    Stage 1.5 - Super easy solution up to 275 hp

    This solution is almost as easy as the Stage 1 solution above. It is even almost the same price rent.
    We have turbochargers for both longitudinal and transverse engines that can deliver up to 270/275 hp. - They are almost identical to the "230hp" models - However, the intake is 51mm. instead of 44mm. as there is an upgraded compressor wheel in the turbocharger that can "move" more air. This means you have to have another intake hose - We have them specially made to fit the large turbochargers and 3" air mass meter.

    When building Stage 1.5, you must use all parts from Stage 1 - However, you must select Turbo and intake pipe below. It is a MUST to change the fuel pump to an upgrade that you will find below or get a new original one if you are going up to approx. 275 hp.

    270 hp. Turbo for transverse engine - Super turbo for 1.8T engine that is located transversely

    Intake hose transverse - 51/80mm. - Intake pipe for transverse engine

    275 hp. Turbo for longitudinal - Strong turbo for engine lying lengthwise of the car.

    Intake hose longitudinal - 51/80mm. - Intake pipe for upgrade turbocharger

    Upgrade fuel pump - Upgrade fuel pump to transverse

    It all fits right in. e.g. downpipe, turbo manifold, oil hoses and water connection. You will find products that can be used together with these upgrade turbochargers under "related products"

    If you want extra fine turbochargers, you can choose them with "Billet wheel"

    K04-01 - Billet wheel 270hp. - Transverse engine

    K04-15 - Billet wheel 275hp. - Longitudinal engine

     

    Stage 2 & stage 3 - Large upgrade turbo up to 350 hp.

    If you want up to 350 hp. out of your 1.8t engine you need to have a larger turbo kit on, we have made a good "exhaust kit" that can be adapted to any 1.8T engine. This kit comes with many of the parts that must be used to mount the larger turbocharger, however, several things must be used as mentioned below. You can choose from several turbochargers, but the most used is a 2860 turbo which can deliver up to 300 hp. If you want the 350 hp. you can choose a 2871 turbo. Remember that it is a good idea to fit new support bolts and copper nuts, we have made a kit for 1.8T engine which you can also find on the link below.

    If you want an extra high flow system, we have the option of getting SPA Turbo exhaust manifolds home with Twin scroll and T3 flange.

    Extra high flow twin scroll T3 manifold - Contact us for turbo selection for this turbo manifold.

    1.8T exhaust turbokit - Get started with the conversion well and cheaply

    Studst and bolts - The originals are often rusty and not easy to reassemble


     

    Downpipe 1.8T - Plug and play !

    Once you have fitted a larger turbo, a proper downpipe must also be made. We recommend making it in 3 "stainless steel pipes. You can make a downpipe yourself by simply buying some stainless steel pipes, an extra v-band flange, stainless steel flex pipes and a piece of stainless steel flat iron. We recommend making a bracket between the engine block and the downpipe , so that it does not change position.
    If you do not want to do it yourself, we can help with that, you can buy our plug and play models which are in really nice quality and easy to assemble. We want to produce plug and play systems for all models and therefore we offer to make and install a downpipe without hourly wage, however, it must be with our turbocharger and setup. - contact us for this.

    1.8T 20v downpipe - Plug and play - Specially made front tube for our exhaust kit with 2860 & 2871 turbo

    Stainless steel pipes for downpipe Pipe to build your own downpipe

    V-band clamp - Assembly used at turbo and end of downpipe

    Flex coupling - Takes some of the vibrations from the engine

     

    3 "intake pipe - Intake pipe in 76mm.

    When installing larger turbos such as the GT2860 or GT2871, an intake pipe must be fitted that fits the new setup. That is why we have developed a suction system that can be mounted very easily. It is made in drug-free tubes and welded together with a TIG welder. It is super easy to mount this suction pipe. See the link below.
    Below you can see an intake pipe in 3 "on a Seat Leon 4x4, with 2860 turbo, 3" KN air filter and Audi TT air mass meter.


    Plug and play intake pipe 1.8T - Custom made for our exhaust kit

    Plug and play intake for longitudinal engine 

    Stainless steel pipes for intake pipe

    90 degree silicone bend

    KN air filter with 76mm. connection - Fits on custom made intake pipe

     

     

    Catch tank - No oil in the intake

    With an oil catch tank you can keep oil and oil vapors away from the intake, this is strongly recommended as it reduces the octane number and thereby you lose power from the engine. Here is a kit that fits directly on all VW 1.8T MK4.

    Oil catch can 1.8T - Easy to install and high quality


    High performance Intake

    If you want to be sure that it is not the intake manifold that sets the limit for how much air enters your engine, you can install a high performance intake manifold with extra good flow. We have them for both longitudinal motor and transverse motor.

    Longitudinal intake 1.8T- Intake with up to 80mm. throttle

    Transverse intake 1.8T - Fantastic flow in the highest quality

     

    Big injectors

    Once you have fitted larger turbo upgrades such as those that come with the exhaust kit, it is necessary to get some more petrol into the engine. We have sold a sea of 441 ml. nozzles, they supply enough gasoline for 300 hp. with org. petrol pressure regulator and enough for 350 hp. with a 4 bar fuel pressure regulator. If you want a cheaper alternative, we also have non-original Bosch nozzles of 460 ml. Do you want more hp. you can of course order larger nozzles. Also remember that you often have to use 2 spacers as upgrade nozzles are typically a little longer than those that std. sits in the engine.

    If you need to make a lot of power, it can be a really good solution to use our progressive gas pressure regulator. It allows you to drive with low fuel pressure at idle and high when charging pressure occurs. For this you can use large nozzles which are "højohm" but at the same time have a really good idle. (Usually when using large højohms nozzles they become unstable when the opening time becomes too low)

    Injector Spacers for 1.8T

    441cc. fuel injectors 

    460 cc. Bosch fuel injectors

    4 bar fuel pressure regulator - Gives approx. 15% extra fuel at full load

    Adjustable fuel pressur regulator - Mounted directly in the nozzle bridge as an original regulator

    Fuel rail 1.8T - Used eg for higher flow if high power or just have the engine bay look nice


    Upgrade fuel pumpe for 300hp+

    Since the original petrol pump max can deliver petrol up to 300 hp. you must also pay attention to getting it replaced. You should also be aware that the original petrol pumps can be bad, ie. that they can not even deliver to the 300 hp. so if you are going to tune your car up to 300 hp. then put on a new original petrol pump or an upgraded petrol pump that we have. If your car is not fitted with a return line from the nozzle bridge, this must be done. You can choose between a plug and play internal pump up to 400 hp. - An internal petrol pump where a bit (up to 500hp.) Needs to be adjusted or an external petrol pump which is put in the engine compartment with an extra relay to draw electricity to the pump (up to 600hp.). If you choose the internal fuel pump, it is clearly recommended to use the flex pipe, as the old one is often damaged during disassembly.

    Upgrade high flowfuel pump for 400 hk. - Direct for installation in original pump housing. Very easy installation.

    Internal fuel pump for 500 hp. - Really good petrol pump and easy installation

    Teflon flex fuel hose - Makes installation of petrol pump in tank really easy

    External pfuel pump for engine bay - For mounting a petrol pump outside the petrol tank

     

    Audi TT air flow sensor house

    Should you make over 250 hp. on a 1.8T engine, make sure you have an air mass meter that can measure all the air that needs to pass through the engine. Below we have found an air mass meter from an Audi TT and a VR6 air mass meter which can measure up to approx. 350 hp. Together with them, it can be recommended to use one of our universal KN air filters so you are sure that it does not "pull" after the air and has too much resistance in the air filter. You must look at the plug on your original air mass meter, the one that is similar to the plug we have on our air mass meter, you must choose. When installing a new and larger air mass meter in relation to the original, the motor control must be reprogrammed. Do not use the air mass meter if you install a programmable motor control.

    3 "air flow meter house from Audi TT 225 hp. 

    VR6 air mass meter house

    3" K&N Air filter - Fits with the above air mass meter


    Connection of oil lubrication & water cooling on turbo

    After installing an upgrade turbo (not those up to 225hp) it is necessary to connect hoses to the turbochargers. We have made kits that make it easy to assemble. The kit below fits together with the TB28, 2860, 2871 and T3 / T4 turbochargers.

    Water connection Kit for 1.8T turbo - Easy connection of water on eg 2560, 2860, 2871, T3 / T4 & GT35

    Oil connection - Connect turbo oil lubrication with this kit to 1800T engine

    Oil return - Buy the oil return hose for yourself

    Oil flange for return - Directly to the sump on the 1.8T engine (supplied with the oil connection kit)


    Keep the heat out of the enginebay

    We can only recommend keeping the heat from the turbo and exhaust out of the engine compartment. It provides extra power and faster spoolup on the turbo. So you get the charging pressure earlier in the revs. We have a turbo form or turbo hood which is placed over the turbocharger, it keeps the heat inside the tubo's exhaust housing. Powerwrap is recommended for pre-pipes close to the engine. We also have Heat shield wrap which is used to glue on other parts that need to be protected from heat - A super good product. Then we also have Heat shield cover wrap that is used to put over vacuum hoses for eg the wastegate or oil hose for the turbo.

    Turboblanket - Turbo blanket which is placed on the outside of the turbocharger's hot side

    Heat Shield Tape

    Heat Shield Cover Wrap

    Powerwrap - Really good to use for the Downpipe


    Quality spark plug for turbo

    We have been selling these spark plugs for many years, they deliver an absolutely fantastic spark and durability. You can drive with greasy petrol mixes for a long time, typically without anything happening to it. We use them in projects with eg 600 hp. Remember that the electrode distance must be 0.7 mm.

    Turbo spark plug

     

    3 "race catalyst & universal exhaust

    It is important to get rid of the extra exhaust gas that comes through the engine. If you do not get a 3 "downpipe and race catalyst fitted, you can lose hp. These sports catalysts we have an extremely good flow but at the same time not large in diameter. That is, they are very easy to place under the car without them sticking out. far down.
    It is also really important to make a proper exhaust system after downpipe and sports catalyst, therefore we have a large selection in universal exhaust where you can build your own custom-made sports exhaust with. There is everything from cheap middle pots, sound pots and universal back pots. If you have a car where you would like a complete catback system you can also find it at the link below.

    3" Racer Catalyst 

    Universal exhaust


    Big intercooler

    When you drive with more charge pressure and a larger amount of air to be cooled down, you must have a larger intercooler fitted. We have several different types to choose from with different sizes. We also have an intercooler kit that fits directly on eg VW golf 4.

    Intercooler - A good size and efficient intercooler can be found here

    Intercooler kit - Intercooler kit for VW golf 4 that can cool up to 300hp.

     

    Racing clutch & sports clutch for 1.8T

    Often an original clutch can hold a lot of effect when they are new and in good condition, but when they are a little used, they quickly get scratched in the clutch. Especially when you have tuned your engine. We have several options - Sachs performance is a super good choice and works really well. But since we sell a lot of pieces for 1.8T and VAG, we have chosen to order complete sets with flywheels (solid mass) at home which are extra powerful and in super quality - And they are also really cheap.

    Sachs Performance - German quality sports clutch


    Charging pressure adjustment - Boost controller

    You can adjust your charging pressure in several ways.
    1 way is to use the original N75 valve which is on the car, it must be new because they can become weak and slow with time, however, they can not handle too much charge pressure and then the person who does the chipping for you must program it in the engine management.
    Another way to do this is to use a manual boost pressure valve also known as a boost controller or bleed valve. You can easily adjust the pressure with it, however, the turbo will make an overboost and it is not always good for the engine as it gives a high torque.
    The best way to do this is to buy an electronic charge pressure control, it adjusts the charge pressure precisely and can also keep the charge pressure further up in rpm.

    A good choice would be, for example Autogauge 2 bars / Autogauge 3 bars boost controller

    Manual bleed valve / boost controller - Manual bleed valve for controlling charge pressure.

    Electronic Boost Controller - Retrofitted electronic charge pressure control.

    Stainless steel pipe for building intercooler pipes, exhaust & downpipe

    Often used to build downpipe, exhaust and intercooler systems with.
    We recommend a minimum of 2½ "for intercooler pipes and 3" for exhaust.

    Stainless steel pipe

    Silicone hoses for intercooler system

     

    Clean the engine, new engine oil and oil filter

    Before you go to fit a new turbo, etc., we can strongly recommend pouring the engine cleaner into the engine and then pouring new engine oil on the car. We have very good experience with Gulf engine oil or for hard and violent driving, the Sunoco 10w60 engine oil can be used. Of course, it is also important to replace your oil filter, which you can buy at your local car dealer. If you want to take extra good care of your engine, we strongly recommend buying the Danco oil Tec 2000 additive, it is an additive that reduces wear and reduces friction in the engine.

    When driving hard, it may be a good idea to use a 5w50 engine oil (Sunoco or Castrol). A 5w50 is a little thicker engine oil when hot and therefore provides more oil pressure and protection. An excessively thick oil such as 10W60 becomes a little too thick and makes the promises make noise.

    Gulf motor oil  - Good cheap motor oil we give a 15% discount on, use the discount code GULF15 in the shopping cart.

    Sunoco engine oil - Sunoco has a really good 10w60 oil.

    Danco oil Tec2000 - Use the same with Sunoco oil and get perfect lubrication.

    High flow oil filter - KN oil filter

    Engine cleaner - Use engine rinse to clean your engine before rebuilding it. Use it if necessary. repeatedly.

     

    Good cooling of the engine oil with a large oil cooler

    We can only recommend considering a large oil cooler when you need to tune your 1.8t engine, especially if you drive a bit hard with the car the oil gets hot quickly and therefore requires some more cooling. We have a universal oil cooler that can be easily adapted to a 1.8T.

    Quality oil cooler


    Chip tuning or programmable ECU?

     Once you have fitted a larger turbo, whether it is for 225 hp. or to 350 you must have reprogrammed the car so that it can control the new setup. The original steering can typically handle up to 350 hp. with Audi TT air mass meter which is mentioned further up in this guide.
    You can also choose to mount a new motor control, you can choose the control you want, but I can recommend a Vems motor control or an FMJ box. FMJ control is plug and play - However, it is extremely difficult to program, so if you do not have a lot of experience, we can not recommend trying it yourself. Both of the above programmable boxes can control Egas. Mounting is from 10,500 and up. Chip tuning / special run-in can be made from DKK 4,500. We work with both older models without egas and models with egas. 

     

    Ready for rolling field and chip tuning

    Lambda probe - Placed in the front pipe / downpipe. Remember that the lambda probe must face upwards so that no water can enter the sensor.

    - Basic adjustment of actuator - Adjust the wast gate so that it opens at eg 0.7 bar charging pressure

    - Wait with change nozzles and air mass meter until you get here - So we can check that the engine runs as it should before we start work

    -You must have started the engine with oil pressure and coolant. Preferably pressure-tested cooling system within a safety precaution

     

    Below you see a power curve from an Audi A4 1.8T. It has been fitted with K04-015 turbo, 3 "air mass meter, Dual intercooler, 3" downpipe and 2.5 "exhaust, high flow exhaust manifold, larger petrol nozzles. Then we have adjusted it with EVC emulator (chip tuning).

    Power: 228.1 HP
    Moment: 344.9 nm.

    Below you see another Audi A4 from 97. This is fitted with an Exhaust kit - 2871, front-mounted intercooler, 3 "downpipe, 2½" exhaust, 441cc nozzles, 3 "air mass meter. Super power.

    Power: 275.7 hp.
    Torque: 353nm.

     

    Engine conversion or complete racing engine

    If you need more than 330-350 hp, it is necessary to change your engine. You must have mounted H profile connecting rods and have other pistons in. We have 1.8T connecting rods which can be used for 500hp + and JE or Wiseco pistons which are really good.

    1.8T K1 Connection Rods - Original connecting rods from K1 in top quality

    1.8T Forge pistions - Quality forged pistions 

    ARP Head studst - Here you will find strong bolts for the cylinder head in your 1.8T engine.

    Performance bearings - Find racing bearings for your engine in high quality from ACL or Kings bearing

     

     

     

    Here is a list of parts you will need when making 300-350 hp.

    Below you have a list of the parts you need to make approx. 300-350 hp. Everything is described above if you want to read more about it. There is a link to the v-band assembly and a reduction to help make the transition from downpipe to your sports exhaust, you need 1 of each, but no reduction if you drive with 3 "all the way through. Note we are happy to try to get one sports exhaust home that fits directly to your car otherwise we can custom make one for you.

    1.8T exhaust turbo kit
    Support bolts & copper nuts
    1.8T 20v downpipe - Plug and play
    Plug and play intake pipe 1.8T
    Spacers for 1.8T
    441 cc. petrol nozzles
    4 bar fuel pressure regulator
    Internal petrol pump for 500 hp. or External fuel pump for engine compartment
    3 "air flow meter from Audi TT 225 hp.
    3 "KN air filter
    Water connection kit for 1.8T
    Turboblanket
    Powerwrap
    Turbo spark plug
    3 "Racer Catalyst
    Intercooler
    New engine oil
    Sports exhaust or parts for homemade exhaust
    Reduction - Cone
    V-band clamps