Months of pampering
had finally come to its climax, the break in period had been reached and the TT
was finally ready for its tune up. However, this was not going to be your usual
filter and plugs ordeal, not in the slightest. I had spent weeks if not months researching
the vulnerable weak points of the EA888.2 engine & had made it my mission
to ensure they were rectified.
The first
being the always at fault positive crankcase ventilation “PCV” plate that was
integrated into the aluminum valve cover. This automotive emissions system is
meant to direct the gases that enter the crankcase into the intake stream to be
reburned in the combustion chamber. However, it fails often and without warning
allowing oil to make its way into the intake tract causing carbon to build up
on the intake valves.
This issue
was rectified by installing a CTS Turbo CNC aluminum PCV replacement plate with
an oil condenser and catch can. The oil vapor would travel from the CNC plate
and flow into the catch can that housed a total of ten baffling plates. The
heated gas condenses in the can therefor separating the oil from the gas as it
travels through the baffles and back through the hot CNC plate as it makes its
way to the turbo inlet.
This would
prevent further carbon buildup on the intake valves and improve on the faulty emissions
system by allowing the engine to run more efficiently.
The coil
packs tended to fail and cause misfires, an easy fix was to replace them with
the R8 red top coil packs that performed/ offered a hotter spark and improved
connectivity. The stock spark plugs where swapped for NGK Hyper Extreme Iridium
plugs with a more aggressive and steadier spark characteristic.
The engine
produced decent amounts of torque with its relatively docile OEM tune. This
still did not keep the engine from having some sloppy play from the torque arm
and its soft bushings. To remedy this a CTS Turbo dog bone mount insert was
paired with a CNC torque arm with polyurethane bushing. Once installed the responsiveness
of the engine would be slightly improved by removing unwanted movement.
The EA888.2
had very restrictive intercooler piping. The tube diameters would change with
incredibly sharp bends that was detrimental to air flow. Imagine trying to blow
tons of air through a small straw. Now add some radical bends to that straw
with a few kinks in it and you would understand how inappropriate to
performance this setup was, especially on a relatively small turbo meant for
immediate boost response.
The resolution
required multiple parts to achieve the desired goal of a free and efficient
intercooler charge piping system. A CTS “turbo muffler delete” was used in
conjunction with larger K04 charge pipes. Long gone were the radical bends that
caused turbulent air that stressed out an already small K03 turbo.
Speaking of
the turbo the stock diverter valve was prone to breaking due to wear and tear.
A CNC aluminum core piston replacement was added to the diverter valve & mated
to a vent to atmosphere spacer. The strategy behind the VTA was to make sure
not to introduce turbulent air into the compressor housing while coming off boost.
Since the
engine had recently been rebuilt the addition of a magnetic oil sump plug would
offer insight into any debris that may still be traveling within the oil.
Knowledge is power and even though an oil drain plug is not exactly a weak
point, it was perceived as an opportunity to improve on the OEM design.
Lastly the
stock air intake and airbox was to be replaced with a race engineered cold air
intake that served to keep the air intake clean and cold but to completely remove
the restrictions the stock airbox imposed on the stock turbo.
The concept to
the tune up was simple. By letting the turbo breath easier the engine would
intern become more efficient across the board. Improving performance, fuel
economy, & reliability would only be compounded through the addition of a
software tune. Anytime the boost pressure is raised slightly, the restrictions
double, but the same can be said of the performance gains.
Some
modifications improve the quality and reliability and dare I say it enjoyability
of your vehicle without becoming an obnoxious fast and furious boy racer. So far,
the tune up has made a noticeable difference in the car’s responsiveness with
an improvement in performance and gas mileage. As time goes on there will be
opportunities to upgrade the OEM parts for better quality items. Until then I
am going to enjoy the improved TT and log its improved performance capabilities
when possible.
Stay tuned.
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