Thread: TD5 Power Modifications - Clarity before spending

Hello all,

Firstly i'm very aware that there are countless threads for TD5 power upgrades and i have spent many hours reading through threads from different people. This thread is intended for me to get a solid direction without doing things three times over, lets keep this thread on topic

Vehicle in question: D2a Manual, engine has just been rebuilt, head reconditioned etc.

Current modifications:

Allisport intercooler
Deleted cat
Deleted centre muffler
Egr delete
Uprated exhaust studs
Exhaust manifold machined (again)
Provent 200

Very soon definite upgrades:
Flex join in turbo front pipe to be swapped for same ID unit
Remap
Allipsport exhaust manifold (if the factory unit warps again).

Now i was holding off and have been for some time about getting a remap done. Because i wanted to upgrade the intercooler and was very definitely going to go with the TD5inside hybrid turbo upgrade.

At the moment i have boost wound up to 18 lb or so and it bleeds back to 15 lb - i figured this was due to the lack of fuel in the factory map preventing enough gas flow to allow a solid 18 - 19 lb of boost. With some trial and error, removing the control solenoid, using a manual bleed valve, disconnecting the waste gate completely. I quickly realised i could produce 23/24 lb of boost with the factory map and factory turbo (working well out of its efficiency rang i know).

However, i noticed a good improvement in mid range torque, response and EGT's dropped substantially. That is until i hit boost cut.

I wanted to buy the Td5inside turbo, the free supplied boost box and remap at an additional $200. Total of $1785 landed. Good idea.

After reading further and further and eventually solving my dead MAF issue (i'm now recording peaks of 680 gr/hr with the MAF on a factory tune) i came to the quick conclusion that i may actually need a dual channel boost / maf controller as with the remap and turbo upgrade i was going to go well out of the range with the MAF.

One question being is, does anyone know how the IRB dual channel controller works, is it simply that, a dual channel unit, simply a boost box but two of them in the one housing? If so i can simply use two boost boxes to solve the MAF out of range issue. I would simply buy an IRB unit but that are costly and apparently very hard to deal with.

Moving back to remapping, off the top of my head a Td5inside remap for AULRO members is $340 - pretty damn good. But if i wait and buy it with the turbo package i'm saving $140. But i'm now on the train of thought that if i buy a remap now, a boost / maf box and gain correct control over the factory turbo's waste gate to have a good substantial increase in power and torque and use the money i've saved from holding off on the turbo to spend on the drive train.

Who knows, i might be happy with a remap. It has one plus, if the turbo fails, a SH unit is easy to come by. If the Hybrid fails, there's a long wait for warranty or a replacement if its out of warranty and i simply can't afford a new one at that time. The other advantage of buying a remap now for the factory turbo now and possibly a new remap (which is free) for the hybrid turbo if i choose to ever go down that path is that if the hybrid does fail, i can throw the standard turbo back on and load the old remap file.

Moving onto waste gate control, this applies to both the factory turbo and the hybrid really.

What us the best solution? So far i've seen that when people start asking more boost out of the factory turbo or even fit a hybrid, the standard waste gate controller is deleted and the waste gate runs simply from raw pressure on the hot side of the cooler piping (no vacuum assist to help keep it closed to promote earlier boost). Boost is controlled via spring tension on the WG. Sure it works, but i think it could be better (Coming from a performance petrol engine back ground)

Simply fit an after market electronic boost controller. Set your gain and your target boost and let the controller adjust duty of the SV to allow vacuum at the WG to help it keep closed until it starts approaching target boost and then allow boost pressure to start actuating the WG.

In all the setups i've seen i have not seen someone use an electronic boost controller. Is it that its simply not needed, the gains are thought to not be there, or no one has really thought of the idea?

My current train of thought is to;

Solve the over boost known issue with a boost box
Solve the 'potential' MAF out of range issue with either an IRB controller or if i can another boost box or other device? (Not an alive tuning MAF).
Gain better control over the waste gate
Remap.

Realistically the above should be achieved for under $800.

If i do then decide to upgrade the turbo later on, well i still needed the boost / maf box, i'm almost certain the electronic boost controller will help with the new hybrid turbo (lets discuss this) and the remap comes free for the new turbo as i've already purchased a remap previously from Jose.

Sorry this has been long winded, i want to do this right and achieve what i want out of the car for now. Hence why i'm leaning away from the turbo upgrade for now to spent some money elsewhere, but in saying that i am in dire need of at least a remap.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by kelvo

Just curious, why not the Alive MAF?

I've been trying, and failing, to find specs on the VDO MAFs to see if I can find which one they are using.

There is also another MAP sensor which can be used, the ECU boost limit stats the same, but the peak pressure is higher for the same voltage that the stock MAP produces.

Fitting the 'uprated' MAF & MAP would do away with the dual channel controller.

Differente Map sensor needs ecu calibration to suit , because the signal range its very diferent! Boost box its still the best way to do it...

Can see the need or use of an electronic boost controller with a good remap

P.S. Kitto, you are probably warping manifolds because you are using to much boost on the standart map/injection! This mean you wont produce enough exausth flow to "take off" the heat from turbo/manifold.