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Author Topic: Next performance mod for my ed30  (Read 7079 times)

Offline Lucastheone92

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Next performance mod for my ed30
« on: August 29, 2016, 09:54:55 am »
Alright guys? Recently had a stage 1 remap for my edition 30 (posted photo of gains below). Just wondering if anyone could suggest what could be done next in terms of performance? R tech have suggested I change my cam followers at next service but I will prob be doing this earlier than this for piece of mind!


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Offline AJP

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2016, 10:34:34 am »
Downpipe and fuel pump upgrades will be the biggest benefit on a stock engine.

Offline Lucastheone92

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2016, 10:36:22 am »
Downpipe and fuel pump upgrades will be the biggest benefit on a stock engine.
Any suggestions on which down pipe and fuel pump upgrades? Sorry I'm not very clued up on this sorta thing. Is it just an upgrade to my HPFP?


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Offline AJP

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2016, 10:41:30 am »
Downpipe wants to be 3" and if you're going for a sport cat rather than decat make sure it's from a decent brand. Powervalve, Milltek etc. If you're just doing a decat then some of the more affordable brands seem ok. A decat is just a pipe, after all.

Yes HPFP stands for High Pressure Fuel Pump. It's a known weak point on the TFSI. Look at Loba or APR.

Those are the two biggest bottlenecks at this stage.

Offline Lucastheone92

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2016, 10:45:39 am »
Downpipe wants to be 3" and if you're going for a sport cat rather than decat make sure it's from a decent brand. Powervalve, Milltek etc. If you're just doing a decat then some of the more affordable brands seem ok. A decat is just a pipe, after all.

Yes HPFP stands for High Pressure Fuel Pump. It's a known weak point on the TFSI. Look at Loba or APR.

Those are the two biggest bottlenecks at this stage.
Awesome thanks for the info. Will a 3" down pipe fit onto the rest of the standard exhaust? And does a decat effect MOT?


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Offline AJP

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2016, 11:00:15 am »
Downpipe wants to be 3" and if you're going for a sport cat rather than decat make sure it's from a decent brand. Powervalve, Milltek etc. If you're just doing a decat then some of the more affordable brands seem ok. A decat is just a pipe, after all.

Yes HPFP stands for High Pressure Fuel Pump. It's a known weak point on the TFSI. Look at Loba or APR.

Those are the two biggest bottlenecks at this stage.
Awesome thanks for the info. Will a 3" down pipe fit onto the rest of the standard exhaust? And does a decat effect MOT?


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Yes, but you'll need a certain adapter. If you get one of the cheaper pipes you might have to source this yourself, but I'd imagine anything you buy from Powervalve etc will come with everything ready to fit.

A decat will fail an MOT. Unless you're on very good terms with the tester.

Offline bonelorry

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2016, 10:46:49 pm »
A decent Intercooler too! :smiley:

Offline pudding

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2016, 12:36:47 pm »
Mine made the same numbers for stage 1 at a different tuning firm, but I needed a Loba pump and Helix clutch as neither of the standard items could sustain even stage 1.

Be wary of really cheap Chinese downpipes because some of them only have a 2.5" bore diameter, but are advertised as 3".  That can choke the turbo at high rpms and stop the exhaust valves from sealing properly.   The turbo outlet diameter on the K04 is about 83mm. Most 3" DP's inner diameter is 76mm, so you can get a step in the flow.  If you join the TFSI tuning Facebook group, there's a pretty decent 3.5" outlet DP from Relentless tuning for a good price.  People are getting good results from it.

I've got the APR downpipe and MK6 R intercooler on mine, and to give you an idea of the improvement that gives, mine keeps up with my friend's A45 AMG (the newer 367hp flavor).  Not from a standstill (his pulls away, 4WD!) but we did a rolling 50-Very naughty mph race and there was nothing in it.  I was pleased with that, especially as his is DSG and mine manual!


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

Offline Lucastheone92

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2016, 12:41:00 pm »
Mine made the same numbers for stage 1 at a different tuning firm, but I needed a Loba pump and Helix clutch as neither of the standard items could sustain even stage 1.

Be wary of really cheap Chinese downpipes because some of them only have a 2.5" bore diameter, but are advertised as 3".  That can choke the turbo at high rpms and stop the exhaust valves from sealing properly.   The turbo outlet diameter on the K04 is about 83mm. Most 3" DP's inner diameter is 76mm, so you can get a step in the flow.  If you join the TFSI tuning Facebook group, there's a pretty decent 3.5" outlet DP from Relentless tuning for a good price.  People are getting good results from it.

I've got the APR downpipe and MK6 R intercooler on mine, and to give you an idea of the improvement that gives, mine keeps up with my friend's A45 AMG (the newer 367hp flavor).  Not from a standstill (his pulls away, 4WD!) but we did a rolling 50-Very naughty mph race and there was nothing in it.  I was pleased with that, especially as his is DSG and mine manual!
Thanks for that info that's real helpful ! Does an exhaust really make that much difference? Can I not just do a pre cat removal to free up some air flow ? I'm also thinking about the forge twin take as heard some brilliant reviews !


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Offline pudding

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2016, 12:54:42 pm »
Mine made the same numbers for stage 1 at a different tuning firm, but I needed a Loba pump and Helix clutch as neither of the standard items could sustain even stage 1.

Be wary of really cheap Chinese downpipes because some of them only have a 2.5" bore diameter, but are advertised as 3".  That can choke the turbo at high rpms and stop the exhaust valves from sealing properly.   The turbo outlet diameter on the K04 is about 83mm. Most 3" DP's inner diameter is 76mm, so you can get a step in the flow.  If you join the TFSI tuning Facebook group, there's a pretty decent 3.5" outlet DP from Relentless tuning for a good price.  People are getting good results from it.

I've got the APR downpipe and MK6 R intercooler on mine, and to give you an idea of the improvement that gives, mine keeps up with my friend's A45 AMG (the newer 367hp flavor).  Not from a standstill (his pulls away, 4WD!) but we did a rolling 50-Very naughty mph race and there was nothing in it.  I was pleased with that, especially as his is DSG and mine manual!
Thanks for that info that's real helpful ! Does an exhaust really make that much difference? Can I not just do a pre cat removal to free up some air flow ? I'm also thinking about the forge twin take as heard some brilliant reviews !


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It does yeah.  The downpipe / cat removal mostly.  Cat back exhaust less so, until you start getting up into big boost.

You could do the cat removal thing first, but it's also the shape of the OEM dp that's not great.  It funnels down into an awkward and small diameter neck after the cat, and then the pipe work is only 2.5" too.  The aftermarket DP will delete the fist cat (and also the second if you choose) and will be 3" all the way to the standard exhaust, which is about 5 feet of 3" goodness!  it really does make the engine come alive at the top end, even without stage 2 mapping.

I have the standard intake on mine as I don't like the noises aftermarket ones make, but yeah, a decent intake will help a bit too, again, at the top end mostly.


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Offline Lucastheone92

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2016, 01:27:50 pm »
Mine made the same numbers for stage 1 at a different tuning firm, but I needed a Loba pump and Helix clutch as neither of the standard items could sustain even stage 1.

Be wary of really cheap Chinese downpipes because some of them only have a 2.5" bore diameter, but are advertised as 3".  That can choke the turbo at high rpms and stop the exhaust valves from sealing properly.   The turbo outlet diameter on the K04 is about 83mm. Most 3" DP's inner diameter is 76mm, so you can get a step in the flow.  If you join the TFSI tuning Facebook group, there's a pretty decent 3.5" outlet DP from Relentless tuning for a good price.  People are getting good results from it.

I've got the APR downpipe and MK6 R intercooler on mine, and to give you an idea of the improvement that gives, mine keeps up with my friend's A45 AMG (the newer 367hp flavor).  Not from a standstill (his pulls away, 4WD!) but we did a rolling 50-Very naughty mph race and there was nothing in it.  I was pleased with that, especially as his is DSG and mine manual!
Thanks for that info that's real helpful ! Does an exhaust really make that much difference? Can I not just do a pre cat removal to free up some air flow ? I'm also thinking about the forge twin take as heard some brilliant reviews !


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It does yeah.  The downpipe / cat removal mostly.  Cat back exhaust less so, until you start getting up into big boost.

You could do the cat removal thing first, but it's also the shape of the OEM dp that's not great.  It funnels down into an awkward and small diameter neck after the cat, and then the pipe work is only 2.5" too.  The aftermarket DP will delete the fist cat (and also the second if you choose) and will be 3" all the way to the standard exhaust, which is about 5 feet of 3" goodness!  it really does make the engine come alive at the top end, even without stage 2 mapping.

I have the standard intake on mine as I don't like the noises aftermarket ones make, but yeah, a decent intake will help a bit too, again, at the top end mostly.

Ok thanks i will definately look into getting a downpipe and intercooler. Do i need to change my cam followers for upgraded onces or simply replace them with new ones of the same type?

Offline Lucastheone92

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2016, 01:51:19 pm »
Mine made the same numbers for stage 1 at a different tuning firm, but I needed a Loba pump and Helix clutch as neither of the standard items could sustain even stage 1.

Be wary of really cheap Chinese downpipes because some of them only have a 2.5" bore diameter, but are advertised as 3".  That can choke the turbo at high rpms and stop the exhaust valves from sealing properly.   The turbo outlet diameter on the K04 is about 83mm. Most 3" DP's inner diameter is 76mm, so you can get a step in the flow.  If you join the TFSI tuning Facebook group, there's a pretty decent 3.5" outlet DP from Relentless tuning for a good price.  People are getting good results from it.

I've got the APR downpipe and MK6 R intercooler on mine, and to give you an idea of the improvement that gives, mine keeps up with my friend's A45 AMG (the newer 367hp flavor).  Not from a standstill (his pulls away, 4WD!) but we did a rolling 50-Very naughty mph race and there was nothing in it.  I was pleased with that, especially as his is DSG and mine manual!
Thanks for that info that's real helpful ! Does an exhaust really make that much difference? Can I not just do a pre cat removal to free up some air flow ? I'm also thinking about the forge twin take as heard some brilliant reviews !


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It does yeah.  The downpipe / cat removal mostly.  Cat back exhaust less so, until you start getting up into big boost.

You could do the cat removal thing first, but it's also the shape of the OEM dp that's not great.  It funnels down into an awkward and small diameter neck after the cat, and then the pipe work is only 2.5" too.  The aftermarket DP will delete the fist cat (and also the second if you choose) and will be 3" all the way to the standard exhaust, which is about 5 feet of 3" goodness!  it really does make the engine come alive at the top end, even without stage 2 mapping.

I have the standard intake on mine as I don't like the noises aftermarket ones make, but yeah, a decent intake will help a bit too, again, at the top end mostly.

Ok thanks i will definately look into getting a downpipe and intercooler. Do i need to change my cam followers for upgraded onces or simply replace them with new ones of the same type?

Also, is this the exhaust you have? https://www.awesomegti.com/shop-by-car/audi/a3-8p/apr-cast-downpipe-sports-cat-fwd-only-with-1-8t-2-0t-gen-1-engines/

Offline AJP

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2016, 02:12:09 pm »
Good info there @Pudding

@Lucastheone92 the cam follower is one small part that fits between the HPFP and camshaft. Over time, they wear down. If it fails, you could be looking at lots of nasty metal on metal action and big bills. It's recommended to replace the follower along with the DV and PCV. One or more of these three parts are often the 'usual suspects' when it comes to poor running on a TFSI. Preventative maintenance is key here - replace them before they need replacing. The follower is about 40 quid and is a quick job for a competent mechanic.

If you get as far as fitting an aftermarket intake (it shouldn't be too high up the list of priorities in my opinion) I'd advise looking at the Revo intake, Evoms, ITG Maxogen, or Ramair. The Twintake apparently doesn't flow too well in comparison.

Offline pudding

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #13 on: August 30, 2016, 03:44:35 pm »
Mine made the same numbers for stage 1 at a different tuning firm, but I needed a Loba pump and Helix clutch as neither of the standard items could sustain even stage 1.

Be wary of really cheap Chinese downpipes because some of them only have a 2.5" bore diameter, but are advertised as 3".  That can choke the turbo at high rpms and stop the exhaust valves from sealing properly.   The turbo outlet diameter on the K04 is about 83mm. Most 3" DP's inner diameter is 76mm, so you can get a step in the flow.  If you join the TFSI tuning Facebook group, there's a pretty decent 3.5" outlet DP from Relentless tuning for a good price.  People are getting good results from it.

I've got the APR downpipe and MK6 R intercooler on mine, and to give you an idea of the improvement that gives, mine keeps up with my friend's A45 AMG (the newer 367hp flavor).  Not from a standstill (his pulls away, 4WD!) but we did a rolling 50-Very naughty mph race and there was nothing in it.  I was pleased with that, especially as his is DSG and mine manual!
Thanks for that info that's real helpful ! Does an exhaust really make that much difference? Can I not just do a pre cat removal to free up some air flow ? I'm also thinking about the forge twin take as heard some brilliant reviews !


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It does yeah.  The downpipe / cat removal mostly.  Cat back exhaust less so, until you start getting up into big boost.

You could do the cat removal thing first, but it's also the shape of the OEM dp that's not great.  It funnels down into an awkward and small diameter neck after the cat, and then the pipe work is only 2.5" too.  The aftermarket DP will delete the fist cat (and also the second if you choose) and will be 3" all the way to the standard exhaust, which is about 5 feet of 3" goodness!  it really does make the engine come alive at the top end, even without stage 2 mapping.

I have the standard intake on mine as I don't like the noises aftermarket ones make, but yeah, a decent intake will help a bit too, again, at the top end mostly.

Ok thanks i will definately look into getting a downpipe and intercooler. Do i need to change my cam followers for upgraded onces or simply replace them with new ones of the same type?

Also, is this the exhaust you have? https://www.awesomegti.com/shop-by-car/audi/a3-8p/apr-cast-downpipe-sports-cat-fwd-only-with-1-8t-2-0t-gen-1-engines/

Yeah that's the one, although the UK doesn't get that resonator after the sports cat.   It's expensive, but I was impressed with the quality and fit and finish.  APR remind me of Apple.  You pay a premium for the name, but the quality is definitely there.

I'm quite skeptical of some mods, but even I was impressed by how much harder it pulls from 5000 to the redline.


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

Offline Lucastheone92

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Re: Next performance mod for my ed30
« Reply #14 on: August 30, 2016, 04:08:26 pm »
Good info there @Pudding

@Lucastheone92 the cam follower is one small part that fits between the HPFP and camshaft. Over time, they wear down. If it fails, you could be looking at lots of nasty metal on metal action and big bills. It's recommended to replace the follower along with the DV and PCV. One or more of these three parts are often the 'usual suspects' when it comes to poor running on a TFSI. Preventative maintenance is key here - replace them before they need replacing. The follower is about 40 quid and is a quick job for a competent mechanic.

If you get as far as fitting an aftermarket intake (it shouldn't be too high up the list of priorities in my opinion) I'd advise looking at the Revo intake, Evoms, ITG Maxogen, or Ramair. The Twintake apparently doesn't flow too well in comparison.
So i'm best off first buying a down pipe and intercooler after first replacing my PCV and cam follower? thanks for all the information I really appreciate it as i am new to the world of performance mode as my previous car was a 75bhp polo! i have received so much info sicne joining this forum!