Diesel madness

Now all is clear. I thought inlet temperatures referred to the temperature of the air entering the engine not the temperature of a piece of ducting. I bow to your greater wisdom.

And I foolishly thought it was because of Boyle's Law. What function do you think an intercooler performs ?

Work was done by Turbo Dynamics, they changed the compressor to a larger one, I think a GT17. Cost was £550 inc VAT. Also changed bearing to 360˚. I ran it at 25psi and ended up with very high inlet temperatures. Temps could be brought down with a bigger intercooler ( at risk of lag ) or water injection. Unfortunately I did not realise that a flashing oil light meant stop now and not when you've got a spare moment put in a bit of oil. My lower brace had hit a speed bump and worn through the sump. Very expensive......new engine and now another new turbo.

I've been thinking the same but have now decided either to get another hybrid GT1544 or a GT 1548 with a custom manifold. Anything too big is going to be very laggy unless your playing on a drag strip.

Hi Blister, I've competed at sprints and hillclimbs for several years. Currently in a 1.4TDi Lupo I assume you are competing in MSA events. Your local championship must be ACSMC. Look them up on the web. very friendly bunch. You need to read the MSA blue book regarding what is allowed in each class. If you are running in an un-modified class you need to keep interior trim and rear seats. If you strip out the car it will be classed as a modified car ( basically a race car ). In road going production classes you can run list 1b tyres, the cheapest are Maxsport RB5s. I run 185 / 50 / 14s and these work pretty well. They will not last on the road so I have a spare set of rims. You are allowed to modify the induction, so you can fit whatever filter you want. You can change the exhaust. I believe with petrol engines you can change the internals but must keep swept volume in class. Mods required for the regs are simply the identification of the negative battery terminal with yellow tape, the fitting of a beam splitter on the front and an indication on how to turn the car off i.e. a sticker saying off with an arrow showing which way to turn the key. If you want to win you will need to spend around £20 -£30 K tuning up the car as this is the budget you class mates will have invested. You can run as you are are expect to come 3rd, 4th etc and have a great time.

£350 inc VAT Looks great. Turbo back, 2" straight through with free flow back box. Have not had time to put it on the rollers to see what power improvements are but it sounds better.

The guys ta Infinity exhausts are doing the job http://www.infinity-exhausts.co.uk/ After a quick check on the rollers to consolidate any improvements the next steps on the search for ever more power look V expensive: race injectors, gas flowed head and new cam. These might have to wait until the end of the year.

Having a new exhaust made this Friday. Probably 2"diameter all through, new downpipe with flexi, no cat, no middle box ,custom back box. Has anyone else had one done ? What was the spec, size, boxes etc. What power gain did you see ? Cheers

Thought you'd like to see what grassroots motorsport looks like in a Lupo. Motorhome not quite as grand as Red Bull F1 http://s1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/drivermatt/

Looks like I need to eat humble pie. Found this on a US site: Larger injectors are unique among the major power adders in that they inject a larger amount of fuel within the same amount of crankshaft rotation, and thus, for a given power delivery, they keep smoke and exhaust temperature to the minimum while also avoiding the increase in peak cylinder pressure caused by over-advanced start-of-injection timing. Given that the 110hp VW TDI engine is almost identical to the 90hp except for larger injectors, and that the 190hp "race TDI" developed by VW Motorsport uses even larger injectors but roughly the same injection timing and duration as stock, this method would appear to be the one favored by the engineers who develop the VW TDI. All injectors other than 0.216 look the same other than the part number, so the modification is invisible to the eye, and in the case of the 0.216 injectors, it takes a knowledgeable eye to spot a minor difference. This modification is transparent to electronic scan tools. Power gain will range from mild to wild depending on how big you go, but will be easily noticeable when driving the vehicle. All vehicle diagnostic and sensor-checking functions remain intact although the reported fuel delivery will no longer be accurate since the ECU has no way of knowing about the extra fuel being injected. Any ideas on where to get a set of injectors ????

When remapping the engine we increased boost and then fueling until we started to produce quite a lot of smoke (with the existing injectors) so backed off to keep the same power and torque but with a more stoichiometric mixture. Therefore I don't believe my failure to get more power is due to lack of fuel. Maybe the standard exhaust system is a constraint or overall small size of the turbo is the main issue. It could just be that a car with 122,000 miles on it is not going to produce big power. I must say that with the current set up its very good at accelerating out of roundabouts with the high torque although it does seem to be shredding the front tyres

Have now installed a hybrid turbo with G17 compressor and modified turbine wheel. Remapped today and frankly disappointed. Turbo Dynamics said turbo only good for 1.5 bar. This gives 105 BHP and 187 lbf.ft torque. It feels pretty nippy but not the improvement that I expected. Not sure how to find another 10-20 BHP. We could push the turbo but risk a mess. New exhaust may find another 1-2 BHP.

I can confirm that a remap with fine tuning on a rolling road is a worthwhile investment. Had mine done 30,000+ miles ago and no problems. Standard turbo is only good for 100bhp ( I've been told the existing bearings are the weak point ) Totally agree about B road drivability. Only problem with power is you always want more. I am now the proud owner of a Turbo Dynamics hybrid turbo and a Jetex intake; will let you know what it does to performance once they are fitted and the engine remapped. Does anyone know how to run multiple maps on a TDi ?

Hi All, Thought I'd give you an update on life with a 1.4 TDi diesel Lupo. Mods include eibach springs, black diamond brakes, Wavetrack LSD, Whiteline rear ARB, OMP lower front brace and a remap. After writing off my beautiful NSX ( 1 day after a £7K service ) I have invested this week in Koni Sport shocks and a hybrid turbo ( new turbine, compressor and bearings) hopefully after a remap I should see 130-140 BHP at the crank. This car is my going to work car during the week and a competition car at week-ends. To change from one to the other only requires a change of wheels with a set of Maxsport RB5's soft compound tyres. Is anyone else seeing how far they can improve a TDi?

Diamond Black brakes, Eibach springs, Remap Rear ARB Lower front brace

I have 195 50s on 15" rims and had rubbing on bumps or hard cornering.Both front and rear. Especially with rear passengers. Have now added a rear ARB and a front lower brace. I think the brace has made most difference and it was pretty cheap. For track use I think it better to go for a 185 tyre. Can't help feeling the 195 is too much. I tried out my new Maxsport RB5s yesterday and am amazed by the grip. Soft compound so only really a qualifying tyre. I have AD08s on my NSX and think they are the mutts ........ but they don't work in very cold weather. Be warned.

I'm running on some Eibach springs. They are as low as I want to go. With 15" wheels I get occasional rubbing of the wheel arches. Can't remember the price. I think the shocks issue is only true if going V low. These springs are progressive so comfortable but better handling. 1 x E8562-140 - Eibach (Pro Kit Springs) from Europerformance.co.uk

Have just peeled of £1500 to have the car serviced and to buy and fit Wavetrack LSD, rear ARB and lower front brace. Very stiff now, corning under power will take some getting used to but is a giant leap forwards. Will need to pause now before looking for more horses.

Less room that a Lupo but slightly higher top end. Pic taken in Patras Greece. A 1,600 mile run from home. http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2475224710106857627JFmHFx

VW confirmed that the TDI is fitted with the O2J gearbox Have now ordered white line rear ARB from Awesome and OMP Lower front brace from Kam racing. Next on wish list is Wavetrack LSD. Will be buying from USA as almost half price. Fitting the LSD is an expensive game. Later in the year its a hybrid turbo from Turbo Technics and a map for 1 minute of max power. First event of the year is Werrington Park Cornwall on 30th April. Could this be a Lupo victory ???????

Can't find anything other than EXB. Where do I buy a LSD from ? Which make and model ? Thanks for the feedback.

Looks like its an EXB

Too many codes to pick from in the manual. Its a 5 speed.

With a new season approaching its time for the next instalment of tuning. Will be fitting list 1B tyres and a rear antiroll bar. Can anyone help me locate a LSD for a 1.4 TDI? Also would like to find a lower front brace. Any ideas ?

Not back at Wiscombe until 4th and 5th September. Off to Castle hillclimb in Cormwall 10th and 11th July. New tyres will have to wait as a set of AD08s for the NSX have used up all pocket money and caused Mrs to be ANGRY