DarkSideGTI Big Turbo Build Round 2

[kevin808]

Nikon D7000, 50mm f1.8, a little PP in Lightroom.

Nice. I have a 5D MKII and a pair of Canon lenses, a EF 28-70mm f/2.8 L USM and I just picked up a 70-200mm f/2.8L EF IS II. The price of the kit combined could have bought a nice turbo kit.

Every time I see Nikon pics it makes me want a Nikon. There is just something about the sharpness I love.

[DarkSideGTI]

You can get just as sharp pictures from your 5D. Make sure you are totally in focus and after resizing pics you always have to apply a sharpness filter. I usually use unsharp mask at 100% and 1 pixel.

[kevin808]

Thanks for the tip, I will try that! Nice DOF on the shots BTW. Do you plan on taking any rolling shots soon?

And just out of curiosity, how does your suspension ride over rough roads? Do you have a setting to jack it up when you go over bad terrain? I was thinking of going with bagz for mine but the roads in Boston are horrendous. I have coils with 19" wheels + 35 Sidewall tires and potholes make me want to cry.

[Mr Nasty]

Nice. I have a 5D MKII and a pair of Canon lenses, a EF 28-70mm f/2.8 L USM and I just picked up a 70-200mm f/2.8L EF IS II. The price of the kit combined could have bought a nice turbo kit.

Every time I see Nikon pics it makes me want a Nikon. There is just something about the sharpness I love.

If you're not getting as sharp of an image with those lenses you're doing something wrong.
Take a look at autofocus settings.

Car is looking good as always man.

[Tony275]

I. Love. This. Car. And your photos!

[DarkSideGTI]

I usually raise the car up while on rough roads. The bags bounce a little while low and my tires can hit my fenders. The roads are pretty decent here though.

Cleaned all the winter muck out of the engine bay tonight. I should have taken a before picture.

[sTT eV6]

[DarkSideGTI]

few pics with my buddies freshly lowered JSW.













BTW did a few runs with my buddies 996TT. We did a few 2nd gear pulls and that car has no lag at all. On the two runs where he got on it first he had jumped out 2 car lengths before I was even spooled. On the last run I punched it first and stayed ahead until the middle of 4th gear when we let off. I was running 15 psi and he is slightly modded, GIAC chip, and tubi exhaust. Bad news is I parked my car after and it spit coolant out the overflow tank. Thought I had that solved, guess not. Stock overflow might be going back in the car soon.

[Tony275]

Love the new photos!

[Rmeitz167]

car looks real good man

[arethirdytwo]

Great pics! Cooling wise, I know we have gone over this all but does it have the Aux rad? I know you are boosted but the fact that I could drive my car in rush hour with 110 degree temps and not see over heating makes me think you need a higher pressure cap. Or it could just be the fact that you beat the piss out of the car and then didn't let it cool down enough while driving .

[newcreation]

Gorgeous car. Are those miro 111 or something else? looks so good

[DarkSideGTI]

Great pics! Cooling wise, I know we have gone over this all but does it have the Aux rad? I know you are boosted but the fact that I could drive my car in rush hour with 110 degree temps and not see over heating makes me think you need a higher pressure cap. Or it could just be the fact that you beat the piss out of the car and then didn't let it cool down enough while driving .

I think I might soon. 2 problems though. 1 the nipple that feeds one side of the aux rad is now feeding the filler neck. And 2, the stock mount is where my power steering reservoir is mounted. I can get around both problems, but I have been a little lazy.

Gorgeous car. Are those miro 111 or something else? looks so good

VMR V710's. They will only be on the car for a couple more weeks.

[JDM-JTI]

bay is looking MONEY man

[rycr2501993]

One very bada** car. I cant believe how clean this R is. Took me 3 days to read it all haha. this car is a true insperation and the fact you did the work yourself is unreal. Congrats on getting it done.

[BIG DUB]

Looking good boss

[DarkSideGTI]

Great pics! Cooling wise, I know we have gone over this all but does it have the Aux rad? I know you are boosted but the fact that I could drive my car in rush hour with 110 degree temps and not see over heating makes me think you need a higher pressure cap. Or it could just be the fact that you beat the piss out of the car and then didn't let it cool down enough while driving .

Another thing. A while back I logged my temps and the car wasn't that hot and still boiled over. I think I'm still either charging the cooling system with boost or my filler neck placement is trapping hot coolant.

I got this bag of head bolts today.

[JDM-JTI]

nobody likes teasers ya bastard !

although I am pretty sure you already told me what you ordered

[DarkSideGTI]

This is all you get until the faces are done.

[NickGTI32]

huge tease...

[arethirdytwo]

Boooo teasers.

[eurolife]

Saw this at Rally Sports Swap Meet today...... Had to pick up jaw back up off the ground. Gorgeous car man! It was by far the best looking car there.

[TBT-Syncro]

Another thing. A while back I logged my temps and the car wasn't that hot and still boiled over. I think I'm still either charging the cooling system with boost or my filler neck placement is trapping hot coolant.

you sure it doesnt have an air leak? will the system hold 18 psi?

[DarkSideGTI]

So you think I was lifting the head a bit?



Look at the turbine inlet.

[arethirdytwo]

LOL How many times have you done the head on this beast? Why the lifting? Do you think the bolts ended up getting too stretched?

[JamesO]

Haven't updated this thread for a while.

A couple weeks ago I wanted to look into the cam code issue again so I removed the valve cover and timing chain cover. I figured I'd try removing the upper chain and spinning the lower end 360* for ****s and giggles. While I was doing that I noticed some sealant was on the front cam adjuster right where the sensor reads it. I scraped that off and rotated the bottom end 180 and then buttoned everything back up double checking the timing. After driving the car more than 500 miles now the only code I have is a clutch pedal switch code. I don't know if it was the sealant on the cam or rotating the bottom end, but at this point I'm just glad the codes are gone.

I hate to say it....
......but I told you so. :-/

The timing between the top & bottom end can be off, and the allocation faults are the only indication of this. I know this from experience and I'm sorry you had to learn this the hard way also.

Honestly, I'm just glad you finally got it taken care of! 👍

[DarkSideGTI]

I hate to say it....
......but I told you so. :-/

The timing between the top & bottom end can be off, and the allocation faults are the only indication of this. I know this from experience and I'm sorry you had to learn this the hard way also.

Honestly, I'm just glad you finally got it taken care of! 👍

Yeah, you told me. but didn't give me a logical explanation as to why you shouldn't follow the factory markings.

[JamesO]

Well, you can think what you want, but the truth is it DOES matter. Otherwise they wouldn't have you time it accordingly!

I have said all I can to help you out bud, now the choice is yours.

If you actually know what those faults are telling you, it's that your TIMING IS OFF!
Laymen's terms, (G40) Cam signal doesn't align to crank signal (G28). (G163) Cam signal 2 doesn't align with crank signal (G28). Period!

Honestly, I don't know how I could have made it any clearer?

[GTI...VRsicks]

Sick thread

[DarkSideGTI]

I guess I can give an update as to why I tore the motor apart again. A couple weeks ago I took my car to a local dyno day with race gas and upped boost to 28 psi. The car felt really strong on the few pulls I did on my way out there. When I got to the shop I let the car cool down for about an hour before we put it on the rollers.



After that run the dyno operator looked at me and said the car was leaking a little coolant out of the overflow bottle. Then a minute later he said it was really coming out. I told him I was done and pulled my car off the rollers and let it sit in the parking lot. I came back in to pick up my sheet and the car only made 485 awhp. For 28 psi that is really low. The operator asked if I had a blown head gasket and I told him it's either that or I am lifting the head somehow.

So on Saturday I started working on the car. As I loosened the OEM head bolts quite a few let out a hiss and some air bubbles came rushing out. that was the first sign that I had been lifting the head. Then when I took the head off I saw this.



Take a look at the turbo inlet, all that white stuff is coolant that my car was burning off. the head gasket actually didn't look too bad which surprised me a bit. Once I cleaned the block and head and made sure there was no warpage I got out the ARP head studs and first compared them to the stock bolts.



As you can see, the ARP's are quite a bit longer than the stock head bolts. When I put the longer ones in you can see that they will actually work fine without any shortening or extra washers.



The 13 outside ones though are too long and required two washers so the nut didn't tighten onto the shoulder of the stud.





I was able to torque everything down properly and the car has been running great since the install, but I still do not recommend anyone install these until a real "kit" comes out.

[huichox4]

Well at least you got it figured out finally man.

all of them use washers so how many extra ones you had to use for the ones that did not sit correctly? I am going cross-eyed looking at that pic, maybe 3 I see?

[DarkSideGTI]

two on the outer 13 studs and just 1 on the inner 7.

[PCSkiBum_21]

damn nick! "only" 485 haha. where is there an AWD dynojet in UT now? Get her back on the dyno and see what it will do without lifting the head haha.

[newcreation]

I been running oems for over a year 20psi daily. Hpa uses oems as well and so did the 10sec R "lightsout" Adrian. Could use raceware if need be

[DarkSideGTI]

damn nick! "only" 485 haha. where is there an AWD dynojet in UT now? Get her back on the dyno and see what it will do without lifting the head haha.

PRemiere Performance in West Jordan.

I been running oems for over a year 20psi daily. Hpa uses oems as well and so did the 10sec R "lightsout" Adrian. Could use raceware if need be

They worked fine on my car before this build too. Thinking maybe one or two failed or something wasn't torqued correctly.