Free Mods

[Coastie617]

I am quite new to the org. i have read about some "Free Mods"

Snow box removal
Slicing you fender liner so more air gets to the Intercooler.

Can anyone that has done this testify that they have made any kind of horsepower difference. or alteast seat dyno difference. i am curently living in cocoa beach florida and just got orders to michigan. i am worried that the snow box intake is in place for a reason and that if i remove it, it could cause problems down the road in the future. can anyone please help me with these questions. also is there any other free mods that i can do to increase seat dyno. i have a bunch of friends that are in the DSM world and with all the free mods to their cars they can get into the 13's with just free mods..


Thanks for the help


John

[lojasmo]

These mods MIGHT ad 4-5 HP....MIGHT.

If you want to play, you have to pay....sorry.

[Coastie617]

also is there a how-to to any one of these mods.. i think i have seen one for the snowbox removal but none for the fender liner mod..


John

[Toad]

the snowbox removal will let the engine breathe better, and the fender liner mod will cool the intercooler better.
It should help with making the engine run better, but very little, of nothing will be gained, except mybey a little better gas mileage.

If you add maybe a k&n air filter in the air box, and add an exhaust, the "free" mods will help them do more.

[lojasmo]

Originally Posted by Coastie617

also is there a how-to to any one of these mods.. i think i have seen one for the snowbox removal but none for the fender liner mod..


John

John-

Basically you remove the passenger fender liner, cut a hole behind where the intercooler sits. The BEST thing to do is to purchase a cheap vent from home despot, and epoxy it in so that you don't throw grime and dirt into the back of the intercooler.

DIY



If you are willing to spend a little money, you can get a turboS fender liner from the stealership for little $ Part number is: 1C0-809-962-F.

In some states, the turbocharger will serve as a "noise deadening device" and you could cut off the muffler and put a straight pipe back from the cat.
K&N filter is also a good, fairly inexpensive alternative to a replacement OEM filter at the time of your next service.

[SilverSportNOLA]

Originally Posted by lojasmo

John-

Basically you remove the passenger fender liner, cut a hole behind where the intercooler sits. The BEST thing to do is to purchase a cheap vent from home despot, and epoxy it in so that you don't throw grime and dirt into the back of the intercooler.

DIY

That is not FREE. The Free way to do it is to take out the liner, pencil in some rectangular boxes about 3/8 to 1/2" tall. And cut slats in with a dremel tool, cut about 6 or 8 slats (3 x 2 or 4 x 2) in the area behind the intercooler, don't cut straight across ... leave the center section in there for more support. If you are wanting to do this, I can take a few pix of mine.

It makes a slight difference ... you would probably notice the difference up north more than in Florida. Those two Free Mods are just the stepping stone toward the other $8000 or in mods you will be doing.

[NYBugman]

you could start messing with the wastegate of the turbo, but you run the risk of shortening the life of your turbocharger.

There aren't really any "free" power mods when it comes the the 1.8T. Cheap power mods, yes. You can do a "diode" mod and then use a MBC to get some cheap power, but that's not as good or safe as a chip, IMO. Invest in a performance program from APR, GIAC or REVO and get a major gain in power.

Plus, your modded 1.8T will arguably be MUCH more reliable than your friends DSM's.

[Holland]

I can think of a few cheep mods.... With the snowbox mod, Fender liner mod, Diode mod $2, EBAY downpipe $78, Forge TIP $180, and a 710NDV valve $35 you will run in the 14's and thats about $300 and will take you from 16's to 14's for $300.. not free...but dammm cheep..and make a few R32 owners mad thats for sure...