Audi A4R4 450HP CBEA (CR) Build

TDIsyncro

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I went on a trip down memory lane and read this thread from page 1, plus threads that preceded and also came subsequent to this one.

I want to say, Louis, what a pleasure it has been to work with you all these years. I am very grateful for our friendship. :) A lot of "life" has gone on - for both of us - since this project was conceived some nearly 8 years ago. Seeing where your project is now gives me complete confidence that we will be having first-start and first-run when our miserable Canadian winter passes. :D

I'm also eager to know how the original engine build that started this thread does in its new home. Exciting times for sure. :)
Thank you for the kind words Dave. Yes, a lot of "life" has gone on! Its always been a pleasure working with you as well and thank you for the friendship over the years.
I feel pretty confident that I will have all the boost piping and most of ancillaries complete this winter. ECU/injector install should be this winter as well. I think next May (when the snow has melted) is a good target for first test drive. :D Goal will be testing and calibrating system on stock engine with oversized injectors, and obviously the turbo system, as shown in thread. I would expect I will be running around the standard 280HP/450FT-lbs max at this point. Hopefully the LP will spool enough in this range for testing. Performance mods on engine will follow in the 2018/2019 winter. Push the power up from there.

I will keep updates on the race engine build at its new home. The focus on that project this winter will be making changes to get the displacement back down to 2.01L max. We are working on billet cams and valve train assembly right now. Skynam ECU testing on stock engine has gone well.
 

KERMA

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This thread was a bit ahead of its time it seems.

What did you decide for engine mangement? It would be a shame to use a Euro-spec ECU and forego the unique in-cylinder capabilities of the North American ecus. ;)
 

Macradiators.com

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Im gonna stick with EDC17 ecu, there is everything we need for 420+hp, my next target in 2 months.
Expensive parts are being bought , designed and machined as we speak.

Standalone ecu would be too much trouble i think at this point. Would take time to learn and i dont know if there are any gains at all.
 

TDIsyncro

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9 years later, how is this going? if going at all..
This thread was an inspirational one for me :)
Yeah, for me too...

Thanks guys.

Yes this project is still slowly moving forward. I will probably finish up TIG welding in next two months. I have a dozen miscellaneous things to complete before a start-up so no promises when. (family, work and education always take priority). I am going to be running Euro EDC17 with solenoid style injectors. I can still run cylinder pressure GP's just need to change harness ends and run wires to separate data logging. I have some magic for controlling the turbo system. Will be starting to pull together controls side over next few months. This is all being done on a stock engine with upgraded fuel system. No point in getting too much further into engine until this system is working as per original concept. This should of been my original approach but live and learn. Plans with original performance built engine are still Skynam ECU.
 

KERMA

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not just for data logging

Real-time, closed loop control of combustion phasing.

You can even choose the fraction that's monitored, default is CA50
 

TDIsyncro

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not just for data logging

Real-time, closed loop control of combustion phasing.

You can even choose the fraction that's monitored, default is CA50

I will have to let that go as a future opportunity. Right now I am trying to keep a narrow focus to get running and testing. IIRC the factory pressure sensors are good to 200bar, so using this part of the ECU would require a new sensor selection and then recalibration of tunes related to the new sensors. I am not sure I even have this level of support for tuning factory ECU.
 

Macradiators.com

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Anybody using this skynam ecu in anything over 300hp?
How is it better than oem ?
Can be better if rail pressure is simple to control and you actually get it stable across the rpm range.

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TDIsyncro

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Anybody using this skynam ecu in anything over 300hp?
How is it better than oem ?
Can be better if rail pressure is simple to control and you actually get it stable across the rpm range.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Skynam is being used in professional motorsports. There is one other member on here that has used it other than myself. It is a complicated ecu comparable to Bosch Motorsports version. It has many outputs and inputs that can be programmed for whatever you want..the trick is the programming. It can control multiple VNT turbos simultaneous, no issue with rail pressure control, control other actuators (PWM or analogue) for other functions, staged nitrous, stage water meth, variations of launch control, etc..whatever you can dream up and execute for programming, really.
 

Macradiators.com

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After 2 years i find that the most important thing to make big power if the hw part is sorted out ..is rail pressure.
Soi and eoi can be sorted out in 3 4 runs and you get the idea of whats better at this level.
An ecu too complicated to be program is not a good thing.

What do you mean rail pressure its not an issue..

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TDIsyncro

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After 2 years i find that the most important thing to make big power if the hw part is sorted out ..is rail pressure.

What do you mean rail pressure its not an issue..

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I was responding to your comment above regarding stable rail pressure. The Skynam can control with stable rail pressure. The rail pressure issue we have with big HPFP (R90 & R110) is unique to our OEM ECU. I have seen Bosch, SCS and Skynam not have a problem with this control. There is one other brand which I expect will soon prove that its not a problem as well. There are 1 or 2 people in our group that can now tune OEM ECU past this barrier. If you want to easily solve yourself then aftermarket ECU is the choice or find the right tuner.
 

Syncrogreg

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Deleted by moderator for vendor rule violation. Warning and points issued.

--moderator
 
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Macradiators.com

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Well if this ecu can control 2700bar of pressure easily it sounds nice.
Where can i see the interface of the software?


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Syncrogreg

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I can make it 3000 bars if you want. You will need a proper rail pressure sensor and injectors that can handle that pressure. The numbers are unlimited. The limit is your hardware.

Greg

Well if this ecu can control 2700bar of pressure easily it sounds nice.
Where can i see the interface of the software?


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Macradiators.com

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HW is not an issue for 2700-3000bar, mapping is.

Theory sounds nice, show me some logs with 2500bar and 130mg iq till 5000rpm
 
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TDIsyncro

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Its been a long time since I posted and I can now announce that I did complete this build and drove it a bit this fall. There are about a dozen issues to work out but overall it drove and performed really well. It is currently set-up to max out a modified R70 CP3 pump and this CP3 will be replaced in the winter with an R110 or R90 to push HP up to original project targets. I am currently running big solenoid injectors, CP3, ECU and Tune from Ryan @ DarkSide. To use these injectors in a piezo head I designed an adapter kit and custom billet aluminum valve cover back in 2018. It was really the quickest way for me to get this thing on the road with the limited time I have. Once the custom wire harness was completed I started trying to get a first start. After a couple weeks of trying, I worked my way through a fuel delivery issue and finally focused back on the harness to find a single wire that was missing on ECU power side. I got an immediate start at this point. This was around March 2021. It took me a good 4 months of systems testing and trouble shooting on almost everything from turbo control, fuel system, clutch system, brake set-up, and shifter set-up before it was drivable. There is a lot of experimental ideas in this build I really wasn't sure how well it would all workout. With the engine in mid position , and radiator at the front, there was probably about 100+ aluminum welds I did on building the coolant system. Fortunately none of them leaked on first test; I was really expecting a lot of leaks. I did have some problems with silicone hose on coolant line connectors and when I replaced these problematic ones with pieces of rubber radiator hose the leaks disappeared. I will admit some of the problems I had to work through were incredibly frustrating. While the intercooler and after cooler set-up packaged up with nice low volumes, it took a lot of fiddling to find the right assembly procedure (including some modifications to the coolers). I also broke my driver side axle in the first 15 min of the first test drive. I ended up repairing it myself to get it back on road as soon as possible. Repair went really well. I will catch up the thread on some of the details over the next few months. Car is back in garage for winter and I am planning to work through a list of items before next spring. A few pictures in the next post on how it currently sits.
 
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TDIMeister

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That's awesome Louis! All the hard work has finally paid off and is paying dividends.

Hope you were able to log some good seat time before putting it away again for the winter. Gotta love Canada, eh?! :)

Looking forward to the big reveal with pics and update of all that has been done to the car. This thread is now dozens of pages long and nearly a decade old (!!!) - a recapping for the many newer members would be good :)

PS: Getting so many fluid-tight welds (with aluminum no less) and elsewhere all around the car flawlessly is no small feat even for seasoned pros and is a testament to your skills, patience and attention to detail.
 

TDIsyncro

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Hello Mr Meister! :D Nice for you to drop a comment. Trust me, it was not enough seat time for a decade of work! However, it was enough to get a good feel for the chassis and motor set-up. The noise level was more than I imagined (no sound insulation material yet) but everything else was more or less what I was hoping. Looks like I do not remember how to post pictures properly. Bare with me.:rolleyes:



That's awesome Louis! All the hard work has finally paid off and is paying dividends.

Hope you were able to log some good seat time before putting it away again for the winter. Gotta love Canada, eh?! :)

Looking forward to the big reveal with pics and update of all that has been done to the car. This thread is now dozens of pages long and nearly a decade old (!!!) - a recapping for the many newer members would be good :)

PS: Getting so many fluid-tight welds (with aluminum no less) and elsewhere all around the car flawlessly is no small feat even for seasoned pros and is a testament to your skills, patience and attention to detail.
 

TDIsyncro

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One of the last few tasks I had prior to hitting the road was adjusting ride height, checking corner weights, and completing a wheel alignment. The first task was adjusting ride height and corner weights. In a perfect world we can arrive at same ride heights and corner weights when comparing left and right side. In actuality there is some difference do to weight distribution in car and that makes it more challenging. I rented a corner weight kit from a local race shop for this task. The car is jacked up and then carefully lowered onto wheel scales. I use poly sheet on top of the scales to make sure the wheels can easily slide left to ride as the suspension moves through ride height. After a day of jacking and adjusting coilovers, I ended up with a satisfactory corner weights and ride height. The roads in my city are not great so I have left the ride height a bit more generous. So far I am satisfied with this set-up and will leave it at same coil spring rates and ride heights for next year. At 3253 pounds (all fluids and fuel in), the build ended up heavier than I was hoping but its still respectable. In hindsight, some of the tube chassis fabrication is definitely on the heavy side. I can see about 150lbs that could be eliminate but I do not think sub 3000 will be possible without moving it to a full race set-up.






Next was to set the wheel alignment. This was a good process as it also provided a final once over check on all the chassis and suspension bolts. It was also a bit challenging deciding on what wheel alignment specifications would work best for this custom build. I reviewed a variety of applications and decided to try Audi R8 specs first over top of an A4/S4 set-up. Looking at a range of R8 set-ups, I decided to try a slightly aggressive R8 OEM arrangement. I wanted to get familiar with the wheel alignment process myself (first time) and went with building bolt-on custom jigs for a string line set-up. Using the bolt on jig has the advantage of not needing to reset the string lines between every adjustment. It takes up more time to build but will save lots of time every time I make adjustments now and in the future. The process is fairly simple but takes a lot of time. First step is to get the string lines parallel and properly centered on the chassis. I did this by having the same string to string measurements front and back, while also having the same string to hub measurements from left to right. It was fairly easy to measure down to 1/32", which I think was sufficient for angular accuracy. I looked at buying a digital camber tool but opted for trying an application on my S21+ phone. This is certainly not as accurate as a camber took but it is not too bad either. I took each camber measurement multiple times and they were usually within 0.2 deg. The front toe was adjusted while also concentrating on centering the steering wheel. It was a bit tedious jacking the car, removing wheels, removing tie-rods, adjusting, installing tie-rods, installing wheels and jacking back down. Repeat from side to side about 12-15 times and eventually it was as accurate as one could get using one full thread rotation increments on the tie-rods. Camber adjustment at the back were much quicker and less iterative.

 
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greengeeker

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The noise level was more than I imagined (no sound insulation material yet) but everything else was more or less what I was hoping.
Very nice work!! So glad to see progress. Your thin aluminum panels aren't doing you favors on the noise front. I would focus on mass barrier material more than "insulation"...perhaps that's what you meant?
 

TDIsyncro

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Very nice work!! So glad to see progress. Your thin aluminum panels aren't doing you favors on the noise front. I would focus on mass barrier material more than "insulation"...perhaps that's what you meant?
Thanks greengeeker. I have been looking at a lot of different products for the sound barrier. Haven't made my mind up yet because there are so many. Will sort something out this winter.
 
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