Powah

Hello all,
My 03 ALH is getting old and worn out, (last oil sample was fine) but.... With the amount I drive in a year, I need some more reliability. So my thought was, buy a running engine, and build it.
Plan: Buy known running engine, strip down to block and crank, rebuild bottom end with new oil pump and bearings, install Rosten H-Beam rods, New head, ARP stud kit, 17+ turbo, Bosio DLC race 520 nozzles, (get the injectors calibrated), 11mm fuel pump, 3Bar MAP sensor, Stage 3 colt cam, and new 2.5" intake before and after turbo, with new bigger air to air. Where I get tripped up is the pistons. Im looking at the OEM with oversized rings, but am unsure if they will handle the power that the rest of the system can. So, what are yalls thoughts on the proper upgraded pistons for 250+ build? Thoughts on the build in general are welcome (yes im getting it properly dyno tuned at my local diesel shop)

I just tossed 5 good cores...wish I knew. I still have a few engines though....but to your question, BHW pistons either factory(expensive) or aftermarket are good for this purpose...if you dont want to rebore, Nural brand factory sized pistons work well. I've used them up to 300 hp so far. Mahle brand pistons also work well...but sometimes the balance disparity is beyond what I like.

Old and worn out

Please elaborate? These engines go for 600k with little effort. And even at 300k you can power mod them to get more power and fuel economy.
Tell us a bit about your current ride. No reason to drop 5 grand into a new build if you can do the same for about 1k on a car that's not even worth 3k

Mongler98 said:

Old and worn out

Please elaborate? These engines go for 600k with little effort. And even at 300k you can power mod them to get more power and fuel economy.
Tell us a bit about your current ride. No reason to drop 5 grand into a new build if you can do the same for about 1k on a car that's not even worth 3k

Click to expand...

Ive done injector nozzles and Stage 3 Malone tune and a stage 2 south bend clutch. For the power Im looking for, I would have to spend more than 1k without a doubt. The primary reason for the new engine build is to get more power, but also the engine just doesnt seem to be itself anymore, and it could just be my preception, but it seems to be burning a little oil, far worse during winter, and maybe to much blow by out the head. The car itself is fairly clean, usual surface rust on rockers form living its whole life in maine, needs a fendor (pinhole rot) but the suspension is solid and so is the rest of the body. So i figure spend 6k on the car that I love, and get by through paying off student debt, instead of buying a car for that price, and not really enjoying it.

mrchill said:

I just tossed 5 good cores...wish I knew. I still have a few engines though....but to your question, BHW pistons either factory(expensive) or aftermarket are good for this purpose...if you dont want to rebore, Nural brand factory sized pistons work well. I've used them up to 300 hp so far. Mahle brand pistons also work well...but sometimes the balance disparity is beyond what I like.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Im hoping to avoid boring the engine out, just honing it.

17+ turbo
250+ build

Click to expand...

This will be the biggest problem, not the pistons.

I've seen what happens to vehicles up here once the rust sets in. I'd be quite hesitant to sink $6k into a car that might be a pile in a few years.

turbobrick240 said:

I've seen what happens to vehicles up here once the rust sets in. I'd be quite hesitant to sink $6k into a car that might be a pile in a few years.

Click to expand...

The plan is to clean it up this fall, sandblast the underside, take panels off, and clean everything up in order to prevent any more, local dealership offers a life time undercoating, any rust will be repaired if they do it. And in the event that the car is unsalvageable, I just buy another car from the south that's clean and. Manual and swap my engine in.

Markus L said:

This will be the biggest problem, not the pistons.

Click to expand...

From what I heard the turbo should be able to handle 300 hp. Can't imagine I would need to to bigger than a 52mm comp

I have a GTB1756VK@2 bar with piper 260° camshaft and race 520 nozzles and I'm doing 230 hp.

TDICleanpower said:

From what I heard the turbo should be able to handle 300 hp. Can't imagine I would need to to bigger than a 52mm comp

Click to expand...

300hp levels need 60mm compressor, for 250bhp 56mm is enough.

Ok, so if I wanted 300bhp, I need to go to the GTB2260VK at the meats correct? Any recommendations for a good distributer in the states, or one overseas that isn't going to break the bank in shipping?

TDICleanpower said:

The plan is to clean it up this fall, sandblast the underside, take panels off, and clean everything up in order to prevent any more, local dealership offers a life time undercoating, any rust will be repaired if they do it. And in the event that the car is unsalvageable, I just buy another car from the south that's clean and. Manual and swap my engine in.

Click to expand...

That sounds like a plan. If you started out with the clean southern car, you could build it up at your leisure, while you drive your current car. Seems like used tdi prices took a nosedive after all of the bought back commonrails hit the market.

Hey, why not do compression test and performance using your VCDS> This should give you a good idea if she is still doing well.

300hp? welcome to over 5 grand land
im working on a 350+ AHU and my budget is about 6K (just in the block and head and injection, and thats NOT including the NOS and water Meth injections and all the loads of parts to make a compound turbo/supercharger work.
your going to spend about 1K on JUST the fuel system alone to do this. also girdle plate is a must.
i plan on spraying my way into the 420hp relm and push my 944 into the 10's

what makes you want to make this much power?
i was running 230 on some 764's, gt2052, stage 6 custom tune, and a bunch of crazy mods to support it with some nasty head work.
i can tell you right now, i would love to see you build up what you have.
my advice is to run mods that you can swap over to something else or your wish build. and run some big 250HP out of that stock ALH. if it goes, well you had your fun and its time to start building like i am!

Mongler98 said:

what makes you want to make this much power?
i was running 230 on some 764's, gt2052, stage 6 custom tune, and a bunch of crazy mods to support it with some nasty head work.
i can tell you right now, i would love to see you build up what you have.
my advice is to run mods that you can swap over to something else or your wish build. and run some big 250HP out of that stock ALH. if it goes, well you had your fun and its time to start building like i am!

Click to expand...

I'm going into this expecting to spend 6k on the eninge, and another 3k on drive train. The reason I want this much power? A fun car to take to the drag and to the auto cross events, and still road trip it maybe. And I plan on getting a separate engine so I can build it the way I want at my pace, not get swamped and have to slam it together that isn't done right.

My power outlook for my golf is 300+ whp. I’ll make a list of what I have done.

Block bored to 2.0
Bhw pistons
Rosten h beam rods with arp bolts
Arp crank main bolts
All new bearings(stock)
New stock oil pump and chain
Hybrid steel/aluminum oil pan
Arp head studs
AMC head with over sized valves and golf ball porting
Duel valve springs(can’t remember what they are from)
Colt stage 3 cam
Darkside intake manifold
Gibonta .460 nozzles fitted and tested by darkside develpments
11mm injection pump(resealed locally)
Front mount intercooler custom piping
4 bar map sensor
Gtb2260 turbo with darkside tubular manifold
Darkside 3” down pipe
Vr6 ac delete pulley
All new seals and gaskets

I think that about does it.

This is impressive to read but like turbobrick says the rust requires (my words: $6k at all times sitting around for body repairs). Swapping into a southern car will be tough once you’ve got money into it. I say keep the Shell rolling at any cost, and build it up slowly. I think similarly (since you said reliable). Running it around here is the challenge, the extra power is your reward for keeping it going over time. Holy smokes yourbuddysatin! Hi

They are correct about the rust control. My golf has about 297k on it and it shows. I’ve basically been restoring a 01 golf from the ground up. A restomod you could say.

Word up fahrvegnugen!

Yourbuddysatin said:

Gibonta .460 nozzles

Click to expand...

you actually run those yet? I hear it said that they're rather unsuitable for much of anything short of an inline injection pump and 8k rpm or so, and at that point you're better off with 12v nozzles despite the wrong spray angle

Well the wiring for the car is still under construction so I have yet to even start it. From the research I’ve done and talking to a few guys from Finland to get good power with those nozzles I need to run a 12mm pump and probably make 400hp easy. Might have to upgrade turbo too. Guess I’ll see soon here if I need to swap for smaller ones.

so if you want to get into autocross, go buy a porsche boxster and spend that money on tires, unless you can muster more and get a nicer more powerful car, but traction is #1.
TDI's are stupid crazy good fun and many dont understand that when i tell them that im putting a TDI at nearly 400 HP into a Porsche 944 with huge tires. "oh just do an LS swap" they all say. NUTS TO THAT i say

but seriously, if you want a "sports car" go buy one, a used one, one specifically for what you want.
if you want a commuter you can have some fun with on the weekends, yea build it, otherwise buy it. Used porsche boxster will run you about 3 grand on a good deal, 4 if its in nice shape. the thing is that your VW is and never was made to handle corners and billions of $ was never spent on learning how to make them fast, stop fast, and corner well. thats what Porsche and corvette does. If you get a old 944, porsche boxster, stingray, they will be light years ahead of your jetta in braking, and cornering and safety factor by 100x easily. your starting with a better platform and besides Porsches are all galvanized bodies and basically wont rust or quite on you.

if you want to build it, start with a good platform. the jetta or most vw are NOT good platforms by comparison.

i like to go run 11's smoke out an autocross event and rip tires all day long, then go home with 55mpg in a hoonmobile. its so much fun.

I disagree with you mongler. I don’t see a problem using a vw. It’s all in what the OP likes and what’s to build. I’ve always been into vw and probably always will be.

Yourbuddysatin said:

I disagree with you mongler. I don’t see a problem using a vw. It’s all in what the OP likes and what’s to build. I’ve always been into vw and probably always will be.

Click to expand...

i never said there was a problem with VW, i clearly stated that you can build or buy a car designed to do what you want and need. once you race track or autocross with a car that is light years ahead of your daily powermobile in suspension, breaking, traction control, you will change your mind.
i still love the days i was putting the jetta though autocross and i miss them but i will much happier in my 944.

VW are cool, i really like the older ones and the TDI is a beast hidding in a tiny package.

VW is like a swiss army knife, it can do just about every thing you need a car to do from mad house racing WOT at 150MPH rolling coal and tumping to Dr. Dre to commuting and getting epic milage and all in between. but its not good at any of those things compared to the next thing designed to do it (aside from fuel econ) i will give VW TDi that one hands down for internal combustion.

Just build a BHW and stick it in an Esprit.
cheers,
Douglas

I want to know how far along this 944 project of Monglers is. Don't be stingy with photos if it's more than a pipe dream.

400 hp is a number worthy of a 5.9 Cummins, assuming we stick to a VE pump and stay off injectables. A big number even. Now if the horses were the same size as the 155 my 6.9 IDI supposedly had...maybe. All I know is that they had best run from a chi-wa-wa as the wee dog is a more powerful beast.
cheers,
Douglas

turbobrick240 said:

I want to know how far along this 944 project of Monglers is. Don't be stingy with photos if it's more than a pipe dream.

Click to expand...

dont have much in pictures wise, its a slow AF project atm.
jetta is in parts, engine is pulled, 944 is still in driveway with no engine in it, soon as the jetta is parted out and moved out of the shop, the 944 goes in and mocks up the motor mounts, figures out the clutch adaption to the drive shaft and dry sump oil. (hope to have that done by February 2020. this project started right about the time my son was born and i got the 944 when he came home from johnhopkins at 7mo. i guess its just a pipe dream but im doing it solo and i spend a few hours each night refining my spreadsheet on parts and notes.
everything came to a halt when he came home. Caring for a child with a life support need is a challenge in its self.

i guess its just a pipe dream.
Spiders have done more work in my garage then i have in the last year. no seriously last time i was in there i spray killed about 500 of them long leg freaks, i feel like Indiana Jones when he walked into the cave with the spiders when i go in there.

its just a pipe dream until my debt (about 14K) is payed off. kids man!

this thread is a cool read. I'm just getting started on upgrading my lil golf but knowing that the engine will take some good power in stock form is pretty cool.

Stock form?