Turbo to Intercooler Pancake Pipe Replacement - ALH

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
I've done nothing with my Turbo to Intake despite many people insisting that it's a limiting factor. I have never liked the pancake pipe so decided to build one while I had some time off over Thanksgiving.

I didn't want to cut the OEM hose end off the turbo outlet hose, so I decided to make a mating part to it. I started with a ~3" long piece of 2" dia x 0.065 wall steel tube and expanded it out to fit snugly over the hose end. The flange was simply bent over with a hammer and the cuts for the tabs and clip were done with a cutoff wheel. It looks fancy, but didn't take all that long.








Here's a shot to show how snug it fits over the hose end


I used one 90 degree 2 inch diameter tube from Woolf Aircraft for $20. They are the only place I've found that does 1D CLR mandrel bends (a 2" tube has a 2" Center Line Radius).

I cut the tube in the middle of the bend to get it to mate up with the hose adapter and run along the side skirt.


And then tacked it to the adapter


Then I took the rest of the 90 degree bend, cut it some more so it made the bend to the intercooler inlet. I shoved the long leg into the intercooler inlet (it fit snug) so it was lined up well.


Once I had that tacked together, I trimmed the leg to length and expanded it out to slide snugly over the 2.5" diameter OEM hose on the intercooler inlet.


After I had it all mocked up, I compared it to the OEM one and then welded it up.




Here it is all welded up and ready for paint
 

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
I painted it with VanSickle "Super Premium" enamal spray paint which is really good stuff, but takes a minimum of 24 hours to dry per coat.



Looks pretty nice all painted up if I do say so myself...


It took longer to remove/replace the tire than it did to install it






Tire Clearance at full lock with 205/70/15's


It has not blown out with some spirited driving up to 28 PSI so that's a good start.

I can't say I notice any difference in performance, but I'm reasonably sure it's not hurting anything.
 
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JFettig

Vendor
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Location
Blaine, MN
TDI
B5 Passat, 2010 Jetta
Looks great! Now do the upper pipe and upgrade the intercooler ;)
That reminds me... I need to mail something to you.
 

dieselfuel

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2008
Location
ohio
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI
"I can't say I notice any difference in performance, but I'm reasonably sure it's not hurting anything."

Any chance you notice the turbo spools quicker now than with the oem pancake pipe?

df
 

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
Thanks for the kind words everyone...

Maybe someday I'll do a bigger SMIC or upper pipe but those are not as restrictive as the pancake pipe is in the whole scheme of things.

I could probably make another one in much less time than this one took (I've got about 6 hours in it) and it would probably look better as well. We'll see - the adapter is the tricky part, the bends and intercooler connection are pretty easy. Maybe I can make a couple up over christmas if I get time.

I have not noticed any quicker spool or anything different with this new pipe - If I didn't do it myself I wouldn't know it was there.

The only things that have ever made any noticable power changes have been fuel and tune - everything else has been "because it seems like a good idea".
 

isonic

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2009
Location
St. Paul, MN
TDI
2003 Golf 4door 5spd
I got a noticeable change in the audible noise coming from the 17/22 under boost at RPM's less than 3500(ish) when I installed my 1.8T Pancake Pipe. Course the 1.8T pipe is flatter, maybe that flat surface area has something to do with a resonating metallic noise?
 

dieselfuel

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2008
Location
ohio
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI
...
I have not noticed any quicker spool or anything different with this new pipe - If I didn't do it myself I wouldn't know it was there.

The only things that have ever made any noticable power changes have been fuel and tune - everything else has been "because it seems like a good idea".

Thanks for the honesty. :)

df
 
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