BEW head coming off. Derp cam swap... head mods?

bmali98

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Location
Dunsford Ontario
TDI
O4 golf pd auto
So... after pulling a few head bolts while changing my cam, I'm pulling the head off so will rebuild when it's off. A VNT-17 is going back on and stage 4 tune. I plan to put ARP studs and remove the intake manifold butterflies as they a known failure point and ruin otherwise good engines.
Any benefit to removing the web that splits the intake runners and head ports? How about any other head mods beyond deburring considering the relatively modest power bump the turbo and tune will add? Someone once told me head porting can yield the same power as a VNT-17 with the KP-39 but I'm not sure if I'm ready to believe that.
 

PGM jetta

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Location
Northern Alabama
TDI
05 Jetta BEW
The split intake runners can be twisted out with a small pair of pliers. You can then dremel the rest smooth. If you are really handy you can port match it with the gasket or send it to someone for true porting job.

I'm not sure what the actual gains of this would be, especially with only a vnt-17
 

bmali98

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Location
Dunsford Ontario
TDI
O4 golf pd auto
Thanks PGM Jetta, I will probably do this if it is really that simple. Forgot to mention I was going to port match. Getting rid of the runner dividers would make this easier too. In theory I guess removing the dividers will help performance so its incentive enough.

Pulling the head turned out to be a blessing. Found valve imprints on 1 and 4 piston and #4 exhaust port was really carboned, I'm assuming from a sticky/bent valve letting unburnt fuel pass.
 
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