Vnt-17 Upgrade Advice 02 jetta

[Nickmk7]

My new vnt-15 mahle with 30k miles decided to grenade and I would like to upgrade some things since it already has 1019 injectors and SB clutch.
I am thinking about getting a reman garrett vnt-17 from IDparts, from my research I will need the proper boost hose, braided oil line, 3-bar map, and possibly upgraded intercooler.

Now, will this intercooler work? what hosing would be appropriate?. I have had good luck with G-plus in the past on my mk7 GTI. (I need a new intercooler anyways) - which intercooler and hoses are best for upgraded size and to keep the stock size?

Any other things I've missed? EGT probe/boost gauge? etc Thank you.

 

[pkhoury]

If you're gonna get the VNT17, I'd highly recommend a braided oil feed line. Good luck reusing the factory one. I usually get pissed and use bolt cutters on it, because I know I'll never reuse it.

I know you can get a Mellett from darkside for about $400-ish. I think they sell new Garrett VNT17's for around $700-800? I got lucky and found two pristine VNT17's at the junkyard before, both on my Golfs.

I think there are different, ugh, what's the term - I can't think of the proper terminology, but basically the way the output of the turbo is oriented. Some for the stock intercooler, and others for the aftermarket intercooler. I got mine from darkside, but apparently, you can get the same deal from ebay or others, and the design looks exactly the same. If you do that, you'd be using silicon boost hoses, and you want to tighten the clamps down as tight as can be, lest you blow a pipe off when the ECU is demanding high boost.

I just realized you already mentioned half the stuff I wrote. But I'll reiterate - braided oil feed, 3 bar MAP, and if you need a new intercooler, just get the aluminum SMIC upgrade you linked to. It looks exactly the same as what darkside sells, but a lot cheaper. Most VNT17's are plumbed for that anyways, though you can get some that use the factory plastic piping. It's otherwise a fairly easy job. I think the last time I did one (last year on DSOL), it was maybe a 3-4 hour job, mostly at night when it was cooler. I think the clamps are called T-bolts. I don't remember the sizes offhand, but you obviously need the same size for the intercooler input and output, a bigger size going to your racepipe (assuming you ditched your EGR, but you're also in So Cal), one for the turbo, and yet two more for the hard pipe that goes between the turbo silicon and the intercooler silicon. I'm totally having an ADHD moment and this post could've been a lot shorter, but hopefully this helps some. I did this exact job three times in the last two years, twice last year on two Golfs.

Oh, and a boost gauge usually hooks up to the racepipe, or in my case, to the intake manifold (got a custom deal from darkside). I'm sure you could plumb something in if you have the factory EGR deal, but I can't help you on that.

 

[burpod]

if you grenaded that turbo so quickly, somethings wrong. if you're running stock tune + bigger injectors, haven't taken boost logs etc. that can easily do it. or bad tuning. what altitude you're at will come into play. a boost leak or other such hardware issue could be a cause, but imo, the tune usually has more to blame than people think and rather just chalk it up to hardware *shrug*

i wouldn't ever get anythign smaller than a 1752 (xmanturbos) which he sells in a plain barb outlet just like the stock configuration. simple to install with just a couple different right-size silicone adapters. the "pd150" vnt17 requries the crappy clip connection adapters which only cost more $$ and often leak. the vnt17 is barely much bigger than a vnt15, just my 2cents, a 1752 won't have any lag or mpg loss when done right, and if you ever travel at altitude, you have more headroom for boost/fuel

 

[fatmobile]

@burpod from your sig it looks like you would suggest an 1856 turbo with .260 injectors

 

[dieseldonato]

At minimum .230 with an 1852....

 

[adamss24]

I wouldnt go for anything smaller than a gtd1752vrk or a gtb1756vk on these engines!
At a push a gt1749vb core is adequate but hard to control… I hate old tech hybrids, especially I wouldn’t use a 52mm compressor unless a gt18 turbine is used…opel gt18 is a good start…

 

[PakProtector]

With a TIG machine and bandsaw it is real easy to put an ALH nipple on an ARL turbo. You already have the clean Mahle compressor housing to donate the nipple...

Douglas