Current car specs

**macspring** · 24 June 2008, 00:17

Lovely Car !

Couple of questions first,

Can you comment on the results or your thoughts on what you found when you changed the following parts.

1. Lamda.

2. RS2 MAF.

3. Front Koni Shocks.

4. 034 Coil Kit.

5. Engine Speed Sensor.

I appreciate that some of the above may not have been broken, or were only just tired, but I'd still be keen to hear what you thought after you changed them. Also some of the items may have been replaced at the same time, so it may be difficult to detect the cause for any change in performance of the new items?

Secondly, in relation to your furture upgrades, the second S2 Avant I boutght came with full RS2 brakes, hubs and rims, front brakes are 304mm and matching calipers with Textar pads, and the rear RS2 disc and caliper with the internal drum mechanism for the handbrake. Handbrake is currently poor. Haven't refurbished it as yet.

Front brakes are good although I'm sure 323mm would be that bit better again. Front pads hummed a lot on the motorway after say 15 mins until the expensive pads for the rear of the actual brake pads were bought and installed. About £50 each and one needs four, one for each of the four front pads.

If I was doing the brakes on standard S2 myself, I'd put the later Mk 4 Golf alloy rear calipers on the rear of the car to have a good handbrake and no chance of the caliper seizing. Lighter in weight also as a side bar bonus. Don't feel I drive hard enough as a daily driver to warrant a phyically big caliper on the rear. Only reason would be aesthetic. Would pefer them in black rather than the current RS2 red for a more discrete appearance, now that a lot of other makes of "lesser" car have their calipers painted red.

It is worthwhile, IMO, to upgrade the front brakes from the standard S2 276mm to either 304mm or 323mm with the relevant, for me wouldn't bother with a drilled or slotted disc, as I found drilled ones on my Mk 1 Golf were be prone to cracking in time? Just me, although drilled ones do look the part. If you're upgrading one might as well go to 323mm as opposed to 304, presumably that that much dearer?

Engine mounts, be careful with 034 engine mounts in either density as neither fitted my ABY, but do fit a 3b car? Gearbox mounts are fine, and their front snubber is an excellent upgrade.

I get the impression from this forum that when upgrading the engine one should definitely consider the Garret GT30 turbo (with the smaller trim of wheel of .63 ?).

I could go on but, really with these cars, money is the main inhibitor and you should at the outset decide on a realistic budget and also decide on what use you want to put the car to, which will then allow you to make a choice on the appropriate spec of the engine and its ancillaries, intercooler manifolds etc., which you require to meet those needs/desires?

Hope some of the above helps, and keen to hear your thoughts on the upgrades you've already carried out to date.

Thank you and kind regards.

**rj scotty** · 24 June 2008, 21:18

Thanks for the positive comments

Well:

RS2 MAF/lambda:

Changed due to 00561 fault code and very rich mixture.
Mix is now right.
Went for RS2 MAF as it was a similar price to S2 one.
No noticeable gain is performance but fuel consumption has improved.

Koni adjustable (front only)

Changed due to leaky shock.
Set at 1 turn.
Ride is much better, not to stiff.
These are combined with H&R green springs and promounts.
Would recommend this set up.

034 coil kit:

Fitted due to original coil pack failure.
Not much more than replacing the standard ones.
Great piece of kit, slightly better throttle response.
I don't like the designed of the original system "put the coils in the oven"
This removes the problem.

Engine speed sensor:

Changed due to violent cut out issue.
All sorted now.

I see you share many of my ideas on upgrades, I too have a Mk1 golf with cracked cross drilled discs

Standard discs all the way

Interesting comments on the engine mounts, I will research this further.

I want to get the car locked down suspension/mounts/brakes wise before going for power.
Looking for refined performance car that meets/exceeds modern performance Audi standards.
This is after all our family transport.
Think Rs2 for the 21st century.
Would be happy with a reliable, relatively lag free 400 Bhp.

As you say as finance allows, the garage it lives in is not finished yet

cheers

rich

**macspring** · 24 June 2008, 23:57

Rich, try this thread ?

This thread relates to engine mounts, you may have read it already.

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30312

Thank you for the replies to my questions.

My requirements are similar to yours, daily driver, no track or drag work. Keen to hear how you get on in due course.

Going to get the Koni's, one front one shot, to match existing H & R springs. Car now much tighter after replacing the subframe bushes, wishbones bushes, (even though all standard rubber bushes), wishbone ball joint, track rod end, and drop links to ARB, used metal ones as opposed to plastic as it now also has RS2 FARB and Neuspeeed RARB. The upgrading of the ARBs is a good, sensible upgrade with no real downside except the cost, but still worth it in the long run.

130k on clock, rear untouched / uninvestigated, but no looseness feel.

Fit a boost gauge in the upper vents?

Consider upgrading the two front seats to the standard Recaro level of side bolsters, nothing too extreme to annoy you getting in and out, but an upgrade non the less on the standard GLS type non Recaro seat, which are not very supportive on twists and turns.

Change to aero wipers with 22 inch blades, and 6,000K HID Headlights,

Take out turbo side headlight and make sure the small bore vacuum pipe from the inlet manifold to the "dump" valve is not kinked or past it's best, and also that the valve itself has not worn through its own plastic body because it is rubbing off the plastic or metal at the rear of the headlight area. Was a case in point on both of my Avants and when respectively sorted boost went up, so worth a check just in case?

Does anyone know the part number for the aero wiper arm on the rear tailgate of an Avant?

Going to replace the lambda, inlet manifold air temp, water temp sender at the rear of the block, and the brown four pin (originally) sensor (MFS) under the inlet manifold, the small two pin water temp sender, also under the manifold that triggers the water run on pump as well as the pump itself.

Will post a note on any improvements, although tempting to replace all in one go, along with two knock sensors I have for ages. (mine pinks on WOT at about 5 or 6k?) as to get to a number of these you have to disconnect items around the engine bay and definitely only want to do it once. Going to also replace the fuel filter underneath at the rear in case this is the cause of the pinking?

Hopefully one or two of these items are past their best at 130k and an improvement occurs? As was the case with all of the front suspension replacements. Looking forward to definite improvement when the new Koni four shocks go in.

Replaced the five rubber connections from the coils to the spark plugs as the, presumably, original ones were past their sell by date. Slightly smoother idle, but nothing dramatic. Found it was worth borrowing a one man DIY brake fluid bleed kit to blow through the old fluid and also on the clutch circuit from the reservoir to the gearbox's slave cylinder bleed nipple.

Use your a/c regularly if only to keep it "exercised", if your car has it and it works?

IMHO only worth doing all of the above small, but expensive replacements if your dead set on keeping the car for a number of years to come, because the improvements are generally not that dramatic, having said that cumulatively they do add up to a noticeable improvement which one can enjoy each day the car is driven.

Consider a cheap gazebo from Argos if you're stuck to work on your car in the rain?

Lag free, as much as is possible, is the most important thing for a daily driver as it'll soon get on your wick always being in too high of a gear and waiting for it to come on boost and go mad, or having to constantly change down to get it to boost? Mine boosts at 3k. MTM chip apparently.

One last thing was that the power steering pump was loosing fluid, needed topping up about twice week, all over the sump and blowing back onto the hot exhaust, (undertray left off for regular and easier access on my driveway), so I never drill a hole in a car's body or gunther the car, but took a hammer and a cold chisel to the leaking big cross head nut and whacked it twice, small gouge in the nut, but no more leaking or topping up - result ! Clean out the tiny micro filter inside before tightening up this nut using this method. Really needs a photo to demonstrate this "filter", )having said that probably only worth checking if you have the cross head nut open anyway).

The above suggestions are just based on my own thoughts and ramblings after owning B4's for a couple of years, and Mk 1 Golfs for 17 years.

This post is probably too long again, ah well.

Hope it is of some use.

Thanks and kind regards.

***Greg_S*** · 25 June 2008, 07:57

David, I'd be interested to hear what solves your pinking problems since I suffer from a similar issue occasionally

**macspring** · 26 June 2008, 02:23

No bother, Greg.

As soon as I have replaced all of the various sensors i'll post an update, however it'll probably be at least three weeks due to other pressures.

Kind regards.

**rj scotty** · 27 June 2008, 23:25

"This post is probably too long again, ah well. Hope it is of some use."

Not at all !

These are the real life day-to-day ownership experiences that are are so valuable to fellow owners.

Ill keep you posted on my progress and you do the same.

cheers

rich

**macspring** · 28 June 2008, 00:32

Glad you think so.

Fiction has to make sense, real life ( and S2s ) don't.

Singing from the same song-sheet so.

Will do.

Anyone else, please chip as appropriate.

Kind regards.

**rj scotty** · 8 August 2008, 19:48

Latest additions

996 brakes are on !

Well, they are simply stunning compared to standard

Powerflex front bushes.
This is the best £50 I have spent on a car they are brilliant front is now razor sharp

Aero wipers, again very pleased.

Need to sort the rear out now and then its time for POWER

cheers

rich

**Acidburn** · 8 August 2008, 19:56

Lovely car, only thing i'd be tempted to do with the rear end is an aero wiper if you have not done it yet and a panel from a 90 20v saloon.

**rj scotty** · 8 August 2008, 20:01

Rear Aero is on its way and I'm thinking about the rear panel.

Main thing is that now the brakes and front suspension is sorted I feel track ready :mischeif:

Rear anti role bar/shocks/bushes are next.

cheers

rich

**CliveH** · 8 August 2008, 20:15

Originally posted by rj scotty

Powerflex front bushes.
This is the best £50 I have spent on a car they are brilliant front is now razor sharp

Rich - is this the full front set?

**rj scotty** · 8 August 2008, 20:30

Originally posted by CliveH

Rich - is this the full front set?

This is just the Wishbone bushes (sorry not very clear drinking beer

)also upgraded to forged arms at the same time.
My bushes where probably shot but the difference is astonishing.

cheers

rich

Current car specs

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