Roller Bearing Turbo?

[APNess]

Hi all - I'm on the way to RS2ness but am missing an important bit. Bigger blower.

I've heard mention of roller bearing turbos, so is this something I should pay extra for? What benefits/difference over standard errr thingies as found in normal turbo? Longer life? Spin up faster?

Any info greatly appreciated.

Also on the k26/27, I'm wondering on the down pipe - will the standard pipe go on? I'll be replacing the downpipe, and the empty cats with a stainless job and sports cat, prolly from Milltek (haven't heard of anyone yet legally passing an mot with decat).

Brakes of course are last on the list, as they should be. Thinking 6 pot but looking at any 10 pot options. (more pots is good, yeah?)

PJ

[dan_b]

I don't know about the turbo bits, but I can help you on the MOT query and brakes.
My 91 S2 is de-catted and will pass the UK MOT - this is because the emmissions regulations were not tightened up until 1992 (or was it 93?) so a car registered before that date is not subject to the tougher regulations, and can therefore pass without cats in place.

This has been discussed elsewhere on the forum before I think.

More pots are better, but it's diminishing returns and increasing cost.
People here have 6-pot and 4-pot brakes, which are both massive improvements over stock.
Who the hell makes a 10-pot?!

[Dr H]

Paul

So your New Year's resolution is to stop being APNess and become RS2ness doesn't involve any surgery does it

Good luck with the 'change'

[APNess]

Brakes are somewhere in the middle of my list, so I haven't really compared prices/performance/availability quite yet. I figure I have AP/Hi Spec/Porsche conversion to choose from, and will look into Tar-Ox kits as well, depending on price and availability.

http://www.motorsportworld.co.uk/frame-detail.asp?PAGE=/tarox-brake-discs.htm

I have a '93 Aby and it didn't pass the Mot with the cats *on* - the cats are really small - I don't have a clue which car they are for, but they aren't for the S2 - I was royally ripped off when I entrusted a **** garage to sort the car out, and cats are one thing I got ripped off on.

I really want to get the car running with more power, legally, i.e. pass emissions, so I'm gonna have to look into a sports cat.

PJ

[APNess]

Leigh - haven't ruled out AP racing brakes, so may still be A P Ness. Some might say I'll stay that regardless. *shrug*

On another note - Typical thing with new garage - still not sorted out. It's up... but there is a 6 inch lip to climb to get in, the remote controller/electric opener isn't on yet (for those fast getaways) and there are gaps around the bottom of the walls. Typical luck. Pay just short of seven grand and get a bodge. Needless to say I'm dusting off my baseball bat and going down to sort some fooker out.

Still, at least I'll have somewhere to fanny about with the car when it's all lit up right. I was going to enquire into having a pit when the garage base was being dug out, but murphy's law states the guys who dug the earth out (who were on 'Britains Dodgiest *******s/Builders/Whatever' on ITV the day before, it turns out) would pop some kind of water drain and turn the drive into a swimming pool. So I decided against it :S

PJ

[Dr H]

Paul

You're imposing enought without a baseball bat! Are they going to sort stuff out?

Leigh

[Mark Halligan]

Paul,

I have a Turbonetics ceramic ball bearing T3/T4 hybrid this uses Turbonetics own 'rip off' KKK K26 #8 hot side housing in order for it to bolt up to the Audi manifold. This hot side housing has been re-worked though to accomodate the larger 63mm turbine wheel that I am using.
Its too early for me to comment upon the reliabilty of the ceramic bearing turbo, as it only been installed since last July.
What I can talk about though is the spool up, which considering the 63mm exducer is (I think) rapid, I have 1 bar at 3k rpm and it really climbs at a mental rate from then on. I think Mihnea said in another thread that the K26/27/29 doesnt spool up until 4.2k rpm and thats with the smaller (I think) 56mm exducer. God knows how quick the ceramic bearings would spool up a turbo with an RS2 size exducer:eek2: .
If you were to go for one of these turbos, I dont know what combination of turbine and Compressor would give you your 'RS2ness' .
It would take someone a lot smarter and more knowlegable than me, like Mihnea or Marco to read the maps of the compressors available from Turbonetics and build you a 'virtual' RS2 like turbo using their available parts. In fact thats one of the things I like about these turbos, there are lots of options available, just tell them what you want and they will build it for you.

Hope this goes some way to answering your question.

Cheers,

Mark.

P.S. Turbonetics UK agent is Universal Turbos in Hampshire.

[Doug_RS2]

APNess - If you are going to the expense of getting a custom downpipe (which the RS2 turbo or the K26/27/29 turbo doesn't need) then you might as well get a nice shiny custom tubular exhaust manifold - then you can get a "mother of the monster" type turbo.

I have the AP brake kit that is £1400+vat (last time I looked) and if I was to upgrade a standard car I would go the whole "nine hundred yards" and get Lee to make me a set of his RS4 disced 6 pot AP calipers - they are the way to go - will be cheaper than the AP kit and better.