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2.5T owners thread (please sticky)

Dybz

Banned
Location
Chicago, IL
Car(s)
'09 GTI
i understand the entire attraction of turboing a 2.5, but with all the problems you've been having, john, i really don't see how anyone can justify it. get a GTI, get a LSD, run a bigger turbo. hell, our engines hold up fine to APR stage III pushing out over 350 bhp. transmissions last to all sorts of power, and zevion has even taken the DSG to 600 (?) bhp before it started slipping.

once again, i'm not saying that it's no awesome that someone is pushing the limits on the 2.5, but the drivetrain just really doesn't seem like one to take too kindly to any sort of abuse beyond natural aspiration.
 

anile_eight

Go Kart Champion
Location
Savannah, GA
get a GTI, get a LSD, run a bigger turbo. hell, our engines hold up fine to APR stage III pushing out over 350 bhp. transmissions last to all sorts of power, and zevion has even taken the DSG to 600 (?) bhp before it started slipping.

once again, i'm not saying that it's no awesome that someone is pushing the limits on the 2.5, but the drivetrain just really doesn't seem like one to take too kindly to any sort of abuse beyond natural aspiration.

That's when you swap in the GTI 6sd lol
 

John/Cue\Publik

Speed>stance
Location
Lake Stevens, WA
Car(s)
2007 Rabbit
most of the turbo rabbits out there have been holding up really well, just a handful of us with issues, though the trans issues seem to be universal no matter what you do if you have a certain range of build dates. The real issue is not enough people are taking the 2.5 seriously so those of us that are have to approach our issues ourselves rather than expecting a company to solve our problems for us. All the stuff for the GTIs tends to be more along the lines heavily developed bolt on parts. Due to our smaller market most of what we have to deal with is less off the shelf. I have a greater sense of pride trying to push the limits of an underdeveloped engine with high potential than I would messing around with some factory turbo car where everyone does the exact same stuff over and over. Not many people out there can claim stuff such as first to figure out the o2j swap onto a MKV rabbit, first boosted rabbit in the Pacific NW, only turbo rabbit in Texas. I'm not saying a 2.5T is for everyone, it most certainly isn't. I'm just not one to give up a project such as this. That being said I work for a speed shop, I recently graduated from a technical college from an automotive program with a tuning focus, and I feel like I have something to prove. Its messed up that I've run into the problems I have but I have a feeling a good chunk of it has just been up until the past 2 months the car has never been completely gone over like it really needed. Being that it was in a front end collision at on point it really needed more attention then it was getting.
 

anile_eight

Go Kart Champion
Location
Savannah, GA
I'm saying for the rabbit or jetta swap in the GTI 6spd.

John.... Nice post! I'm really considering it.. but what have been some of the biggest problems besides the trans for you? I was thinking about it and really going through the list of parts and imagining installing them it really doesn't seem that bad except that it will take a while. I know i want to swap in a 6spd at the same time or even before so i know that is done and out of the way with no problems.

Then i've also have been having a debate with myself... Dropping upwards of 6 grand into my car i won't see any of that back when or if i try to sell it. I can do a couple things... Save the money and trade in for a TDI (I really want a tdi) later on or save up for a house etc... I'm in my 4th year of college for aeronautical engineering... i've had some interesting debates in my head haha! (i'm no crazy) lol
 

Dybz

Banned
Location
Chicago, IL
Car(s)
'09 GTI
I'm saying for the rabbit or jetta swap in the GTI 6spd.

John.... Nice post! I'm really considering it.. but what have been some of the biggest problems besides the trans for you? I was thinking about it and really going through the list of parts and imagining installing them it really doesn't seem that bad except that it will take a while. I know i want to swap in a 6spd at the same time or even before so i know that is done and out of the way with no problems.

Then i've also have been having a debate with myself... Dropping upwards of 6 grand into my car i won't see any of that back when or if i try to sell it. I can do a couple things... Save the money and trade in for a TDI (I really want a tdi) later on or save up for a house etc... I'm in my 4th year of college for aeronautical engineering... i've had some interesting debates in my head haha! (i'm no crazy) lol

oh, gotcha. i thought there were supposed to be some serious obstacles in mating a GTI transmission up to the 2.5?
 

anile_eight

Go Kart Champion
Location
Savannah, GA
oh, gotcha. i thought there were supposed to be some serious obstacles in mating a GTI transmission up to the 2.5?

No, it is actually remarkably rather simple... all you need are the axles, and the hosing for the slave.... and a 10mm longer bolt for the bottom of the housing. Also you'll need to shave the top of the trans. Oh and some time. The bell housings are the same

Here:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4171945-2.5l-Engine-and-6Speed-GTI-transmission&p=69068005#post69068005
 

Dybz

Banned
Location
Chicago, IL
Car(s)
'09 GTI
No, it is actually remarkably rather simple... all you need are the axles, and the hosing for the slave.... and a 10mm longer bolt for the bottom of the housing. Also you'll need to shave the top of the trans. Oh and some time. The bell housings are the same

Here:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4171945-2.5l-Engine-and-6Speed-GTI-transmission&p=69068005#post69068005

hmm... 2.5L DSG? :biggrin:

probably getting the ECU/mechatronics to mesh would be the hardest part of that lol.
 

John/Cue\Publik

Speed>stance
Location
Lake Stevens, WA
Car(s)
2007 Rabbit
I'm saying for the rabbit or jetta swap in the GTI 6spd.

John.... Nice post! I'm really considering it.. but what have been some of the biggest problems besides the trans for you? I was thinking about it and really going through the list of parts and imagining installing them it really doesn't seem that bad except that it will take a while. I know i want to swap in a 6spd at the same time or even before so i know that is done and out of the way with no problems.

Then i've also have been having a debate with myself... Dropping upwards of 6 grand into my car i won't see any of that back when or if i try to sell it. I can do a couple things... Save the money and trade in for a TDI (I really want a tdi) later on or save up for a house etc... I'm in my 4th year of college for aeronautical engineering... i've had some interesting debates in my head haha! (i'm no crazy) lol

if you're still in college definitely don't do it... biggest problem I had with my car was just not having cash to throw at it while I went back to school. The initial trans failure happened when I was in school and let me tell you 6 grand is only the entry fee for a 2.5T. You may get lucky and everything works out nice n easy or you may run into every weak spot in the drive train like I did. I'll be straightforward and tell you I'm 14k into mods most of which has been stability/reliability work and thats with having access to wholesale parts to an extent, and working for a speed shop. I'd say my biggest issue besides the trans blowing was dealing with vendors. I don't think a single thing I ordered for this car came in on time or correct the first time... fingers crossed on the mounts, meth and dryflow filter (aside from pushing my car to the side every chance possible the sales manager at work keeps spacing on ordering the last of my parts and puts it off every time I bug him)
 

anile_eight

Go Kart Champion
Location
Savannah, GA
hmm... 2.5L DSG? :biggrin:

probably getting the ECU/mechatronics to mesh would be the hardest part of that lol.

lol, no not the 2.5L DSG that i think would be toooooo much work. I think i'll stick with the 5spd.

I'm pretty set on getting the 6 spd in and I've been working my butt off but 14K shit son! I can't see where that money is going... Okay the kit is 5K... trans is around 700 depending where you can source it. A diff would be around 7-1000... even then you're at 7K tops.... Every weak spot, isn't that covered with the GTI 6spd and a diff? Anyways, the MKVI jetta's have been growing on me and maybe i'll just drop something into that later...
 

John/Cue\Publik

Speed>stance
Location
Lake Stevens, WA
Car(s)
2007 Rabbit
well my 14k goes a little something like $150 for sport springs, 5,500 for the kit when it first came out, $700 in install labor because it was before I was trained, $170 for New South Boost Gauge installed, had to eat another $400 in labor when the first turbo failed and the warranty only covered half the labor costs (not to mention shipping charges for getting the car back to Portland, OR), $500 for a spec stg 2 clutch and $600 for a VW dealer install, $2,600 for the built trans from 20 squared and I ate another $180 due to receiving the wrong diff originally, $870 for the southbend stg 3 clutch with single mass flywheel, the meth and MBC ran me $425, Podi gauge setup was somewhere near $600 if I remember right, plus $175 for the junkyard trans that lasted me 30 miles, and about 1,050 in NA mods I could no longer use including loaded GIAC ECM. Thats all rounded off numbers and thats actually 14,550. Also that doesn't include what I paid for assistance with the last round of mods when I settled up with Gilbert tonight

edit:
forgot to include the BSH mounts in that too. I'm well over 15k at this point I guess
 

anile_eight

Go Kart Champion
Location
Savannah, GA
Holly hell... okay so i forgot a couple things in my addition...
Trans (axles and tubing), Stg II clutch and SMF, plus the kit... looking around 7K oh plus diff so lets just call it an even 8 so there is more cushion if needed. (gauges etc...)

2600 for the trans?... Yikes! assuming that is the 5spd trans then and they built it for you? It would have been cheaper for the 6spd conversion.
 

John/Cue\Publik

Speed>stance
Location
Lake Stevens, WA
Car(s)
2007 Rabbit
I swapped on an o2j 5MT from a 1.8T with a quaife diff and had 20 squared build it then ship it to me, had to eat the core charge because both the transmissions I had were garbage as far as the housings were concerned. I haven't had any issues with the axles yet. I'd recommend doing mounts before axles now that they are finally available (literally came out last week and the whole reason I helped the shop I work for set up with BSH). If you find a salvage trans I'd highly recommend at least having it opened up and checked out, if you do get one with a diff its gonna run you about the same in the end if not more. Also skip right to the stg 3 clutch with the single mass flywheel. The action is sheer perfection and it will hold up to stg 3 easy. I'd highly recommend going with a Podi or a Defi gauge. I had accuracy issues with my new south. When running an aftermarket turbo your boost gauge is your first line of defense. I also opted to do the VEI dual display with AFR and oil pressure. Since I'm trying to milk some extra power out with the meth and MBC the AFR at the very least was key. Also the c2 kit comes with a spectre filter like you'd find at autozone in the ghetto intake section... definitely upgrade to a AEM dryflow
 

anile_eight

Go Kart Champion
Location
Savannah, GA
if i get the trans, i'll put in the diff while i'm at it. Good idea to get it check out... I know my buddy we've swapped out his trans a number of times and he's gotten his built but it's a mustang trans (in a 5.0L ranger lol). I'll see who can look at it. Mounts were not a question, i was going to get those done as well. I was reading and stg 2 seemed to be adequate... i definitely don't need anything overkill but i'd like it to last as well. Podi or Defi was going to be my options for the boost, AFR, oil pressure. I'm not going to mess with the kit though. How are the internals holding up?
 

John/Cue\Publik

Speed>stance
Location
Lake Stevens, WA
Car(s)
2007 Rabbit
well I had a spec stg 2 and the pressure plate failed after 8 months and 4,000 miles. Internals aren't even an issue at this point. The sloppy combustion chamber in the 2.5 makes it detonation prone which is the main issue hence why dropping the compression with a head spacer makes it easier to get more power. Only issue I've had and am still having is when the trans failed the percussive slapping of everything coming apart cracked my lower timing cover. Came to discover this morning its still leaking so time to tear down again. All in all I wouldn't sweat internals until you wanna break like 350wtq
 
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