What to tweak next?

[MC Bodge]

My Octavia is currently re-mapped, with a "washable" filter and "pikey" vented. The tyres are Toyo Proxes 225s.

It probably doesn't need any more grunt, but I like to fettle with cars.

What should I do next? ARBs seem the obvious thing.


Insurance-friendly is a priority

[Goochie]

Rear ARB if funds are tight. You can also do-it-yourself if you like tinkering.

Front and rear ARB's is you have the money. Not really a DIY job though.

[Sheaf]

Intake pipe?
Decat/Hi-flow cat?
FMIC?

[MC Bodge]

Cheers.

How much difference does an intake pipe make?
I've seen them at Awesome and the cross-section at the bend is much larger.

In reality, I think the power is 'adequate'. The handling, although secure, could be sharper.
The rear ARB shouldn't be a problem to fit. How awkward is the front ARB to fit?

[UncleRic]

What about a boost gauge?

You get instant satifaction from fitting one and watching the needle jump around.. it'll be cheap to do.. lets you get your hands dirty (to a certain extent) and definatley has the 'wow' factor with anyone who you grace with a ride in the co-pilots seat!

[Goochie]

Front ARB isnt really an easy axle-stand job. I believe its either a case of removing the steering rack or dropping the sub frame at the rear - someone who's done it may be able to give a better answer but in my book, if Ross says its not that easy, its not easy at all.

[dsmithmobile]

Front ARB isn't too difficult if you know what your doing where cars are concerned but if your a novice then it may be too much for you,subframe does have to be dropped at the back to allow removal/fiment of the bar and you should have a four wheel alignment check done afterwards because subframe won't always sit back exactly as it was

[MC Bodge]

Originally Posted by UncleRic

What about a boost gauge?

That was the first thing I did after the re-map

[MC Bodge]

Originally Posted by dsmithmobile

Front ARB isn't too difficult if you know what your doing where cars are concerned

I'm fairly handy with a toolkit, (and I've a masters degree in engineering which probably cancels out the tool skills....) and know the best profanities to shout at a car.

I've no garage though which means it always rains -just at the point of no return.... I'll have a look at the existing ARB.

Incidentally, the rear suspension is surprisingly good considering how basic it is.

[Nigel26]

TIP by all accounts makes a nice difference with responses and a small increase in torque.

i have one, again in the boot waiting to go on like most bits i've bought over the space of the last 6 months.

got mine from Forge for £100, we get a Briskoda discount with them too.

[MC Bodge]

Has anybody had good results from freeing-up the air inlet arrangment? It currently takes in air from the inner wing. Would routing a length of large diameter flexi-hose from the front of the car have a significant effect on reducing the intake temperature in warm weather and/or increasing the availability of air when the turbo starts spinning?

[TaviaRS]

Inlet pipe if you wanna play "oily bits"

For handling, I'd do the bushes or the ARBs.

How about brakes? Discs, pads and fluid, or if you're not feeling flush, just pads and fluid. Tjis would be insurance friendly

Insurance friendly? How about a new air freshener?

[TaviaRS]

Ooooh, I forgot..... How about an intercooler waterspray kit? About £130 all in, including a new 5l washer bottle. I did one on mine and it was excellent. I had an intelligent spray controller - worked on injector duty cycle and temp diff between external temp and intercooler temp. Well worth doing.

Andy_CCR - Still waiting for the money from when you "bought" it off me

[SkodiRS]

Front discs and pads all round....and if you can do it...upgrade to dot4.1 fluid.

Get grooved discs....drilled are prone to crack around the holes.....I believe cast "drilled" discs are better in this respect but are also more expensive.

Ferrodo DS2500 pads.

[Nigel26]

i've run a length of 80mm hose from the passenger side of the front bumper, in the inner arch to the OE outlet for the filter. this in turn feeds plenty of air to the JabbaSport induction kit i'm running.

didnt really notice any difference in doing it but i'm sure it helps with heat soak. not that the jabba kit suffers from heat soak to badly.

[MC Bodge]

ARBs are probably the way forward, I might as well have 'modified suspension' listed on my insurance policy too....

I've always found the brakes on my car to be excellent anyway. People who've driven it have been impressed.
A Subaru (Prodrive kit, original type) owning one thought they were better than his. How much better could they be?

I use DOT 5.1 in the brakes on my mountain bikes, but I suspect that I'd need to change it frequently if I used it in the car.


Waterspray, ah I'd thought about that before....

Originally Posted by TaviaRS

I had an intelligent spray controller - worked on injector duty cycle and temp diff between external temp and intercooler temp.

Was that a bought system? I'd probably make a simple '555' based one with an adjustable pulse width, activated by full throttle and high intercooler/inlet temperature. Did you use an additional water bottle or the screenwash bottle? Was there a noticeable difference with the spray enabled?

Originally Posted by TaviaRS

Insurance friendly? How about a new air freshener?

I'm running a Magic Tree 'New Car Smell' air feshener (It doesn't smell like a new car, but it is the least intrusive one I've had!).

Would a Pine one add much mid-range torque?

[Nigel26]

i find an Apple and Lemon combo work best... i had a Daiwoo off the lights this morning !!!

[TaviaRS]

You'd be amazed how much difference the brakes make. The DS2500s reduce fade to almost non-existent. Go for a Super DOT4 rather than the 5. The super DOT4 mixes well with others, is almost at 5.1 temp levels dry and slightly ahead on wet. It also keeps the standard 40k limits for changes I know what you mean though, mine would regularly outbrake AP6 pot wearing scoobs

As for the IC spray, yes it was a bought system. form Autospeed in Aus. Had a controller that I fitted under the drivers seat. As it worked on two parameters, it didn't constantly fire when it was hot (sitting in traffic for example) or just on full throttle (may be of negligable use if its low ambient temp). I bought a new washer bottle for an Octy Elegance, 5.5l for £18 from a dealer along with a headlamp washer pump (more powerful than the windscreen one IIRC). Removed the standard one and fitted the new one (you know it's going to fit too). Used some fuel line to run from the pump to the brass nozzle (available from garden centres, adjustable nozzle, so I could get the right spray pattern) which I mounted into the intercooler shroud in front of the i/c.

Took a couple of hours to fit. With the VAG COM logging it was great to watch the inlet temps drop when it fired Added bonus was that come winter I could change the parameters and just use the screen wash bottle for washing the screen so I didn't need to top up so often

Oh and get a decent summer screenwash with a nice alcohol content for better cooling

[MC Bodge]

Originally Posted by TaviaRS

Had a controller that I fitted under the drivers seat. As it worked on two parameters, it didn't constantly fire when it was hot (sitting in traffic for example) or just on full throttle (may be of negligable use if its low ambient temp)

When I said and, I should have said logical 'AND', ie. Sprays for a given time following an instance of full-throttle AND 'high' inlet temp.

Cheers, useful info that. I shall fire up the soldering iron!

[gorsey]

what sort of changes in temp did you get ? could this be a cheaper alernative to a FMIC ?