GOLFMK8
GOLFMK7
GOLFMK6
GOLFMKV

Sub-to-Dub's 2017 GTI Sport

Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
July 2022

Project: (partial) short shifter upgrade
Product: Dieselgeek metal side-to-side bracket
Cost: $100
Install time: ~15 minutes
Difficulty: 1/5


Sent a few minutes this morning installing the Dieselgeek metal side-to-side shifter bracket. This is an OEM metal bracket with a Dieselgeek Delrin bushing upgrade for the shift cable end as well as their Super Slider.

Installation was straightforward and only required the removal of the factory air box. It's a tight fit if you have bigger hands but not too bad. The fit is great and everything went together well. I love that it uses OEM clips to secure everything. After that, it's just a matter of realigning the shift cables.

During installation, I discovered the nut securing the front-to-back bracket was loose so I added some thread locker and carefully tightened it again (not a fastener you want to over-tighten).

The results are about what I expected - a slight reduction in side-to-side action when shifting and a positive addition to the shifting experience. I already had a solid busing on the cable end as well as the Super Slider piece so this was more about the reduction in movement and beefier construction. This is likely to be a more meaningful upgrade for folks who don't already have those parts.

With all the other drivetrain upgrades, shifting strikes a good balance between short and crisp without being too notchy, great for a daily driver.


DG on the left, stock on the right.


Everything fits together well and feels high quality,
 
Last edited:

Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
Quick update on the side-to-side bracket.

After having this installed for a few more miles and drive cycles I'm finding that when the car is hot the front-to-back movement is stiff and has a fair amount of resistance. The problem is really pronounced when moving from 3-4 or 4-3 (basically when the front-to-back has the longest movement against the side-to-side bracket).

Things are great when the car is cold (off and running) which leads me to believe it's not the cables, clutch, or hydraulic system. This also happened immediately after installation so it would be a pretty big coincidence if it was something besides an adjustment or fit issue. After adjusting the cables several times, I wondered if the brackets were contacting each other at some point in their range of movement but that was ruled out with a quick video running through the gears.

A hypothesis shared by another member in a separate thread is that the Super Slider piece (made of Delrin I believe) is expanding slightly when hot and changing the tolerances just enough to cause additional friction. So either the tolerances are too tight and/or the channel the slider moves in is dirty or corroded.

Today, I removed the side-to-side bracket and inspected the channel the Super Slider moves in. It was perfectly clean and corrosion-free but the Super Slider is a tight fit, boarding on snug. I used some 320 grit sandpaper and took a little material off each side of the Super Slider, did a test fit, sanded a little more, and repeated until it moved more freely. I also added some Sil-Glyde lubricant for good measure.

After a long drive, it feels great, very smooth and the issue hasn't come back. I still recommend the upgrade, just be aware tolerances may vary, and if you run into this issue investigate this first before spending an hour adjusting cables, changing fluid, etc.
 
Last edited:

Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
July 2022

Project: H6/Group 48 battery install
Product: Diehard Platinum AGM
Install time: 20 minutes (install+programming)
Difficulty: 1/5


Installed a new (and bigger!) battery today. Went from the standard factory battery here in the US (H5 I think) to the larger H6/Group 48. Also, added the larger OEM blanket for good measure.

My factory battery was coming up on its sixth birthday and the voltage was starting to creep down. The car still started ok but I figured I was on borrowed time and with a few big trips coming up this summer I wanted to get ahead of any issues.

I spent entirely too long researching batteries and brands and ultimately decided on the DieHard Platinum AGM from Advance Auto. I also considered offerings from the other chains (The Legend from Napa, Duralast from AutoZone, EverStart from Walmart, Duracell from Batteries Plus, Interstate from Costco, etc.) as well as a few others online.

Given that most of the big brands are made by a handful of companies and the number of variables that contribute to battery longevity, it was difficult to pick a clear winner.

Ultimately, I am willing to maybe give up a little quality to have a warranty replacement available at a nationwide chain. Actually, it was the DieHard commercial with Bruce Willis that really sealed the deal :) .

Now the car starts up immediately and it's clear the old battery was getting weak. If this can match the life of the factory battery I'll be happy.




 
Last edited:

nicholam77

Go Kart Champion
Location
Minneapolis
Sweet ride! Ok, I've been absent from the forums for awhile but this build is so similar to mine!

You've gone above and beyond mine for sure, and it seems most of the pics in my thread are dead, but I've done a ton of the same mods including:

— BFI engine and trans mounts
— 034 insert
— ECS cable bushings
— OEM short shift bracket
— Similar lowering setup (I'm on VWR)
— had the aFe Pro Dry S for a long while
— OEM auto dimming mirror
— power folding mirrors
— clutch pedal spring delete
— many of the same OB11 tweaks and more

I've even wanted to mod the OEM golf ball shift knob for more weight but couldn't figure out how. Good for you for figuring that out!

Oh did I mention I'm another CSG with CO's? :cool:

IMG-2085.jpg

IMG-2592.jpg


And so many other things I've wanted to do, the 8" screen, been curious about the red Powerflex bushing since I think my 034 is trashed, AGAIN. Have been curious about the roc euro bar as when I get some lurching at low speeds there is also a mechanical "thunk" that goes with it and I don't know where it's coming from, but scared to try it for the reasons you mentioned.

I messed with a Dinan power unit for a bit but got sent into limp mode a few times and took it off and have been stock since. Interesting you had clutch slip with the JB1. I've been dying to tune mine but don't want to shell out for the clutch.

Anyways, fun to see similar vision for the car on here in a world where it seems like most are Stage 15 600hp big turbo haha.
 

Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
Thanks, @nicholam77, appreciate the message.

I've seen your build journal many times and it's what convinced me to finally buy the BBS COs. I think they contrast so nicely with our paint color and have a solid VW/Audi vibe from years past. I do envy your ride height. The DG springs strike a nice balance but I wish the car was lower (my driveway disagrees though).

Which OEM euro lights do you have? I think there are a few different models for the MK7. I've definitely been eyeing a set.

As for possible future mods on your side, the 8" screen is a solid improvement if you can find one at a reasonable price. Not sure what the market is like now though.

The PowerFlex red insert is a good balance of performance and comfort and I suspect will last much longer than any metal insert. It's a good part to compliment the BFI mounts.

If you're hearing a "thunk" definitely rule out that RocEuro arm. My issue was most noticeable when shifting from first to reverse or reverse to first. Plenty of folks are running them with no issues though so it's probably ok.

I'd LOVE to tune the car (likely an Accessport with an EQT tune) but I'm not doing that without getting a new clutch and that's a huge bill I can't just justify right now. I'd want to do that install myself and I'd really have to psych myself up for that job haha. Oh well, just something to look forward to in the future.

This is my first car with a real aftermarket so it's been really fun keeping track of the evolution, however small.
 

nicholam77

Go Kart Champion
Location
Minneapolis
I do envy your ride height. The DG springs strike a nice balance but I wish the car was lower (my driveway disagrees though).

It looks good but the ride is trash. I kept my stock shocks and they are garbage now. 🤣 I've never had an issue scraping but I don't have a steep driveway.

Which OEM euro lights do you have?

They were from BEC, they are genuine VW Mk7 LEDs, the "Dark Cherry" color which is what came with ROW GTI's. BEC sold two versions, one from Europe OEM market and one from China OEM market. Mine were the China version which was slightly cheaper, but I don't think there's a significant difference. BEC made and sold the harness. The nice thing about the BEC harness is it lets you enable the rear fog light through coding without the need to run a separate wire.

I like them because they are the originally spec'd lights for ROW cars of my model year, but if I were doing it again today I'd probably go with the updated Mk7.5 LEDs with the dynamic turn signal. I think they look more modern / current / Audi-esque, whereas the Mk7 ones look a little more retro.

f you're hearing a "thunk" definitely rule out that RocEuro arm. My issue was most noticeable when shifting from first to reverse or reverse to first.

I'll avoid the Roc Euro arm after hearing several accounts of bolts backing out. My "thunk" happens when the engine bucks in low gears, and sometimes with clutch interaction. I've suspected it could be the flywheel or something like that but I really have no clue. Brought it in to the dealer and they told me everything was just fine but not sure if they really understood what I was getting at.

I'd LOVE to tune the car (likely an Accessport with an EQT tune) but I'm not doing that without getting a new clutch and that's a huge bill I can't just justify right now. I'd want to do that install myself and I'd really have to psych myself up for that job haha. Oh well, just something to look forward to in the future.

Same! I only heard about EQT recently but that seems to be the favored player. I'd do it right now if it wasn't for the clutch bill. Depending on the clutch an accessport + EQT file + clutch parts + labor could be $3k. Kudos for wanting to do the install yourself, idk if I have that in me.

I also baby my car and drive like a grandma 95% of the time (hauling kids etc, winter, etc), and I have very low miles (36k). So I've thought about rolling the dice and just getting the tune and see what happens and revert if I get slippage. But I think I'd always have that thought lurking in the back of my mind that I didn't do it proper.

I'm going to check out pricing on the 8" display, but like everything, I'm sure prices have gone up.

Funny I moved to an H6 AGM battery this year, too. I have to get a larger battery cover on e-acca, did you?
 

StealthGTI

Autocross Champion
Location
Newport News, VA
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
Hello,

Funny I moved to an H6 AGM battery this year, too. I have to get a larger battery cover on e-acca, did you?
Not sure if you're looking for the full felt cover or just something to cover the top. I went with this knock-off from AliExpress:



Ignore the circuit breaker and you'll get the idea. It snaps on top and is a perfect fit for an H6 battery. I'm not fond of AliExpress, but this is a sub-$20 part and not sensitive to shipping damage. The only challenge is many of these knock-off companies are fly-by-night and disappear on the regular. So, I cannot share a link that'll lead you to the same product that I bought. :cautious: However, this link will take you to a search that'll lead you to a similar product. I've bought two from different AliExpress sellers without trouble. But they're just about all I'll buy through that site. :p Oh, don't be tempted by the plastic versions that surround the entire battery; they won't work on our platform. Just get the top cover or stick with the factory felt. (y)
 

swcrow

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
7.5 GTI
Scott....need an update from you on your exhaust set up
 

StealthGTI

Autocross Champion
Location
Newport News, VA
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
@swcrow

I hesitate to thread-jack here. But, after ensuring that the OP's name is not also Scott, :ROFLMAO: I'll answer your question. I'm not sure what you know about my car's progress. I went from stock to Baun's standard (original?) Less Agressive exhaust. Later, I tested his very first "Stealth Dual," which he built ahead of my arrival (how all of his systems are sold). The Stealth Dual features the same axle-forward components as his "Less Aggressive" setup, but then adds a pair of small resonators in the axle-back section. Coincidentally, he had built another new system for another customer, called the "Stealth Suitcase." That one features a large resonator which acts as an additional muffler. I tested all three setups (Less Aggressive, Stealth Dual, and Stealth Suitcase) and shared two videos HERE (abbreviated) and HERE (extended).

Had I the benefit of seeing those videos before making my purchase, I very likely would have chosen the Stealth Suitcase first. Later, I did purchase a Suitcase and installed it in my driveway at home. It's not as quiet as stock, but it's an excellent-performing system that's quiet enough for this old guy with aging ears.
 

swcrow

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
7.5 GTI
I'm looking at removing the rear muffler but yet inserting the Borla Pro XS just before the "Y", as shown in the first part of the abbreviated vid you posted.
 
Top