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Vargas Turbo Build - 2017 GTI SE

CrossFit67

CrossFit67

Ready to race!
Location
Roswell, GA
I had some time to mess with the car today. I hooked the rod back up to the flapper and took a voltage measurement. It read 4.6V. I was about 12 threads out and knew the voltage would be wrong. However, as I started turning the rod to get to something like 10 threads showing the voltage never changed. I exited out of ODB11 and ran it again and it's always 4.6V. The other thing that I noticed was that the rod spins without any resistance at all, which doesn't seem right. My IS20 had lots of resistance and the new IS38 actuator that arrived yesterday has a fair amount of resistance. I'm wondering between the voltage not changing and the rod spinning freely if I do, in fact, just have a bad actuator.

As I mentioned, the new Mamba IS38 arrived yesterday. It's a bit different than the one that Tony Vargas supplied with the second turbo, which he says came off of a used turbo he had in the shop. I see that there are just two bolts on the rod side holding it on, plus the connector. Has anyone been able to swap out their actuator coming in from the top? I see on Youtube that it can be done from the bottom by removing some stuff to get to it.

Just don't want to get in over my head. Like I'm not already...
 
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vw671

Autocross Newbie
Location
San Diego
CrossFit67 said:
I had some time to mess with the car today. I hooked the rod back up to the flapper and took a voltage measurement. It read 4.6V. I was about 12 threads out and knew the voltage would be wrong. However, as I started turning the rod to get to something like 10 threads showing the voltage never changed. I exited out of ODB11 and ran it again and it's always 4.6V. The other thing that I noticed was that the rod spins without any resistance at all, which doesn't seem right. My IS20 had lots of resistance and the new IS38 actuator that arrived yesterday has a fair amount of resistance. I'm wondering between the voltage not changing and the rod spinning freely if I do, in fact, just have a bad actuator.

As I mentioned, the new Mamba IS38 arrived yesterday. It's a bit different than the one that Tony Vargas supplied with the second turbo, which he says came off of a used turbo he had in the shop. I see that there are just two bolts on the rod side holding it on, plus the connector. Has anyone been able to swap out their actuator coming in from the top? I see on Youtube that it can be done from the bottom by removing some stuff to get to it.

Just don't want to get in over my head. Like I'm not already...
Click to expand...




Your not going to see any voltage change until the WG door is closed and there is tension on the actuator holding it closed. Take off the DP an just let it hang to the side..so you can see the WG door position.
 
CrossFit67

CrossFit67

Ready to race!
Location
Roswell, GA
vw671 said:
Your not going to see any voltage change until the WG door is closed and there is tension on the actuator holding it closed. Take off the DP an just let it hang to the side..so you can see the WG door position.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. However, I can't move the wastegate with the actuator attached. While the flapper moves freely the actuator doesn't move at all. I'm going to try swapping out the actuator next. Looking on the forum, it appears that I have to get at it from the bottom. I'm going to try to get a buddy to help me get the car up tomorrow.
 
M

MadMen

Ready to race!
Location
Mooresville, NC
Mark and drop the subframe out of the way, and you'll have tons of room :)
 
CrossFit67

CrossFit67

Ready to race!
Location
Roswell, GA
MadMen said:
Mark and drop the subframe out of the way, and you'll have tons of room :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, that LSD is totally in the way. I'm going to be brutally transparent and say that dropping the subframe if beyond me. Heck, it was evidently beyond that speed shop that installed my turbo as they didn't put it back together correctly and my whole engine slid forward doing damage.

I'm going to call the speed shop that installed my turbo. They have another location that has a VW mechanic who is evidently capable of setting a VW actuator, etc. The location I went to thought they could do it, but they assumed (wrong) that it was just like a BMW. Will update...
 
CrossFit67

CrossFit67

Ready to race!
Location
Roswell, GA
So, my GTI is at Solo Motorsports today. I took it to a different location that has more VAG expertise. The manager has a Mk6 with a big turbo on it. Looks like the issue is with the same weld as my fist unit. From the shop:

“The weld broke on the pivot point for the external portion of the waste gate. Even with it “closed” all the way it still moves back and forth a lot and can feel the broken portion moving freely.”



I’ve reached out to Tony Vargas to see what he says. The problem is that even if he sends me a third unit I’m paying for a third installation. That’ll be three turbo installs in less than 4 months. This shit is getting expensive...



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CrossFit67

CrossFit67

Ready to race!
Location
Roswell, GA
Yeah, I’m thinking about it. Still waiting to hear what Tony says hell do for me. He responded right away asking questions that I could not answer me not being the one working on the car at this point. I gave him the contact at the shop, who is a Vargas dealer, by the way. I will need to tell the shop what I’m doing here pretty fast. I’m probably going to tell them to pull the turbo, strip it, and send it to Tony, regardless. I’ll either install a VTT I relive under warranty or something else that I buy.

The shop also sells CTS kits and IS38s and say they’ll give me a deal for my troubles if I want to go a different route. The CTS kits are expensive and I’m not reading good things on here about the Boss 500 or 600 (nothing bad either). I didn’t upgrade my fuel pump to merely run an IS38, but that could be a conservative choice. I would probably go the Littco route in that case, but they appear to be out of stock. EQT is an option assuming Ed has stock. Missing anything?

I think the best outcome would be for Tony to send me a turbo that works under warranty. I’m paying for some more labor, regardless, at this point...


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ChrisMk77

ChrisMk77

Autocross Champion
Location
Sweden
Car(s)
2018 GTI Performance
So that is what he meant with gamechanger, have to change it out so often it becomes a game. :D

Sorry had to do it but yea I would be pissed at this point.

Edit: Maybe ask for 50% back and have the shop or a fabricator reweld it.
 
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billbadass

Drag Racing Champion
Location
your moms house
he should for sure be paying for some of these installs. such terrible customer service.... I've seen the same stuff happen in BMWs and other platforms with his stuff. would have been way cheaper to pay more for EQT or DBV turbo....
 
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