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Sub-to-Dub's 2017 GTI Sport

Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
December 2017

I'm not really a car sticker person but I thought it would be fun to represent the forum. The black is really subtle and blends in well on the back door glass.

 
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Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
December 2017

Installed the ECS sold shift cable bushing kit. Shifting feels a bit tighter and a bit more precise. Plus, it's always nice replacing a plastic or rubber part with something that won't wear out.

Installation was a little harder then expected but only took about half an hour in total. Since the new hardware is solid, tolerances are really tight. I think having the Boomba shift adapter made things slightly harder as well. I did end up having to file the edges of the brass insert for the front-to-back as well as the plastic lip on the side-to-side bracket.

Overall, I'm happy with the improvements for the price (~$35 on sale).

 
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Rafiki76

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles
Car(s)
MKVII GTI
December 2017

I'm not really a car sticker person but I thought it would be fun to represent the forum. The black is really subtle and blends in well on the back door glass.


How can we get that sticker?
 

Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
December 2017

Finally got a chance to install the Clubsport S muffler this weekend. Overall I'm very satisfied with the purchase and it's a perfect step in the pursuit of OEM+.

I ordered from E-ACCA on November 30th and it arrived on December 16th via FedEx. The muffler was very well packed and arrived with no damage.

Installation took about 45 minutes thanks to the all the great info on this forum. Here are the details of the install:


Installation

Clubsport S muffler: 5G6253609DD
OEM clamp: 1K0253141AA

1) If needed, let the car cool down completely.
2) Get the car up in the air using your preferred method. I used ramps.
3) Find the three dimples on the piping behind the muffler and mark the middle one. It may be a good idea to visually double check that the new muffler is going to fit before you commit to cutting. I held mine up to the old muffler to get a rough idea.
5) Cut at the middle dimple using an exhaust cutter
6) Unscrew the two exhaust hanger bolts until they're about 90% out.
7) Using a jack (or awkwardly using your legs as I did) support the weight of the old muffler while you remove the hanger bolts the rest of the way.
8) Using a flathead and/or brute force, slide the exhaust hangers off the old muffler. This was the hardest part for me.
9) Install exhaust hangers on the Clubsport S muffler making sure they're on the correct side.
9) Slide the clamp on the exhaust piping coming from the resonator and leave loose.
10) Using your support method of choice, bring the new muffler up and slide the pipe into the clamp and start threading the two exhaust hanger bolts.
11) Tighten the clamp bolts down
12) Do a quick visual check to make sure everything is lining up. If needed, loosen the hanger bolts and make small adjustments.
13) Double check there are no clearence issues and start the car to check for leaks.
14) Go for a drive and recheck all bolts again after a few miles and heat cycles.


Impressions:
First impressions are positive. I really like the increased size of the tips, they really make the OE muffler seem dinky by comparison.

Sound wise, it’s more of a mixed bag. At idle there is not much difference from stock. I doubt I would have noticed if I didn't install the exhaust myself. The same is true until about 2k RPM. Past that it is louder but not much inside the car. You certainly don't have to raise your voice to carry on a conversation.

Rev-matched downshifts sound really nice as do full throttle pulls. Half-throttle produces the least desirable sound in my opinion. Sounds kind of “blaring” inside the car. Kinda like the normal stock exhaust just louder and not particularly "refined". Let me stop here and say that describing exhaust sounds over the internet is kinda pointless. The take away is that yes, it sounds better than stock and is certainly more characterful so that's great. I have a feeling that there are aftermarket exhausts that sound better (but are almost certainly louder and more expensive).

I have yet to hear this from outside the car but I want to setup a camera and do a few drivebys.

Pros
-Perfect fit using the OEM clamp
-OEM product so maybe less issues at inspection or w/ police
-Increased tip size looks really nice but still subtle
-Sounds sportier and more interesting than stock
-No drone on the highway
-Reasonably priced vs an aftermarket option

Cons
-Sounds “meh” in some situations (but overall a change for the better)
-Shipping isn't unreasonable but it's not cheap

That being said, I have zero regrets and would recommend this to anyone looking for a little more excitement without out going overboard.

I think I will try and bring the unit in a little bit as it looks to be sticking out more than stock. I will update my thoughts again after 500 miles or so.


On to the pictures

A present from Latvia!


Exhaust cutter worked perfectly


Old muffler off


OEM clamp, worth the $30


The most satisfying thing ever


Close up of larger tips


All finished
 
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Rafiki76

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles
Car(s)
MKVII GTI

Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
December 2017

Installed wheel spacers from Burger Motorsports. 15mm in the front, 20mm in the rear. I originally ordered the kit from ECS on Black Friday but the shipping date kept getting delayed so I cancelled and ordered from Burger.

Installation was extremely easy and was a good excuse for a quick wheel clean. The car feels the same with no vibrations but I haven't take it up to highway speeds yet so we'll see.

I think it looks much better. Between these and the Clubsport S muffler the car looks more muscular, like it has been pumped up 10%. Lowering springs will really complete the look but I'm not ready to go down that road yet.

Spacers installed


From the back


From the front


This was about 10 minutes after installation so the car will settle a little more. I'll try to get some better pics up soon.
 
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Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
February 2018

Installed an ECS bleeder block and adjusted the shifter cables today. Installation from start to finish took about 45 minutes. The clutch line lost more fluid than I expected so definitely have some rags or paper towels ready to catch the fluid. Otherwise, installation was straight forward and easy.

I took the car out for a shakedown afterwards and am pleased with the results. It's not a massive difference but does have a positive impact on drivability. Honestly, the car feels easier to drive and I can't see why the car didn't just come this way.

Between the bleeder block, shift adapter, clutch stop, shifter bushing, solid shifter mounts, and dogbone insert, I think I'm finally satisfied with the shifting.

Pros
-Pedal feels a little lighter and seems to move more freely (I found myself thinking less about being smooth and just driving)
-Clutch is easier to modulate since the pedal reacts more quickly (most noticeable in stop-and-go traffic)
-Replaces a plastic part with a metal one
-One-way bleed valve makes bleeding a one-person affair

Cons
-Kinda pricey especially when the free mod seems to make a noticeable difference
-Could complicate a transmission warranty claim if the dealer decides to be difficult (like any other mod)

I'd say this is a worth while mod if you can snag it when ECS occasionally drops the price down. At the very least try the free mod, many folks notice a difference as well.
 
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Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
March 2018

I took advantage of the nicer weather today and installed an 1 1/4" Ecohitch. I decided on the EcoHitch because it is more hidden than other models and StealthGTI had a great DIY blog post that helped convince me.

Installation took about an an hour and a half hour from start to finish. The hardest part by far was removing the bumper. Since it was hovering about 45 degrees outside I used a heat gun to warm up the tabs on the bumper before removing. I did end up snapping one tab but it doesn’t seem to matter and everything went back together perfectly.

Here are my impressions so far:

Pros:
-Well built and very sturdy
-No issues with fit, bolt holes lined up perfectly
-All hardware was included including a fishing line
-Available in 2” and 1.25” sizes
-Made in the US (well, a pro for us Americans anyway)

Cons:
-Price is high. At $275 on eTrailer.com ($293 on the manufactures site) this is almost twice as much as other models.
-The directions were adequate but not particularly impressive. Images and explanations are not super clear and did not mention having to disconnect the license plate light harness. There was no mention of the tools needed. Also, the paper is pretty thin so I printed out my own (which I had to email the company for).
-The actual receiver portion of the hitch about .25"-.5" off center.

Overall I am satisfied. If it lasts the lifetime of the car then I think it’ll be worth the price. I am certainly looking forward to the added utility!


Came very well packaged from eTrailer (the cheapest I could find it)


Removing the bumper was the most time consuming portion of the install


A slightly off-center receiver was the only issue on an otherwise well made product (hard to capture in a photo)


I ended up cutting a little bit at a time since the directions are for the 2" model. The tape helped guide my cuts with the Dremel.


The included Trim Lock helps clean up the install


Minimal amount shows once installed and ground clearance isn't really affected.


The final result


Bike rack installed
 
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Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
There's been a clunking sound from under the car for the last few weeks and I finally decided to investigate.

Poked around and found that the bolts holding the Roc-Euro drivetrain stabilizer to the engine/tranny were very loose. I backed them both out to apply more thread locker and re-torque and discovered they were both bent.

Needless to say I uninstalled the unit and replaced with stock. Fortunately there didn't seem to be any damage to the threads on the transmission as the original bolts went back in with no issues. I'm so glad I caught it before any damage was done.

I'm surprised because the bolts were torqued to spec and had thread locker applied only about 1,000 miles ago. A part of me wonders if the joint on the OEM unit and some other aftermarket models is necessary to allow a little more flex.

 

cbaumy34

Go Kart Champion
Location
Lindenhurst, IL
There's been a clunking sound from under the car for the last few weeks and I finally decided to investigate.

Poked around and found that the bolts holding the Roc-Euro drivetrain stabilizer to the engine/tranny were very loose. I backed them both out to apply more thread locker and re-torque and discovered they were both bent.

Needless to say I uninstalled the unit and replaced with stock. Fortunately there didn't seem to be any damage to the threads on the transmission as the original bolts went back in with no issues. I'm so glad I caught it before any damage was done.

I'm surprised because the bolts were torqued to spec and had thread locker applied only about 1,000 miles ago. A part of me wonders if the joint on the OEM unit and some other aftermarket models is necessary to allow a little more flex.

Good catch my friend!

Kinda of why I'm leaving mine alone. I know some of it has to do with NVH. But you always have to wonder.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 

Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
April 2018

I previously had an EDM Golf 6-speed knob and a Boomba short shift adapter. The Golf knob reduced the height of the shifter and felt more comfortable to me but was still too light. I decided to try something different and installed a Boomba shift knob.

My current shifter setup is:
-Boomba short shift adapter
-Boomba shift knob
-OEM metal shift cable bracket
-Integrated Engineering solid shift cable bracket mounts
-ECS solid shifter bushings

Installation took about 5 minutes and here are my first impressions:

Pros:
-Comfortable with a nice heavy weight (about 4x heavier than stock)
-Throws are reduced and shifts feel really solid
-Delrin construction means it’s temperature neutral
-Well made and study
-Understated styling (a pro for me at least)
-At around $85 it’s much cheaper then some other popular options
-Made in the USA by a small business

Cons:
-I don’t really care for the Boomba logo at the base, looks cheap in my opinion
-Mine seems to have a very subtle halo at the top of the knob, seems like where the brass insert would be

Suggestions/observations
-Remove or make the branding more discrete
-Offer in other colors
-Offer alternative markings instead of the shift pattern (eg. GTI logo)
-Sits a little lower than I’d like but I just shifted it up before tightening the set screws
-More of a personal preference but because this knob is shorter than stock offerings, your fingers easily find the edge of the shift boot instead of the base of the knob

Overall a very nice shift knob that enhances the driving experience for a reasonable price.



 
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Sub-to-Dub

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Arlington, VA USA
Car(s)
'17 GTI Sport 6MT
April 2018

Not a particular exciting entry but I ended up installing and uninstalling a JB1 all in one weekend.

Got the unit Friday after many months of almost pulling the trigger. My real hesitation aside from the initial cost was my clutch. Also, the car is only a year and a half old and I want to space out the mods and extend that “new upgrade feeling” as long as I can.

Installation was a breeze and only took about 20 minutes. No codes/lights on startup and the car responded really well to the mod. I took a long trip through some really fun country roads and was able to put about 500 miles on the JB1.

Here are my impressions and why I decided to hold off on adding any more power.

Pros:
-Pulls hard and really adds some mid-range punch
-Very quick and easy to install
-Usual piggy-back pros: no TD1, cheaper than a refresh, etc.
-Ability to upgrade to the JB4 down the road
-Great support and engagement from George for the MK7 community

Cons:
-USB cable not included: it’ll cost you $35 dollars for the USB cable just to use the full functionality out of the box.
-No real mounting options (free or paid). I’d love to see a MK7 specific mounting option as an add-on. At least include some zip ties and a simple bracket so we can keep the wiring neat.
-The instructions are adequate but underwhelming. Better photos and overall design of the document would go a long way to matching the quality of the actual product.

Reasons for uninstalling:
-Clutch slip: more than I expected. Yeah, yeah, I know you have to be careful about how much power to apply and when with the 6MT but I think I’d rather drive the stock car hard without having to think about my revs or what gear I’m in. I guess you can’t really fault the car but it’s a bummer.

-The car is too fast: most of my driving is around town and don’t get lots of opportunities for particularly spirited driving. With the added boost the car got up to speed almost too fast that I don’t have time to enjoy it. I know that sounds crazy but I think it gets at the whole “slow car fast” idea.

Traction/wheel hop: the stock power is already a lot for the front wheels (even with summer tires) and the added power only make that more challenging. Not surprisingly, wheel hop also increased.


I ended up taking the JB1 off and returning it. It’s a great product and I absolutely see the appeal. I really wanted to keep it but it's just not right for me at this point. I’ll save the money for another mod or probably more importantly a future repair bill.


 
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