[firstorbit84]

So, I just thought I'd share this for anyone thinking about buying a G60 Corrado, and for all the G60 guys out there who can hopefully sympathize with me: NICE WORKING AND LOOKING CORRADOS ARE NOT CHEAP!
Here I am 20 months into Corrado ownership, after already putting in about 2 grand on upgrades and maintenance, my stage 4 charger blew beyond repair in the first 12 months, and I've just made the biggest two purchases to date: Paint and a supercharger rebuild from BBM on a stock charger that I picked up for $200. Now another 2 grand later, I'm about to reinstall my charger and be that much closer to boosting once again. Finally my ride will go as good as it looks and sounds. The feeling is overwhelming.
Here's a couple teasers:

That's her getting some tune up items yesterday: Fresh oil, Spark Plugs, Wires, Distributor cap and rotor.
Soon this will be going on, fresh from BBM:

I can't wait! After driving it NA for 9 months, the sound and feeling of the G-Lader will be orgasmic. (Especially compared to my TDI daily)
Some more, better pics of the install and new paint to come.

 

[corrado-correr]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (firstorbit84)

nice man!

 

[sdezego]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (firstorbit84)

Nice. Make sure you flush out the intercooler and all piping really well

Wait until you see how much oil and metal will come out.
S

 

[MarkeeeVR6]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (sdezego)

I feel your pain!!! But the Love Hate relationship with the corrado comes with the territory!! Nice to see another G60 thats being saved rather than parted or swapped out!!

Good Luck with it Looks Good http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

 

[V-TEC this!!!]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (MarkeeeVR6)

My corrado just blew the charger 3 weeks ago....good thing I had a backup diesel to drive...it just went into storage.

 

[emg60vw]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (firstorbit84)

Quote, originally posted by firstorbit84 »

and for all the G60 guys out there who can hopefully sympathize with me: NICE WORKING AND LOOKING CORRADOS ARE NOT CHEAP!

X2 to that.
I had my G-ladder rebuild Stage 4 from KK, rebuilt, cleaned up, and resprayed my 90 G60.
you will LOVE having the boost back.
Now you will be able to fully enjoy what VW intended you to enjoy in your Corrado.
Nice Job by the way.

 

[firstorbit84]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (sdezego)

Quote, originally posted by sdezego »

Nice. Make sure you flush out the intercooler and all piping really well Wait until you see how much oil and metal will come out. S

well i already put it back on, and it was such a PITA, that i'm not gonna take it back off to clean it anymore. to clean the inside i used a can brake part cleaner and goo gone to loosen any debris, and then vacuumed it out. for the outside and the fins i used some easy off oven cleaner and a hose. some dirty liquid drained out, but it seemed that most of the grease and shavings were caught in the rsr outlet and rubber connector hose from the outlet to the first IC pipe:

you can see it really caked on thick there, but surprisingly there wasn't too much grease or shavings toward the bottom of the IC pipe. I took the charger off almost immediately after it started sounding funny.
if i do get back into the IC again and have some $$ and time for a project, i'll likely switch to something like this:

but that means i'll also probably have to relocate my volvo oil cooler and/or start cutting up the bumper and my eurosport boost pipes to make it work, cause there isn't a whole lotta room in there.

 

[firstorbit84]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (firstorbit84)

update y'all... so after having this thing not on the car for over a month since i got it back from BBM, the G-lader is finally back on! w00t! here's some better pics of the newly waxed fresh paint, and one of the newly installed charger:

i did run into some minor hiccups such as one NGK spark plug arriving cracked and no store in town carrying them, so I had to wait another two days to get a new one. then the old serpentine belt was about a half inch too short because there was a 68mm pulley on there, and I didn't know the PO used a different belt as well. all problems aside it seems to be running pretty well except for the boost levels...

i'm following BBM's instructions not to rev it past 4k RPMs or give it full throttle or boost for the first 500miles, but I'm not getting hardly any readings at all (maybe 1-2 psi) with partial throttle up to 4000rpm in 2nd gear.

my last charger was ported and polished and had a 68mm pulley running 15+psi of boost at WOT in 3rd and 4th, so that thing would really haul a$$, but this one is stock housing with a stock 78mm pulley... this thing just doesn't feel that fast.
am I expecting too much of the stock charger?? at what speed/rpms/throttle position is it supposed to start making real boost? does the charger make less boost during the break-in period? are my other mods affecting it (268/260 cam, stage4 chip, boost return delete, rsr outlet, CAI, eurosport tubes, BBM fuel rail)?? I know I have about a 1/2-1/4 of the throttle to go and about 2000-2500 rpms to go, plus i haven't been on the highway yet, so I haven't even seen above 4k rpms in 3rd or 4th gear or anything full throttle, but shouldn't I be reading something?

i can hear the thing working and i can hear the isv wooshing like it should when I start to get on it a little, but it seems to build boost so slow, especially compared to the old charger, and not being able to go above 4k doesn't help cause I really want to feel the surge again.
maybe my gauge is incorret? i checked the lines from the engine bay to the gauge for leaks, but I guess I'll have to do a full vacuum system leak test, and check the gauge's number's against the in-dash numbers.

 

[vwchlng]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (firstorbit84)

Wait until you break it in then go for a romp on the freeway. Your not going to WOT right now so the dump valve is still open allowing boost to bypass the system. Plus a stock charger just is not going to perform like a fully ported one on a 68MM pulley. Once you break it in and go WOT things should be different, if not then.........well it is a G-Ladder. G/L http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
Oh, one last thing. Make sure yuo have no boos leaks before you panic to much. Go back and check all the fitting's. That oblong bugger on the IC is a pain.


Modified by vwchlng at 12:20 AM 11-7-2008

 

[snowbird]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (firstorbit84)

Quote, originally posted by firstorbit84 »

at what speed/rpms/throttle position is it supposed to start making real boost? does the charger make less boost during the break-in period? are my other mods affecting it (268/260 cam, stage4 chip, boost return delete, rsr outlet, CAI, eurosport tubes, BBM fuel rail)?? I know I have about a 1/2-1/4 of the throttle to go and about 2000-2500 rpms to go,

You might have boost leaks if only showing 1-2psi. Check all connections between the charger and the intake manifold. But remember, sc boost increases with RPM's, so you can expect more psi the higher you go in the rev range.
But also realize that your Stg4 setup is expecting more boost than it is getting with a 78mm pulley. Not sure how low boost effects a Stg4 chip and cam. I'd ask in the G60 Forum.


Modified by snowbird at 7:26 PM 11-6-2008

 

[jettag60]

unless you really get on the throttle you won't show alot of boost...1/2/3 psi at low rpm in light throttle is normal

ps: put the stock air box back on

 

[firstorbit84]

Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (snowbird)

Thanks for the advice so far. First, I'm gonna check the gauge against the MFA because I saw the needle a little below the 0 while the car is off, so maybe 0-2psi is really 3-5. I asked SNS about the stage 4 chip when I ran the car without the G-Lader, and they said the ECU reads the boost signal and delivers fuel accordingly. So, there's not really a NA tune and the chip should be okay with stock boost levels as well.
p.s. I don't have a stock air box, but why should I put one back on?


Modified by firstorbit84 at 8:03 PM 11-6-2008

 

[jettag60]

because it provides better filtering and less "hot air"....plus it looks much better
you've got the sns stage 4 chip...do you have the rest of the parts (haven't read the whole thread)
68mm or smaller pulley
3.5 bar FPR
rsr reroute
cam
etc
also GET THE PROPER BOSCH PLUGS!!!! they are expensive but are worth it


Modified by jettag60 at 11:14 PM 11-6-2008

 

[firstorbit84]

Re: (jettag60)

Quote, originally posted by jettag60 »

because it provides better filtering and less "hot air"....plus it looks much better you've got the sns stage 4 chip...do you have the rest of the parts (haven't read the whole thread) 68mm or smaller pulley 3.5 bar FPR rsr reroute cam etc also GET THE PROPER BOSCH PLUGS!!!! they are expensive but are worth it

Yeah, I've got everything but the pulley on until I finish breaking in the charger on the stock pulley.
Bah, I'll just get a heat shield. Was looking at some scooped hoods too before I got the paint done, but it's too late now.
Yeah, next time I will spring for the Bosch plugs because these NGK Iridium IX's are crap quality. Yeah, I only got them cause people on here said they use them, big mistake. They may fire the engine correctly and last a while, and are half the price of bosch, but you can tell immediately that they are just not such great quality. I had the ceramic on one crack right out of the box, another one's end connector bent like aluminum foil when I put the wires on, so I had to take it back out and carefully bend it straight again just to get the wire on. Then the replacement for the cracked one came gapped incorrectly, so I had to regap it.

The headaches weren't worth the $30 bux I saved. I learned my lesson. Bosch all the way for sure next time.
On another note they are definitely better than the Autolite Platinums that I pulled out after God knows how many miles, which all had almost completely gone tips. Undoubtedly the source of my misfires.