Couple of turbo swap questions
 

I'm currently looking to swap the BNR16g into my LGT, I have about $2000, to play with but parts add up quick so I am trying to figure out which supporting mods are the most important and which ones can be added on as I go?
How long is the break in period for the turbo?.
Do you break it in before getting a tune?

There is no official break in period for a new turbo, just ensure you've primed it properly and all is functioning as it should. And no, I would not drive the car with a different turbo without being tuned unless your tuner has sent you a limp map to flash before you get on the dyno. That also would involve either an investment in a $500 accessport or the use of a $20 VAG-com obd2 cable and a laptop with RomRaider software. Or simply tow to the tuner.

As far as supporting modifications for a bnr16g, you absolutely need a catless up pipe, catless/highflow catted downpipe, I would get a different intercooler (or if your really on a budget, search "endtank JB weld" or something along those lines, to reinforce the garbage plastic ones on the oem tmic that tend to pop off above a certain boost pressure), you'll need a pump and injectors to see the potential of that 16g but it can be run on stock fueling (obviously you'll need to be tuned either way, that goes unsaid), high flow panel filter (less expensive than going for a cold air right off the bat).

And thats just about all I can think of. Costs associated with all of the above I'd estimate barebones including the cost of the turbo you'll spend somewhere around the $2k mark (potentially a few hundred more) including the price of a tune (which since your in the tristate area, I wouldnt go to anyone other than EFI Logics myself, about $500 for an opensource stg3 dynotune). Also I dont know if you'll be doing the installation yourself because labor can be pricey. Up that number to close to mid-high $2k's if paying a shop to do it, if not more.

That's a resonable budget if you're doing the work yourself.


I built from stage 2:
I don't think you have to break-in a turbo, but someone will correct me if I'm wrong. I didn't do anything special for break-in.

knew i forgot some stuff, yeah 3 port ebcs, ss oil feed line

For a 16G I would get:

Required: Up pipe ($100), Downpipe ($300), Tune ($150-$400)

Recommended: TMIC ($400), EBCS ($100), fuel pump ($200) and injectors ($400-$500).

Nice to have: CBE ($500)

There is a lot of debate over the break in of a turbo. I took it easy for about 250 miles on a low boost map. Then did the final tune. Some say that is overkill and dumb others say it is not nearly enough of a break in.

Here's a generic build list for a 16G:

• Turbo core: $100 shipped to BNR
• 16G: $725
• CNT Catted Downpipe: $300
• STI catless UP: $75
• New Gaskets: $75
• Bullet-proof TMIC kit ($77)
• DW65c: $150
• Protune: $500

That puts you right at your budget ($2002) and is probably the most cost effective / bang for your buck setup.

I over-estimated on the Protune. If you go with an E-tune you could possibly pick up some injectors used of the forum here and still be within your budget.

EDIT: others have mentioned some good points--EBCS (not required but would certainly be nice) and upgraded oil lines for the BNR warranty.

If I go E-tune such as the infamous tune will that be good enough to hold me over for a while? I plan on getting protuned at EFI but would like to add some exhaust bits and maybe a couple other things before the final tune.
This should all be done by around October before I drive from NY to CO for the winter. Also I've seen some debate wether or not to go Catted or Catless on the downpipe, I've seen some say that having the cat isn't so good for long trips such as the one I will be making due to the prolonged periods of high heat in the engine bay. Any truth to this?

If you are going to CO - you should probably wait and get the tune there - different gas and elevation (likely).

You could do just fine on an e-tune, even an OTS tune would probably be OK for an interim period. I'd imagine Shamar has tuned a ton of 16g setups, just log after your tune to make sure it's safe.

I'm in the camp of "if it's a street car you should have a cat", but to each their own I guess. You'll see zero performance gain going catless, just a bit of savings.

Going with the etune and upgrading the oil lines per BNR would leave you about $175 to play with--you'll probably need that anyway for random bits such as hardware, heat wrap, etc.

I will see no performance gains by going catless but will I see any benefits from keeping the cat that would make it worth the extra money?
I assume I would still have to switch either pipe out when it comes time for emissions test time right?

Not sure how strict emissions are where you live. I live in northern va which I consider fairly strict and I don't expect to have to swap my DP (cobb catted) out for emissions testing--could be wrong tho.

Also, people driving behind you won't have to smell your car if you stick with a cat. If you plan on doing a full exhaust as well, cops will notice both the sound and the smell. Unwanted attention if you as me.

It's been too long since I researched it, but there's some concern about boost creep with catless downpipes too. That and all the other factors mentioned led me to go catted.

get the catless Invidia for around ~$290. e-tune for $150. Sti uppipe for ~$60. Ebay/gms exhaust for ~$350. Budget modding ftw.

Catless gets a bad rap, but I'd rather have a quality piece like the Invidia without a cat then the CNT knockoff with a hot cat in the engine bay.

So you opt for a quality downpipe but a craptastic CBE? :confused:

I live in new york currently which is very strict, and I live in Colorado during the winter. I've heard Colorado is pretty tight too, read somewhere on here they have mobile sniffer vans or something like that! I don't mind paying the extra few hundred to keep the cat on the downpipe if it's worth it