Question about a Giles pump upgrade

[ventureforth]

To clarify, I have an '82 mk1 rabbit 2-door with a 4-spd.  However, swapping in a 5-spd is on the agenda very soon.  I do a lot of highway driving at 75mph.  Out here in socal that barely keeps up with the flow of traffic.  Though 4 is awesome around town, it just won't cut it for my daily hour-long each way freeway commute.

[ventureforth]

Also, to clarify, if I'm going to have a shop do a custom 2.xx downpipe and performance muffler, is it not necessary to do the gti manifold?

[burn_your_money]

check the code on your tranny, it might be just as good (or better) then a 5 speed.

You can use your stock diesel manifold with a modified downpipe for more power.

Actually, being a 82 you might have a 4:2:1 exhaust manifold on there already.

[ventureforth]

What tranny would I be looking for in my rabbit that would be better than a 5-speed?  Or what 5 spd with a .75-ish 5th gear would not be better to have than my current 4-spd?  I'm not being sarcastic, i'd very much like to know.

[burn_your_money]

If you check out www.scirocco.org/gears and use the calculator you'll find that the 4A and GP 4 speeds are basically just as good if not  better then most of the 5 speeds.

It's one less shift to worry about but it also one less choice of cruising RPM below highway speeds. 3rd gear on the 4 speeds seems to be very good for around town though.

[Baron VonZeppelin]

The tranny code is stamped on the bottom of the bellhousing.
If you jack car up - roll under it - look strait up at large round bell section of tranny nearest the engine - there it is.

Will read like 01455 GC, 10345 GP, etc...

IF you still have the factory 4spd shift knob - the "good" 4speeds in 82 came with 1-2-3-E (economy) (known as 3+E).
The crappys came with 1-2-3-4.
Both had an R, also.

To run 75mph with the low geared 4spd, you'd more than likely be holding it to the floor and buzzing like a bumble bee.

Do a search on the exhaust spring tool.
You can make one, or buy one, but your exhaust guy will hate you forever if you don't supply one. Maybe he will have one - but most do not. Inquire with your chosen shop. It takes a special VW/Audi tool.

The standard / non-4:2:1 manifold looks like a toilet bowl where it meets the exhaust headpipe. Its known as a toilet bowl manifold, because of the look it has. You'll be able to tell which you have.

[ventureforth]

Still have to check out my tranny code, but it looks like none of the 5 spds. are any better or, in most cases, as good as the 4 spds. except in the case of the GC, which would be a .91 5th gear.  All of the other 4 spds. have .71 or .70 5th.  Let's just hope I don't have a GC, I guess.

To respond to the shift knob question, the PO (I've only had the Rabbit for a few months) must have put a custom knob on (or ordered one in custom trim package or something from the dealer when she bought it) because it was a cone-shaped knob with a flat top and no markings.

Another question:  I have a small but decent intercooler that I took off a 1986 Jeep Cherokee TD.  Any benefit to piping that up to this modest 1.6 NA?  I already have 3" tubing running from the air box to the front grill to get more cold air into the system.  Still using the stock paper panel filter.  Have thought about doing a cone filter.  Is the modded intake enough, or would the small IC add any significant benefit?

[Rabbit on Roids]

Still have to check out my tranny code, but it looks like none of the 5 spds. are any better or, in most cases, as good as the 4 spds. except in the case of the GC, which would be a .91 5th gear.  All of the other 4 spds. have .71 or .70 5th.  Let's just hope I don't have a GC, I guess.

To respond to the shift knob question, the PO (I've only had the Rabbit for a few months) must have put a custom knob on (or ordered one in custom trim package or something from the dealer when she bought it) because it was a cone-shaped knob with a flat top and no markings.

Another question:  I have a small but decent intercooler that I took off a 1986 Jeep Cherokee TD.  Any benefit to piping that up to this modest 1.6 NA?  I already have 3" tubing running from the air box to the front grill to get more cold air into the system.  Still using the stock paper panel filter.  Have thought about doing a cone filter.  Is the modded intake enough, or would the small IC add any significant benefit?

an intercooler is a big restriction if it doesnt have boost hooked to it.. why do you need a charge cooler for already cool air? an intercooler is to remove the heat from compressing the air in the turbo..

i bet you would suffer a PERFORMANCE LOSS if you hooked up the intercooler to a n/a diesel.

[Baron VonZeppelin]

...as good as the 4 spds. except in the case of the GC, which would be a .91 5th gear.  All of the other 4 spds. have .71 or .70 5th.  Let's just hope I don't have a GC, I guess.

Since i'm waiting for the rain to stop outside - i'm gonna mess with you a little here ... lol sorry

The 4speeds don't have a 5th gear.
We call those 5speeds

[ventureforth]

Ha!  Yes, that would be correct.  4 speeds have four gears.    Going on very little sleep here.  Guess I had 5th on the brain.  At any rate, it looks like the 4th  gear on most of the 4 spds. is about as tall as it gets.  Here's hoping I have a 3+E.

Gotcha on the IC.  I had a feeling there was something about it that didn't quite make sense.  Still a noob here.  

This Rabbit will be my first foray into doing anything more than the most basic maintenance on a car.  I've owned modern Golfs up until now, and wouldn't ever dream of dealing with the ECU and other high-tech engineering that goes along with them.  Mechanical doesn't scare me, but electronics and computer controlled machines are another story (at least where automobiles are concerned).  Which is funny, because by trade I am a motion picture editor and deal with computers and electronics all the time.  I guess it's just different when that computerized machine is barreling down the highway at 75mph and my life is in its hands.  For that scenario, I'll leave it in the hands of the pros.

Oh, and I do have the toilet bowl.  So, just to get final clarification, is there any benefit to using the GTI manifold instead of the stock toilet bowl if it's going to be modified for a custom 2.xx" downpipe?  Also, any significant benefit to going 2.5" over 2.25" in this application.  I have heard some comment that 2.5" is overkill for the NA and anything over 2.25" is pretty much a case of diminishing returns.
 

[Baron VonZeppelin]

I knew you just typed that faster than you were thinking on the 4-5 speed deal. lol

A lot of guys upgrade from toilet bowl to 4-2-1.
It must be pretty beneficial overall.
But to flip the coin - they usually have easy access to one.

I don't know how much they sale for on the open market.
If it wasn't very expensive with shipping in mind, i'd go for it.
You're pretty much going top of the line and cream of the crop on everything else on NA upgrades - i'd say test the market and find the cost of 4-2-1.

I'm not familiar with them - but thinking they go 4-2 on the manifold - then you have to have another special pipe to go 2-1.
Check into it and get the scoop on it all.

I'd go with 2.25 exhaust with thick walled heavy gauge pipe. 

[rabbitman]

Oh, and I do have the toilet bowl.  So, just to get final clarification, is there any benefit to using the GTI manifold instead of the stock toilet bowl if it's going to be modified for a custom 2.xx" downpipe?  Also, any significant benefit to going 2.5" over 2.25" in this application.  I have heard some comment that 2.5" is overkill for the NA and anything over 2.25" is pretty much a case of diminishing returns.

On a NA any bigger than 2.25" will pretty much only add noise. Mine is 2.5" and it's louder than I like with two mufflers.

I'm not familiar with them - but thinking they go 4-2 on the manifold - then you have to have another special pipe to go 2-1.
Check into it and get the scoop on it all.

I'd go with 2.25 exhaust with thick walled heavy gauge pipe. 

Yup and yup.

What some of us have done is use the toilet manifold and cut the toilet off the stock downpipe and weld it to the downpipe of your choice, having looked at both styles of manifolds I like the toilet style better. The restricion appears to be where the "bowl" narrrows down to the stock 1.5" pipe, widening it to 2.25" fixes that.

[rabbitman]

Forgot to add this: http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=24927.0

Down towards the bottom is a good method of getting the spring clamps off.

[ventureforth]

2.25" it is, then.  Anyone have praise or horror stories to tell about some of the notable performance muffler manufacturers (magnaflow, dynaflow, etc.)?  Any use doing a catback?

[rabbitman]

2.25" it is, then.  Anyone have praise or horror stories to tell about some of the notable performance muffler manufacturers (magnaflow, dynaflow, etc.)?  Any use doing a catback?

I've got a Thrush welded muffler, I don't like the idea of using a "insulation" packed muffler on a car that'll fill it with soot right away.

Mine is PN. 17650, (so you can compare sizes) and at 9.5" wide it barely fits between the spare tire well and lower shock mount, with mine it misses the tire well by an inch max and actually bumps the shock mount some.

Someone else can chime in on the other brands .