MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => Modifications & Technical Area => Performance Modifications => Topic started by: cgray0291 on November 17, 2012, 01:48:42 am

Title: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: cgray0291 on November 17, 2012, 01:48:42 am
Hi all! I'm new to the forum but had my 2005 golf gti since feb!  It's an ok car but soon got bored and now wanting more out of it!! I feel the standard ko3 is a bit sh*te tbh!! I've read a bit on the ko4 conversion and everyone seems to say its like driving a totally different car?!
Can anyone vouch for this?!
Been looking at apr's kit that they do, it's pricey but recon it's worth it as its all new parts and should get a warranty with it! Was goin to go for a neuspeed p-flow intake and airtec twin intercooler aswell!
Anybody tell me if this sounds like a good plan or not?! Or would I just be kinda wasting my time?!

Thanks
Callum
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: Baz300 on November 17, 2012, 06:59:16 am
Awesome are offering free fitting if you buy the APR kit but its still pricey
At that sort of money would you not be better off selling your gti and putting the 3k towards an edition 30?

Last week there was 2 x k04 kits up for  sale on here at around £700 but they sold very quick
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: cgray0291 on November 17, 2012, 10:05:36 am
That's the thing I've been trying to sell it for months and no body has made any offers, had a few text asking about coming to look at it but that's all!! So think il just keep it now and make it quicker! :) thanks for the info!
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: AwesomeHassan on November 17, 2012, 10:27:14 am
We do indeed have the K04 turbo kits on offer at the moment with free fitting.

You need a k04 in your life   :driver:


Thanks
AwesomeHassan
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: dan930 on November 17, 2012, 02:18:04 pm
Hi mate,never tried a ko3 Gti so don't know if it sh*te tbh, but if u switch to ko4 u will need to think about suspension & brakes...the modding never stops
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: Janner_Sy on November 17, 2012, 02:25:18 pm
is yours modified at all?

a stage 2+ K03 with 280hp is bloody quick enough thats for sure.  Its not as quick as a converted Stage 3(Ko4) car, but it'll happily keep up with a 300hp Focus RS all day long and even out pull it in some instances
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: dan930 on November 17, 2012, 02:27:40 pm
is yours modified at all?

a stage 2+ K03 with 280hp is bloody quick enough thats for sure.  Its not as quick as a converted Stage 3(Ko4) car, but it'll happily keep up with a 300hp Focus RS all day long and even out pull it in some instances

+2..they are quick..
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: cgray0291 on November 18, 2012, 11:07:24 am
Engine wise it has a panel filter and a cat back milltek! It's on coilovers so that's the suspension kinda sorted, was goin to be goin for uprated disks and pads anyway! I just feel the ko3 doesn't have much punch to it! I had a shot of a remapped s3 and it was awesome! Boost comes in hard and doesn't die off towards the red line!!
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: Janner_Sy on November 18, 2012, 03:40:24 pm
you basically have a stock KO3 engine, so yeah its pretty linear and gutless.  At stage 1, 2 or 2+ k03 is VASTLy different in the power delivery and MUCH faster.

A stage 2+ K03 TFSi GTI will keep up with a stage 1 S3 with no issues in anything other than soaking wet roads, or off the mark.

Also the k03 is also quicker to to spool up than the K04.  Day to day drivability at upto say 100mph, id say the kO3 stage 2+ is perfect
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: pitsirikas on November 18, 2012, 05:31:15 pm
Day to day drivability at upto say 100mph, id say the kO3 stage 2+ is perfect

+1
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: 56OctyVRS on November 18, 2012, 09:01:59 pm
Day to day drivability at upto say 100mph, id say the kO3 stage 2+ is perfect

+1

Or 70mph in the UK Sy :wink:

Im stage 2+ K03 without the intake and a paper filter installed. Its very potent and I am still suprised as to how good the engine performs. I had thought about K04 but the id rather buy a faster car as standard than pay all the extra money for parts needed. Then Id modify that to go even faster :laugh:
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: GrayMK5GTI on November 18, 2012, 09:10:45 pm
I had a go in my mates standard S3 (K04) last week. Compared to my R-Tech stage 1 K03, I can honestly say mine is MUCH better to drive  :laugh: the turbo spools in an instant and has fantastic low down power and silly torque, although runs out of puff at 5.5k revs. The standard K04 felt very gutless and unresponsive at low revs (although I bet the 95RON unleaded doesn't help)

No doubt a mapped K04 would be seriously quick and would be almost on par with throttle response  :notworthy:

My advice would be to map your K03 and see how you feel then, it totally transforms the way it drives  :driver:
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: james on November 18, 2012, 10:03:36 pm
K04 rocks lol crazy fun for the price
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: GrayMK5GTI on November 18, 2012, 10:15:38 pm
K04 rocks lol crazy fun for the price

Let's be honest James yours is NUTS  :grin:
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: GNJ_Motorsport on November 18, 2012, 10:36:22 pm
I had a go in my mates standard S3 (K04) last week. Compared to my R-Tech stage 1 K03, I can honestly say mine is MUCH better to drive  :laugh: the turbo spools in an instant and has fantastic low down power and silly torque, although runs out of puff at 5.5k revs. The standard K04 felt very gutless and unresponsive at low revs (although I bet the 95RON unleaded doesn't help)

No doubt a mapped K04 would be seriously quick and would be almost on par with throttle response  :notworthy:

My advice would be to map your K03 and see how you feel then, it totally transforms the way it drives  :driver:


I'm not surprised, the standard map on the S3 is garbage. Stage 1 they are a completely different drive.

I will be doing either a K04 or LOBA 380 conversion on our GTI next year. They need supporting mods though like decent suspension, brakes and LSD or the power will be wasted away.
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: pitsirikas on November 26, 2012, 09:11:55 am
Think I'll start with this...

http://www.loba-motorsport.com/shop/clearance-sale/155/original-2.0tfsi-k04-turbocharger
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: RedRobin on November 26, 2012, 09:36:40 am

Engine wise it has a panel filter and a cat back milltek! It's on coilovers so that's the suspension kinda sorted, was goin to be goin for uprated disks and pads anyway! I just feel the ko3 doesn't have much punch to it! I had a shot of a remapped s3 and it was awesome! Boost comes in hard and doesn't die off towards the red line!!


....Whether you convert to K04 or not, you'll need a Turbo-back, not Cat-back, exhaust to deliver the potential of the remap and you'll need a remap to run a K04 on your K03 car.

Just coilovers isn't enough to sort out your suspension - It's just a good start.

Remember too that power is useless without traction and so engine mounts, diff such as Quaife or Wavetrac, are other mods you'll want.

Your goal should be a well balanced car with good driveability and reliability.
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: pitsirikas on November 26, 2012, 01:26:01 pm
Your goal should be a well balanced car with good driveability and reliability.

+1 RR

Exactly my intension...!!!
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: Keith@APR on December 11, 2012, 10:17:20 am

Engine wise it has a panel filter and a cat back milltek! It's on coilovers so that's the suspension kinda sorted, was goin to be goin for uprated disks and pads anyway! I just feel the ko3 doesn't have much punch to it! I had a shot of a remapped s3 and it was awesome! Boost comes in hard and doesn't die off towards the red line!!


....Whether you convert to K04 or not, you'll need a Turbo-back, not Cat-back, exhaust to deliver the potential of the remap and you'll need a remap to run a K04 on your K03 car.


APR offers two different calibrations, one for the standard exhaust and one for a more freely flowing one.  We developed the standard exhaust calibration as a business case study for VW.  It is definitely possible to have a k04 with great gains and perfect drivability by changing nothing else other than the turbo, injectors and hpfp on a k03 car.

We are also pretty close in pricing if you take out the HPFP to competing with the cost of replacing a failed k03 so I hope as these cars get older and need repair, more people will see the benefit of a k04 over a k03 without having to become mod junkies.  :smiley:
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: Janner_Sy on December 12, 2012, 08:26:45 am

APR offers two different calibrations, one for the standard exhaust and one for a more freely flowing one.  We developed the standard exhaust calibration as a business case study for VW.  It is definitely possible to have a k04 with great gains and perfect drivability by changing nothing else other than the turbo, injectors and hpfp on a k03 car.


awesome news.  Just bolting the K04 & injectors on makes more sense to me than going the full stage 2+ K03 route.  More power and less cost.  That will be the route i go i think when i get an  Octavia again.
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: Keith@APR on December 12, 2012, 10:33:34 am
Just make sure whoever does the remap knows you have a standard downpipe.  The difference in EGT's between a standard downpipe and an aftermarket one is very significant with a k04.  If you put a remap made for an aftermarket downpipe on with a standard downpipe, you'll burn up the turbo very quickly.
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: Janner_Sy on December 12, 2012, 10:37:18 am
Its effectively just making a stage 1+ Ed30.  Im off to look for Octavia estates on Autotrader  :grin:
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: danishmkvgti on December 12, 2012, 11:46:41 am
Just make sure whoever does the remap knows you have a standard downpipe.  The difference in EGT's between a standard downpipe and an aftermarket one is very significant with a k04.  If you put a remap made for an aftermarket downpipe on with a standard downpipe, you'll burn up the turbo very quickly.

Knock out the precat which is fine, i have 3 friends with this and it works great, all making 300 to 310 with and without uprated HPFP  :happy2:
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: valle on December 14, 2012, 07:16:34 am
I will use this theme, so i don't open another one.

So currently i am runing on revo stage 2+ on my mk5 gti , k03.
And i am considering going on loba's k04.
Also need the injectors, or anything else ?

thanks
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: bacillus on December 14, 2012, 10:16:30 am
I will use this theme, so i don't open another one.

So currently i am runing on revo stage 2+ on my mk5 gti , k03.
And i am considering going on loba's k04.
Also need the injectors, or anything else ?

thanks

Reinforced rods if you want to go Loba...
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: valle on December 14, 2012, 10:28:57 am
just standart k04, that they sell, not their modified.
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: danishmkvgti on December 14, 2012, 12:31:42 pm
just standart k04, that they sell, not their modified.

If you have a normal k03'ed GTI then there's no point in going LOBA K04 as you won't be able to use the torque it can deliver with your stock rods
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: Janner_Sy on December 14, 2012, 12:39:30 pm
just standart k04, that they sell, not their modified.

If you have a normal k03'ed GTI then there's no point in going LOBA K04 as you won't be able to use the torque it can deliver with your stock rods

But the "loba" K04 he is talking about is just a standard K04 Turbo with no modifications.  Hes not on about a hybrid.

K03 BWA rods can handle K04 torque.
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: danishmkvgti on December 14, 2012, 01:38:31 pm
just standart k04, that they sell, not their modified.

If you have a normal k03'ed GTI then there's no point in going LOBA K04 as you won't be able to use the torque it can deliver with your stock rods

But the "loba" K04 he is talking about is just a standard K04 Turbo with no modifications.  Hes not on about a hybrid.

K03 BWA rods can handle K04 torque.

okay, i thought it was the lo380 he referred to, which isn't a hybrid but with optimized blades. IMO a BWA isn't strong enough to handle over 500Nm of torque thjat the stock K04 can produce  :smiley:
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: valle on December 14, 2012, 01:50:35 pm
Hm, talked with Revo , and Loba, and they said , that , that kind of mod, would be plug/play...
Yea plug&play, but for how long  :confused:
So i need owners opinion, like yours, so thank you...
Has anyone done such a mod, around here?


thanks
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: danishmkvgti on December 14, 2012, 08:16:49 pm
Hm, talked with Revo , and Loba, and they said , that , that kind of mod, would be plug/play...
Yea plug&play, but for how long  :confused:
So i need owners opinion, like yours, so thank you...
Has anyone done such a mod, around here?


thanks

Which one are you considering Valle, a K04 bought from LOBA or the LOBA LO380 which is a modified K04??
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: valle on December 14, 2012, 08:49:21 pm
Yea , sorry , i should paste this first.

http://www.loba-motorsport.com/shop/clearance-sale/155/original-2.0tfsi-k04-turbocharger?c=165

standart k04 kit. Not modified.
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: valle on March 23, 2013, 05:44:11 pm
Still looking for some advice...
So what else is needed , to switch from k03 to k04.

thanks for help
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: _Dejan_ on March 24, 2013, 07:13:24 pm
As Im see Loba has upgrade their LO380 to new LO400 which is still modified K04... But I didn't find any test of this new turbo on internet :)
Title: Re: Ko4 conversion??!!
Post by: danishmkvgti on March 24, 2013, 07:34:36 pm
As Im see Loba has upgrade their LO380 to new LO400 which is still modified K04... But I didn't find any test of this new turbo on internet :)

The turbine wheel is version 3 design and gives the up in bhp, a very good value for money solution IMO.  :smiley: