All posts by Jeffrey Jones

Frankenturbo + Mamba First Drive

With everything back together took the car out for a shakedown drive to make sure everything was working ok.  The tune is for the Turbo Concepts turbos with different wastegates and a higher preload setting.  Will need to do some work on the boost control.

FTv3 + Mamba WG First Drive
FTv3 + Mamba WG First Drive

 

Frankenturbo F21v3 Swap Complete

Starting on New Years Day I am taking advantage of some extra free time to get ready to swap the Frankenturbo F21s into the S4.

FrankenTurbo F21 version 3 Audi B5 S4 turbocharger
FrankenTurbo F21 version 3
S4 Engine Pull Preparation
S4 Engine Pull Preparation

The S4 sits on a set of dollies so it can move about the garage easily for positioning.  The car is at an angle in the garage when the engine hoist removes the engine.

S4 Engine Pull Preparations
S4 Engine Pull Preparations

Spending Friday evening removing the engine.

S4 engine out
S4 engine out

Saturday is turbo swap day.  This took a bit longer than usual on account of the Mamba wastegate bracket on the passenger side being too big.

Mamba Wastegate Bracket
Mamba Wastegate Bracket

Some cutting and filing of the bracket is done so that it will fit in place because the unmodified bracket contacts the cylinder head and/or starter.

Mamba Wastegate Bracket Modified
Mamba Wastegate Bracket Modified

On go the new F21s.

Frankenturbo F21v3 Driver Side
Frankenturbo F21v3 Driver Side
Frankenturbo F21v3 Passenger Side
Frankenturbo F21v3 Passenger Side

Before installing the engine the wastegate preload is set to 12 psi.  The setup is using the Yellow springs from the Mamba collection of springs.

Mamba Spring Preload Chart
Mamba Spring Preload Chart

Finally on Sunday the engine is installed.

B5 S4 Engine Install with FT21 v3 turbochargers
B5 S4 Engine Install with FT21 v3 turbochargers

No particular place to go

With a number of different turbocharger pairs sitting in boxes, and a good pair on the car, I’ve had trouble deciding what to do next with my S4.

BorgWarner RS6 - FrankenTurbo F21 - TiAL 605
BorgWarner RS6 – FrankenTurbo F21 – TiAL 605

Then there is an incomplete engine sitting in the corner of my garage that will open some opportunities on account of the 2.8 heads and built bottom end.

Istook Engine Clean Up
Engine Cleanup

After several months of no progress on either I took some free time on New Years day to start preparing the car to pull out the engine.

Engine Pull Prep-work

The built engine is not ready so that option is out for now. My goal with the TiAL turbochargers is to have them made over into 770’s, so that leaves me with a choice between the BW RS6 turbo’s:

BorgWarner Audi RS6/K04 Turbocharger
BorgWarner RS6/K04

Or prototype FrankenTurbo F21 with ceramic coated turbine housings and Mamba wastegate actuators.

Frankenturbo F21 with Mamba wastegate
Frankenturbo F21 with Mamba wastegate

I’m leaning toward the F21s on account of them being an easy transition from the Turbo Concepts Stage 1 turbos that are presently on the car.

Turbo Concepts DZX-271 Turbocharger Compressor Wheel
Turbo Concepts DZX-271 Turbocharger Compressor Wheel