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G-Lader TIPS and TRICKS
The 23 commandments for a long G-Lader life
G-Lader TIPS and TRICKS!
The 23 commandments for a long G-Lader life, kindly provided by G60ing from the Wolfsburg Edition Forum.
This list condenses the experience accumulated during the last few years on everything having to do with the G-Lader.
CONTENT
- 1. Check the oil inlet line
- 2. Is the wire harness of the injectors brittle?
- 3. Open air filters in the engine compartment are not advisable
- 4. Pulley sizes – beware of wheels that are too small
- 5. Chip/Eprom must fit the tuning
- 6. Charger overhaul only with original VW parts
- 7. Wider belts, double V-belt
- 8. Lubrication and sealing grease only by Klüber
- 9. Better to let the bypass sleeves and valves be
- 10. Intercooler as large as possible
- 11. Check the throttle valve
- 12. CAT/exhaust system
- 13. Air/fuel probe
- 14. Check the water temperature sensor
- 15. Set the CO potentiometer correctly
- 16. Resolder the boost/map sensor
- 17. The right engine oil
- 18. Change the spark plugs
- 19. Injection nozzles and fuel pressure regulator
- 20. RS charger modification done right
- 21. Check the knock sensor cable
- 22. Fill up with the right gasoline
- 23. Storage of the dismantled charger
- 24. Not everything clear yet?
1) Check the oil inlet line
Check the oil inlet lines inside. Outside hooey, inside phooey: High temperatures make for wear inside even when everything looks perfect from the outside. So always check the line and replace it if necessary. In our shop, you can buy new lines.
2) Is the wire harness of the injectors brittle?
The heat makes the harness brittle. Breaking points can be usually found shortly before the connectors to the injectors. Defective injectors lead to misfiring, the engine running too lean to burned piston crowns. Solution: Replace the injection harness. In our shop, you can get a new wire harness.
3) Open-air filters in the engine compartment are not advisable
Even if it makes noise and generates more “race feeling”: In terms of durability, open-air filters in the engine compartment are inadvisable. They not only suck in air poorer in oxygen, but more dirt also comes through without housing. Dirt particles then destroy the charger from the inside; removing the so-called “resonance tube” in the original air filter box leads to turbulences and a poorer response, even if it is louder and does sound “faster”. This is why you should keep the original filter box with the resonance tube and install a K&N plate air filter.
4) Pulley sizes – beware of wheels that are too small
Although a smaller pulley is the most inexpensive way to get more boost and more performance, the increased charger speed means more wear and, as of a certain speed limit, the death of the charger. The solution is to select a pulley size according to your own usage. If you drive a lot on the highway, a 72 pulley is fine; for day-to-day driving, you should drive a 68 pulley at a maximum. Anything else means you always have to watch the tachometer and must have the charger overhauled very frequently! Without the right chip, a smaller pulley is fatal. See Item 5!
5) Chip/Eprom must fit the tuning
The controller can only take the values for the ignition time and the amount of fuel that it finds in the maps of the chip. The original chip and more boost result in mix that is too lean (see Item 4) or a ringing/knocking engine. BAR-TEK has developed its own G60 RS3 chip.
6) Charger overhaul only with original VW parts
The charger has wear parts that must be regularly replaced. Only a few suppliers of overhauling sets, however, offer the original parts, which you must absolutely use. Regardless of the bearings, the small belt ought to be replaced even more often. When people do the overhauling themselves, they often make the mistake that the rotary shaft ring is inserted too low and blocks the oil hole! You should also make sure that you use only original VW parts. With us, you can have your G-Lader overhauled professionally.
7) Wider belts, double V-belt
The belt width should not exceed the width of the original belt pulley; anything else causes a torque on the shaft. Always choose the right belt for the G-Lader.
8) Lubrication and sealing grease only by Klüber
Lubrication and sealing greases are used to reduce the size of the air gap and improve efficiency. VW itself once tested Klüber Nosol and found it to be good. The greases must resist temperatures and centrifugal forces and must be combustible by the engine if anything is to be suctioned in. This is why you should be careful with other products. One coating lasts for about 3,000 to 10,000 kilometers.
9) Better to let the bypass sleeves and valves be
With knocking combustion, the boost is relieved through the idle valve. The same happens shortly before the speed limiter between 5,800 and 6,200 rpm. The sleeves are inserted in the connection hose between blow-off valve and the bypass and prevent both. Consequences: No boost relief with knocking combustion, and thus potential engine damage is no longer possible. Solution: A good chip for the G60 switches off the pressure reduction at high speeds and allows the protection function to remain active.
10) Intercooler as large as possible
The cooler the intake air temperatures are, the denser and richer in oxygen the air is, which in turn supports combustion. Vice versa, the hotter the intake air is, the higher the tendency to knock and hence less performance. The best solution is to install the large intercooler of the Golf or the intercooler for the Rallye Golf.
11) Check the throttle valve
The idle run and the full throttle switch are especially important here. If the full throttle switch is defective, for instance, no full throttle concentration (enrichment) will take place; the air/fuel control is still active. Consequences: engine runs too lean, temperature rise, piston damage. When the idle switch is defective, the blow-off valve and throttle cutoff is not working. Solution: Check the function of both switches at regular intervals.
12) CAT/exhaust system
CAT: Most of the installed standard ceramic catalytic converters cannot withstand the increased exhaust gas temperatures and crumble with time. Consequence: blocked exhaust pipe, increased exhaust gas counterpressure, back pressure up to the charger, temperature increase, loss of performance. Solution: Metal catalytic converter of the VR6 or 200 Zeller. Exhaust manifold: An exhaust manifold hardly makes for more performance but it makes for a much faster heat dissipation from the cylinder head. We recommend manifolds by TeZet, Supersprint or Hartmann (Bi-Kat = Euro 2) and, of course, a G60 metal race CAT.
13) Air/fuel probe
A leaking manifold, gasket, flange and everything IN FRONT of the air/fuel probe lead to an incorrect mix control since the probe measures too much oxygen and thinks the engine runs too lean. Consequences: overgreasing, plugs plugged with carbon particulate, oil dilution and higher fuel consumption. Solution: The air/fuel probe is checked with every emissions inspection. In our shop, you can get a new air/fuel probe.
14) Check the water temperature sensor
Depending on the water temperature, the water temperature sensor extends the injection duration. If it is defective, the entire mix is not right anymore. Solution: Measure the encoder values by means of the resistance curve (water bath, etc.) or replace with a new temperature sensor.
15)Set the CO potentiometer correctly
In the idle and partial-load range, the mix is enriched or leaned out depending on the intake air temperature; at full load, it is switched off. Depending on the setting, you will experience definite differences in fuel consumption or in the response since normally the air/fuel probe provides corrective feedback. Solution: Set the CO content on the tester (turn the blue sensor before the setting three times over 3000 rpm in order to switch off the air/fuel control). Around 500 ohms are a good starting value. In our shop, you can buy the right CO potentiometer.
16) Resolder the boost/map sensor
The original sensor for the boost in the control unit can only measure pressures of just over 1 bar. With higher pressures, it will always display too little pressure. Consequence: engine runs too lean, too high combustion chamber temperatures, burned pistons. Solution: Install another map sensor.
17) The right engine oil
Depending on the engine oil temperatures, you should use oil with a higher viscosity for high temperatures (that is the number AFTER the “W”). The higher the number, the more stable the oil is at high temperatures. Fully synthetic oils have cleaning additives that can dissolve deposits in the engine. This may result in leaks and an increased oil consumption. A generally accepted oil is the CASTROL RS 10W60.
18) Change the spark plugs
A spark plug is greatly responsible for the temperature development in the combustion chamber and heat dissipation. An incorrect heat value can therefore result in engine damage. The Bosch platinum W6DPO is specified for the original. Depending on the tuning stage, Iridium IX NGK should be used.
19) Injection nozzles and fuel pressure regulator
The injection nozzles and the fuel pressure regulator change the “wanted” mixture quantity calculated from the flow through the nozzles and the opening duration of the injector. Gray nozzles instead of green ones or an increased fuel pressure are only necessary when no adequate tuning by the chip was done or when the limits have been reached. Green nozzles should be installed only starting from 250 hp. We recommend the adjustable fuel pressure regulator with our G60 tuning kits.
20) RS charger modification done right
So-called RS modifications exist in different build-out stages: Removing vanes, almost always connected to higher speeds, reduces the movement through the smaller pulley. The displacer, made of aluminum, depends on an even weight distribution and balancing, so you should dispense with it in favor of a longer service life. It is not even certain if it brings great extra performance. We are happy to perform a professional overhaul.
21) Check the knock sensor cable
The knock sensor can be a lifesaver for the engine, for instance, when the wrong fuel, whose octane rating is too low, has been filled up or the boost is too high or the mixture is too lean. This is why it is vital to check the cables and make sure that the tightening torque is 20 Nm, because otherwise a flawless signal is not guaranteed!
22) Fill up with the right gasoline
The old G60 control units 88/89 (extension “B”) are set to “normal” super gasoline with 95 octane. The ones built after 1990 are designed for super plus with 98 octane. A switch to the newer software yields significantly better handling; and with each modification by chip or boost increase, filling up at least 98 octane is mandatory.
23) Storage of the dismantled charger
The displacer is made of sensitive magnesium; the housing is made of an aluminum alloy. When the charger is not in use, the interior lubrication with the oil from the crankcase ventilation is missing. The charger can corrode inside. For this reason, you should spray oil into the openings for a longer storage, turn the charger several times, close the openings and store it in a dry and warm place.
Not everything clear yet?
We are glad to answer all your questions! Just call us or write us an e-mail.
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His first car was a Polo Mk1 with a 40 Weber twin carburetor and 129 PS (95 kW). His second was an Audi 50. Today Bartek tunes Lamborghinis to 1000 PS (735 kW). Even as a young boy, Bartek disassembled vehicles and put everything back together better. He wrote his high school diploma with oil on his fingers. The trained automotive mechanic with a focus on engines and gearboxes was determined to go into motorsports. In his 10 years in Formal 1, he supervised 73 races, including as engine mechanic for Ralf Schumacher at Toyota. Since 2010, he has dedicated himself fully to his company BAR-TEK® and helps his customers to bring VW and Audi engines to peak performance.
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