1.8t engine, what they like?

[hutchysrs50]

Had a quick check in the buyers guide but didn't see much.

Thinking of buying a polo GTI with the 1.8t engine. What they like? Reliable? Common faults? Power out put? Common modifications and price of them?

I'm used to diesels, having had 3 Fabia vrs's. My last one got the treatment with a rebuild engine, 3.0 hybrid turbo, fmic with pipe work and much more, around 240bhp from 130 standard was good... But still got 65mpg.

[andy68]

Very tuneable, you wont get the torque or MPG of a diesel though.

[TeflonTom]

The mid range performance is quite dull, and thirsty when driven hard, if you are used to the torquey muscle from your diesel you will be a bit underwhelmed by it.

[hutchysrs50]

My diesel was over 400nm of torque after its remap, do love it, idle to boost to being pushed into the seat was almost instant in any gear at any speed.

However, I do have a 2002 VW polo, 1.2 3 cylinder petrol, which I consider nippy

That's why I'm going for a 2007 Polo GTI, cup edition if possible so 1.8t and 180bhp stock. I'm sick of stupid wheels with low profile tyres and crashy coilovers.

So on one hand I have lowerd, fast, modified diesel.

Other hand 100% stock polo. Feels like a bently after driving the Fabia. It can tackle speed bumps at 60mph and will float over with ease!

The Polo GTI I hope will be right in the middle. Fast, corner well for abit of fun, but will be practice enough for speed bumps and daily driving.

What modifications do people do to the engine then? What power do most people run to keep them safe and reliable?

[TeflonTom]

It will be the turbo itself that is the power limiting factor for tuning, the bottom end of the engine is good for 300 horses stock. there are numerous turbo upgrades out there, 400bhp is achievable with the right bits and bobs, but you would need deep pockets

[butchvrs]

Stage 1 remap is around the 210-215 bhp mark, and a stage 2 (exhaust, intercooler, filter etc) will give you 225-235 mark.

 

In my mind the stage 1 is what the Octavia should have had from the factory.

 

The stage 2 on the heavy (compared to the polo) Octavia made it a quick family car that when given it's head can certainly put a smile on your face (especially when playing with Merc's and BMW's costing 3 times as much!), so in the Polo it will be a flying machine.

 

My car when I sold it had 133000 miles on it, still on the original turbo and clutch so when looked after they last a long time.

 

Breather pipes are a common failure, as are MAF's (only use genuine or Bosch), coolant temp sensors, again only use genuine or Bosch.

Make sure the water pump was done the same time as a cambelt change.

 

Some people have had issues with the oil pick-up in the sump getting clogged with sealant or gunk through lack of oil changes, cheap part and worth changing next time you do an oil and filter (have to remove the sump), mine was totally clear at 1000000 miles but it's the luck of the draw as some people have changed at 60k and it's been almost blocked.

 

That's all I can think of at the moment but I'm sure somebody will be along with some more info in addition to the above.

[hutchysrs50]

That info is great. Was talking about the oil pickup today as it happens. I said the first thing I'm going to do is put an engine flush in the engine, drain the oil, remove the sump and clean the pick up.

Done it on my previous diesels before changing turbos etc so seems the right thing to do.

I suspect the mileage to be around 75,000 - 90,000 for my price range. Polo gti's are quite rare more than anything.

Timing belt and serviceable things are no issue, I'll swap the turbo for a hybrid pretty quickly anyway so I know it's right.

[Girardi]

As mentioned above, most issues tend to relate to oil issues killing the turbo (pickup pipe etc) and the huge number of hoses which tend to degrade, split and cause boost issues. Nothing that can't be easily rectified with some replacement pipework but good service history is a must - the engines love an oil change and I'd be wanting evidence of a change at least once a year/10,000 miles.

 

The 1.8t can be a little rough and ready but generally it's a fantastic engine and very tunable - but there is a limit unless you want to spend £££. Unlike your oil burner everything's a bit gutless low in the power band but from about 2,500 rpm onwards the thing just pulls. Stage 1 is a must do - what the car should have been from the factory. It pretty much guarantees 200bhp, but depending on the mapper and the condition of the engine you might see more - mines running about 220 with just the stage 1 map. Standard route from there is to upgrade the TIP for a bigger one along with induction (various routes on this), plus exhaust and downpipe and decat or sports cat plus FMIC, then stage 2 map - lots to do here but will give up to 240bhp give or take.

 

If you want to go further than that things start getting really pricey. K03S is the standard turbo and will only get you so far, but it can be swapped to K04, Hybrid, or whatever you want (whacking great Garratt?) with no real issues. Crank and Pistons can be upgraded to cope with this if you want to be safe, but the connecting rods are like chocolate when you start going over about 250lb/ft and will need swapping out regardless.

 

A standard Polo GTi carries the BJX engine which is 150bhp stock, the cup as you mention is BBU which is 180. Both engines were only used in the Polo - but the BBU is basically identical to the AUQ found in the Mk1 Octy vRS. If you can, get the cup - the 150 is still very tuneable but the 180 is a better base.

 

And then to stray still further, there is the the BAM engine out of the Leon Cupra R with 225bhp stock (IIRC) which should slot straight in and will go to 260 bhp at stage 1....

[hutchysrs50]

With regards to pipework, I assume they will be fine for my year and mileage 2007/2008 and anything below 80,000 miles.

What are the clutch and flywheels like?

An exhaust and silicone TIP will be put straight on with somthing like a K&N filter just so it sits straight into the standard airbox and look oem.

[YellowCar]

With regards to pipework, I assume they will be fine for my year and mileage 2007/2008 and anything below 80,000 miles.

What are the clutch and flywheels like?

An exhaust and silicone TIP will be put straight on with somthing like a K&N filter just so it sits straight into the standard airbox and look oem.

Mines done below 75000 and I've had pipes split and other perishables suffering,take nothing for granted.

[hutchysrs50]

Ah right, somthing to check when viewing I guess.

Thanks!

[hutchysrs50]

My other worry is MPG.

If 220bhp is capable with a fully standard car apart from remap, exhaust and induction, what are you guys getting with that sort of level of power?

[YellowCar]

I get 35-38 driving round Wales, 40 plus on a long run and motorway. I drive pretty steady as often have the family but aren't shy to have fun every now and again. Mpg is a fair bit better than the Seat 2.3 v5 I had and this is quicker with a fair bit more torque. Pretty good for an older petrol car they are. Really rewarding engine when driven swift and smooth, keep the momentum and be in the right gear and they will pay you back. People either go for momentum or v power, most of us prefer v power but a few find theirs runs better on momentum, try both...but pretty much nothing else will do.

[Fabpreza]

Nothing about a standard remap is going to upset the MPG. Driving it a lot harder will ! My experience is that when the novelty wears off you end up using a lot more of the torque, which doesn't affect the MPG much. 32mpg average in my (much heavier than a Polo) Skodas 

[hutchysrs50]

So the standard clutch can coupe with 240bhp no problem?

Do many Octavias with the 1.8t come with cruise control?

[YellowCar]

So the standard clutch can coupe with 240bhp no problem?

Do many Octavias with the 1.8t come with cruise control?

If you go high end of stage 1 and above I believe you're at or beyond the limits of the clutch HOWEVER some just keep going and going, some people's start slipping on their way home from the remap. If you don't hammer it off the line you should still get a good run out of it, if it goes quickly I suppose you can consider yourself unlucky. I know people on here with Fabias doing over 240bhp in the diesels and they're still on stock clutches which have done thousands of miles. There's no guarantees but I wouldn't put it on your shopping list yet, you may never need to replace it.

Cruise control was an option, there's a few around. I liked it on my V5 and do miss it, but wouldn't really want it on a turbo myself. Setting the car at around 3000 revs ie as you're near peak boost doesn't make much sense to me in terms of mpg and running. On a long journey pulse and lift is the way forward I reckon.

[hutchysrs50]

Yeah, my Fabia couped fine at 220bhp on stock clutch, once remapped it started slipping though.

I'm just abit of a fanny for optional extras, even if I don't use them often.

Can't find any polo gti with cruise so it might not have been an option for the polo.

Thanks.