Common Mods For the Fabia vRS

[Ryan90VRS]

Sticky!

[Friggerpants]

Mods, please delete the comments attached and just have first post stickied. A unstickied discussion thread for content will compliment this perfectly.....

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Is this not worthy of a sticky mods? With the ever reducing prices of the fabia its inevitable there will be more and more "newbie" owners wanting to get a idea of which way to go tuning wise, as much as its not a guide to everything, it`ll help with the basics.

Matt

[scottk18]

Is this not worthy of a sticky mods? With the ever reducing prices of the fabia its inevitable there will be more and more "newbie" owners wanting to get a idea of which way to go tuning wise, as much as its not a guide to everything, it`ll help with the basics.

Matt

i wouldn't sticky it just because you asked

only joking good guide

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I dont mind who`s name it goes up in, but at least it`d be better spotted The mods are prob busy removing for sale threads listed for friends or something equally as important

matt

[Benjiman]

Spent ages going back though previous pages trying to find this thread yesterday..

Sticky? Bump for now.

[JLneonhug]

good write up, a few additional things to add:

Mufflerectomy

Eibach springs

Pikey mods 1,2,3?

(EGR, elephant hose)

std clutch 300ftlb limit (dependent on driver ofc)

intake: pd160 (or alternative)

one day it'll be the definitive guide...

We go have alot of stickies on the fabia section already though.. maybe we should have a sub folder for them.. :yes:

Edited 16 January, 2011 by JLneonhug

[Dougie S]

It would be great to do a wiki about this kind of thing so that people could all add their info and update stuff rather than one person doing all the legwork. It would be a good place to keep how tos and so on.

[JLneonhug]

+1 for the wiki idea , no idea how that can be implemented though

[Dougie S]

+1 for the wiki idea , no idea how that can be implemented though

I could start a wikispaces account and get a free wiki with 2gb of storage. User names and editing abilities could be given out to forum members who wanted to be involved? Tutorials and guides from here as well as anywhere else could just be linked and any text guides could be posed up and edited by other users to add info and corrctions.

[JLneonhug]

Sounds good,

So my thoughts are:

1 main Fabia sticky thread --> Wiki link (with description of topics whats available) ---> Wiki will have links back into briskoda for relevant sections.

Will clean up sticky threads on main page essentially. Would need to speak to mods to see if they're happy to reshuffle things around and unsticky some threads.

[Dougie S]

I guess something like that would work. I'll have to be honest though, not sure if I'd have time to maintain/update it. Might be best to get a list of members who would want to be inivolved with updating/setting it up.

[Mad Dog]

Nice Post.

Thanks

Vote to Sticky it

Mad Dog

[x12_tag]

Egr deletes? Water/meth injection?

[vRS Joe]

Another mod in the braking department is the 256mm vented rear discs conversion. Replacement calipers and carriers come from the Seat Leon Cupra R, Golf IV GTI 180 and Mk1 Octavia vRS. They were fitted to other powerful VAG's with 4 wheel drive (Golf R32,Audi S3, TT 225 Quattro etc ?). These are tricky to fit to the rear of our front wheel drive Fabias. Reason?

The standard rear splash plates will not accomodate the 256mm dia discs (232mm standard discs). These need to have the lip removed, or remove them completely, or replace with ones from donor vehicle. The latter two options increase the workload of this mod because the hub needs to be disassembled.

The difference in braking performance is only slight (from what I hear). Visually they look better than the standard rear brakes.

HTH

Maybe somebody with more knowledge of this mod could expand on what I have written and clear up any errors?

Joe

[RAG]

I`v noticed recently there has been quite a few “newbies†asking some common questions about various modifications to Fabia`s. I though a little guide to some of the basic and commonly done modifications might be useful. If there is anything that needs changing or adding, feel free to add.

Disclaimer, any modifications you make should be declared to you insurance, and carried out by someone who knows what they are doing.

Basic Tuning guide Fabia vRS PD130

Exhausts

On a diesel these are not as restrictive as petrol cars. Its possible to run 220BHP+ on a totally stock system, cat included. However, many choose to upgrade for looks, and a little extra noise. Also worth noting, there is some issues with Decats on cars remapped to run a cat, possibly causing overboosting. If running a standard mapped, or a car that has been mapped not to run a cat, then the issue isnt such a problem it seems.

Blueflame oval tail pipe

Cat Back £325

Full system £575 Decat/£730 Sports cat

Miltec Twin round

Cat Back £327.70

Full System £500 Decat

Jetex Square oval

Cat Back £285.53

Full system £N/A

Also massive air filters are not needed for nearly all set-ups. The air intake from a PD160 Ibiza is the most common option. This gets a tad more air into the filter, even on a standard map it helps reduce smoke, and is a must for further tuning.

Engine Upgrades

Stage 1:

Remap 160-180bhp £250 Lots of different tuners, various prices, go somewhere with a good reputation. Even a remap will ruin your clutch and turbo if its a poor one.

Stage 1.5:

Standard PD150 turbo (190-200bhp) £??? OR Hybrid PD130 turbo (200-210bhp) £???

Either of these with a torque friendly remap will be ok with a Standard `cooler and Standard clutch. Might be worth doing the pikey arch mod to aid air to the SMIC.

Stage 2:

Turbo

A Hybrid PD150 turbo costing £1000ish is the main choice for 200-250bhp. Every turbo company will make their own spec, which can be slightly different, so check with them what its rated too. Of course you could use other turbos depending on what you want to achieve and how much work you dont mind doing/getting done.

FMIC

Seat Sport £550-£600

Pro Alloy £812.28

Forge £712.50

Uprated Clutch

Sachs clutch (rated to 410lbft) & DMF £675

Sachs clutch & SMF £990

Helix SMF & clutch £880

There’s more options but these are the main “bolt on†choices. Some people run more hardcore clutches from abroad, or use intercoolers from other cars and get their own pipe work made up. Running the above would result in somewhere between 200-220bhp depending on mapping.

At the point of 220-230bhp stock injectors are near there limit, and a SMF would probably be needed for much more power along with other bits.

Remember, this is just the power side of things, if your wanting to stop or go round corners, the following is worth looking at also ------->

Brake Upgrades

The first and cheapest choice is to get decent pads and discs. There is a massive range, amongst others, Mintex and Green Stuff get good reviews. £ varies

312mm Brakes

The next option would be the 312mm set-up from other VAG cars. This includes the callipers, carriers, discs and pads from a donor car. Standard flexi`s can be used, but its a bit tight. The lines from the donor car will give a little extra length. These are quite big brakes for a small car, and change the whole feel of the brakes massively. Common cars with this set-uppp are: MK1 Octavia vRS, MK1 Audi TT, Seat Leon Cupra. There’s more, but these are the main ones. As said, these are pretty big brakes, so with decent pads and discs this set-up should stop most tuned fabias. They also fit under standard wheels, and 16†steel wheels.

Brembos

If your still wanting more in the stoppers department, be it power or looks, then Brembo 323mm`s are the next upgrade. These are standard on Leon Cupra R`, and possibly others. Not sure on price, but a few sets were on ebay at £500. These will need at least 17†wheels, and even then, some will need spacers.

Suspension Upgrades

Shocks and Springs

Lots of choice here, all down to what your after. The first being shocks and springs, which can really change the handling of the car, and lower it slightly. The big advantage is springs and shocks will normally keep a large amount of the ride comfort, making it a good choice for daily drivers. For a full set, around £550-£600

Coilovers

Coilovers are the other choice. These offer much more flexibility with regards to set-up. All are hight adjust able, which is the main reason for people picking them. They enable you to drop the car near enough to the floor, or to get the perfect ride hight over your wheels. More expensive kits enable damper adjustment for the hardcore trackers. Budget kits start at around £400 all the way through to £1000+ for a top banana kit.

Rollbars and Bushes, Strut braces

Standard bushes on the fabia are not very durable, sometimes lasting 30-40,000 miles. Uprated items from the cupras are a straight replacement, and make a big difference in making everything feel a bit more connected. As a bonus, they also last much much longer than the standard item, win win! NB, the rears only have a "beam bush" which doesnt often have issues, this upgraded bushes are for the front, Console, wishbone etc

As standard the vRS doesnt come with a rear anti roll bar (RARB). This seems to be one of the single biggest and most popular mods for the fabia, many see this and a ramap making the car much more fun. Its also fairly good value for money, the two following are available.

Jabbasport RARB, 23mm £225

Whiteline RARB, 20mm, Adjustable through 3 settings £138

Strut braces are another small, but common mod available. The front upper strut brace is another Seat Sport item, costing around £45. Mixed reviews about how much of a difference it makes to the drive, however, if noting else looks nice and brightens up the engine bay. The rear strut brace is available from forge, its around £100, which can be fitted with the rear seats still in place.

Exterior

You might have spotted lots of fabias have a "lip" or "splitter" fitted to the bottom of the front bumper. Its gives a bit of protection the the bumper when lowered, and many people see it as a perfect addition. Its available from seat again, its a Seat Leon Cupra R splitter, and requires some trimming to fit, but does finish the bumper off nicely.

This is by no means a be all and end all guide, Nor does it go into detail about every part, just a few of the common modifications people do. The stages are just "groups" of mods that are needed to achieve the figures quoted, you dont have to have them mods to map it again, its all personal choice at the end of the day. All comments and suggestions welcome.

Matt

[RAG]

Matt,

Thanks for this; as a newbie with a VRS, its very helpful.

I went down the route of fitting the 9mm gasket to the EGR yesterday and cleaning off the carbon; what a difference its made to the smooth running

RAG

[chriswaite130]

Hey Matt - very useful post as i'm looking into going hybrid so thanks!

Im guessing the Sachs DMF price doesnt include the DMF but runs with a standard one? Does anyone know what the standard DMF is rated to torque/power wise?

Cheers,

Chris

[sepulchrave]

Hey Matt - very useful post as i'm looking into going hybrid so thanks!

Im guessing the Sachs DMF price doesnt include the DMF but runs with a standard one? Does anyone know what the standard DMF is rated to torque/power wise?

Cheers,

Chris

The DMF will fail even on a standard engine, it's really just a question of when. It isn't just the extra torque and power from a tuned engine which makes them fail quicker, a constantly 'enthusiatic' driving style will rapidly increase the rate of failure even on a standard engine. They are designed by the manufacturer to last the lifetime of a standard clutch, so the dealer will simply replace the entire flywheel/clutch assembly when it wears out.

If you own a car which has done close to 100k then there is a chance the clutch and DMF are already on their last legs, if you then go out and spank that car mercilessly until the clutch fails then you are risking the DMF failing spectacularly. Therefore if you plan on driving the car 'enthusiastically' you should plan on replacing the clutch and flywheel, much as you would replace the cambelt on a high-mileage S/H car unless you knew it had already been replaced.

Since you can't change the clutch in isolation and the DMF is inherently unreliable you should replace the whole lot with a lighter, fully balanced uprated clutch and solid flywheel assembly to remove that possibility of failure and the uprated clutch will also cope much better with the increased torque from further tuning.

You'll still smash your gearbox/diff/driveshafts up if you constantly change gear like a numpty, since there will be more torque available from the modified engine, more driveline snatch from the uprated clutch and more low-frequency vibration transmitted from the crank since there will be no DMF to damp it.

Drive it smoothly and you won't have any issues or need any tissues.

[VRStomh]

very useful thanks