Hi guys As forementioned I will be doing my mk3 agu swap, I'd like to know if I'm able to use the bam forged pistons in the agu lump, from what I've read I need to buy the early tt 225hp pistons with the 20mm pin slots instead of the 19mm ones from the 150hp tt, just wanted to check before I made the investment Cheers guys Jake
Aren't the pistons good for big power? I've been told it's only the rods that need changing out, unless going for 350+ power?
Your agu pistons will be fine rods are sometimes an issue, I say sometimes as some people have issues and some don't! How much power are you planning and with what mods?
Personally wouldn't worry about Pistons unless going above 350bhp. You'll bend a rod before that kind of power though
I'm looking at the AGU lump, Either K03 or K04 until I have the money for a Garrett, I'll be forging the valve springs and possibly the valves, it'll get the necessary intercooler upgrades etc, I'd like to lsd the 02j box and forged rods, if bam pistons are cheap enough the availability for power is there but it's not something I'm fixed on doing, then it'll be either remapped or a new ecu will be fitted but that's something I'll think about later, I'm happy with the figures that the pistons are capable of producing so maybe I can save some money there
What spec is your car at the moment? Any pics etc Buy an engine complete and get it in and running, if you can get a ko3s before you start that will give you plenty to be getting on with remap decat intercooler you should be at 220ish
At the moment everything is in the pipeline, I'm going to buy a 16v mk3 gti just after xmas once I'm back to normal money wise then once I've got that I'll get a body damaged mk4 so I know that everything I need Engine wise is there and it'll be progress from there, I'd like to have gone for a Garrett gt28 but they are mega expensive so I'll no doubt go k03s or k04, basically I want a daily driver that's show worthy as well as a weapon around the ring, so it's going to be a slow build so I can save for the best of the best when building the block and box and hopefully in a 18 months to 2 years I'll have a reliable, fast moving, beautiful looking Mk3 that I'll be proud to have said I've built!
I've found a few but unfortunately none are willing to wait until after xmas for a sale so it's seems that I'm going to have to find one after then, but from what I've seen so far there is a few going, so pickings should be reasonable, I'm hoping to go Porsche, I have a friend running a mk2 1.8t swap and he's using Porsche brakes, brembos as far as I'm aware, so if this is an option for me then I'd like to consider it, suspension is something I'm yet to consider, I definitely do not want to go for budget coilovers like some have, although I know running the standard suspension may not be a viable option so this is something I'll have to look into closer to the time, as it's going to be a one man build I'm going to focus on body work to begin with, until the engine is on a stand, then I'll hand the body over to my old man who is pretty handy with a spray gun, going for the triple black look I think whilst I focus on making sure the block looks tidy and is built, the engine loom and ecu will then be sent to Scotland for immobiliser defeat and loom merge and hopefully whilst all this happens I can focus on fitting the shifter tower ready and do anything I need to do to my pedal box and hydraulic reservoir
As far as I'm aware you use a different carrier with the Porsche brakes, best off giving it a google to find out the exact conversion but as I say when using the mk4 brakes on the mk3 you just use a different carrier with the bigger calipers as long as they fit inside your existing wheels, sometimes you have to cut the weather gaurds to allow for the calipers, at least this is what I did on my Subaru Impreza classic to allow the bigger new ages sti brakes to fit as "bolt on" upgrade. I could find out from my pal how he managed to make them fit his mk2, it can't be massively different from the mk3
Here you go mate, here are some conversion brackets that allow for Porsche 966 rear brakes, but the minimum wheel size is 16" - https://www.bolt-action.nl/product/vw-mk3-gti-vr6-312mm-porsche-996-brake-caliper-adapter-kit/ This is the kind of thing you need to look for in any kind of brake conversion, if you spend enough time on google it could be possible to find someone who has done the fronts to, I know there's a guy who did a big brake conversion on his mk3 gti vr6, tap in mk3 gti Porsche brakes and I think the title is something like mk3 gti big brake build or something, I'm sure someone on there managed to put a parts list together, but that link above would get you halfway there, there may be conversion brackets for sale in the uk, that site was just the first one I found, hope that helps mate
From what I'm actually reading now I may be wrong in suggesting the use of Porsche brakes, some are saying that it is possible to use the original mk4 312mm discs and calipers, as opposed to Porsche brakes due to difficult disc fitment, if you were sporting a mk2 then 966 caliper conversion would be easier with mk4 discs but as far as mk3's go from what I can make out in a short search, mk4 discs and calipers all round would be easiest
Jake. Common internet misconception that so called 'BAM' coded parts are "stronger" . They are not! They have different applications which dictates the component make up. AGU engines, run the same rods as APY,APX,AUL,AMK,BAM,BFV,APP, APU, AJQ, and AYP engines. They also run Mahle forged pistons, but with a CR of 9.5:1 vs the 9.0 of the higher output 210-237bhp engines. Other sub 190bhp engines made after 2000 have cheaper taper rods with the 19mm small ends and pistons that achieve 9.5:1 compression ratio. They also run a better 5304 compressor in the turbo, which folk dub the 'K03s'. Hope this sets the record straight.
Does this mean to say the agu pistons are already forged?? Also I think I'm gonna go for IE Rods so at least they'll be forged
