VW Scirocco / VW Golf 6 TSI122 and TSI125 -> TSI160 turbocharger upgrade
About the upgrade
Volkswagen’s 1.4 TSI 122 and TSI125 engines have proven to be both reliable and dependable over the years. These small engines can withstand not only aggressive remaps and low quality fuels, but also big turbo upgrades.
Hybrid turbo solutions based on the stock turbo are a good choice but are only reliable for up to 190-200bhp. So what to do to get more power?
It is difficult to find a turbo kit that fits without having to install a front mount intercooler and manufacture an exhaust manifold for the new turbo. This makes the upgrade expensive, hard to complete and time-consuming.
TSI 160 – a bolt on solution?
A good solution is to use the TSI160 turbocharger system. It is a direct fit to the engine. But its intake and exhaust sides are completely inverted, compared to the stock. The stock system looks like the photo below – cold side on the right and hot side on the left, close to the oil filter.
By installing the TSI160 turbocharger system the air intake goes to the left and the exhaust side goes to the right.
Shopping list for the upgrade
- 1.4 TSI 160 turbocharger
- Custom downpipe (preferrably with a high flow sports cat converter) / TSI160 downpipe
- Custom air intake pipe
- Custom oil feed line to the turbo
- ECU remap to support the new turbo’s operation
For power levels higher than 180-190hp, it is strongly recommended to add a front mount intercooler system.
Many thanks to Latsis Executive for their photos and technical information
