Drivetrain Introducing From ALTA - R56 Turbo Inlet Pipe
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Former Vendor
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From: Hillsboro, Oregon
Introducing From ALTA - R56 Turbo Inlet Pipe
Introducing the NEW and better than ever ALTA Turbo Inlet Hard Pipe.
For A Limited Time - Special Sale Price, Only $185.00 (MSRP $209.99)
Available & ready to ship today!
The ALTA inlet pipe replaces the OEM plastic turbo inlet hose, flowing more air and making more horse power. Featuring CNC’d aluminum and mandrel bends, we create and even bigger and better turbo inlet hose.
Construction - Coupler
The mouth of the ALTA inlet hard pipe featrures a CNC’d aluminum coupler with precision machined dual o-ring grooves for the ultimate seal. The back edge of the coupler features a traditional style air horn, like those found on race cars, which provides smooth air transition to the turbo inlet.
Construction - Pipe
The ultra smooth interior of the ALTA inlet pipe is formed from mandrel bent aluminum tubing, smoothly transitioning from a 2.37" diameter and finishing at the throttle body at 2.62".
Size Advantage
This side by side comparison of the ALTA and OEM turbo inlets illustrates how the ALTA inlet has the largest possible inside diameter, which means more horse power and better turbo response! Starting immediately after the turbo our 1.82" dia. inlet has a smooth 2.37" dia. bend and then cleanly transitions to 2.62" at the throttle body.
Finish
The ALTA inlet hard pipe features a black wrinkle powder coated finish which matches our R56 Cold Air Intake shield.
Dyno Proven
This graph illustrates a run with our intake, front mount intercooler, and turbo back exhaust already installed (the light blue run). We simply turned off the car and swap OEM turbo inlet to the ALTA Turbo Inlet (Green run). We were pleased that the gains were very repeatable from run to run with 7-8WHP from about 5400 RPM on up. Combine this with the ease of installation (less then 5 minutes) and the addition of quicker turbo response,makes the Turbo Inlet Hard Pipe a great addition to your Mini!
For A Limited Time - Special Sale Price, Only $185.00 (MSRP $209.99)
Available & ready to ship today!
Fits all 2007-2010 R56, R55, R57 S Turbocharged S Models
Fits all 2009-2011 R56, R55, R57 JCW Models
Choose your correct model on the web site.....
For A Limited Time - Special Sale Price, Only $185.00 (MSRP $209.99)
Available & ready to ship today!
The ALTA inlet pipe replaces the OEM plastic turbo inlet hose, flowing more air and making more horse power. Featuring CNC’d aluminum and mandrel bends, we create and even bigger and better turbo inlet hose.
Construction - Coupler
The mouth of the ALTA inlet hard pipe featrures a CNC’d aluminum coupler with precision machined dual o-ring grooves for the ultimate seal. The back edge of the coupler features a traditional style air horn, like those found on race cars, which provides smooth air transition to the turbo inlet.
Construction - Pipe
The ultra smooth interior of the ALTA inlet pipe is formed from mandrel bent aluminum tubing, smoothly transitioning from a 2.37" diameter and finishing at the throttle body at 2.62".
Size Advantage
This side by side comparison of the ALTA and OEM turbo inlets illustrates how the ALTA inlet has the largest possible inside diameter, which means more horse power and better turbo response! Starting immediately after the turbo our 1.82" dia. inlet has a smooth 2.37" dia. bend and then cleanly transitions to 2.62" at the throttle body.
Finish
The ALTA inlet hard pipe features a black wrinkle powder coated finish which matches our R56 Cold Air Intake shield.
Dyno Proven
This graph illustrates a run with our intake, front mount intercooler, and turbo back exhaust already installed (the light blue run). We simply turned off the car and swap OEM turbo inlet to the ALTA Turbo Inlet (Green run). We were pleased that the gains were very repeatable from run to run with 7-8WHP from about 5400 RPM on up. Combine this with the ease of installation (less then 5 minutes) and the addition of quicker turbo response,makes the Turbo Inlet Hard Pipe a great addition to your Mini!
For A Limited Time - Special Sale Price, Only $185.00 (MSRP $209.99)
Available & ready to ship today!
Fits all 2007-2010 R56, R55, R57 S Turbocharged S Models
Fits all 2009-2011 R56, R55, R57 JCW Models
Choose your correct model on the web site.....
Last edited by ALTAPerformance; Jun 14, 2011 at 03:06 PM.
2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 86
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just curious because i know the dos cai has the inlet pipe flexed to the right by a few centimeters, and i know it also flexes to some degree through shifts from the engine rocking since the cai is pushed through the firewall...
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How I see it (my opinion, just a stab)... the hardpipe upgrade is an increase in structural integrity of the part, which is good. And initially you'd think, well, aluminum dissipates heat better than plastic does, so it should be cooler, right? But does the intake tract produce heat for the aluminum to dissipate?
If we look at specific heat (the amount of heat (btu's) needed to raise the substance 1*F), aluminum has a specific heat of 0.224, and plastic in general (varies by factors of the plastic's make up) is somewhere around double that of aluminum. If for the sake of the argument we say that this Plastic has a specific heat of 0.448 (exactly double), aluminum will take twice as many BTU's to heat up, which means it will hold the heat longer. For an example, heat syncs are often made of aluminum, because of their specific heat, they extract the heat from the heat source and dissipates it. This is the case with an aluminum radiator, the heat source (hot coolant) flows through for the aluminum to extract the heat and dissipate it to cool the liquid. However, would you say the ambient air or the engine is hotter? So, where is the aluminum extracting the heat from? The hotter of the two, the engine. And to dissipate the heat from the aluminum thats been extracted from the engine, is the air flowing past the surface of the aluminum. Which air is cooler, the inside or the outside of the aluminum pipe? What happens to cooler air extracting heat from a hot aluminum pipe? The air becomes warmer. Heat Transfer.
I guess if going with this pipe, you should wrap it with insulator to keep the air inside cooler. IMO I think the aluminum is overkill compared to the hard plastic on the newer MINIs. The hard plastic should be sufficient enough for pressures we are seeing as daily drivers, and is better in terms of controlling the temperature of the air inside. JUST MY OPINION.
Otherwise, this looks like a nicely manufactured piece, definitely better than the 5ply silicone tubes they used to sell.
I won't go into the larger diameter piping meeting up with a bottleneck at the turbo inlet diameter, as theres a lot of fluid dynamics that can go into that with fluid flow, pressures, velocities, cross sectional areas, pressure and flow gradients along surfaces and many integrals later, we'd be arguing forever without any solid engineering.
Also question for alta, are the dyno runs an average of dyno runs? As there can certainly be a variance between runs of 5whp
If we look at specific heat (the amount of heat (btu's) needed to raise the substance 1*F), aluminum has a specific heat of 0.224, and plastic in general (varies by factors of the plastic's make up) is somewhere around double that of aluminum. If for the sake of the argument we say that this Plastic has a specific heat of 0.448 (exactly double), aluminum will take twice as many BTU's to heat up, which means it will hold the heat longer. For an example, heat syncs are often made of aluminum, because of their specific heat, they extract the heat from the heat source and dissipates it. This is the case with an aluminum radiator, the heat source (hot coolant) flows through for the aluminum to extract the heat and dissipate it to cool the liquid. However, would you say the ambient air or the engine is hotter? So, where is the aluminum extracting the heat from? The hotter of the two, the engine. And to dissipate the heat from the aluminum thats been extracted from the engine, is the air flowing past the surface of the aluminum. Which air is cooler, the inside or the outside of the aluminum pipe? What happens to cooler air extracting heat from a hot aluminum pipe? The air becomes warmer. Heat Transfer.
I guess if going with this pipe, you should wrap it with insulator to keep the air inside cooler. IMO I think the aluminum is overkill compared to the hard plastic on the newer MINIs. The hard plastic should be sufficient enough for pressures we are seeing as daily drivers, and is better in terms of controlling the temperature of the air inside. JUST MY OPINION.
Otherwise, this looks like a nicely manufactured piece, definitely better than the 5ply silicone tubes they used to sell.
I won't go into the larger diameter piping meeting up with a bottleneck at the turbo inlet diameter, as theres a lot of fluid dynamics that can go into that with fluid flow, pressures, velocities, cross sectional areas, pressure and flow gradients along surfaces and many integrals later, we'd be arguing forever without any solid engineering.
Also question for alta, are the dyno runs an average of dyno runs? As there can certainly be a variance between runs of 5whp
Thread Starter
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Former Vendor
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 705
Likes: 0
From: Hillsboro, Oregon
How I see it (my opinion, just a stab)... the hardpipe upgrade is an increase in structural integrity of the part, which is good. And initially you'd think, well, aluminum dissipates heat better than plastic does, so it should be cooler, right? But does the intake tract produce heat for the aluminum to dissipate?
If we look at specific heat (the amount of heat (btu's) needed to raise the substance 1*F), aluminum has a specific heat of 0.224, and plastic in general (varies by factors of the plastic's make up) is somewhere around double that of aluminum. If for the sake of the argument we say that this Plastic has a specific heat of 0.448 (exactly double), aluminum will take twice as many BTU's to heat up, which means it will hold the heat longer. For an example, heat syncs are often made of aluminum, because of their specific heat, they extract the heat from the heat source and dissipates it. This is the case with an aluminum radiator, the heat source (hot coolant) flows through for the aluminum to extract the heat and dissipate it to cool the liquid. However, would you say the ambient air or the engine is hotter? So, where is the aluminum extracting the heat from? The hotter of the two, the engine. And to dissipate the heat from the aluminum thats been extracted from the engine, is the air flowing past the surface of the aluminum. Which air is cooler, the inside or the outside of the aluminum pipe? What happens to cooler air extracting heat from a hot aluminum pipe? The air becomes warmer. Heat Transfer.
I guess if going with this pipe, you should wrap it with insulator to keep the air inside cooler. IMO I think the aluminum is overkill compared to the hard plastic on the newer MINIs. The hard plastic should be sufficient enough for pressures we are seeing as daily drivers, and is better in terms of controlling the temperature of the air inside. JUST MY OPINION.
Otherwise, this looks like a nicely manufactured piece, definitely better than the 5ply silicone tubes they used to sell.
I won't go into the larger diameter piping meeting up with a bottleneck at the turbo inlet diameter, as theres a lot of fluid dynamics that can go into that with fluid flow, pressures, velocities, cross sectional areas, pressure and flow gradients along surfaces and many integrals later, we'd be arguing forever without any solid engineering.
Also question for alta, are the dyno runs an average of dyno runs? As there can certainly be a variance between runs of 5whp
If we look at specific heat (the amount of heat (btu's) needed to raise the substance 1*F), aluminum has a specific heat of 0.224, and plastic in general (varies by factors of the plastic's make up) is somewhere around double that of aluminum. If for the sake of the argument we say that this Plastic has a specific heat of 0.448 (exactly double), aluminum will take twice as many BTU's to heat up, which means it will hold the heat longer. For an example, heat syncs are often made of aluminum, because of their specific heat, they extract the heat from the heat source and dissipates it. This is the case with an aluminum radiator, the heat source (hot coolant) flows through for the aluminum to extract the heat and dissipate it to cool the liquid. However, would you say the ambient air or the engine is hotter? So, where is the aluminum extracting the heat from? The hotter of the two, the engine. And to dissipate the heat from the aluminum thats been extracted from the engine, is the air flowing past the surface of the aluminum. Which air is cooler, the inside or the outside of the aluminum pipe? What happens to cooler air extracting heat from a hot aluminum pipe? The air becomes warmer. Heat Transfer.
I guess if going with this pipe, you should wrap it with insulator to keep the air inside cooler. IMO I think the aluminum is overkill compared to the hard plastic on the newer MINIs. The hard plastic should be sufficient enough for pressures we are seeing as daily drivers, and is better in terms of controlling the temperature of the air inside. JUST MY OPINION.
Otherwise, this looks like a nicely manufactured piece, definitely better than the 5ply silicone tubes they used to sell.
I won't go into the larger diameter piping meeting up with a bottleneck at the turbo inlet diameter, as theres a lot of fluid dynamics that can go into that with fluid flow, pressures, velocities, cross sectional areas, pressure and flow gradients along surfaces and many integrals later, we'd be arguing forever without any solid engineering.
Also question for alta, are the dyno runs an average of dyno runs? As there can certainly be a variance between runs of 5whp
Bottom line, the part works as advertised and we saw no decrease in power or increased knock from any "heat soaking" that theoretically could happen to any material. With the mentioned heat soak out of the equation the increase power comes from the improved air flow and increased turbo efficiency because it does not have to work as hard to pull air in.
The dyno does show one run but it is a representation of what the average is.
Thanks guys!
2nd Gear
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 133
Likes: 3
From: Mission Viejo, CA
Mine is on order........
I installed a JCW inlet tube years ago. And after about a year the dealer found a vacuum leak where it attaches to the turbo. The heat had caused it to warp and distort which made it leak. So they replaced it under warranty. Now a year later I finally tracked down my poor idle and cruising performance to be a vacuum leak in the same location. Pulled off the tube and it was warped and distorted. So the timing of this deal is perfect and should be a permanent fix. I just ordered mine today.
Hoopty
Hoopty
Last edited by Hoopty; Jun 14, 2011 at 10:14 PM.
Neutral
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Mass
I installed a JCW inlet tube years ago. And after about a year the dealer found a vacuum leak where it attaches to the turbo. The heat had caused it to warp and distort which made it leak. So they replaced it under warranty. Now a year later I finally tracked down my poor idle and cruising performance to be a vacuum leak in the same location. Pulled off the tube and it was warped and distorted. So the timing of this deal is perfect and should be a permanent fix. I just ordered mine today.
Hoopty
Hoopty
4th Gear
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 478
Likes: 1
Hi Jeff,
one way to validate the heat transfer question would be to simply measure engine bay and inlet temperatures. Assuming sitting and idling is probably the worst possible condition, it'd be more worthwhile to do a quick temperature check at, say, 25mph. A thermocouple on the inside and outside would let you infer the heat transfer. I'd model your tube as either a solid wall or a thin pipe and make a couple of assumptions about the air on each side. (I'll actually do this for you if you send me the data, it's a pretty straight forward problem)
OTOH, dwell time in the pipe is so short that there would have to be a significant temperature difference to appreciably heat up the incoming air...
one way to validate the heat transfer question would be to simply measure engine bay and inlet temperatures. Assuming sitting and idling is probably the worst possible condition, it'd be more worthwhile to do a quick temperature check at, say, 25mph. A thermocouple on the inside and outside would let you infer the heat transfer. I'd model your tube as either a solid wall or a thin pipe and make a couple of assumptions about the air on each side. (I'll actually do this for you if you send me the data, it's a pretty straight forward problem)
OTOH, dwell time in the pipe is so short that there would have to be a significant temperature difference to appreciably heat up the incoming air...
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Former Vendor
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Hillsboro, Oregon
2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 86
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ok this solves my question then...it won't work with the dos cai since that cai moves the the inlet pipe from stock position to the right
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Former Vendor
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Hillsboro, Oregon
The silicone coupler that attaches the inlet tube to the MAF housing has some flex to it, so it depends on how far it moves.
5th Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 857
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From: San Marcos, CA
Put the Alta tube on 2wks ago and so far it's working fine. Didn't do it for the power gains which are only at high rpm's anyhow. The turbo does seem to be spooling faster. The Alta will fit a DoS CAI, but it takes some wrestling to get it on. Get a tool like the one in the pic or you don't stand a chance.
I got the Alta tube hoping it would stay attached to the turbo. The OEM, silicone and JCW I tried all eventually failed and would not stay attached. After 400mi and a club run, the Alta ain't budged. Time will tell I guess.
I got the Alta tube hoping it would stay attached to the turbo. The OEM, silicone and JCW I tried all eventually failed and would not stay attached. After 400mi and a club run, the Alta ain't budged. Time will tell I guess.
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: South Florida
Fitment looks good with the new pipe. I have one of the Alta silicone inlet pipes from a couple years ago that I had to trim the pipe to the turbo because it was putting too much pressure against the coolant overflow tank, this was a poorly built inlet pipe. Eventually i had to put a silicone sealant on the hole that developed touching the overflow tank and wrap with the pipe with duct tape. Any chance of getting a break on a new pipe.
Last edited by gcaspelich; Jul 6, 2011 at 08:52 AM. Reason: spelling mistake