i noticed that a lot of people on here have cat back exhausts. but from what i heard turbo backs are better. and what is the difference between intakes, boost tubes, and intercoolers ?

 

Really? Please try the search function. Or as GW Bush would say, the google...

 

+1

But seriously add a downpipe and you have a turboback.

 

yeh .... i did man. just wanted some explanations. but hey. thanks for the help

 

"Remember the saying 'teach a man to fish...'? Try that instead."

Here's a quick summary; there's many more details if interested.

An intake is a bolt-on modification that replaces the OEM air filter box and tubing. Usually, the aftermarket intake has an open filter element that uses a oiled fabric filter to trap dust and dust; the OEM filter is a paper element. In theory the modified intake is designed to allow cooler, denser air to be pulled into the engine more freely.

The boost tubes or boost piping are the ducts that hold the pressured air from the turbocharger outlet to the intake manifold and throttle body. These pipe on the R56 turbocharged models have some restrictions in them from the factory to create noises for the end user. To reduce the restriction and remove unnecessary volume in the system (see OEM noise maker in the archives) those OEM tubes are replaced with hard pipes with no extra connections. They are a direct bolt-in replacement.

The intercooler is used for reducing the temperature of the compressed air coming out of the turbocharger. Remembering the ideal gas law from thermodynamics (PV = nRT), as you increase pressure in a constant volume, the temperature rises. When air temperature is increase, it's less dense with oxygen molecules, which intern reduces the amount of air/fuel mixture required to create a proper burn, and thus less power. The intercooler reduces the compressed air temp, and makes a denser charge of oxygen molecules in the combustion chamber to regain the potential power.

Nemeth, seems like you're new not only with the R56 platform but also vehicle components and interacting sub-systems. I'd encourage you to read some of the "turbo-101" threads here on NAM, along with the archived material covering the in's-and-out's of the second generation Cooper. You'll find plenty of reading material to get you up to speed on what parts are design for, and what parts can give you the best bang-for-the-buck when it comes to modifications. Welcome aboard.

- Erik

 

Hi, I am new here but not new to the turbo system. Catbacks are mainly for the exhaust sound, doesn't do much to performance. Turboback usually means replace the pipes that are after the turbo. either replace the cat with a catless downpipe or straight (mid section) catless pipe. And usually bigger in diameter -> less restriction = turbo can move more freely, = faster spool up/less lag. Hope this helps.

 

I agree here. If you want to learn about principles of turbocharged powertrain systems there are plenty of articles on Google. Why jam up more space on NAM with a topic that's been answered a thousand times?