Intake Restrictions tested

[awestonvp]

Splashed out and got a mannumomtr...manumumeter........ vacuum gauge as I wanted to know what the standard intake was actually like and where improvements could be made.
heres the gauge


I connected small tubing to various points on the intake and fed them into the car

[awestonvp]

Intake restrictions tested




The points tested were
1. Just behind grill where the intake tube starts
2. Rear end of intake tube just before airbox
3. Top of airbox
4. Turbo side of airflow meter

Then I did several runs, 2nd gear wide open throttle to 6500rpm to get the max reading for each point.

The readings I got (in inches of water) averaged out were

1. 19.5 (bit surprising how high that was! Thats just the air trying to get past the grill into the intake tube)

2. 28.5 (a 10 inch drop from the front to the back of the tube)

3. 29.0 (thats across the air filter - seems like a pretty good filter, not much to be gained there)

4. 44.7 (through the airflow sensor - another big drop. Theres the flow straightening grid, a wire mesh then another plastic grill)

So it seems the SEAT intake would make a big difference, aftermarket airfilter practically no difference, the other area is the airflow sensor grills but not sure yet what to do there.
One audi guy did take out the wire mesh and reported a big difference but that flow straightening grill...?

[DaveMack]

Well done that Man!!! Considering so many of us have just fitted the Seat intake, it's great to get evidence that it should have some advantages. Must admit, awestonvp ... the more I thought about NOT buying the Seat intake, the more I thought that I'd be condeming my poor lil' Pogo to an asthmatic future.

Dave

[awestonvp]

... the more I thought about NOT buying the Seat intake, the more I thought that I'd be condeming my poor lil' Pogo to an asthmatic future.

Dave

Sure looks that way. Next I'll fit the SEAT and test again.

[DaveMack]

How did you get around the (possible) crimping of the air tubes when you shut your bonnet?

Dave

[awestonvp]

How did you get around the (possible) crimping of the air tubes when you shut your bonnet?

Dave

Using a differential ambient volume/pressure device with analogue/organic strain sensor...(I sucked on the tubes to make sure they werent crimped)

And before the full throttle runs I connected the gauge to each line at idle to get a reading (around 3 inches) and blipped the throttle to make sure I was getting a reading on each tube.

And, by the way, 44.7 inches of water = about 1.6 psi, and if we're looking at around 1 bar boost (14.7 psi) thats over 11% power loss at full revs from the intake restrictions. Hmmm... would be nice to get before and after dynos...

[Golf Loon]

Good reading that mate. Put the SEAT intake on and tell us the results then.

Nice to see some info on here

[gpk_gti]

hmmmm Great reading!!! just goes to show im right! MAF's SUCK!!

[Funkdancer]

Awesome stuff aweston

After fitting the Seat air intake, the cIA i.e. temp of air going in seems to have dropped by a few degrees. I wasn't paying too much attention to it before on the SG, but it never was down into the 10s - I had it at 15c on the Citylink this morning. I think it used to be in the low to mid 20s or maybe more. I.e. it was nowhere near outside temperature before, and now it was getting quite close (10c outside).

Looking forward to seeing some real numbers after you've fitted yours (hint: tape up the sides of your hands, especially the right one, prior to commencing - I cut myself a few places... then again I'm a bit of a klutz when it comes to these things).

[Guy_H]

Good work on the testing .

Just a word of warning on removing the maf screens: The thick one on the air side (not the engine side) is actually an airflow straightner that reduces the turbulence of the air as it passes over the element. If you remove this one you may induce erratic MAF readings which may cause a greater loss of power (greater than what you get by removing it!)

The APR stage 3+ kits all have a MAF straightner included in the kits for this reason!

[shaneth]

Hey al, any news.

[awestonvp]

Going for the 'before' dyno tomorrow, then I'll fit the seat intake and do some more testing of the system, then an 'after' dyno.
I'll be getting it done on the same dyno several other pogs have been on in various states of tune with various mods, so it will be good to compare.

[Funkdancer]

Great stuff, thanks very much awestonvp!

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.
Al, there's quite a few waiting on this 1.
Great work by the way, keep it up, just to shut a few up.

[Kai]

Going for the 'before' dyno tomorrow, then I'll fit the seat intake and do some more testing of the system, then an 'after' dyno.
I'll be getting it done on the same dyno several other pogs have been on in various states of tune with various mods, so it will be good to compare.

Even the same dyno wont give you the same hp reading. With at the most a 1kw gain from the seat intake... I doubt you will see much from a dyno sheet.