Air intake upgrade for TDI

[greypolo9n3]

Anyone know of any nice air intake upgrades for the TDI???

A friend of mine thinks the one of a gti will be good..but anything better??

[K.I.T.T.]

You do realise the stock airbox and air filter is good for at least 200bhp? Most of the >250bhp builds (PD) I know are running the stock setup! I'm also a sceptical of the PD160 intake upgrade. I think it's a placebo effect. Didn't notice any difference on the dyno. Did both runs within minutes of each other without removing the car off the rollers. Just swapped over the intake pipe and got no difference.

Back in the day when it was only a £20 part from the dealers, I'd say why not. These days at the price they're going for, you'd be a mug imo.

Funny what effects marketing has on people...

Ash

[JayW]

Don't bother with one mate, it will make your car run very poorly. I fitted one to my brothers 1.6 tdi and it felt like it had lost power. The only thing you get from it, is abit of turbo noise but at the cost of power. You lose abit of your low end torque as well.

Standard box and a different filter inside is the way to go.


The only real way to get any performance from a filter is reduce the distance from the airbox to the turbo and have it facing the front of the car, preferably out one of the fog lamp holes or the front grill.

[greypolo9n3]

forgot to mention mines a 1.6 tdi

I duno..my mates a tuner and he said it'll help...hmmm

mines already remapped and i want more power out of it...not enough info on the net yet

[K.I.T.T.]

Doesn't sound like this "tuner" knows much. The stock GTC1244VZ turbo can't flow any more than 145bhp without EGTs exceeding recommended limits. That's what's holding you back, not the airbox. All the info's out there if you're willing to put the effort in and search for it

Ash

[greypolo9n3]

Doesn't sound like this "tuner" knows much. The stock GTC1244VZ turbo can't flow any more than 145bhp without EGTs exceeding recommended limits. That's what's holding you back, not the airbox. All the info's out there if you're willing to put the effort in and search for it

Ash

You got any idea about whether I can use a cr140 or 170 turbo?

[K.I.T.T.]

Should bolt on. In the worst case scenario, the turbo intake and outlet pipes might need swapping / or minor modification.

Ash

[greypolo9n3]

Should bolt on. In the worst case scenario, the turbo intake and outlet pipes might need swapping / or minor modification.

Ash

Thing is there isnt much info on the net...a couple of europeans have said "yes i used cr140 or cr170 turbo blah blah"...but they dont say from which car as an audi a4 170 would have different engine layout to a seat leon 170.

And no one states the modifications required...so i need to know a definite answer before i go ahead and spend hundreds on new parts

[K.I.T.T.]

Like I said, the info's there, look harder

And obviously a turbo from a longitudinally mounted engine isn't going to work on a transverse Polo is it?

Anyway, that's the least of your problems - you need to find a TDI tuner who knows what they're really doing first and who knows what they're really doing with the 1.6 TDI. I'm not sure the latter exists in the UK. Any Tom, Dick and Harry can obtain a "stage 1 remap" file and flash it. Fine tuning it for non-standard hardware is another kettle of fish. I outsource all my TDI tuning needs to the EU as the TDI tuners in the UK are sh!t in my opinion. For a giggle, ask your tuner how much injection duration is needed for 230bhp out of PD130 / PD150 injectors. If you get an answer, I should be able to qualify what I've just said about UK tuners.

Ash

[greypolo9n3]

Like I said, the info's there, look harder

And obviously a turbo from a longitudinally mounted engine isn't going to work on a transverse Polo is it?

Anyway, that's the least of your problems - you need to find a TDI tuner who knows what they're really doing first and who knows what they're really doing with the 1.6 TDI. I'm not sure the latter exists in the UK. Any Tom, Dick and Harry can obtain a "stage 1 remap" file and flash it. Fine tuning it for non-standard hardware is another kettle of fish. I outsource all my TDI tuning needs to the EU as the TDI tuners in the UK are sh!t in my opinion. For a giggle, ask your tuner how much injection duration is needed for 230bhp out of PD130 / PD150 injectors. If you get an answer, I should be able to qualify what I've just said about UK tuners.

Ash

That only makes finding a turbo harder!! lool

He really does know his stuff...but as you said..the 1.6 tdi is a different ball game specially here in the UK. but i wouldnt drive out of the UK just to get my car mapped up ...

Im scared if i ask him that question he will think badly of it and that i am testing his knowledge negatively..

[niallh]

Darkside Developments have worked on a 1.6tdi. pretty good results aswell. They tuned my old 1.9tdi to 200bhp and are very well known in the VAG TDi scene