Turbo piping: Please explain?

**Dxs** · 27-10-2003 10:59 PM

Ok guys.. well i get how NA piping is set up
As in air intake to intake manifold, and then headers/extractors to cat,exhaust piping lalalalla

basically i know how a turbo works.. but i wanna know how all the piping is connected

Like intake, does it all get sucked through the
INTAKE -> TURBO -> INTAKE MANIFOLD

and exhaust
is it
HEADERS -> TURBO -> ETC EXHAUST

i know it is wrong.. but yeah, how is it all setup

thanks.

-Dxs

(this may be suited to the tech. forum but yeah :twisted: )

**Weq** · 27-10-2003 11:33 PM

That basically right.
exhaust manifold->turbo->dump pipe->cat
intake->turbo->intake manifold but some setups have a intake->intake manifold in operation while not on boost, then they switch to intake->turbo->intake manifold when boosting.

**poid** · 28-10-2003 07:17 AM

Check this site out: http://www.cse.uconn.edu/~yelevich/turbo/turbo.html

Its basically instructions on doing a turbo install on an Integra, and shows the piping etc. I thought it was pretty useful when i first started looking at forced induction

**Dxs** · 28-10-2003 08:34 AM

good read poid

the only thing i am wondering is about headers/extractors
so for turbo cars (lets say a silvia or skyline), can you not install traditional headers/extractors?
by this i mean the something that connects to the head to the cat,
like really you can only upgrade the exhaust manifold because there is no NA type headers..

also does the air intake always connect direct to the turbo? And if the engine wants to suck more air than the turbo is blowing does the engine need to suck it through the turbo?

thanks,

**poid** · 28-10-2003 09:25 AM

nope

On a turbo car the exhaust pieces you have are the exhaust manifold that the turbo bolts on to, the dump pipe/front pipe which goes from turbo/wastegate to cat, and the then the the normal cat/exhaust. The turbo has to go in there, as the exhaust travels through it, so there isnt the option of something that connects the head directly to the cat.

The exhaust manifold is in many ways similar to the traditional NA headers, in that there is a variety. Most people will prefer to go for a tuned length manifold if possible (often this isnt possible if you want to keep air con and power steering in a Honda, or dont want to pay the higher cost of such a manifold), though there is an argument that a short log-style manifold keeps lag down and has its benefits.

I suppose it would be possible to have a setup that has a seperate air intake for when off boost, but i think it would be too complicated. So yes, the air intake is always connected directly to the turbo compressor inlet.

I would think that a turbo setup at any one time is providing at least as much air as would be provided if the car wasnt turbo. The turbo is always spinning, so always sucking some air in...just that when it is off boost it isnt spinning fast enough to actually compress the air meaningfully. At least thats my thoughts on it, i could be wrong

**one more chance** · 29-10-2003 12:34 PM

it goes like this....
air enters the turbo inlet, turbo spins...forces charged air from the compressor through the intercooler, then the charged, cool air enters the engine, the exhaust gasses then exit the engine via the turbine, through the dump-pimp, into the cat, through the pipes and exits via the muffler!

**joyride** · 04-02-2004 06:03 AM

a good place to find out stuff: how stuff works
i'd weblink how turbos work but my work has blocked the website..

**razztech** · 26-02-2004 10:27 PM

the turbo is driven by the exhaust spining the exhaust wheel then the comp wheel sucks air from the filter forcing the air in a high presure through the cooler, cooler cools the air then goes through the intake under BOOST presurrrr. thats the short version.........