About Air Flow

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AIR FLOW

For any given engine, there are 3 ways to improve performance

   1.Make it Bigger
   2.Spin it Faster
   3. Improve Efficiency

Your engine needs to breathe if you want to make horsepower. How well it breathes is directly related to the cylinder heads ability to supply the piston's demand for air and fuel. Supplying the piston's demand takes more than just making the port larger or smaller. It takes a scientific approach and an understanding of the dynamic events that occur during engine operation. It's a combination of volume, velocity, time elements, component lengths and the full architecture of the intake and exhaust tract design for the intended purpose of the engine's application. It can be a complicated affair to sort out how any particular engine will respond to a ported cylinder head. This section is dedicated to efficiency regarding airflow.
One of the easiest and most dramatic improvements that can be made on a turbocharged engine is the air going into and out of the head. Most plumbing seems to be an afterthought. All the focus is on engine work and head flow, then the turbo plumbing is chopped, diced, sliced and hammered into place with no regard to smoothness or directing the air in an efficient manner. Turbo plumbing is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, yet gets the least amount of attention. Lots of time is given to head porting, but the air going to the head and out to the turbos is largely ignored.

Rule # 1. Size matters. If you have a 3" hole coming out of the turbo, use 3" tubing all the way to the next transition. Always go from small to big. Never reduce or neck down.

Rule # 2. Smoothness matters. If you can feel a rough place with your finger, you can bet the air will be turbulent at that point. Transitions are critical. It is not good enough just to move air from point A to point B. The idea is to move the air as quickly and with minimal amount of turbulence as possible. Turbulence slows down the airflow and creates heat. Heat robs horsepower.

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