SEAT PD160 air intake - still relevant?

**simon k** · 08-10-2017, 08:39 PM

I've been reading through the stickies and making a shopping list - but some of the posts are 10+ years old now and there might be new and better things out there

This one for the SEAT PD160 air intake sounds worthwhile, and they can still be bought on ebay, but it's a bit expensive for what's just an air duct

Is it still a good modification? is there something better that'll be good in the short term while the car is still standard and after an exhaust/intercooler/tune?

cheers

**sambb** · 08-10-2017, 09:20 PM

Unless you are really after a factory appearance I reckon they are a rip off. You can nearly buy an anti roll bar for that much. You can still modify the cold air feed like you would with a PD160 fitment (trim out the flap) but the pipe itself is just that - a pipe. I bought a stormwater/gutter 30 degree (I think) fitting and heated it with a heat gun so that it was a moulded push fit into the back of the CAI mouth. Paint it black and then buy some convoluted black induction tubing from autobahn/supercheap etc (they come in a kit with clamps) and run that between your Bunnings downpipe fitting and the airbox. Even if you don't make the fitting you can just push the convoluted pipe inside the back of the cold air feed and it'll do the same job.

**sambb** · 08-10-2017, 09:24 PM

SEAT PD160 air intake - still relevant?-img_4534-jpg

Here's what I mean. I also did the same with a downpipe fitting on the airbox side too, so that the convoluted tube fits neatly inside each end. There's a bit of other stuff I did on the airbox side entry but you can get an idea from the pic hopefully.

**simon k** · 08-10-2017, 09:35 PM

beautiful - that's my kind of mod Sam

I try to stay away from convoluted pipe, I reckon it does horrid things to air flow - I have some really nice bits of scrap stainless pipe, and I can probably dig up some silicone bends.

I washed it yesterday, it was utterly utterly filthy - it's a different colour now... and the wheels were almost black

SEAT PD160 air intake - still relevant?-washed-jpg

**sambb** · 08-10-2017, 10:06 PM

yeah you're right RE convoluted. I try to keep it closed up tight so the ribs are up against each other but no its not ideal. Pre air filter the effects are probably mitigated a bit though. You could actually run the whole thing in drain pipe but being able to get it in and out easily has been a big benefit. At the airbox end, if you heat up a metal oil funnel (or any other cone shaped thingy) and also heat up the plastic flange inlet on the airbox with an heat/air gun, you can bit by bit force the funnel into the airboxes inlet flange turning it into a bellmouth. I did this to the point where the downpipe fitting only just fit over it and then I heat it up too and sort of moulded the downpipe fitting around the bellmouth to keep it all airtight and strong. From the front of the car its a direct straight shot of air and you can nearly see into the box from the front. On my build thread in the last couple of pages somewhere I also made up an airflow guide that helps to get a bit more air through the throat too. It all adds up. Mines worked well but will all be getting changed soon as I need to extend the length of pipe between the TIP and MAF for a water injection nozzle to welded into an aluminium pipe section. I can take some more pics when its off the car if you want. Tidy -looks showroom new.

**simon k** · 09-10-2017, 07:53 PM

I took that little intake pipe off the air box, I see what you mean about using downpipe fittings and making the airbox entry into a bellmouth - excellent stuff - I can probably piece it together myself but more pictures definitely wouldn't do any harm

I see (or I think I can see) that you're still using the standard TIP - are the silicone FORGE type replacements similarly overrated?

I like the idea of a bigger intercooler so will probably leave the standard TIP alone (edit: because it'll be replaced with the IC?)

**Blue9N3** · 10-10-2017, 09:57 AM

The pd160 intakes aren't smooth either. The eBay convoluted pippes are so much bigger than the afm that the ribs won't matter. I just used the convoluted pipe and lots of black duct tape at both ends. Made a small but noticeable difference to power.

Silicone intake pipe made a big difference.

Keep in mind even at stage 2 ++++ these things don't make that much power (even though it can feel like lots sometimes).

Id love to cut a hole in the bonnet and snorkel the airflow out the top of the airbox

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**sambb** · 10-10-2017, 07:04 PM

No my car has the forge TIP. They are way bigger volume wise, and in particular run a less contorted path at the last turn before the compressor. They actually make a proper difference just on their own and sacrifice nothing. You can get ebay copies of the forge item that if you check it from time to time will serve you well. The only difference I found is that my ebay copy didn't fit the compressor flange as tightly as the forge and despite lots of hose clamp torque was always trying to back itself off the lip. The forge in comparison is super tight and won't give you any dramas in that area.