exhaust back pressure?

[lbrench]

Wasn't sure where to put this.

I pick up my new car (fiat 500 abarth 1.4 turbo) tomorrow or friday and I'm looking at getting an exhaust that has the boxes cut out of it because it sounds really really good and gives off a nice crackle and pop when you let off at high revs. I'm just wondering what effect this will have on the power and the turbo as it won't be able to build back pressure in the exhaust, will I lose power or gain or will it just level out?


Cheers

Lynden

 

[Dave.]

on a turbo car im pretty sure the less back pressure the better, for the turbo to spool less is better

 

[LIL B]

^ less pressure downstream of the turbine is good.

 

[Scutch]

^ less pressure downstream of the turbine is good.

Bit sweet isn't it?

But yes.

 

[_Tom]

It'll probably even raise the boost a touch..

 

[Will.]

1.5 bar?

Surely it wouldn't be a noticeable amount of power gain / loss in which case it will be worth it for the sound anyway?

 

[Gray]

yes.

 

[lbrench]

Cheers and yeh its more for the sound, I'm just worried about turbo lag but it should be ok, I will get it done asap then

 

[Turkish]

Media? Really?

 

[LIL B]

Bit sweet isn't it?

But yes.

Very much so

 

[Gray]

Cheers and yeh its more for the sound, I'm just worried about turbo lag but it should be ok, I will get it done asap then

I wouldn't imagine you see any lag, the turbo is quite small

 

[Dave.]

Media? Really?

sorted.

 

[LIL B]

 

[sideways danny]

It'll probably even raise the boost a touch..

unlikely if it has ECU controlled boost. but the turbo wont be working so hard

 

[lbrench]

What do you mean the turbo won't be working as hard, does that mean I'm going to lose power?

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

Which colour/spec is this one mate?

I assume its brand new as the last wasnt a year old?

 

[jack_kemp]

What do you mean the turbo won't be working as hard, does that mean I'm going to lose power?

No, meaning it will have to work less hard to give the same amount of boost.

Welcome back by the way.

 

[Dean.]

Any luck on getting a grey one mate?

 

[lbrench]

Ahhhhh got ya and yeh it's the same spec but with black stripe down the side instead of red, I was supposed to be getting a grey one with leather and the dealership agreed to discount it down to the same price VAT not included as the one I had but insurance said it had to be like for like so yeh its just white with optional 17inch wheels, black stripe kit, bluetooth and that's it. Hopefully picking it up tomorrow night or friday morning then fitting my TMC tuning box on saturday night


Gonna get my exhaust done asap aswell but I'm abit skint after paying the 790 excess

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

Ouch on the excess, lessons learned and all that etc!

 

[lbrench]

Well its was like 250 excess plus 275 because I'm under 21 then I had to pay new regestration and road tax on the car so all added up it was 790. Just had to sell my mountain bike for like 600 quid less than its worth bad times!

Just looking forward to getting back behind the wheel, I'm just stuck with the image of me rolling and some seriously nasty scars on my hand! Car held up very well though.

 

[montana]

no back pressure needed on a turbo car, ran a straight through turbo back on my old scooby.....love the 500s though!

 

[Gardus]

The 1.4 abarth responds very well to a full exhaust, and the boost goes up a it too.
These are our results:
Claimed data:
Horsepower 135 Hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque 206 Nm @ 3000 rpm
Actual data:
Horsepower 138,8 Hp @ 5480 rpm
Torque 216,2 Nm @ 3660 rpm

- Turbo downpipe kit + metallic kat 816021
- Front pipe 816012
- Centre pipe 816013
- Rear exhaust R.- L. 816004
- Endpipe kit R.- L. 816024

Actual data:
Horsepower 150,1 Hp @ 5595 rpm
Torque 227,7 Nm @ 3745 rpm

With a good map you can reach 170 hp, a lot o fun in a car so light.
If you need more you can fit the Grande Punto Abarth Essesse turbo+sensor+remap, with that you got 200+ Hp and 300+ Nm and it really shifts!

A few videos

 

[lbrench]

thats pretty impressive, on the rollers mine made 164bhp and 197ftlb of torque so hopefully i will get a few more bhp with this exhaust. cheers mate

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

A girl came to a RR day of ours in her Abarth and that was circa 160bhp, sounded immense, very very impressive from a 1.4t

 

[Gardus]

Is it a normal 500 or a essesse?
Essesse data:
OEM:
Claimed data:
Horsepower 160 Hp @ 5750 rpm
Torque 230 Nm @ 3000 rpm

Actual data:
Horsepower 156,5 Hp @ 5200 rpm
Torque 246 Nm @ 3780 rpm

Supersprint:
- Downpipe kit + metallic kat 816021
- Front pipe 816012
- Centre pipe 816013
- Rear exhaust R.- L. 816004
- Endpipe kit O100 R.- L. 816024

Actual data:
Horsepower 161,2 Hp @ 5290 rpm
Torque 253,6 Nm @ 3790 rpm

As the turbo on the essesse is the same, there's less room for improvement with an exhaust+remap...the best I've seen are aroun 180 Hp.
165 bhp and 197 lbft, that's 266,8 nm, seems a bit too much for a standard car, I guess the dyno was a bit generous. Was it a brake dyno or a intertial dyno?

 

[lbrench]

Mine wasn't a standard car, had the TMC motorsport box loaded with a remap on it. It was at rs tuning in leeds and that dyno is dead on apparently.

 

[Gardus]

So it's just the standard 135 bhp with a remap? I think those values are very plausible. To go beyond 170 bhp you need a good ehxuast, the downpipe with a decat or metallic cat is the most important bit.

 

[Christopher]

Yep, as people have said, the less pressure from the turbine back, the better.

 

[Simon@SprayShack]

Less restrictive exhaust system will get your AGT's down aswell, which is obviously much better for life length of your turbo if your going to up the boost. As with any car when you up the boost, just have to make sure it doesnt run lean, and the injectors have the balls to coupe (<80% duty cycle so they say to allow some head room), and most times you should put some cool plugs in, but the mapper will tell you this.

Good power gains, you have to love turbo cars, extra bhp for very little ££, just have to watch you stay within the turbo efficiency ranges and your intercoolers in good nick.

 

[Gardus]

I've driven a few 500s in different states of tune.
Standard is disappointing coming from a RS, even an old one like mine. Driving position is very high, the car is bumpy and the steering doesn't offer any feel.
The engine is brisk but i wouldn't say is a fast car, more like a Twingo RS than a Clio.
I've tried one with eibach+revalved and shortened shocks, no rear seats, exhaust and remap, sport brake pads plus Sabelt sport seats....much better.
It still lacks a bit of composure and adjustability, and the engine at 6500 rpm is finished, but it's fun to drive.
I've tried one with a bigger turbo and other mods...200 hp and 320 nm of torque...that was FAST!
I'd pick a Clio or a Cooper S any day, but the 500 is cheaper (in Italy at least).
I like the Grande Punto Abarth more, Brembo brakes, better driving positions and it's "more of a car" than a toy like the 500.
Here a few pictures of the abarth meeting we had at the company a few months ago: