ITBs are they worth the money/ trouble

[Problemchild75]

I'm considering a set of ITBs for a clio I'm building if properly mapped will it be as reliable as std and what genuine gains would I get from a std engine. What other mods would compliment the ITBs whilst maintaining driverbility and reliability ?
Cheers
Jamie

 

[Snake182]

They are worth the money if you like/prefer N/A compared to boost. Fitting a decent set of uprated Camshafts will compliment them nicely, just don't go for a too wild cam as it will affect drivability.
ITB's are very reliable if you don't go silly with the Rev limit, and with a decent set of camshafts and decent map can see up to 200/210bhp and a nice torque increase if done right.

On a standard engine there are a few variables i.e timing, (different rolling roads) and other things that can affect the power you will gain from itb's, you might find that you struggle to reach 200bhp even with bodies on a standard engine. But nevertheless it WILL improve the power/torque all the way through the rev range greatly and will feel much more drivable low down. hope this helps

 

[Ph1 Tom]

I like mine! They definitely need a set of good cams though. Either piper 285 or catcams 421 would be my choice although you may need a slightly raised idle speed.

Make sure you take it to someone who knows what they're doing and you shouldn't have any problems.

I find mine pretty quiet driving normally but it makes a fair bit of noise when giving it some.

As with any n/a Clio it makes the power and torque over around 4k rpm although it's perfectly drivable below that.

I will admit that I'm contemplating boost though! However with boost comes more expense, complications, stress on other components etc.

 

[leeds_182]

No, not on clios.

 

[Chi]

You will always recoup a large % of your outlay especially if you are handy with the spanners so it's worth a try if you have 2k kicking about

 

[SharkyUK]

I absolutely love my setup and think they are very much worth it. However, I prefer NA and I went into the build with realistic expectations. I think that's the key. Too many folks think ITB's are the way to big(ger) numbers for bragging rights down the pub. Then they waste thousands and end up selling their kit and going boosted or buying a different car! If you're after numbers then boost is the way forward. If you love having to really work the car to get the most performance out of it (resulting in a fantastic aural soundtrack) then definitely consider ITB's. As said above, you will ideally want to marry the ITB's up with a decent set of cams too.

 

[ilovewilly]

If you like the noise, yes.

 

[warwickstingray]

It's all swings and roundabouts and you need to think about what you actually want from your mods. A stripped out sorted track Clio with throttle bodies in the class above me quite happily secured many a class win at the sprints I did but that power in a boggo car doesn't add Up to a massive performance increase. Effortless woosh from 80-120 and you'll want the turbo route.