1.9L TDI Intake Manifold Flow Testing / Comparison

Ever wondered how some of the common 1.9L TDI take manifolds compare in flow? What about (un)even flow across 4 ports for each manifold?

Some of them were finally put on a flow bench:




I would embed this interactive flow chart (the results) in this post if I could, but it will not function in this forum:


You can access the chart on this page: https://malonetuning.com/manifold-intake-1-9l-tdi

The BRM intake manifold is a good upgrade option for ALHs, BEWs, and similar, and it's available (usually at a good price) at autowreckers in the backyard of North Americans!

If anyone else has done flow tests, then please share in this thread! Love to see more data. Ideally multiple manifolds should be compared using the same testing machine during the same session.

thanks for posting... i have a BRM intake on my 05 golf and my tdi tacoma, noticed an immediate improvement on the truck in both response and smoke level over the alh manifold

That's fantastic data, many thanks. I didn't realise there was an oem upgrade above a 'PD150' style manifold
Is there a left hand and a right hand version of them all? My PD150 item is handed the other way for use with the longitudinal Passat B5 engine (taken from a B5.5 PD130 Passat) - you'll tell me now there's no opposite version of the BRM intake

Wish I had seen that 2 weeks ago lol. still I'll be fine with my 150.

On a side note, prices of PD150 suddenly drop. BRM manifolds suddenly drop in price...

Interesting data, thanks for sharing.
I just got an ibiza cupra 1.9tdi 160hp , i will be porting the manifold for a better flow.

Nice data can you flow test a dual chamber intake ore from 1y 1.9 d and mk4 sdi the long 2 piece intake

Mark@MaloneTuning said:

The BRM intake manifold is a good upgrade option for ALHs, BEWs, and similar, and it's available (usually at a good price) at autowreckers in the backyard of North Americans!

Click to expand...

That is not a straightforward swap though, is it? Don't they bolt up differently (at least ALH does)?

mk1-83 said:

Nice data can you flow test a dual chamber intake ore from 1y 1.9 d and mk4 sdi the long 2 piece intake

Click to expand...

Yeah, would love to see carlo's intake on that bench.

McGuillicuddy said:

That is not a straightforward swap though, is it? Don't they bolt up differently (at least ALH does)?

Click to expand...

If it's anything like the PD130/150, it'll bolt directly to the head, but the EGR/ASV pattern is different.

The chart is now updated with Cylinder Head flow data added!



Here's the link to the full chart again: https://malonetuning.com/manifold-intake-1-9l-tdi

An intake manifold's flow theoretically cannot exceed the cylinder head flow. We can see here that there is not a lot of room for improvement over the BRM intake manifold.

We were considering making a fully custom intake manifold, but after seeing how well the BRM intake manifold performs, we figured that it's more economical to just make BRM intake manifold adapters instead. Most people will find this sufficient vs. spending time welding or spending $300+ on a custom intake manifold with unproven (so far) results.

It would be interesting to see if someone wants to perform flow testing with a ported cylinder head. Find out if a custom intake manifold will outflow a BRM intake manifold (and with even distribution across 4 ports) by a worthwhile margin. We don't have time to go that far in testing yet, busy with projects at the moment.

Very cool testing. Since I don't follow the power enhancement threads often, I'll hope my question is reasonable: Do we know what impact ALH (or other) owners will see if they swap OE manifolds for BRM, all else being equal?

I’ve never put my hands on a BRM intake. That being said, how much meat can be taken off before it structurally can’t take boost pressure from the turbo? Any one had their head extrude honed? If so, could the intake manifold go through the same process to have an end result be port matched with intake manifold runner and head intake running both being the same size throughout? Then the only limiting factor would be the ID of the intake piping from the inter cooler to intake manifold and from the turbo to the inter cooler.

Methinks there will now be a run on BRM manifolds lol. What about BHW?

If anyone can lend BHW and at least 2 fancy looking aftermarket intake manifolds (log style etc.), then I can see about setting up another flow session, in the same machine. Will also flow BRM again to ensure consistency with previous testing. I can return the manifolds to their respective owners (preferably 1 owner) after the testing is complete, as long as I am not rushed. I do not want to be under pressure for providing free information here, we still have other projects to work on.

This is actually very interesting scientific data. Never did understand why VW insists on all its older TDI manifolds to have a strange unequal length design. A little more effort and it could have been perfected.

There are 2 styles of OEM SDI manifolds and gasser long runner manifolds that have been adapted for the TDI that would be interesting data points in this comparison as well.

Mark@MaloneTuning said:

If anyone can lend BHW and at least 2 fancy looking aftermarket intake manifolds (log style etc.), then I can see about setting up another flow session, in the same machine.

Click to expand...

Aftermarket; would be interesting to see the results of a Kerma style. (log)

dirtride said:

Aftermarket; would be interesting to see the results of a Kerma style. (log)

Click to expand...

Or Darkside’s custom intake

Mark@MaloneTuning said:

If anyone can lend BHW and at least 2 fancy looking aftermarket intake manifolds (log style etc.), then I can see about setting up another flow session, in the same machine. Will also flow BRM again to ensure consistency with previous testing. I can return the manifolds to their respective owners (preferably 1 owner) after the testing is complete, as long as I am not rushed. I do not want to be under pressure for providing free information here, we still have other projects to work on.

Click to expand...

I just bought a ported head from Darkside. I’d like to see what the manifolds flow on it.

Great option for the ALH!

I will be happy to get a BRM, BHW or maybe the long runner ABA manifold (if it will fit over the IP and injector hard lines) and let you experiment on the Beetle between camping trips.

Always looking for ways to cool things down especially when pulling the trailer.

Is there a mirrored BRM intake for Passat B5's please?

And what do we think to this log style SDI item?

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLKSWAGEN...103399?hash=item43eebbf1e7:g:XJ0AAOSwsXVZY1Wp

I have one of those all set up and have tested on the Beetle I think the D24 would be the one to do a test on
Bob Mann

bhodgkiss said:

Is there a mirrored BRM intake for Passat B5's please?

And what do we think to this log style SDI item?

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLKSWAGEN...103399?hash=item43eebbf1e7:g:XJ0AAOSwsXVZY1Wp

Click to expand...

Before we all get too excited, understand that a flowbench does not represent the flow behaviour of an engine exactly. A flow bench draws air through the open intake valve on one cylinder at a time under steady-state conditions. An engine draws air thousands of times a minute according to the firing order, all the while the valves are opening at different rates and piston vacuum is not a constant 28" of water - plus the intake is under varying levels of boost. So the whole thing is anything but steady state.

Nevertheless, flowbench results ARE useful to draw trends and make relative comparisons, but you cannot (at least should not) make absolute conclusions of the numbers.

A visual and intuitive comparison makes it easy to figure out that the ALH manifold design and resulting flow results are quite horrible, and the flowbench trends bear this out, but much harder to spot are how the ARL, BEW and BRM ones stack up to one another, and then to other manifolds like SDI, gasser, D24 and aftermarket ones.

FYI for anyone wanting to run a BRM intake on their BEW: if you also purchase the BRM egr section, the BEW ASV will bolt directly to this, bolt pattern, length, and clocking are perfect for the BEW. You could leave the EGR valve in place but i removed mine, cut off the egr related bits and welded up the holes for a clean look. Using the BRM intake this way on a BEW allows you to retain the stock ASV and upper intercooler hose with clip fitting.... i suppose you could do the same for an ALH if you didn't mind a non-functional BEW or BRM ASV sitting there

Watching this ^^^


Bajan

dirty, yes, but it's a beater

I've got a pair of SDI Scroll style (one ported, one not ported) that I'll gladly send in for comparison testing. Take as much time as you need with them. PM or e-mail me where to send them.

jimbote said:

FYI for anyone wanting to run a BRM intake on their BEW: if you also purchase the BRM egr section, the BEW ASV will bolt directly to this, bolt pattern, length, and clocking are perfect for the BEW. You could leave the EGR valve in place but i removed mine, cut off the egr related bits and welded up the holes for a clean look. Using the BRM intake this way on a BEW allows you to retain the stock ASV and upper intercooler hose with clip fitting.... i suppose you could do the same for an ALH if you didn't mind a non-functional BEW or BRM ASV sitting there

Click to expand...

I am thinking of doing this except using Malone's adapter that replaces the EGR.

https://malonetuning.com/store/item/adapter-for-installing-a-brm-intake-manifold-in-a-bew-and-similar-vehicle

jptbay said:

I am thinking of doing this except using Malone's adapter that replaces the EGR.
https://malonetuning.com/store/item/adapter-for-installing-a-brm-intake-manifold-in-a-bew-and-similar-vehicle

Click to expand...

Yep, I think Darkside makes a similar adapter

I got a snail and a D24 ported sitting on the shelf the cost of shipping is high to you!
Bob Mann