What would be the difference in HP if you add the turbo or the intercooler?

The intercooler is a necessity to only a turbo charged vehicle. Every car has an intake system which provides the engine with air, turbo charged vehicles intake system feeds air from the intake directly into the turbo which draws even more air, this air then goes through the intercooler where it is generally cooled by air to air contact (even though i believe that there are liquid cooling intercoolers) then into the engine where it is mixed with more fuel during combustion. I would say with a small turbo and a few fuel mods you could add an easy 45-50 hp.

Steve you are partially wrong. Not all turbos make use of an intercooler, same with superchargers... You are correct in the fact that the intercooler cools the air charge going into your engine. Colder air combusts better, plus helps the engine from over heating.

For instance this turbo kit for the .:R32 doesnt use one...


http://www.hpamotorsports.com/product_turbo_ft360.htm

It is a low boost creats only 11 lbs... In these cases an intercooler is not really needed, however adding an intercooler to this kit will allow for you to run higher boost and will help to creat like an extra 75 hp I think it is...

Jeremy

when you compress air such as a turbo does it creats heat. the intercooler like a radiator alows that heat to escape.
if you dont allow for ad. cooling you develope heat soak, also happens when you run to much boost on a small I/C it wont allow enough heat to escape. with jeremys example...VWs
break down all the time...mabye cause of this dumbass engineering. haveing hot compressed air goin into the engine= not good proformance.

— BLCKOUT92

when you compress air such as a turbo does it creats heat. the intercooler like a radiator alows that heat to escape.
if you dont allow for ad. cooling you develope heat soak, also happens when you run to much boost on a small I/C it wont allow enough heat to escape. with jeremys example...VWs
break down all the time...mabye cause of this dumbass engineering. haveing hot compressed air goin into the engine= not good proformance.

I never said that was a good turbo charger set up, running with out an intercooler, but it can be done. You will see alot more supercharger set ups running with out an intercooler, because a superchager creates alot less heat then a turbo does. But still adding an intercooler to lower your airtemps going into an engine helps to boost horsepower...

Jeremy

Thats because the Super Charger isn't powered by 800 degree exhaust. Why would you run an intercooler on a supercharger if it pulls from the cold air already?

— CStingray78

Thats because the Super Charger isn't powered by 800 degree exhaust. Why would you run an intercooler on a supercharger if it pulls from the cold air already?

The air will still heat up with a supercharger just by the process of compressing it, this is why methanol and intercooler kits are very popular in the centrifugal and roots supercharger arena. You would be suprised at the difference in air charge temperature when getting into higher boost applications. You are correct that the reason turbos create so much heat is that they are powered by the heat and exhaust gasses to turn the turbine, which is why most aftermarket turbo kits come with an intercooler.