Lower Temperatures + Lower Pressure Loss = More Horsepower

The dyno sheet tells the story. These dyno runs were performed at 4000 rpm, under full throttle, at 15 psi of boost pressure. The difference? A maximum increase of 23 hp (at wheels), approximately 27-31 hp at the crank, was shown with the Bell Intercoolers system.

And as you can see from the dyno sheet (below) the power increase was across the entire boosted rpm range (3000-6400 rpm onthis test), being especially pronounced at the higher rpm levels above 5000 rpm where the factory intercooler system begins to suffer from increasing flow restrictions and sharply reduced thermal efficiency.

What you will also see in the dyno sheet is that above 5000 rpm the Bell Intercooler system delivers as much as a 24 hp increase (at the wheels) over the factory system. The Bell Intercooler is a performance upgrade that provides benefits at all rpm levels.

It is important to note that this test was limited to 15 psi of boost pressure. At these boost pressures the factory system is well beyond it design specifications and is no longer able to remove enough heat to provide optimal performance or to safely protect against detonation. With it’s large Bar and Plate type core, providing 2.9 times the internal flow area of the factory intercooler, the Bell Intercoolers system is designed to safely handle 325 hp. That means that even at the higher boost pressures and extreme temperatures required to produce 325 hp (at engine) the Bell Intercoolers system is working within design specifications and is capable of delivering optimal performance within safe levels of intake air temperature.

To learn more about the engineering behind these performance figures, as well as the performance advantages of the Bell Intercooler Volvo C30 T5 Front Mount Intercooler System across all power levels refer to the Technical section.

Pressure Drop
(Measured intercooler inlet tank and intercooler outlet tank,
averaged across three test runs per system)
Factory System: 1.87 psi pressure drop
Bell Intercoolers System: .93 psi pressure drop
A 49.7% reduction in airflow resistance.

Outlet Temp/Thermal Efficiency
(Measured intercooler inlet tank and intercooler outlet tank, averaged across three test runs per system)
Outlet Temp, Factory System: 177 °F @ 74.7 °F Ambient
Outlet Temp, Bell Intercoolers System: 117 °F @ 73.1 °F Ambient

Test Notes
Vehicle: 2007 S40 T5 (using identical engine and intercooler as in C30 T5)
Modifications: Running 15 psi of boost, ECU upgrade, 3.0”
downpipe, lower restriction exhaust and cone-type air filter..

Protocol: Vehicle was tested first with the Bell Intercoolers system then tested with the factory intercooler system. Tests for each system consisted of three dyno runs, each at 4000 rpm under full throttle.  Vehicle was allowed to cool for 7-10 minutesbetween test run (idle condition with dyno cooling fans operating at full flow). Between test sessions (Bell Intercooler system andfactory system) vehicle was allowed to cool for one hour. No other modifications or alterations were made to the vehicle between tests.

Dyno: Dyno Dynamics AWD dyno

Test Conditions:
Factory Test
Dec. 1, 2007
Temp: 74.7 °F
Humidity: 65-67%
Pressure: 29.92 in.

Bell Intercoolers Test
Dec. 1, 2007
Temp: 73.1 °F
Humidity: 65-67%
Pressure: 30.00 in.