Interesting Intercooler Piping Set-up
 

Never seen anything like this before, I would think he would get more flow with one larger pipe than three smaller ones. Interesting none the less and thought i would share.
http://img199.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/u...6243815fd2.jpg

wtf, who would ever do that. pretty sure that restricts airflow

Maybe the idea was to reduce turbulence similar to a divided turbo flange.

Well, since there are 3 openings in the throttle body, he was probably trying to get more equal flow/pressure to each by dividing them in a straight-flow area, rather than have the air flow hug one wall or the other of a single pipe as it went around the bend near the throttle body.

that is redundant. He just put a manifold in front of a manifold.lol at four foot intake runners

I think this method may actually reduce the turbulence right at the entrance to the throttle body as each pipe (which now appear to be eqaul length as well) flows the compressed air directly the a particular port on the throttle body. That spells easy smooth flow if you ask me...as opposed to the mass of air going towards the throttle body bouncing on the divider between the ports and causing turbulence right there. I think its a great idea

crazy effort for custom-ness.

the twins blow into a collected IC...then a collected outlet splits flow into a primary runner(s) and splits the two secondary runners before being collected in the UIM...once again.

I'd like to see independent twins blow in opposing rotors...like a Vmotor step up. (I.E. front rotor spins turbo 1 and feeds rear rotor that spins turbo 2 which feeds front rotor.)

That's pretty cool and definitely unique.

Have you seen Garfinkle's rich man's nonseq setup dubulup? I think the runners on the manifold are isolated, so similar to how you describe. Aren't some people with custom twin turbo setups also doing this (like howard coleman)?

but I'm talking about the air charge being isolated as well...dual TB's one for each rotor.

+1, nicely said

Problem is, he forgot two things. First, he overlooked the turbulence he'll have created on the boundary layer airflow of each separate runner wall of his custom IC pipe unless he's somehow changed the interior surface to be slightly rough. Any time you attempt to bend airflow in a port, you create turbulence on the interior surface unless you change the laminar boundary layer to a turbulent boundary layer so that it will "stick" to the interior wall (this is why golf balls have dimples on the surface, so that the airflow along the trailing surface will stick to it as much as possible, reducing drag and allowing the ball to travel farther). That turbulence on the interior surface creates drag that will actually counter any gains he'll have made at the throttle body. Ever take a look at the interior surface of the stock TB elbow? Not exactly smooth, is it?

The second part of airflow 101 he forgot was that the stock elbow actually slows down the airflow as it approaches the TB because it expands as it reaches that point, drastically cutting down on any turbulence created at surfaces outside the throttle body intakes.

While there's other aspects of the car that allow room for alternative thought, the basic engine setup wasn't exactly arrived at by chance. Attempting to outthink the Mazda engineers on this aspect of the design without thinking it through is an exercise in futility.

I think it is restrictive. Lets do the math:
Looks like a 3" pipe leaving the intercooler. That would leave an opening of about 7 square inches. The 3 pipes coming off the big pipe appear to be about 1 1/2 inches. That would make for a total of about 5.3 square inches. If my estimates are correct, those smaller pipes are reducing flow by about 25%.