Hi Ken....
  Most intercoolers I've seen in 18yrs of racing have been after the
turbo...  point being to cool the intake charge after it's been heated by
being compressed...  I do agree with you that it has nothing to do with
turbo longevity though...  (please don't hate me Ken or Chris...  :)
Bill Johnson
'85 GL Westy
'97 Honda VFR750
'67 Bug
-----Original Message-----

>An intercooler just cools the air before it enters the turbo.  This
increases
>the air's density thereby allowing more oxygen to be packed into the turbo.
>This increases the amount of fuel that you can burn so therefore you get
more
>power.  It really has nothing whatsoever to do with turbo longevity (sorry
>Chris don't hate me).
>Ken Wilford
>Van-Again
>John 3:16