Intercooler Gone Bye Bye.... AGIAN ! !

niz406 · Post by **niz406** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 11:55 am

Well yes you guessed it, but not totally sure if its cooler or split hose, going to check it when I can and I'm more awake... ! !

If the cooler has gone AGAIN then its FMIC replacement time, there are some nice bar and plate jobbies from the states on ebay which might be the alternative to another plastic shoddy pug cooler ! ! !

Was going to do FMIC or concealed smaller cooler behind bumper under inner arch with direct feed from fog lamp shroud and stainless hard piping or..... FMIC with slightly modded bumper! and stainless hardpipes !

Until then I have the choice of a mitsubishi galant alloy cooler or RS500 cooler to use as a temporary measure!! The alloy galant one is much better looking and comes from a more powerful unit ! !

Post by **Welly** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:37 pm

It's funny you should mention this because I was wondering about my intercooler.....

You see the HDi one is a plaggy unit and sometimes I get the feeling you can hear air escaping somewhere, thought about spraying Fairy Liquid mix on it to see if it bubbles ?

The HDi runs at about 1.0 bar, but don't know if the IC is a week point (as it seems to be on the petrols).

I know 2 lads that were running 200SX's a couple of years back down at the Pod (I am cool hehe) and they were getting decent gains from fitting a Volvo IC

not sure which model, but made a big difference in keeping charge temps more stable.

Your upgrade will not be a wasted effort, you should see gains JUST from a better IC, watch the lag though, your hard pipes will help with that.

niz406 · Post by **niz406** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:57 pm

I've seen the HDi coolers.... they are functionally accaeptable to perform its duty, but physical construction and design leaves a lot to be desired... why must they insist on ABS construction for the items end caps... I'm sure some alloy end caps welded on or even crimped like the plastic ones would only be a few pennies more ! !

I've heard that about the sweeedish manufacturers

Saab and Volvo? have really good coolers... but again these are built on a budget!

Well I'm going to do the math before the upgrade because I want to make sure the IC is efficient enough without too much of a loss in pressure at the cold side once the charge has been cooled... there are some on ebay now with only a 0.2p.s.i pressure roll off @ 15 p.s.i

I've seen some nice IC spray kits too... but that would be overkill!

I'd rather go chargecooler I think !

Post by **Welly** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 1:07 pm

You should see the size of the IC on her indoors 318 tds, it's enormous and it's only 90BHP.....it must be 150% bigger than mine.

Davva2004 · Post by **Davva2004** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:00 pm

niz406 wrote:I'd rather go chargecooler I think !

Don't go chargecooler... lots of tests have proved conclusively that a chargecooler does not cool as efficiently as a decent front mount intercooler. Chargecoolers are fine while the water is cold - hence their fantastic rolling road reviews - but because water has such a massive thermal latency once it's warm after some hard road driving the piddly little rads they provide in the kit can't bring the water temp down so ACTs go high and stay high, till the water has chance to cool down overnight. Whereas a front mount IC has no thermal latency as it's always getting a fresh supply of cold cooling medium, i.e. fresh air.

Post by **Welly** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:10 pm

A lad round here was showing me his Celica GT4 a couple of weeks ago, looked under the bonnet and there was a Toyota standard chargecooler.

I was quiet surprised, and indeed the Header tank for it, which sits a' top the engine

was very hot.

The charge cooler will only then limit the charge temps to probably 70 to 80 deg and no more, but constantly, whereas the FMIC has the ability to get rid of the heat almost completely if you back off a while, or fit a spray bar

niz406 · Post by **niz406** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:21 pm

There is also a refrigeration kit that doesn't spray but actually cools the alloy so you dont have to keep refilling the darn gas bottle... ?? is this true?

pipe*n*slippers · Post by **pipe*n*slippers** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:56 pm

Bloody hell

Iv'e decided im no longer cool

Just read this thread and didn't understand a bloody word of it

now where's that Max Bygraves CD gone

niz406 · Post by **niz406** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 6:19 pm

Thats ok... you don't have to know a thing about thermo dynamics to join in... I don't !

Just quote a few abbreviations and you'll be fine ! lol

Malachy · Post by **Malachy** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:07 pm

i got my fmic from "xspower" and its actually quite a nice item, as for solid pipes get busy and make up a 3d cad drawing, then pop over to http://alloyracingfabrications.com/ and he will bosh you up the pipes for a lot cheaper than you would get if using silicone and stainless.
quality guy and a quality item

turbolag · Post by **turbolag** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:45 pm

http://www.hhtuning.co.uk do some very reasonably priced 'coolers for DIY applications.

niz406 · Post by **niz406** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:31 pm

I looked at the XSpower ones and was impressed with the overall build quality... you got any pics of yours installed?
I was going to get a full kit off eBay or just go to my mates with the Powerflow stainless and get a matching set of pipes for inlet and exhaust lol