Bigger intercooler vs HP
09-06-2007, 10:46 PM
#17
Drifting
Chris did an excellent job explaining this. A larger intercooler doesn't add HP to an otherwise stock 951. When it's cool outside with average to high humidity, all turbo cars feel much more powerful. There is less lag, and the boost hits harder. The car just sings.
A better, more efficient, lower pressure drop intercooler setup will allow you to run more boost or run the same boost for a longer period of time with less heat soak. This equals more HP because the forced air is denser and our cars like this.
Most good tuners will tell you that an intercooler upgrade on a 300whp 951 is not where you should spend money to get more power, as it's not money well spent if just more power is your goal.
Chris has many customers with 2.5 400whp cars running his stage 2+ turbos (and associated mods) with stock intercoolers at around 20psiwith race gas. 350 reliable hp running pump, not the 100 trick pump $6 a gallon 100 race gas. This is at the wheels.
I am adding a front mounted spearco intercooler to my 3.0 because I feel that my "close to stock" intercooler is not sufficient for all climates which my car will be running. I live in AZ. Sometimes it's 110 outside and the air is DRY. Running even 15psi with the stock intercooler in a track day would create hp loss because the intercooler can't cool the intake boosted air for extended periods under boost.
Point here is a larger intercooler will allow more consistent hp under extreme conditions. This is typically seen at the track on a hot day. Those of us that drive our cars in the cool mornings, then in the hot afternoon know this first hand. Our cars are like Vampires, they love the dark night cool dense air.
A larger intercooler does not heat soak nearly as much, and allows your motor to have more reliable consistent power. A larger cooling surface area cools the air better, as it is able to dissipate heat better, especailly at lower speeds. Lower speeds are below 100mph. Above this, the stock intercooler is doing a really good job as it's getting plenty of air to get rid of the heat. This assumes that you have very good flow from your exhaust and aren't running silly boost pressure.
Regards,
George
A better, more efficient, lower pressure drop intercooler setup will allow you to run more boost or run the same boost for a longer period of time with less heat soak. This equals more HP because the forced air is denser and our cars like this.
Most good tuners will tell you that an intercooler upgrade on a 300whp 951 is not where you should spend money to get more power, as it's not money well spent if just more power is your goal.
Chris has many customers with 2.5 400whp cars running his stage 2+ turbos (and associated mods) with stock intercoolers at around 20psiwith race gas. 350 reliable hp running pump, not the 100 trick pump $6 a gallon 100 race gas. This is at the wheels.
I am adding a front mounted spearco intercooler to my 3.0 because I feel that my "close to stock" intercooler is not sufficient for all climates which my car will be running. I live in AZ. Sometimes it's 110 outside and the air is DRY. Running even 15psi with the stock intercooler in a track day would create hp loss because the intercooler can't cool the intake boosted air for extended periods under boost.
Point here is a larger intercooler will allow more consistent hp under extreme conditions. This is typically seen at the track on a hot day. Those of us that drive our cars in the cool mornings, then in the hot afternoon know this first hand. Our cars are like Vampires, they love the dark night cool dense air.
A larger intercooler does not heat soak nearly as much, and allows your motor to have more reliable consistent power. A larger cooling surface area cools the air better, as it is able to dissipate heat better, especailly at lower speeds. Lower speeds are below 100mph. Above this, the stock intercooler is doing a really good job as it's getting plenty of air to get rid of the heat. This assumes that you have very good flow from your exhaust and aren't running silly boost pressure.
Regards,
George
09-06-2007, 11:20 PM
#19
Race Car
I don't know about CO2 but I think I'm going to try to route one of my w/i injectors out across the ic on my turbo car to see what difference it makes. I have my brothers little thermo gun for A bit so I think I'll make the most of it 
09-06-2007, 11:36 PM
#21
Drifting
We once dynoed my car with me holding a full nos bottle in front of my intercooler. when the motor was loading in 4th I opened the valve to full and the boost hit 26psi and we made 497whp on a 2.5 with 55lb injectors and a LR super 75. There was no detonation and the motor just spun fast.
Problem with this is it's short lived. You run out of cooling gas quickly. There was a Honda full race quarter motor with a huge intercooler that had a compartment for dry ice. This thing would hit 800+ FWHP on the dyno and was a 9 second car.
Sky is the limit if you just want to romp for a few seconds.
George
Problem with this is it's short lived. You run out of cooling gas quickly. There was a Honda full race quarter motor with a huge intercooler that had a compartment for dry ice. This thing would hit 800+ FWHP on the dyno and was a 9 second car.
Sky is the limit if you just want to romp for a few seconds.
George
09-07-2007, 12:16 AM
#22
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I used to see temps like that all the time on supercharged anything. An NSX I supercharged a few months ago was running 10psi at 255 deg. intake temps. My old jakson racing supercharged Prelude had around 260 deg. All the comptech and JR Supercharged RSXs. It's just how hot it gets.
09-07-2007, 12:23 AM
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not sure but I will ask him. He runs a modified 03 cobra water/air IC converted to dual pass and a large exchanger out front to cool it down. The blower pumps out 20 or so psi and he is at around 700hp with the setup
09-07-2007, 01:55 PM
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I have seen imports spray nitrous directly on the outside of the intercooler during a race to get that little extra advantage. My buddy and I were talking and it made sense. We thought that CO2 would be a lot cheaper and easier to have filled. You could go to any store that sold paintball equipment instead of one or two dedicated speed shops.
09-08-2007, 09:56 PM
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Craig, when you can take a look at the big IC that Patrick just mounted on his car. Check out the link below. This thing is big for sure.
Patrick's Monster IC
Patrick's Monster IC
09-08-2007, 10:09 PM
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09-09-2007, 12:11 AM
#28
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Wow!!! That thing is big and fits nice. Rob do you know where he got that intercooler? I was looking at the SFR intercooler but may change my mind if that one is available.
09-09-2007, 12:25 AM
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