Intercooler for TRD Supercharger (1 Viewer)

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Oct 18, 2006
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Pleasant Grove, Utah
2 posts in one day!! new record..
I wanted to install an intercooler on my supercharger but i did not want to.
1. block the air into my radiator, so that I over heat.
2. install 5 feet of tubing and have a ton of lag.
3. position the intercooler where it could get hurt.

So I purchased a 3" thick, bar and plate intercooler with 3" inch inlet and outlet, the size is like 14 x 16 (actual size of the cooling area not the including the inlet or outlet).

I purchased a hood scoop from a Subaru WRX (not STI) and installed it in the hood and ducted it over the intercooler, on the inter cooler I mad a gasket that seals the hood scoop to the intercooler and forces the air through it.

The inter cooler in mounted over the a very small section of the head, but mostly over the open area over the exhaust manifold.

The intercooler is plumbed with 3 inch mandral pipe from the supercharger to the intercooler and has a silicone sleeve between the intercooler and a flange on the intake manifold.


I know you are wondering how it works???
Well, I can say that it has made the biggest difference in performance, in 50-60 degree weather I can run the engine hard for any amount of time, stop and put my hand on the cooler and it is cold to the touch!!!

We drove to Moab a week ago from Orem and with stock gearing, 35 inch tires and loaded with 4 people and all our gear, we made it over soldier summit in overdrive at 70 plus without effort, I am very impressed, I had not even hopped for it to work this well.. On the way back from Moab, the really steep hill between green river and price, I was doing almost 80 in overdrive...

Sorry to the members that have no idea of the hill I am talking about, but for comparison my stock 80 would struggle to hold 50 over soldier summit and the other hill mentioned.

later
inter1.JPG
inter2.JPG
inter3.JPG
 
Whoa, More pics and diagrams and a write up please.
 
MTNRAT
Well at least you're not asking for much.. (joke)
I will see what I can do, but just moving all the vacuum lines and other stuff out from where the intercooler is mounted took about 10 hours.. I have almost 30 hours into the whole hood scoop/intercooler install.. the hardest part by far was the 3" pipe from the supercharger to the intercooler.. I had to cut the end off the SC exit pipe in order to get the 3" pipe in.. plus the radius on the pipe bend going back to the intercooler is only about 2 inches, so I had to custom make that radius.. (the tightest I could find was 3" inch pipe with a 3" radius U bend)..
later Bret
 
What about heat-soak when you are moving slow off-road?
 
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Absolutely, get more closer pics please...no one has ever thought of that routing as far as I know. Can you give us a part number and where you bought the intercooler?
airlaird
 
C-Dan
I am not very worried about heat soak on the trail (it will happen). The intercooler will not get any hotter than the stock supercharger setup (worst case) at very slow trail speeds, and I had no problems with heat before (knocking, overheating, etc). I have read a ton on air flow and intercoolers and it seems that 20mph is enough air to cool the intercooler and remove the max BTU's.. the crucial part is making the air move through the intercooler and having NO way for the air to go around it and lessoning the effect of the potential air you have. Having said that.. i have enough room for a 7"diameter, high performance fan on top of the intercooler and have a setup in mind that would put a heat sensor in the outlet of the IC to turn the fan on at a given temperature to cool the charge.. But the main reason for the IC is for driving to and from the trail, vacations and adventures with the family, and it works perfectly for that..
later
Bret
 
Airlaird
I will hunt around for the part number for the IC, I purchased it a year ago and since moved to a new house.. I may have bookmarked the site? (I hope)
I am sorry that I don't have all the info on my install, I must admit that I have had it done for a month and have not wanted to get flamed from people who have nothing better to do than give people crap.. I am happy to say that all the questions have been very good and i will see what I can do to provide the information to those interested..
thanks
Bret
 
It is a very good intercooler for the price.. (you can pay lots more)

This is where is purchased the intercooler:

http://www.justjap.com/parts_nintercoolers.htm

and this is the closest one to the size I used:

Cooling-Pro Universal Intercooler - Small Type
Bar and plate - 280 x 300 x 76mm - 3 Inch outlets
$149...

later
 
Cool idea, but like Dan said, what about heat soak when you are moving slow? Did you somehow protect from exhaust heat rising up? This would be wicked if you could shield it from below and duct the bottom so that the air dumps out into the fender to keep under hood pressure correct.
 
I am sorry that I don't have all the info on my install, I must admit that I have had it done for a month and have not wanted to get flamed from people who have nothing better to do than give people crap.

Bret,
You should never let the "fear of critique" stop you from posting anything, especially a solution as creative as this one. Some view questions as flaming and some get defensive but, for the most part, those here in the 80-section will appreciate your work and your ingenuity.

Numbers and data also make us happy. How about a 4-wheel dyno run? :D

-B-
 
Thanks Bret

Bret I appreciate it..don't be timid about posting your install, heck you enlightened me with how you did your install, and it looks looks great. Try to post some over head views of the set up please.
airlaird
 
I'm wondering if you wrapped your exhaust header with that heat tape? I hear it's really effective. Would also help reduce potential heat soak in the intercooler.
 
Good stuff!

Thanks for sharing, and would like to hear/see more about it myself as well!

Mot:cheers:
 
I had planned to make a exhaust vent for the bottom of the IC and dump it down the fire wall and out next to the exhaust... But, I soon found out that with a 3" core the extra room under the IC and the head (just on the far right side of the IC) runs out rally fast.. so if I would have made a pan for it I could have potentially restricted the flow through part of the IC. I started thinking about the Head gasket and how it always go's out by #6, and if I left the IC without a pan and ducting it would direct cooler air directly on that part of the motor and could help the HG in the long run to stay cool and last longer.
I have not wrapped the exhaust with the heat wrap, but I do have the stock exhaust shield in place. I did figure that I could use some if it became a problem.. So far it works perfectly, MUCH better than i could have wished for, the cool air flows very easy through the ic and just blows cool air onto the exhaust and out under the truck.
Bret
 
Reminds me of the STi setup with a top mount intercooler. Except that it's a flat four and turbo-charged...
 
As for the flaming part, Its really hard when you (me) have been planning this IC install for over a year, reading everything I could from the Tuner Car guys (they know IC's) and investing a lot of time and money to make something as good as i could, and to have someone who may be having a bad day glance at the post and rip me a new one... I fully understand that it happens VERY little on IH8MUD (great people). But in the end, trying to get things across in this kind of form is difficult at best and a disaster at worst, most of the time i just choose to shut my mouth (see keyboard) and glean as much information from reading the posts as i can, i comment very little and post almost never.
Bret
 
Looks wonderful, any idea of the rough cost?
 
I like, a lot. The intercooler on my truck uses a radiator placed in front of the main rad. and I've never liked that set up. But, on an interesting note, we shot some before/after intercooler temps on mine and saw about a 20 degree drop. Much more than I thought it would be.
 
Cost:
Intercooler $150
Mandrel pipe $100
Silicone Elbow and 2 sleeves $50
vacuum lines $5
WRX Hood Scoop (used) $100
Sheet metal (for ducting scoop) $10
Ultra Dense Foam/silicone gasket for top of IC $45 (Had to make it my self)
30 hours install time, Priceless!! (and 1 year of Orem City's Internet time)
later Bret
 

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