Intercoolers, whats the difference??

[bikerjim]

What is the difference between a Forge FMIC of around £600, and one of a similar size that doesn't have a well know name for around £150

The reason i ask is for my 1.8t project in my coupe. Im hoping to see around 230-250hp.

Any light that can be shed on the matter will be much appreciated.

[add]

What is the difference between a Forge FMIC of around £600, and one of a similar size that doesn't have a well know name for around £150

The reason i ask is for my 1.8t project in my coupe. Im hoping to see around 230-250hp.

Any light that can be shed on the matter will be much appreciated.

I think you've answered your own question,paying for brand name to a point,as well as the fact that some of the cheaper offerings are not as pretty to look at (weld wise).
Theres plenty of people using £100 ebay jobbies on here without issue.HTH

[loxxrider]

Its not really going to be an issue with the power level that you are looking at, but a higher quality ic typically has more internal fins and better weld quality than the cheap ones.

That said, a cheap one will work just fine for you. They hold pressure well and do the job. Cxracing.com and siliconeintakes.com are sources for some of the cheap ones. They aren't terrible. The cxracing ones are much cheaper on ebay though, and they will provide some actually pretty good quality piping kits if you look around.

[Rusty]

Fit and finish usually. Generic ones will require some work to fit and the inlet/outlet pipes might require alteration also. Plus, there's usually no customer support to speak of. That said, if you're remotely savvy then you don't need to worry about most of this...

[JP]

There is two types of intercooler tube and fin and bar and plate ones. The bar and plate ones are more efficient in cooling and are cheaper to buy but weigh more than the tube and fin ones. The ones you buy from a reputable manufacturer have brand name attached to it as well as custom tanks for your specific application. Cheap mass produced ebay jobies have universal cast end tanks so are cheaper to produce but may require more fettling to fit in fixtures and pipework. I personally run a £65 ebay intercooler with 63mm in and out with a 300x450x75 core and am seeing in excess of 500hp so for your application if you can make it fit cheap all the way

[GazzaG60]

my advice is dont go too big.

something like a stock evo item is plenty. s2 IC would be a good starter if its in the coupe

[andy10v]

What radiator setup are you planning on running as that will have an effect on the intercooler?

[Keeper of The Kitten]

Depending on how serious you get with spending, some of the big names have their own alloys which are better at heat rejection than cheaper materials ....the cores for the motorsport coolers I remember would frequently top a grand each or more before any fabrication of end tanks took place (and that's for relatively normal flat rectangular cores, nothing super trick) ....the advantages of greater heat rejection without enormous size, internal volume and weight are all worthy considerations in those circumstances.

As with any performance modification, you've got to look at what's going to give you the best value for the modification - clearly, spending vast sums to make a small gain are not worthwhile unless money really is no object to you. But in fairness the best cores tend to be lighter and offer greater heat rejection.

[bikerjim]

Thanks for all the comments on this, exactly the information i was after. A cheep ebay jobbie will do the job nicely for my application.

Best start a project thread i guess

[EspenW]

I follow the Porsche 996TT and 997TT world pretty closely, and they are very good at testing and generating data from testing on the street. What they see is that many super expensive aftermarket IC's actually do a worse job than the stock items. Someting to keep in mind.

Check your IATs vs ambient and check pressure loss over the IC.

[Boghopper]

Has anyone already done some real world testing? On the 5 cyl.?

I am a believer in test data to back up manufacturers claims, however very few companies seem to offer this.

Where would you get the gauges / sensors to measure these values accurately? Wouldn't want them in the dash, just a rig to test with and then remove afterwards.

Pete

[G60Rallye]

I have been hearing very good things about the garrett intercooler cores from the Evo and cosworth world. I have one on route at the moment for my build so hopefully its as good as its made out to be!

[Mcstiff]

http://www.034motorsport.com/intercooler-case-analysis-b5-a4-20vt-a-269.html

[Boghopper]

Thanks for that Mcstiff.

Just goes to show you've to do your homework with aftermarket parts.

Thats the sort of research and backup every manufacturer should be providing ( if they are confident of their products.

034 is expensive, but your paying for the testing.

Pete