Intercooler

Best solution for intercooler


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90coug

Registered User
What's everyone's opinion on an upgraded intercooler?

Stick with stock?

Besides the ridiculous price the MP FMIC it's the way to go, or is it a bad idea since a lot of people report engine cooling issues?

Go with a custom FMIC?

Double intercooler?
 
The double IC's that KennyW has been building have proven to be efficient enough and you don't cause issues with engine coolant temps.
 
I've got the mpfmic. I have heard good things about kenne wagners built double intercoolers. That is what I would go with if I did it over again. My engine runs cooler now, but I have the ac condensor removed and the front chin spoiler. In anything above 85 degree temperatures, I don't like to drive on the highway.
 
double IC

i think double IC is the best BANG! for the bucks! ill go for it when ill have more $$$
 
What's everyone's opinion on an upgraded intercooler?

Stick with stock?

Besides the ridiculous price the MP FMIC it's the way to go, or is it a bad idea since a lot of people report engine cooling issues?

Go with a custom FMIC?

Double intercooler?

It depends on your skills. If you have minimum skills go with a double i/c or if your pocket can afford it an MP unit, they're direct bolt-ons. If you can weld and fab up custom pipes then install a custom set up, that's what I did on 2 of my SC's and the 3rd has a double i/c which I made. My custom fmic's set me back for around $350 a piece, i/c, pipe kit, silicone couplers and t-bolts plus welding, I have access to an awesome welder for free.................:D
 
It depends on your skills. If you have minimum skills go with a double i/c or if your pocket can afford it an MP unit, they're direct bolt-ons. If you can weld and fab up custom pipes then install a custom set up, that's what I did on 2 of my SC's and the 3rd has a double i/c which I made. My custom fmic's set me back for around $350 a piece, i/c, pipe kit, silicone couplers and t-bolts plus welding, I have access to an awesome welder for free.................:D

I've read a lot of people having overheating issues with the front mounts. Yea you can remove the A/C and put up a deflector but I like my A/C.

I work with computers so I haven't been around welding a whole lot and the few times I tried it turned out horrible :p. However my buddy weld's decently and has the equipment at his shop so it's definitely something I could get done. I'm starting to lean towards the DIC but it's not set in stone and still very curious what everyone might have to say.
 
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Next option...Water to Air IC...Best option and can run you around the same as a front mount or double IC, but once again you have to make your own custom pipes..
 
From what I've datalogged, the KW DIC is a good option but modify the bellows that attaches to the stock IC so it fits snugly against the DIC so air is forced into it and not around. Air is like water, it will take the path of least resistance so you need to force the issue.

I have the MP chin spoiler and a full size a/c condensor and the ACT's will only go up about 20 to 25 degrees down the 1/4, with the temperature leveling out at about 75 mph. I don't see spark getting pulled anymore because of ACT's on a 80F day.

Normal cruising at highway speeds, ACT's sit about 5 degrees above ambient. I have a fan on it and it seems to do fine at keeping the temps down at low speeds/city driving but act's do go up so it'll sit around 10 to 15 above ambient, and takes longer to cool down after romping the go pedal.

Thats running a late model ported blower at 10%.

Fraser
 
Stock IC with a fan allowed temp increases of at least 40 degrees on a cool day down the 1/4. This means hitting upwards of 140 to 150 degrees and I've logged temps as high as 190F. Thats with just 5% OD on the blower. The car was pulling 4 degrees of timing by 140 degrees and on my car the knock sensor was detecting detonation at around 145F with a full 8 degrees of retard.

Lets see, thats 12 degrees of timing which means at 5000 rpm's you'd only be seeing 14 degrees of timing at that point, compared to the 26 the car should be running.

Your choice ;).

Fraser
 
Stock IC with a fan allowed temp increases of at least 40 degrees on a cool day down the 1/4. This means hitting upwards of 140 to 150 degrees and I've logged temps as high as 190F. Thats with just 5% OD on the blower. The car was pulling 4 degrees of timing by 140 degrees and on my car the knock sensor was detecting detonation at around 145F with a full 8 degrees of retard.

Lets see, thats 12 degrees of timing which means at 5000 rpm's you'd only be seeing 14 degrees of timing at that point, compared to the 26 the car should be running.

Your choice ;).

Fraser



So a single IC with a fan is rising 40 degrees down the 1/4 mile while your MP FMIC is seeing 20 to 25 degrees down the ¼ mile, good to know. Are you running an aluminum radiator to help cool the engine? Done any data logging with a doubleIC? Curious if my fan would still have room to fit on the DIC?
 
So a single IC with a fan is rising 40 degrees down the 1/4 mile while your MP FMIC is seeing 20 to 25 degrees down the ¼ mile, good to know. Are you running an aluminum radiator to help cool the engine? Done any data logging with a doubleIC? Curious if my fan would still have room to fit on the DIC?

No no.. he's got a Ken Wagner DBL IC. It's really a good unit, but like he said (and is true of all air-air intercoolers), you'll want to make sure air gets to it to be effective. I just removed my washer fluid reservoir on my '94 in preparation to relocate it and fab up some duct work specifically for that task.
 
Has anyone ever tried to mount an IC off of a diesel pickup truck?? Just an idea that I had, considering that I'm a Diesel mechanic and that's all I ever see is a diesel engen with a turbo. I figured that some of the smaller trucks might actually be a good fit and might be really efficient. I don't know just a thought...:rolleyes:
 
Stock IC with a fan allowed temp increases of at least 40 degrees on a cool day down the 1/4. This means hitting upwards of 140 to 150 degrees and I've logged temps as high as 190F. Thats with just 5% OD on the blower. The car was pulling 4 degrees of timing by 140 degrees and on my car the knock sensor was detecting detonation at around 145F with a full 8 degrees of retard.
Fraser

Fraser,

Just wondering - did the IC fan have a shroud to the IC or was it just mounted up? Thanks.
 
no shroud on the single IC... and I removed the shroud from my DIC and got better cooling.

The biggest problem with the shroud I'm thinking now is not so much the shroud but the lack of fan. Those little 8" fans don't exactly move alot of air, and with the shroud on the only thing moving air through the IC is the fan, even at high speeds. Triple the flow capacity of the fan and it might be a viable option, but until then, you need to rely on the negative pressure on the engine side of the IC/DIC to move the air through them, and the shroud defeats that.

Fraser
 
yeah I know I tend to put EVERY mod I have...I just like people to be able to see everything just in case they like what they see
 
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