Front Mount vs. Stock Location Intercooler.

[BooBoo231]

I know this question is asked all the time, so sorry. I am looking to Upgrade my intercooler and am not sure what way to go. I have a TA-49 turbo, and will be upgrading to 36# injectors. I think they are a Ford type injector....but was told they will pop right in. I would like to get low 12's to high 11's out of this car. It won't be ready till the spring, and my wallet wont be ready ever If anybody has a slightly modded buick running low 12's I would love to hear about it please. I am also considering an Alky kit. My trans is beefed up with a 28-3200 Pats converter. It runs the engine out pretty good, so I know that I am making decent power. The car last ran a 12.8 with a horrible launch and my powermaster went in the staging lanes so I had to e-brake it. I want to upgrade my chip as well so opinions welcome on that as that is the part I have the least amount of knowledge about. Thanks for looking!!

 

[kidglok]

i ran my ta-49 with a cottons front mount, pump gas and alky at 18psi...23-21* timing. 12.29 @114 sixty foot was in the low 2.0's

 

[Clark6]

Go to turbo tweak .com home page and just buy the 60lb inj. & chip as a kit together ; check your fuel pump, make sure it isn't stock and you should be good to go in the fuel department for a long time especially with Alky.

Learn how to richen and lean the fuel / timing settings (in the new chip from turbotweak) keep the intercooler you have if you're getting Alky maybe a bigger neck on the intercooler and get that thing down in the low 12s high 11s with good tires and practice your launching.

 

[mgmshar]

My car and combo are in my sig. I upgraded to a used CAS V2 front mount many years ago. On the downside, I needed upgraded fans to keep my car nice and cool (160 to 170 or so) on hot days. On the upside, this is one of the largest, most efficient ones that was available for these cars. At my HP levels, this intercooler will get the hot turbo air pretty close to ambient before going up to my intake.

Honestly, with a TA49 and the goals you have, a good SLIC will be just fine. It will be less complicated to plumb, won't require upgraded fans, and overall be cheaper than a front mount. If you think your goals might be to go faster some day, however, you might consider just getting the front mount now and be done with it. In my case, I could build a 10 second engine for this car and still use the intercooler and fans that I have now.

Hope this helps...

Mike
Sent from my HTC Droid Incredible using Turbo Buick

 

[~JM~]

I vote for a Front Mount.

I really like the FMIC that RJC offers. Easy & clean install.

~JM~

 

[Grumpy]

We run a CAS V4 SLIC .. We ran it with our 44 turbo into the mid 11s for years (mid 90s to 2004 ish) and then did some upgrades (BUT KEPT the old V4) an ran 9s.. I know they don't work as good as a front mount . Still a DD in the summer with no worrying about overheating. Ok.. lemme get on the ol flame suit

 

[jcawley3]

update you fuel system and get the alky..... you can get low 12's

 

[Red C5]

Don't really need a front mount for what you want to accomplish. But if you get a fmic, it'll leave you room to grow in the future.

 

[Roger]

Recommend front mount for a daily driver.
The slic stretch hangs down far enough to contact a curb before the front tires contact the curb.
my stretch slic keeps inlet cool, however, I have to always be aware of it hanging as low as it does.

 

[~JM~]

Get that IC out there in the fresh air & cold wind instead of under the warm hood. I'll bet the original engineers would've liked to place the IC in front of the radiator. I have a big FMIC on basically a stock engine & haven't experienced any drawbacks. Sounds like the only drawback that folks report are warmer operating/coolant temperatures. This can be easily remedied by a larger capacity radiator. I was originally concerned about throttle & turbine response. I thought that the large capacity IC may cause some lag. So far I have not experienced any lag & actually think the response is better than the original SLIC. The big FMIC makes a great storage vessel for pre-cooled air.

~JM~

 

[Grumpy]

Sounds like the only drawback that folks report are warmer operating/coolant temperatures. This can be easily remedied by a larger capacity radiator.

~JM~

Ya a new wiz bang rad is only a few $$$$.. Then the new fans an wiring harness are not that expensive. So for the guys that have front mounts.. Crushed up the tubes yet

 

[TurboDave]

So for the guys that have front mounts.. Crushed up the tubes yet

I haven't.

 

[~JM~]

The lower tubes (supply & return) from the FMIC are subject to being crushed on a curb if your not careful. My tubing runs don't hang down any lower than the OEM plastic air dam though. I think the stretched SLIC's are more likely to hit a curb or road debris. I have not experienced hotter operating temps, but I live in the Northwest.

Most of these cars are old enough to benefit from a cooling system clean up & upgrade to a new radiator.

I like the FMIC for cleaning up the engine bay & placing the IC in an unused portion of the front end of the car.

~JM~

 

[~JM~]

Go to turbo tweak .com home page and just buy the 60lb inj. & chip as a kit together....

Wish I had done this right away. I bought a chip for my current 30# injectors. Now I'd like to upgrade the inj's to 60's & I will need a new chip.

~JM~

 

[SS/GN]

I have an older SLIC on my limited and just installed a Precision on my GN .The precision is a monster and does not hang down any lower than my stock shroud.The only thing people say bad about SLIC is they hit curbs .Ummmm don't park so close to the curb

Kevin

 

[ikle]

If money is tight look for a Dutt neck stock intercooler($150-200) in the parts for sale section or have the Dutt neck($73 from Kirban) installed on your stock intercooler. Purchase Razor's Alky kit (about $600), with Turbo Tweak Alky chip, 42lbs injector combo kit ($290). For tuning, at the very least you need a ScanMaster to monitor engines vitals, boost gauge and oil pressure gauge. If your fuel system is stock you need to start there first with a new fuel pump,fuel filter and hot wire kit. If you decide not to upgrade your intercooler at the very least upgrade your fuel system.

 

[Grumpy]

I haven't.

well we haven't hit anything with the old V4 from the mid 90s.. Guess its a wash Another thing that bugs me is all the 12 sec cars with front mounts, strocker motors and of course a FAST system !

 

[TurboTnZ06]

Stock location IC is plenty for what you want. Get alky and you don't need a front mount. I run an old school V4.

 

[KEVINS]

I know this question is asked all the time, so sorry. I am looking to Upgrade my intercooler and am not sure what way to go. I have a TA-49 turbo, and will be upgrading to 36# injectors. I think they are a Ford type injector....but was told they will pop right in. I would like to get low 12's to high 11's out of this car. It won't be ready till the spring, and my wallet wont be ready ever If anybody has a slightly modded buick running low 12's I would love to hear about it please. I am also considering an Alky kit. My trans is beefed up with a 28-3200 Pats converter. It runs the engine out pretty good, so I know that I am making decent power. The car last ran a 12.8 with a horrible launch and my powermaster went in the staging lanes so I had to e-brake it. I want to upgrade my chip as well so opinions welcome on that as that is the part I have the least amount of knowledge about. Thanks for looking!!

This may help.
My car runs consistant 12.0's to 12.1's at a vary lame 109 mph:
Stock Turbo (23psi), Stock IC, Stock D5 (strengthened transmission) and 60's around 1.61ish but it required 15psi to 16psi of boost on the launches.

It now sports a CAS V4 stretched IC and within the last month I have upgraded it to a 2800 stall and TT chip and Alchy Control alchy injection. With the alchy flowing I can run 91 Octane and 24psi and 0 knock and is a LOT more fun on the street and I am hoping to squeeze 25psi out of this stock turbo. I have no doubt that with this combo, if I can get the car to 60' in the low 1.60 again or in the high 1.5's then it will be an 11.8 car, but right now I'm strongly considering an upgrade to a TA49 or TE44 and push the boost to around 30psi with alchy and 91 Octane.

IMO, I would leave the stock IC alone and save your $$. Get larger injecters and fuel pump if you don't have one then get alchy injection. Stock location IC's have been in the 10's, there's no need to go with a front mount.


Good Luck
Kevin

 

[TurboDave]

well we haven't hit anything with the old V4 from the mid 90s.. Guess its a wash Another thing that bugs me is all the 12 sec cars with front mounts, strocker motors and of course a FAST system !

True, but.... When I was racing I had aspirations of running very low 11's and wanted to do it as efficiently as possible on what I had, so I acquired a V2 front mount way back then. Eventually only made it to the 11.6's @ 117+
I still have that V2 front mount in the car even though I don't race it anymore. But I love being able to run 21+ # of boost in pure street trim with NO alky system to worry about, and nothing anyone can say will convince me that the big front mount isn't HUGELY responsible for that, especially since even on hot days I see no manifold temps over 99 deg. during a WOT blast.