Intercooler upgrade question

[ADJMART]

What is the determining factor in when to upgrade your intercooler?Do you look for high intake air temps? Do you get restricted in the amount of boost you can run? Do you see air temps to high before the alky is sprayed?
So far my stocker took me to 22lb boost limit.So I added the dutt neck and have ran up to 27lbs but not sure how much more it would allow me to flow.With the alky it seems like the temps really drop well at wot.So when I start upgrading my heads and such.....what should I look for to know its worth dropping the extra coin?I dont wanna buy one just to "look cool"lol.

 

[Red C5]

What are your intake air temps?

 

[pacecarta]

the other thing is pressure drop
stock is about 5.52psi , that means the turbo needs to produce 5.52psi more than you see at your manifold (boost gauge)
the dutt stocker is about 3.62psi drop2

that pressure needed at the turbo comes at the cost of added heat , the warmer the air out of the turbo the less air in the motor and that extra pressure your turbo is being subject to can push the turbo out of it sweet spot

a good front mount can be around 1 psi pressure drop

Bob Dick INTERCOOLER TEST

heres the missing page on pressure drop http://vortexbuicks-etc.com/dic10.jpg

more reading on IC theory
Intercooler Theory

 

[Darkcyde]

the other thing is pressure drop
stock is about 5.52psi , that means the turbo needs to produce 5.52psi more than you see at your manifold (boost gauge)
the dutt stocker is about 3.62psi drop2

that pressure needed at the turbo comes at the cost of added heat , the warmer the air out of the turbo the less air in the motor and that extra pressure your turbo is being subject to can push the turbo out of it sweet spot

a good front mount can be around 1 psi pressure drop

Bob Dick INTERCOOLER TEST

heres the missing page on pressure drop http://vortexbuicks-etc.com/dic10.jpg

more reading on IC theory
Intercooler Theory

I hope a 5" thick core would take care of my IC needs
the core measures 22"x10"x5"!

 

[krazy86t]

Bob Dick INTERCOOLER TEST

heres the missing page on pressure drop http://vortexbuicks-etc.com/dic10.jpg

Probably obvious, but it looks like the Throttle Body (TB) Temp and Turbo Outlet temps were switched for the Duttweiler and Stock IC data in that report. Doesn't make sense that the TB temp after the IC would be 150 deg higher than turbo output.

Interesting that the Stock IC has better heat transfer than the Duttweiler neck stock modification. Increased pressure drop allows for slight increase in heat transfer.

PTE has a stock location IC - how does it compare with the CAS V4 Stock Locator?

 

[pacecarta]

the CAS v4 is a 2.5" in 2.5" out
pte 3" in 3" out and includes its own 3" up pipe

the CASv4r is abut the same size core as the pte but the CAS has thinner core 2.75 vs 3"
the v4r has more rows than the PTE but they are thinner garret core rows

the CASv4(and the v4r) aren't available except used (unless grumpy has a few new onew left in his attic that he forgot about )
the PTE can still be purchased new at 750-800 plus ship

clearly the PTE wins out but the CAS units can be picked up a little cheaper than the pte

http://vortexbuicks-etc.com/stock_location_intercoolers.htm

 

[Sal 87WE2]

Soo, if spraying alky is a pte or cas slic really worth the Extra $$$? Will the cooling effect of alky override the need for a different intercooler? I ask because I have alky but i am not sure if I need to drop $500+ on a used cas or pte slic or blow my money elsewhere in mods...

 

[pacecarta]

Soo, if spraying alky is a pte or cas slic really worth the Extra $$$? Will the cooling effect of alky override the need for a different intercooler? I ask because I have alky but i am not sure if I need to drop $500+ on a used cas or pte slic or blow my money elsewhere in mods...

if your turbo were bigger then id be saying go bigger on the ic , with the 3255 its just not the same bang for the buck when alky is in the picture because you're HP potential before the turbo is done is a long way from reaching where the pte or the cas has been capable of (750hp)
even a stock dutt neck is fine with alky to around 450hp with alky which should more than cover the 3255

if you log your air temps and can see them going north of 140 then you're already pushing your combo past what your alky can handle and its time to increase the alky output ( add another nozzle ) or a larger IC

the ic cooling on gas only would reap nice gains from the flow and cooling of a better SLIC but with alky the boost can be cranked up to well exceed what youd get on a same fuel with just a bigger intercooler while keeping the inlet temps around 100 or less

 

[Red C5]

On my car I had a PTE front mount, 71mm turbo. Car ran mid 10's at about 25-26 psi.
The intercooler should be matched to your combo like anything else. Getting a huge intercooler isn't better if you don't need it. It seems like you don't need an intercooler yet.

 

[SPOOLFOOL2]

Nothing wrong with a good SLIC. Especially if your spraying alky. You want to get one with a low PSI drop. If the smaller SLIC doesn't get every bit of heat transfer, it's no big deal. You've got the alky to finish the job.


I've got an old V4 SLIC. I think I paid about $200.00 bucks for it. I run 10.80's @ 122 on only 22 lbs of boost. Two things that I don't like about most SLICs are the bad steps in the in and out necks that should be smoothed out, and the fact that the shrouds usually choke the flow of air close to the sway bar. For those that care, you can make things flow better.

Only took a few minutes to take the steps out of these necks.

In the photo below, a stock IC is closest to the camera. Next is the stock V4 shroud by itself. Notice the choke piont between the shroud and where the sway bar fits through. This is common on most SLICs. In the background is the better flowing shroud that I made to use up the waisted space near the radiator fans.

side veiw showing openable bottom.

My quick, chicken scratch drawing showing flows.

Happy spooling.

Mike Barnard