The Intercooler Thread

[AlexCim]

Ok, As I said I would, I am making a dedicated intercooler thread.

I hope that lots of people can post up what intercooler setups they have, pictures, costs and whatever relevant information.

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I opted to go for a FMIC. I found GTR coolers to be quite good and i found a good one at a good price ($255 delivered from sydney)

For the plumbing, i got RevZone (www.revzone.com.au) to do my piping. I decided to get it made in SS which I did, then got it sprayed black (if everyone here hasnt already noticed, i like black...keep it stock)

I didnt really say what size pipes i wanted, but i wanted the pipes to be 2.5inch. 3 inch would have been too much lag and 2 inch just too small. Though, i forgot to tell em about it and they made the pipes in 2.25 inch. This first worried me because i thought it could really limit my power... BUT, this is the size of the std piping, and considering i am just going to rebuild the standard turbo with steel wheels, 2.25 inch should be perfect as to not create too much lag.

Driverside pipes

Mid pipe to plenum

Passenger to std pipes

The cooler had to be mounted on an angle because of the air conditioning condensor fan. This unit could be replaced with a thinner one and the cool mounter vertically, but then the front bar would have had to be cut a little more. The front bar support also needed trimming which is relativly normal with a front mount install. I had tabs welded onto it and then the cooler held off them.

Originally, we were going to go over/under the cooler and bring it back the std plumbing, but, i wanted to bring the pipes up between the radiatior and engine so that i wouldnt loose ground clearance. The driverside pipe goes through the location where the pipes for the trans cooler go, the transcooler pipes were replaced with rubber ones and just moved out of the way.

The ends of the 2.25 inch pipes are welded to 2.5inch pipes, so i got 2.5inch to 3 inch reducers for the end of the cooler to fit the piping.

As for improvement? At the same time i got my split front/dump pipe put in, so i cant really comment, but the car seems to hold boost a lot easier now and not be as hesitant.

Issues? The fan blades have on occasion rubber on the pipes. I will just put some sand paper on the pipes for a while and let the fan blades wear themselves out evenly. Also the std air snorcal had to be modified to fit hte piping. I will soon plastic weld on some sheeting from bunnings. There is no way that i am ditching the air box.

And for those asking why are the silicon reducers not black? I had to get the car back before friday and no one had anything in stock on thursday, so i just those ones from Autobarn (i was going to get black ones, but no one had them in stock!...ill spray these black one day)

So everybody, go ahead and post your setup with pictures etc. use www.imageshack.us for free photohosting.

Cheers!

BTW, cost was 750 for the pipes, +145 for the two silicon reducers (desperate) +~$100 labour. During the build, i also walked in to the workshop and chatted to em etc, so they are really helpful blokes.

Edited October 29, 2005 by AlexCim

[AlexCim]

Ok, i just worked on my air scoop and it came out really nice.

For the time being, i had stuck electrical tape over the big hole i had cut, but i decided to repair the intake.

I bought a $3 square bucket from one of those cheap shop, stenciled the hole out with a whiteout pen, cut the peices out with a dremel, used tape to hold them on, tac welded some points together (melted the plastic from the bucket and intake together) using a soldering iron, took the tape off, welded around all the edges, let it all cool and then cleaned up some of the overhang.

The bit where the to added peices go is now drying, i put PVA glue all over that bit as there were a few leaks. Ill let that dry and thats it!

Pretty good for $3 and ~2 hours inc cutting, fitting, welding, cleaning up etc

[AlexCim]

Also, question to anyone with a FMIC, did you all have to cut out part of your front bar support?

[-FUZZY-]

feel much of a power and/or boost increase alex?

[StageZilla]

Also, question to anyone with a FMIC, did you all have to cut out part of your front bar support?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes front bar support needs chop chop as it blocks about 30% of the top section of the cooler from airflow.

this is the original shape of the support bar (thought the centre bit was cut abit from the previous owner making me think it had a fmic on it b4 in japan)

and this is the original bumper shape without a numberplate on

i reckon the bumper is worth cutting abit to get rid of the number plate solid block of plastic setup, checkout my bumper and how much of the cooler is visable, though i know u dont like to be showing it off but for airflow it must be heaps better than stock. and u could always paint the cooler black (if it isnt already).

lastly heres a pic of the cooler piping in alluminium (3 of the pipes are polished and the last one hadnt been polished in the photo to show the difference)

Note: this is for rb26 so piping is alot different.

cheers

Brad

Edited October 30, 2005 by StageZilla

[AlexCim]

As for improvement? At the same time i got my split front/dump pipe put in, so i cant really comment, but the car seems to hold boost a lot easier now and not be as hesitant.

As above. Single person, feels way faster. After a good drive today, i stopped and felt both end tanks. The after cooler end tanks felt MUCH cooler. The pipes in the engine were warm, but the air flow rate much be so fast through that pipe that it doesnt have time to heat up.

Issues? The fan blades have on occasion rubber on the pipes. I will just put some sand paper on the pipes for a while and let the fan blades wear themselves out evenly.

My solution to this problem, let the blades wear themselves down properly and evenly. I know SKA has his blades cut up to suit the piping through that location

[Ska]

Nice setup! Both of them.

[Terminal]

Here's my cooler as i installed it. As you can see i went for a return feed FMIC. basically because i didn't want ot have a pipe going across my engine and have to cut anything out of engine bay. relatively easy installation with instructions.

Here are the pipes returning up the standard piping holes to the intake

And the finished product. I have yet to cut anything more out of my front bar, but i will be in a few weeks after rego has been paid. not much flow yet, but it should get better when i remove a bit more

[Ska]

Yeah I wont be cutting up my stocker front bar, having the plate there does stop the air flow getting to it, but it really hides the fact that there is a cooler in there, and for now you cant actually see mine unless you really stoop down to see it, and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible

[StageZilla]

Yeah I wont be cutting up my stocker front bar, having the plate there does stop the air flow getting to it, but it really hides the fact that there is a cooler in there, and for now you cant actually see mine unless you really stoop down to see it, and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

paint it black, and trust me i reckon the cutting of the front bar like mine (which i could have cut out the whole size of the cooler and made a real mess) would make about 50% more air through the cooler, as looking at alex's u cant see the cooler at all, even like 10 cm away its not even visable.

airflow is a benefit obviously, and if u r worried about people seeing it, i think they wouldnt have a clue and probably think its a ally radiator from factory ahaha (considering the car doesnt even look turbo or anything)

[Tangles]

Good point StageZilla.

I'll probably paint mine black, but not sure as yet.....

Just received my pipekit from USA, waiting on some silicone reducers (probably ordered the wrong size now!! doh), but might start the install this week over each weeknite.

Did all your pipe kits come with lipped edges to stop the silicone joiners popping off?

Cheers, Brendan

[Terminal]

mine did, yep.

[AlexCim]

Ska you get about as much air flow as me.

I dont think that i will cut the front bar up for a few reasons.

-It wont mesh with the look

-I dont need that much FMIC showing yet

-Dont have a spare front bar if i want to sell the car as i would return it to stock most probably.

How does everyone go with ground clearances? I was going to go under, but i didnt want to loose any more ground clearance. The setup i have now, its perfect, didnt loose any at all (all pipes sit higher then lowest standard point)

Easiest will be to get a DAYZ front bar, as it will keep my stock sleeper look but flow a lot better.

[Tangles]

Yup, the Dayz would work well - I'll just have to cut out 1 square area where the number plate mounts up and it'll still look super-stock but have no restrictions for air flow. Might have to move the spotlights around to the ends of the front bar though.

My 'cooler has the end tank 'behind' the cooler, so I wont lose ground clearance either - I plan to mount it on an angle like you did AC so that it all fits neatly.

Would it be a problem to NOT lip the edges of the 'cooler piping kit, and just do up real tight the silicone hoses & clamps, maybe double clamp it?

Brendan

[AlexCim]

mine arnt lipped

[StageZilla]

put a lip on them if they dont, pipes blow off soooo easy when running 12psi+ in my experience, and they just keep blowing off if super tight, theres alot of pressure and the pipes are smooth as without a lip.

to stop one of mine blowing off i made a bracket off a clamp around the pipe to the body so it couldnt possibly blow off. but lips are easier and a welder would charge stuff all to do it.

oh btw heres what happens when it blows off in the engine bay (running 18psi) and mine had lips on em but the clamp wasnt tight enough

i cant imagine the cost of a new under bonnet cover from nissan

how the hell do i repair it or cover it up to look respectable?

Edited October 31, 2005 by StageZilla

[Terminal]

I'd just trim the loose bits off then seal it around the edges with some heat resistant glue or something. maybe a silicon based sealant.

[Ska]

Yeah then spray it all one colour, like a misty grey or something.....?

I put little divits on the outside of my piping on my r33, and have noticed that they have done the same when they made up the piping on the stagea.

Basically little spot welds which the silicone slides over and the clamps are then put on so that they cant slide off, they took 20psi in the r33 easy, and they were the stock clamps, so I was surprised!

[Tangles]

Thanks guys, good ideas there.

[AlexCim]

I removed that uner bonnet insulation thing