An intercooler

[gaz d]

Can someone please explain what they are for and how they work?
Thanks,Gavin

[Hillclimber]

Intercoolers cool the air from the output of the turbo on its way to the to the inlet manifold.

The cooler the air you force into the engine the denser it is meaning you can cram more air into the combustion chamber increasing the effectivness of the combustion process.

They work like a radiator does but with air flowing through the inside of the core instead of liquid. As the car moves at speed air is crammed through the fins and tubes cooling the intercooler metal which then transfers the temperature to the air passing through it internally.

Mounting your intercooler in a frontal mounting position aids the cooling efficiency by having a beter exposure to the flow of air compared to an intercooler mounted above the engine that is affected by heat naturally rising from the engine it is mounted above.

Whilst bigger is better when it comes down to cooling the intake charge of air, too big will add lag meaning the power delivery will feel more sluggish so a medium sized core and piping is best - especially considering most of us use 1.3ltr motors.

Hope that helps.

David

[gaz d]

Ok thanks, i thought they were a replacement for a radiator.

[jbarallon21281]

so since i'm running a 10psi boost and at 150+ bhp (stand alone ecu tuning), does that mean a simple front mount and the small diametre piping will NOT give me lag?

[ivan]

that really depends on what type of intercooler (size) you use, and how long the piping is, aswell as the thickness of the piping. Usually it wont make much difference if you stick with 2 or 2.5 inch piping.