I decided i am going to run the 2.62 pulley so today i finished buying the rest of my 3" pipping and have been shopping for a intercooler. I would like to run a intercooler w/ 3" inlet/outlet and 6" height so i can retain my bumper support. Now i know these things are rated by CFM and horsepower, but i don't think i can find one in that size that will meet my neccessary requirements. Now since i am running a SC which generates less heat than a turbo would that allow me to run a smaller IC or would running too small of a intercooler start restricting boost? Also how big of a factor does the thickness play?

Basically i am trying to figure out if running too small of a intercooler hampers cooling efficiency or does it cause a loss of boost>

 

Frosty ran a 30x6x3 on his old setup. You don't have to go that wide, but 6" is the limit on height, and 3-3.5 is the limit on depth.

I would go with a smaller one as it won't have as much boost loss hopefully. Most of the people who try to go intercooled SC on here got huge intercoolers and lost power. 24x6x3 or 30x6x3 sounds to be a good size for what you need.

Are you still going to keep the water injection?

 

On intercoolers, is the inlet/outlet always the same as the depth width of the entire intercooler? I ordered an IC and the inlet/outlet is 2.5 which means the depth is probably 2.5 also right? :sigh: are you SURE the width/depth being 2.5 is going to be a big loss? Big enough to put this one up for sale and go with a 26X6X3 instead of the 26X6X2.5 I have?

 

No the inlet and outlet diameter is not always the same as the intercooler thickness.

 

If the thickness is 3" and the inlet outlet is 2.5, how will that affect performance? Huge loss? Tiny loss? Sell the intercooler and buy a 3" inlet/outlet" kind of loss? LOL, thx.

 

I don't know how it will affect it, if it will affect it. I'm running 2.5" inlets and a 3" IC and it works fine for me.

 

TJ: the core is 3" the inlet outlet is 2.75"

you wont notice any difference...

 

chris'smax

Using too small of an IC can both cause you to not cool as much as you might desire and have a higher pressure drop than you would wish.

I too am interested in what A2A cores people are using and at what PSI/HP/IATs they are operating...

 

, I told you I love you right? LOL.

 

There is no issue to be concerned with here. What you need to be sure of, is that the IC is capable of the flow rate you require at a reasonable pressure drop and be sized so that it can dissipate sufficient heat.