The Alchemist

iTrader: (19)

So can someone rank intercooler cores in terms of flow and performance?

We have Treadstone cores, Vibrant, Garret, Bell, and the cheap ebay knockoffs, CX racing, Godspeed and whatever else they want to be labeled as.

GJS440

its a street car so dealing with an A2W was outta the question, its specifically made for an F body so there is no worries of getting it to fit. like socks on a rooster, minor trimming of my fog light holes and.. presto...

stevieturbo

I dont think it's as easy as that.

Say 3 different engines all 1500hp.

One large motor, low boost...clearly it will need lots of flow, but limited cooling ability. a 3" open tube might suffice. It will flow well, but obviously do no cooling.

medium sized motor, moderate boost....clearly it needs flow and cooling, an open tube would never suffice

small motor, high boost, it still needs lots of flow, but also will need a lot of cooling ability


Ignoring the above, the general consensus everywhere is that Garrett cores seem to do everything well. They flow superbly despite high fin density and because of that high fin density they cool superbly.

The Alchemist

iTrader: (19)

Ok, so a 416ci motor, with a F1A that seems to make a nice linear boost to 10psi, then falls off as the rpms climb, like the intercooler is backing up and holding back flow. Instead of seeing 18-19psi, I only saw 16 at redline. My iat's aren't bad, they only went up ~10 degrees on a pull thanks to meth injection into the blower, as well as post intercooler.

stevieturbo

I'm not saying I have the answers.

Obviously the more boost generated, the more heat is generated. That's fairly universal. So for a centri there is probably a slight advantage there given boost patterns compared to say a fast spooling turbo setup

However if you've a very restrictive core there may be a lot more boost created than you're actually seeing.

Also IMO you'd need to monitor temps without the meth affecting any readings to get any sort of idea if you're current core is working well in that respect

Clearly if you're relying on meth for a lot of cooling, you could concentrate on a core that flows well, so a cheaper unit with more open tubes might suffice.

But even with my really shitty double core unit at around 2.75" thick I made 13 years ago when I first fitted the LS to my car with the YSI ( was 2 old cores from a twin turbo setup with a previous engine )
I measured no noticeable restriction across this double core, there was no boost drop...but it also didnt cool very well.
They were fairly open tube/fin design, fin density inside would have been very low. But it was essentially free so I didnt care at the time

Really to get the full picture of your own setup, you'd need to test boost before/after the core, and charge temps before/after the core.

Both of those should still be valid despite the meth injection as long as the after core temp sensor is prior to any further meth injection

Hi Volume

iTrader: (3)

joy, i have the precision 825hp front mount on my car currently. Still hasnt been on the dyno, seeing this thread puts an uneasy feeling in me.

sbcgenII

iTrader: (1)

You check how much boost you have pre intercooler yet?

The Alchemist

iTrader: (19)

No, not yet. I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to do that.

stevieturbo

Buy 2 cheap identical pressure gauges. Some simple push fit pneumatic fittings. Drill/tap each end tank or pipework near the core itself.

Run pipes to gauges, watch gauges whilst driving. Or video them.

Job done.

Just test the gauges before using so you know they do actually read the same, I've a few cheap gauges here that read miles apart !

If you wanted to get fancier you could opt for a pressure differential gauge or sensor

Bob@BruteSpeed

iTrader: (16)

That's a really simple and effective way to test it! Bob

brandon706

I know this a old thread but I think I might have a similar issue with my intercooler. I have a D1X Procharger installed on a forged 6.2 with PRC 225 heads and Holley high ram. I just dynoed this set up at 15psi with 16 degrees timing it only made 700rwhp on 93 and dual alky. It’s seems this is a bit low on power through a 6 speed. Only possible weak point I can think of is the Treadstone TRV25 intercooler I have installed. You guys think this could be the issue?


https://www.treadstoneperformance.co...1000hp/p104567

Bob@BruteSpeed

iTrader: (16)

I would test it as mentioned how to do it above and see what kind of pressure drop you have, as I have found bad flowing intercoolers before. Bob

stevieturbo

It is very unlikely that is your issue. But you could test for pressure drop across it which would give an indication of its flow ability if nothing else.

Could be the tuner, the setup, the dyno, belt slip, whatever.

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

Maybe over spraying the methanol? What size nozzles? what mixture of meth to water? When does it come on etc?

It will kill power if you flood the tune with too much water or meth.

Vetal

iTrader: (3)

Measure pressure before and after IC - it's so easy to do