When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have a buddy thinking to overhaul his a/a ls turbo setup.
Kicking around doing a brick intercooler, specifically the 3" one made by Tick that will work with his TSP intake. Or, doing a box style intercooler maybe mounted in the driver's front corner of his car (69 camaro).
So what we're curious about, are the gains roughly the same for either? This would be with a 370, single 94 on C16 (fuel might change).
I am wondering if the starting line temps and end of the pass temps would be the same or one is better?
Box:
Tick:
Last edited by Pro Stock John; Dec 20, 2022 at 02:56 PM.
Thinking how hard your buddy is pushing the combo, compressor outlet temps and whatnot would play a significant role in the decision.
I have reservations about those brick type intake coolers unless its a Shearer, the surface area and distance that the air spends in contact with the surface seems far less than a box style.
I'm sure the Tick unit is fine and support will be great, but I'd rather go a little overkill and oversize the cooler than cross my fingers on a brick style hoping it works.
As far as temps go starting and ending, my temps are solid for the entire run and remain relatively unchanged, now this is a street hit but it's still brake boosting from a slow roll (5-10mph) and then running it all the way out through third gear up to 150mph but my temps are within a few degrees the entire run where as you already know an A2A setup will see some rise and is dependent on ambient temp for efficiency as well.
Have you logged IAT temp rise with your setup yet btw?
Unless Tick can make a great case for theirs, I'd go with a box.
Just my $.02
A friend had the Tick thick cooler in a lo-ram, 427LS f1a-91 gear driven procharger. He would circulate ice in the pits to cool it,drain it down then ice it again in the lanes.
Temp would rise maybe 20-30* in the 1/8. Around 60-70* on the line & 80-100* at the stripe depending on ambient temps & turning blower at least max rpm.
Q16 I think for fuel.
I have run an original Shearer Fab hi-ram cooler for quite some time. I typically put a 10lb bag of ice in the tank, turn pump on just before I start the burnout and let it run through the pass.
Typically see 120-125* on warm days through the 1/4 traps. 5.3L on 30-35# from a GT55 94mm
I wouldn’t put too much thought into comparing peoples claimed temperatures
They vary so drastically by the sender, and time more than anything. At the end of the day they are all very slow and the length of pull is a major influence to what you are see and thinking as your true temperature
@gtistile were you the guy who shared info about the 417 brick?
Link please?
As far as gross cooling capacity and restriction, the box has the advantage as it does not have the size constraints of a brick. It can have greater cooling capacity with less airflow restriction. The more you pack heat exchanger into an intake/brick type the more you increase air restriction and the benefit of a larger heat exchanger diminishes with increasing size. As the water flows through the heat exchanger it warms so the air at the end of the line is not cooled as much as the air where the water enters the heat exchanger. Poor cylinder #7 gets shafted again although I am sure there is some amount of mixing.
The brick has the advantage of removing the heat soak of the intake.
I don't know the thermal efficiency of heat exchangers available for intake type intercoolers but I would think any configuration could be used for either. I am looking into this for another reason. I would like to have an intake with an integral heat exchanger that will fit under a C6 Corvette hood. The Laminova heat exchanger looks interesting
The true answer would require measuring IAT's after the brick. Anyone know how to do that accurately?
My setup is overdone and about as good as it is going to get in terms of data and intercooler performance and you can see still how deceptive it is
this is 4 Garrett 750hp cores, with 90* water flowing at 20gpm, and all high speed therms extended into the fastest flow velocity
this is nearly a 14 second pull to over a 200mph halfmile
Just look at the discharge temperature, trust me when the boost is there the temperature is there, it isn’t rising the whole time, you are just watching the response to get to actual temperature , you can see even in this long pull discharge temp still hasn’t got there
if I did a dyno pull I’d be like oh wow my IC gains 1*
if I did an 1/8 I’d be like wow 5*
if I did a quarter I’d be like 15*
half mile ect
and that is literally best case scenario, it gets only worse and fast from that with how people have sensors configured and what sensors
it really comes down to, and what you should be looking and comparing
That was some good detailed comparisons you shared, me and and buddies still talk about it.
With the current setup, what are you IATs before a run?
I don’t have my computer in front of me, but if memory serves I’m leaving the line probably low-mid 70s with my use method. I’ve done the whole pre-chill thing and left the line at considerably lower IAT but found the effort of doing all that to be worth next to nothing in terms of IAT down track. The core goes ice cold nearly instantly as soon as the pump comes on.
also. I have the sensor tapped in to the belly of the lower intake mani between cylinders. I guess that would be the “most” accurate, but I also found it to make no difference in readings there compared to just threading it in to the back of the manifold where there is already a spot for it
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...
Brick vs Box a/w intercoolers 
