I keep seeing different intercoolers for sale to suit the Zs, different shapes and sizes and whatnot. Just wondering what the benefit of installing a non-stock intercooler was. I've not really had a lot to do with turbo cars, so I figured I'd ask. Cheers
The benefit of a larger intercooler, whether side-mounted intercooler (SMIC) or front-mounted intercooler (FMIC) is that you have more surface area to cool the air. This means you can turn your boost up higher (which means hotter air from turbos) as the air will cool more. Colder air=denser air=more power.
Awesome - That's exactly what I wanted to know.. So they don't affect your Power themselves, but they work so that you can up your boost higher to ultimately gain more power.. Cool!
Correct, they are more a support mod than a power mod. However, if all you do is install bigger intercoolers, without touching anything else you will lose a little boost. Anywhere from 1-4PSI depending on size/type etc. The pressure drop depends on a few things such as design, distance the air has to travel etc. But it will happen regardless. So, to compensate for this new pressure drop that wasn't there before, you turn up the boost a little. Then you go, "what the heck", and turn it up some more
if the intercooler is to big dosent it diminish the cooling capabiltities of the radiator as the FMIC is covering most of the surface area? how do people keep the engine temps down?
from what i have seen the FMIC sits right in front of the radiator drastically reducing its performance.. Go the Radiator Airguide!!
I'd read somewhere that a FMIC reduces how well the radiator works, but not enough to make an overly noticeable difference.. Hell, it might have even been on the tech part of this site
i have an fmic and my temp is what? prob about 1-3degrees hotter then before?? ahh well koyo radiator coming soon and hopefully an airguide in the near future
i didnt notice a difference in temperature on normal days, stock radiator seems to be in real good nic. although on hot days it's evident that the fmic is heat soaking the radiator.. by about 5 degrees.
There's already the A/C condenser right in front off the radiator, that blocks flow for a start, and its usuall full off crap, blocking flow even more, then you install an FMIC! what do people think is gunna happen then, engine tempture go down, lol i think not! So what to do now, oh yer get a really expensive a/m radiator, only to find that it dose very little in reduceing engine tempture. SMIC have a lot going for em, imho!
