intercooler sizing question? Options

[spitfiremk16]

hey guys, i was wondering to about what power level i can safely run with my current intercooler. i currently have a 18"x12"x3" intercooler and i was just curious as to how much horsepower/boost i could get out of it safely. Could i run more boost on the same intercooler if i ran water-methanol injection?

[presure2]

its hard to give a set #.
for that size intercooler (i will assume its an ebay brand) i would imagine somewhere around 250-300whp that it would get heatsoaked pretty quickly.
the big drawback of the cheap intercoolers that are out there is they just arnt as efficent. they do work well for the price, but they tend to heatsoak pretty quickly VS a high quality intercooler of the same basic design.
WI definetly helps fight off detonation, and will allow you to run more boost than you would without it.

[spitfiremk16]

yes, it is an ebay intercooler, i think im going to have to upgrade it then could anyone give me some good suggestions for a mid priced but good quality intercooler for a 300 whp build with the option of going to a little more power in the future if i wanted to?

[Mstoochn]

yes, it is an ebay intercooler, i think im going to have to upgrade it then could anyone give me some good suggestions for a mid priced but good quality intercooler for a 300 whp build with the option of going to a little more power in the future if i wanted to?

Im making over 400 whp with an HKS 24x12x4 and no signs of heat flushing. retail is just over 800$ CDN for what i bought

my suggestion to you is the EVO designed FMIC, usualy 18x12x4 or 24x12x4, there are always HUGEEEE sales on those all over the web should be able to pick up one for under 450

This post has been edited by Mstoochn: Jan 1, 2010 - 4:24 PM

[Smaay]

i have an ebay intercooler on my 500HP 7th gen its a little bit longer than yours and i welded new tanks on the sides with 2.5 intake and 3" out. im temps are just above ambient temperature while drag racing with the car. if you goal is 300, you will be fine

[lagos]

Honestly, most of the ebay ones are perfect for what 99.9% of us are doing. I don't think you need to upgrade.
I upgraded mine to a bigger cooler for looks, but it honestly it does the same job as the smaller one did. Glad I did it though, as the new cooler looks way better than the old one did.

[spitfiremk16]

hey guys,
i think i am going to stick with my current intercooler. i dont want boost much over 250 hp after reading the whole thread by pressure 2 about boosted 5sfte's just for the sake of longevity/reliability. my next question is would i be better off using a close to stock turbocharger(a KKK K26 off an Audi 5000 that I rebuilt) or a Turbonetics T3/T4 hybrid .63 ar?

[Mstoochn]

hey guys,
i think i am going to stick with my current intercooler. i dont want boost much over 250 hp after reading the whole thread by pressure 2 about boosted 5sfte's just for the sake of longevity/reliability. my next question is would i be better off using a close to stock turbocharger(a KKK K26 off an Audi 5000 that I rebuilt) or a Turbonetics T3/T4 hybrid .63 ar?

if you only want to run 250hp... you only need a ct-26, or for the sake of a stronger turbo.. ct20b. there is no need to go out and spend money to make 250hp as OEM material will do it without the least bit of stress

[spitfiremk16]

sorry guys, i should have mentioned that i own both of these turochargers already, i also have a ct 26 to t3 flange so i could use either one, i know the k26 has a tendency to die off at rpm cause of the smaller compressor/turbine housing. does anyone know if it is comaparable to a ct26? i know that the turbonetics boost hard at high rpm but has nothing at lower revs, i was just wondering if anyone had any experience or thoughts/comments about either of these turbochargers.