Cooler air with SMIC Project.

[Tarantula]

I, as with so many with the stock SMIC, wish to have cooler air going to the filter. One option is to seal off the Filter from the engine bay. I did this and it was not enough. I was not seeing sufficient cool numbers as I thought. Many with the FMIC has the advantage of running a duct from the SMIC location to the area under the filter and with the addition of a homeade filter box, they can see great benefits.
Well I needed this now. So I invented a way to have the SMIC and the benefits of the front face hole to bring ambient are to the filter.
I'm going to describe the steps on making this thing and pics can be found here ( http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tarantulasweb/lst?.dir=/Yahoo!+Photo+Album&.view=t )
The materials used:
One aluminum air duct 3 inches x 8 feet (Compressed to a shorter length)
A few bolts that had laying around with nuts.
An aluminum sheetmetal piece.
A plastic Unbreakable clear vent deflecter. (its one of those that has magnets and just directs air flow at 90 degrees)
Silicone adheasive
Scissors and a Dremel
A fan (To test theory)
Silicone adheasive
I cut the air duct at an angle but keeping the round shape. Traced the same shape on the intercooler shroud on the left side and cut that out. I cut 1.5 inch strips of aluminum. I bent the aluminum strips to the shape of the inside of the air duct on one end and angled it to the angle I wanted the air duct to go. Bolted it down to the aluminum duct. I did this 3 times kinda like a triangle to hold the air duct to the area on the intercooler shroud. Bolted to the shroud as well. The Air duct was bolted so that it angles upwards rather than straight from the shroud. Than took the Plastic air deflector and cut it to fit inside the intercooler shroud. This was to direct air to the air duct, without sacrificing the air flow to the intercooler. I tested it first without the deflector and noticed that practically all of the air flowing through the shroud to the core would exit the air duct because of resistance to pass the intercooler. (Air always flow in the path of least resistance.) The deflector is there to primarily separate the air flow into 2 paths. Retested this theory and worked exactly as planned. Air flowed through the intercooler and through the air duct. Mind you a simple fan does not represent air ramming into this shroud at 20 miles per hour. For sure not even a representation of air flowing at 70mph. As air flows through the air duct, I noticed that the aluminum air duct cooled down. This leads me to beleive that as air flows through there, air might cool a little more. Than I bolted the deflector to the inside of the intercooler shroud. I than sealed off all openings around the aluminum air duct to the plastic shroud with the Silcone adheasive. I sealed the air deflector as well on the inside. I also used silicone to "Build up" a ramp for air to flow towards the air duct hole in the air deflector chamber. I used a clear silcone here to see clearly what I was doing and black to match the shroud. Let it dry over night than placed it inside my car the next morning to dry further because inside my car gets like an oven during the day. Than install. The link has a step by step (With pictures) of the install.
Now for the results. When the air temps went to 80, went for a drive. Immediately temps started to drop. Went to 67 degrees!!!! Outside temps were 65 degrees. Than went back home (Was a short drive, just cruising like 10 miles) popped the hood and touched the filter.... COLD. Touched where the duct shoots air to the underside of the filter.... REALLY COLD! Than for the ultimate test. I let the air temps go up to about 110 degrees. Than went for a drive. Within 1/10th of a mile temps went down to 90 degrees! After a mile and a half or so temps went down to 80 degrees!!!! Thats 30 degrees of drop. I didn't drive more so it could have went lower but it was enough for me to be convinced. This will really help for those hot summer days. Comments are welcomed.

 

[Coldandafraid]

so... you are stealing air that would normally be forced to pass through the SMIC? I dont think thats a good idea, because, you want as much air to be pushed through as possible to cool the charge. And, by sticking an alternate exit for the air, the air (a liquid) will choose the path of least resistance, which is through the new hole, rather than through the SMIC. So... sure, a slightly cooler intake, but much less cooling through the SMIC. A bad trade off.

On the other hand, thats a nice looking shield... you should trace the parts on paper and mail it to me...

 

[Tarantula]

In the design of this air filter cooler, you will see that I installed a deflector to separate the air going through the shroud into two chambers. I know about the air flowing to the less resistant path and fully tested this theory with a fan and driving using another car and the project. (Out the window) Noticed that with no deflector ALL of the air going through the shroud chooses to go through the duct rather than the intercooler. With the deflector in place, which only takes up 1 inch to 1.5 inches of space closing of to nothing, (Because it curves inward towards the shroud) the air goes through the intercooler and a very small percentage goes into the duct. Where it closes off towards the shroud. (The deflector) There is a small space where the original width of the shroud still exists behind the deflector. The way its set up when air goes directly into the shroud (If you ever took out the shroud and noticed its shape) it goes straight to the intercooler but on the left side of the shroud it angles wider. Now at high velocity air will be force straight into the intercooler and the section where it angles outward will receive a smaller percentage of air. Not to mention that air still sees the entire face of the intercooler in the end before it actually hits the intercooler. Well that is where the duct is located and the deflector is straight in the area where it curves. Also when air hits the face of the intercooler you will notice (If you try it with air flowing towards the core) that the air will slow down going through the core and not travel the same speed in which it came in. In this slow down air is bunching up making the air that is slow, being pushed by more air that is entering. Well the small space behind the deflector is there because of this theory. Air will still flow on the entire face of the core.
So far from the logger, temps start from 104F and drops to 75F degrees within 5 minutes of driving. WOT pulls feels like that first pull when the car gets warmed up (Y'know the one that feels so good in the morning) But all the time, every hit of the gas. Engine temps stay cool as well hovering 199-203 with an occasional dip into 196F The temp droping is consistant everytime. Second log started with a temp of 116F and within 6 minutes dropped to 75F. Noticed that as the TPS rises (pressing of the pedal) temps drops a couple of degrees. and releasing the pedal temps rise a bit but not more than 3-5 degrees. After a run, touched intercooler and same feeling in terms of temp to the touch, as before the mod. Not hotter.

 

[ItsStockOfficer]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[Coldandafraid]

Noticed that with no deflector ALL of the air going through the shroud chooses to go through the duct rather than the intercooler. With the deflector in place, which only takes up 1 inch to 1.5 inches of space closing of to nothing, (Because it curves inward towards the shroud) the air goes through the intercooler and a very small percentage goes into the duct.

Ahh, I did not see this new air channel. In that case... good work. Although, Im sure a few people will argue that cold air intake on a intercooled turbo is mostly usless, I now think that your idea doesnt do any harm.

Now... get a temp sender in your TB elbow and measure the difference. That will prove without a doubt.

 

[Coldandafraid]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

the pics

 

[Tarantula]

Thanks you.!

 

[Defiant]

What's the before and after temps at the turbo outlet?

What's the before and after temps at the intercooler outlet?

Those are all that'll matter.

 

[TSIfreek]

What's the before and after temps at the turbo outlet?

What's the before and after temps at the intercooler outlet?

Those are all that'll matter.

I agree with DEFIANT. The cold Air intake is for motors (not running turbos). The effeciency of the innercooler is where the cooling of the INTAKE AIR is accually cooled. Its a good Idea but doent do a dam thing. That cool air you maybe sucking in gets reheated by going there the turbo compressor anyway. Someone argue with us on this one
P.S I dont mean to bash just stating facts is all

 

[Tarantula]

Think about the air entering the turbo. The actual temps entering the turbo is what the Mass reads and makes its calculations on. The readings after the turbo are not calculated. Now We all know that the air entering the turbo gets heated up because whenever you compress air molecules, they get heated very rapidly. But the difference is the air temps that enters the turbo. The air entering turbo gets to be 120 or more normally, than you heat that up by compressing it, it gets hotter. My idea was to bring in cool air to the turbo to heat up but not as much as before. Also have you ever run your car when warming up. The air entering the turbo at that moment was not heated by the engine bay YET but you get that super pull for that one moment. Well Thats what I get almost all the time. I agree with the fact that Intercooler efficiently is the final thing in determining the true power but cooler air entering means not so heated exiting the turbo at any degree. The Intercooler, in this case the lil' ol' Side mount (That we know will only be there until some serious horsepower is wanted) now does not have to work extra hard to cool down 120+ air heated by turbo, instead has to cool down 75F degree air entering the turbo. The intercooler WILL heat soak but will delay it for a few more runs.
If I was asking to make money off of this project, I would go the extra mile in proving down to specs but from One DSM'er to another the Ass o meter says more pull. Now when one person start sucking up 75F or lower degree temps with a FMIC, and your car is sucking up 120+F degree temps with the same FMIC, which car will compress and deliver more AIR molecules? The cooler air has more molecules than the hot one. In all instances I am cooling a bit less heated air.

 

[TSIfreek]

Yea it all sounds good so?? It olny really matters in your timeslips is were we are getting at here. I have a 90 AWD so I cant run this set up unless I go to a MAP sensor set up and a FMIC then I would do it.
Yours does have to many sharp angle turns though. There is another DSMer that has the same type of post but his set up looks more domiant using SS piping tig weled with few bends. He is running a MAP sensor I beleve so he will have more of a benifit than you running the mass set up.
If you have a sealed (box) type open air filter like you have then yes you need air from another sorce or you will sufficate the motor under boost.

 

[Tarantula]

Yours does have to many sharp angle turns though. There is another DSMer that has the same type of post but his set up looks more domiant using SS piping tig weled with few bends.

As with sharp angle, theres no sharp angles in my setup. its strictly curved all the way from start to finish to admit air (Which can be considered fluid) to smothly flow without crashing and changing course. If I can put a 12" fan in front of it and feel the breese where the filter is, I think air did not have a problem flowing. Also when the wind blow (Natures Breeze)I feel the air there as well flowing upward. Now at driving speeds true flow. Also my setup piping is all aluminium not stainless or mild steel. Steel is used in exhaust systems due to its nature to hold heat efficiently, something we don't want in our intake! If you have that post bring it. I am open to learning new things.

 

[TSIfreek]

That post is TURBO COLD AIR/ in this forum check it out.

 

[Tarantula]

Ok checked it out and you cannot compare my design to the design of a car using a totally different airflow sensor setup. Its nice but only necessary if you have a gm Maft. You cannot state that its superior because according to that thread, there were logged temps as low as 40 degrees and if you calculate 116F subtracted with 75F you get 41F degrees which is what I have gotten. Where is it superior.? Now my design is strictly geared towards those that have the Mitsubishi Maf sensor and that still has the STOCK INTERCOOLER. In concept its the same as it lowers air temps.
Most people at the track remove the headlight.... Same concept
Let me qoute

On my car a cold air intake reduced air inlet temps from 131 degrees to 76, increased timing by 3-4 degrees and reduced knock by 2-4 counts, on pump gas. On race gas the difference was minimal, on pump gas, the difference was at least 12-15 hp, becuase that is what it takes for me to notice a difference.

Trap speeds on 91 with a cold air go up consistently about a mph in the 1/8 on 91 octane, I have never done 1/4 mile testing. But 1.5 MPH would be a safe assumption, equivalent to knocking off an easy tenth of a second from the ET. For L2R's benefit, I have a huge spearco intercooler.

All in all you would have to be a compete idiot to not think of it as a significant improvement. Not only is the air going to be heated up significantly less, but it will increase the effciency of your turbo

Turbo's don't care about boost levels, they care about pressure ratios. Having a higher pressure/density at the inlet allows for the turbo to make the same boost at a lower compressor speed, decreasing the amount of heat generated, into already significantly colder air.

And finally this info in the event you didn't read that there.

Here are all the temp related items that pull timing from the 2G ECU Tuning from DSMLink..

· Coolant temps below 206F get full timing
· Coolant temps above 224F lose two degrees of advance
· Coolant temps between those two lose only one degree
· Intake temps above 84F or below 34F lose one degree

I get an average of 75-80F degrees in temps at the sensor (Which is where the calculations are calculated not after the turbo) My coolant temps are from a low 196 to a high 203 during all my runs at WOT. So hmmmm... I'd say My ass o meter is right.

Go to that same site and you will find useful information and decide fort yourself if you want to spend less than $20 in parts (Costed me $11.78) and like 2 hours of your time to fabricate this design for those of you that have a 2G and still running on the STOCk intercooler. Here let me post it again for you.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124359&highlight=turbo+cold+air

 

[Tarantula]

I wanted to update this Thread due to the pictures link has been changed. SMIC PROJECT PICS

I still get the same temps and it works great. I have added another shield to block off the area where the fuse box is. The area between the fuse box and the frame of the car to further prevent hot air from entering.