Road racing intercooler?

[Poloturbo]

I just search about anywhere for advice.

What I want to know is if you are a road racer are using a FMIC? I could care less of drag only options as they are often to big , overkill and do not let any air to the radiator.

I'm running the EVO4 FMIC and getting to much knock with a 20G.

I've ask LOTS of people and the only great info was from Scot Gray...

Anyhow, what do you recommend, heres what I found:

Griffen 18x6x2.75?
Top/down, SPearco -2-221
tube and fin design for more air to the rad?
A big core that extend the endtanks to keep the airflow to the rad with a thin 2-2.25 core?

Not many people do open track days so information is limited.

I've been experiencing overheating, and underhood temperature problems since my home track is small and doesn't let much cool air as speed are lower.
Burn the t-belt cover plastic on the belt, ALL of it, burn the alternator, burn some connections, burn the wg tubing etc. All wrapped and heat shield on right now and a vent is in my hands...

Any ideas for the intercoller to be efficient and very cool friendly to the rad?

thanks

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Intercooler size doesn't differ from drag to road race applications. There are just some people on here who go WAY OVERKILL for what they need. For a 20g I would go with something along the lines of a 22" long by 9" high and a 2 1/2" - 3" thick core. You don't need an intercooler that half of it hides behind your bumper. As far as the overheating goes with huge underhood temps, that could be cause by your radiator in bad shape. Do you still use OEM? What do the fin's of the front of it look like. If they are all folded over and smashed then air isn't going to flow through it and cool your car and also isn't going to make it to the engine bay. Also what psi are you running your 20g with 550's? You really should have a AFRP on it and an EGT gauge. You could be doing like many people on here and not having a good tuning setup and running lean therefore raising your EGT's really high and in turn heatsoaking everything underneath the hood on your first full. That is where your knock would come from and that would also cause overheating. The coolant going through the turbo trying to cool it would just boil the instant it got close to the turbo and it would heat the radiator up a whole bunch as well. What type of radiator fans are you running as well? Make sure those work on both high and low speed. If none of this helps I have a few more idea's too.

 

[Poloturbo]

Thanks for your answer.
My main concern is about airflow to the rad and eliminating knock in 4th gear at the 1/4 mile when I go, not often
At the road race track I usually put 16 lbs of boost since I don't need that much as more boost equals more heat.
The front right light is of and there is enough air to the stock rad as my temperature never exceded half on the stock gauge after 20 min of intense lapping:
Water Wetter with 80/20
2 stock fans always on
right light removed
lower boost
stock 82C thermostat
wrapping everywhere(down pipe, turbo isulating kit, dump tube)
heat tape, some on the radiator hoses and a lot of important wires
a lot more fuel, and maximum of 1500F of EGT even after 20min.

I will swap to a fluidyne next year but this is not my main problem

My main problem is underhood temperature and as you stated, my FMIC is a bit worn and many fins are blocking, but I usually check them thought. My radiator is fine

the 22x9x2.5 wouldn'T be a bit to small as the endtanks would block the airflow beeing more narrow? My FMIC is small and good for low boost and airflow but I'M looking at a good high boost, no knock, 20G FMIC with good airflow to the rad and to the underhood area. SBR? to big, BR? to big, all the new kits around? too big,

ARRRRGR what are you using? anybody doing more than straight line 10-15 sec.? I'M more in the 10-20 min times

What size are you using and do you RR?

 

[kobykris]

Make use of sheet aluminum for ducting between your intercooler and radiator

Throw a stack of washers on your hood hinges so that you have a 1/2" or better gap on the back of your hood where it meets the winshield. Old school trick to let hot air escape, and suprisingly it works really well.

You also have the right idea with some hood vents.

Stock fans are also more effective for cooling than the slimline aftermarket ones if you happen to be running those instead. Hard wire your fans if you already havn't, that way you can have em on all the time when you race.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

The washers underneath the hood hinge is a great idea. I forgot I had done that. If you don't mind some fumes comming out the back it helps out immensely.

 

[slugsgomoo]

yeah, aluminum ducting will do more for you than almost anything else. With good ducting forcing the air that goes through the intercooler through the radiator you are in a much better position. Without ducting, the path of least resistance is for the air to avoid the radiator and go out all of the gaps. Some thin sheet metal and weatherstripping should do the trick.

Evo style hood vents wouldn't be a terrible idea. Not only do you remove heat from underhood, you also get some air out from under there which should reduce the floatiness at high speeds.

Don't wire your fans on full time though, as they end up becoming air brakes at high speed. You might consider putting 1 small puller inbetween the fmic & radiator to pull the air through to the radiator as an assist. Honestly, I would consider doing some experimenting and take temps before & after and see what happens.

 

[Strm Trpr]

Take a look at this link <a href = http://www.hahnracecraft.com/hahn/parts/intercool.htm> Click Here</a>
I think this IC set-up is by far a very superior design.
It has less than 1 psi pressure drop.
Look at the other specs too.
You also get to keep your fogs as well, if you're a 2gb eclipse, but you're not....

 

[Poloturbo]

yeah, aluminum ducting will do more for you than almost anything else. With good ducting forcing the air that goes through the intercooler through the radiator you are in a much better position. Without ducting, the path of least resistance is for the air to avoid the radiator and go out all of the gaps. Some thin sheet metal and weatherstripping should do the trick.

Evo style hood vents wouldn't be a terrible idea. Not only do you remove heat from underhood, you also get some air out from under there which should reduce the floatiness at high speeds.

Don't wire your fans on full time though, as they end up becoming air brakes at high speed. You might consider putting 1 small puller inbetween the fmic & radiator to pull the air through to the radiator as an assist. Honestly, I would consider doing some experimenting and take temps before & after and see what happens.

Yes I'm thinking of some sort of ducting to help let the air pass throught the FMIC and rad.
Any ideas or pictures of a good setup? Never thought that the fans would block the air at high speed, good thinking. Usually the track I go doesn't see more than 180 km/h.
Anybody tried a very long core, at least 30" but less thick and less high? between 6" and 2.75 in thickness?

 

[dsm-onster]

Thanks for your answer.
My main concern is about airflow to the rad and eliminating knock in 4th gear at the 1/4 mile when I go, not often

My main problem is underhood temperature and as you stated, my FMIC is a bit worn and many fins are blocking, but I usually check them thought. My radiator is fine

ARRRRGR what are you using? anybody doing more than straight line 10-15 sec.? I'M more in the 10-20 min times
QUOTE]

I road race illegally... if anyone wants to report me go ahead . I have an 18g with a smallish intercooler ('87 t-bird turbo coup intercooler mounted infront). I get knock at anything above 15 psi until i activate water injection. My intercooler is high flow and my water injection makes up for its inefficiency during long hauls at over 22psi on all stretches of road (interstate; long twisty pulls on back country roads in 1-3 gear; 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1 mile) i have stopped immediately after each and popped the hood only to find that my intake manifold is cold (not cool) to the touch. i need no ducting because my ic is small enough for my radiator to be happy and it flows enough for my logger to make me happy and i hav eno under hood temp issues. But, i do not have a 20g. But i can boost non-stop forever and get nothing but the same results intil i run ut of water... if you go water injection get a 2 gallon tank.

 

[1LE]

Stock sidemount with a 9:1 motor, TRE 16g, HKS cams, VPC... Worked fine (as in no knock), but I get so much timing that EGT's are insanely high (max 31 degrees at 7k-8k rpms). Can run it for hours on end, just those EGT's over 900C make me nervous. I kind of wish it WOULD knock so it would pull some timing back

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Another good idea to keep knock down is a cheap alternative to a water spray it reroute your rear washer fluid line to spray water on your intercooler. I recently found out about this mod tried it, and it eliminated my knock all together. I'm still on a sidemount though but it will work just as well. Your main concern is going to be underhood temp. with any sort of road racing.