What is the "best" intercooler?

[RS-RGS-T]

I got a lot of different feedback some say Greddy is best some say Arc some even say SSautochrome...? I hear from close friends that SSautochrome Is a "n00b"WTF intercooler and then I hear it's awsome? I also heard the owner got banned from Ebay and had a lawsuit with Greddy? Anyway what kind do you have, and why do you or dont you like it?
Need to know for personal piece of mind. +New dyno read 377whp at 24psi.



Thanks, Ryan

 

[Lunch_Box]

I have the DV/DT Fab FMIC and I couldn't be happier.

 

[endeffect0]

Its important to look at the characteristics of the intercoolers your looking at, you should be able to tell what the better one its by the numbers. I'm not familiar with the intercoolers your specifically talking about but you wanna keep in mind that the bar and plate intercoolers have better cooling ability than tube and fin style and they will hold up to more abuse.
You also should look at the pressure drop your gonna get from each intercooler, the bigger intercoolers with longer distances between the two end tanks will be less efficient from a pressure drop standpoint. The front mounts with the least pressure drop while having the greatest cooling surface area would be a bar and plate design that has the end tanks on the top and bottom of the intercooler vs on the two sides, I have seen this on a few 1g's recently but not on the 2g's.
Just as an aside if you really wanna get the best flow though your intercooler and radiator you should look into a vented hood because their is a large high pressure area on the front bumper and a big low pressure zone from just above the bumper to the front of your windshield at speeds you can create a vacuum effect that will really help cool down the car. hope that was helpful let me know if i can do anything else for ya. i could also point ya in the right direction if you want help calculating how much cooling your gonna need to meet your target hp if ya would like.

 

[TSG59_Steve]

I really wish I would have saved that link... there was a chart that some shop did that compared the flow rate and cooling capabilities of a bunch of intercoolers. The SSauto one actually did really well like 3rd or something. I don't really remember all of the other ones. It was only like 7 though. I really think the SSauto one is the best for the price, despite what some shops (and their owners) say, it's not a bad core. I am somewhat biased though

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

SSAC kit is the best for the price. Or custom (buy your own core on ebay, and fabricate your own pipes).

But if money is no issue, the DV/DT FAB fmic kit looks really good, but look to spend $1000+

 

[dave99gst]

I sold my greddy for a short route SSAC fmic. For the money, its the way to go.

p.s. - a "noob" intercooler? That has to be one of the stupidist comments ive ever heard.
If your at the point in needed a fmic, odds are your not a noob by any means. DSM'ers are notoriously cheep, so if just getting parts for less makes you a noob then 75% of us are noobs.

 

[99gst_racer]

SSAC kit is the best for the price. Or custom (buy your own core on ebay, and fabricate your own pipes).

But if money is no issue, the DV/DT FAB fmic kit looks really good, but look to spend $1000+

^^^ Took the words right out of my mouth.


I also really like my SBR/Kinetic kit for the price.

 

[SvarO]

My ebay intercooler 24x12x3 on evo 16g full spool up at 3200 rpm, no issues, i made my pipes.

 

[Infiltrate2000]

I had the Greddy 24R too. I upgraded to a 50 trim, and needed to buy many pipes to make it work with the downforce turbo. Not to mention the greddy 24r is tube and fin. As a matter of fact, the Apexi FMIC, which is smaller than the greddy, performs better than the greddy.
Thanks to RedTurboEclipse, i picked with the SSAUTOCHROME FMIC. Sold my greddy for more than i paid for the SSAUTOCHROME, and got better cooling. I couldn't ask for more.

 

[RS-RGS-T]

were can i get an ssautocrhrome for cheap?

 

[4Motion4g63]

So what about the Sperco 1-992 FMIC for a 1g stock piping locations? How does it do in this comparison and what type of intercooler is it.

Just picked one up with a 2g ported manifold, 2g O2 housing, and a big 16g, with all the piping to the upper intake for $800 with less than 10,000 miles on it.

 

[pooker]

I have always used spearco.

 

[gsx rated98]

I used the larger of the two SBR FMIC for my 2g and it did great for me. I've moved to another IC (all aluminum) and havent had the car running since i got it, so i cant say how this will do.
Oh, and its a 1 of a kind custom, so i cant tell you where to get the exact one i got.

 

[99gst_racer]

were can i get an ssautocrhrome for cheap?

Either search on eBay, or PM 2gAWDTalon.

 

[TrboANTsi]

ssautochrome is my choice too cant beat that price and its top quality. you know as a matter of fact i see so many of these threads. someone should just make a poll to make a sticky and everyone can post the brand they have so future guys can just see the results.

 

[Low Impedance]

go read that corky bell book on turbocharging. odds your local bookstore has it.

 

[DSMunknown]

What is the "best" intercooler?

It has already been said, but I wanted to emphasis the point:



Highest efficiency rating + best flow rating + lowest pressure drop possible = best intercooler

 

[bird man]

www.Slowboyracing.com by far the best dsm intercooler on the market. I had the greddy but after going 50 trim it heat soaked after 5 pulls on the dyno.

 

[DSMunknown]

www.Slowboyracing.com by far the best dsm intercooler on the market. I had the greddy but after going 50 trim it heat soaked after 5 pulls on the dyno.

I'm guessing that's an opinion? If a FMIC (regardless of the manufacturer) does not incorporate flow dividers that increases its effeciency rating, I wouldn't put it in the upper echelons of FMIC design.

 

[Slowboy]

I'm guessing that's an opinion? If a FMIC (regardless of the manufacturer) does not incorporate flow dividers that increases its effeciency rating, I wouldn't put it in the upper echelons of FMIC design.

HEHE, I guess we are all full of opinions

Mike Huml
SBR Inc.

 

[Slippi84]

Is delta fin the same thing a tube and fin design? If so how come no matter where yoru reading the company selling the fmic says that design is more effecient? I want to buy a 31x12x3 delta fin fmic but depending on where I read their either less or more effecient.

 

[4g63Powered]

how come no matter where yoru reading the company selling the fmic says that design is more effecient?

Because noone would buy a "less efficient" intercooler.

 

[Slippi84]

Because noone would buy a "less efficient" intercooler.

Well then whose BS'ing the delta fin desgin that's suposedly designed for front mounting which makes no sense to me as I dont know many people that put a bar and plate FRONT MOUNT intercooler anywhere else other than the FRONT of their car or the bar and plate design? WHich is better?

 

[4g63Powered]

Put a link to said "delta fin" intercooler.

 

[JusMX141]

I'm not familiar with the intercoolers your specifically talking about but you wanna keep in mind that the bar and plate intercoolers have better cooling ability than tube and fin style and they will hold up to more abuse.

Please explain. I was under the impression that tube/fin intercoolers cooled better by design, while bar/plate intercoolers were simply more durable in terms of excessive boost pressure and damage from road debris.

Tube/fin intercoolers are lighter and thinner....of course you know that a thinner metal changes temperature quicker and is thereby easier to cool than a thicker metal.

Most OEM car radiators utilize a tube/fin design....wouldn't you think if manufacturers felt bar/plate designs worked better in terms of cooling efficiency they'd change how radiators were designed?