Any difference: Alchy w/stock intercooler or Alchy w/fm intercooler?

[SpeeednV6]

I'm looking to see if there are any big differences between the two. I've received my alchy kit and RJC 325 megacooler. I am going to use alchy with my stock intercooler first. I'd like to hear if there's a difference to switch to a front mount. I'm thinking that this could turn into a sticky to inform all of the benefits either way.

 

[Razor]

What will happen is that the FM will have less pressure drop across it. So as soon as you bolt it on the boost will go up.

So if with the stock IC your at 20 PSI, you bolt in the FM and it will jump to 23. Now the big question is if the car is any faster at 23 with stock IC or 23 with front mount... Everybody says car feels faster, but they also say boost went up... like duhh. So reset boost and see what the numbers are prformance wise. I bet on a mid 11 second car or slower you'll pickup zilch.

 

[Slow91z]

I switched from a big neck stocker to a precision front mount on a low 11 second car and picked up nothing.

 

[SpeeednV6]

So a f/m with alchy would not be the way to go If I am hearing correctly? A stock intercooler would do just fine. Guys that are running front mounts should if they don't run alchy?

 

[Slow91z]

Depends on how fast your trying to go...in the 11's with a duttneck seems fine, the faster you go the higher flowing intercooler you need.

 

[Blazer406]

I switched from a big neck stocker to a precision front mount on a low 11 second car and picked up nothing.

My theory would be the FM would be less sensitive to heat soak.... like if you ran the car back-to-back.

 

[SpeeednV6]

For a mainly street driven car with occasional romps at the track. Most of my races come from street action. I knew 5 years ago I could take out Z06's and Mustangs. I'm not sure now? I think anything that's tuned for very low 11's could take out most anything?

 

[Slow91z]

My theory would be the FM would be less sensitive to heat soak.... like if you ran the car back-to-back.

Definitely, but I learned my lesson on hot lapping a Buick, even with a front mount and alky and coolant temps being short very close to the same it still got significantly slower.

 

[Blazer406]

In general the FM does a much better job of providing you with the lowest charged air temps.... and hence..... w/o alky.... is an easy pick for more power potential..... but when you throw alky in the mix on a street car.... the lines become more blurry as to how much of advantage you might have with a FM....if any.

The FM is a thing of beauty..... but you pay for it trying to keep the coolant temps in check on a hot day with the A/C blasting..... more efficient radiator's and bigger multiple fans seem to be the band-aid of choice.

I'd guess as the HP got higher and higher.... the advantage may tip toward the FM more and more..... but like others said.... at 11.0, I'd spend the $$ elsewhere.....kinda like the guys thinking they gotta have headers at the 11.0 power level.

 

[bison]

There would be a huge gain on an engine with cam and heads switching from stock to a higher flowing ic. You would need to baseline everything you did to have accurate comparisons. The stock ic is a flow restriction at 4500rpm. Once you are at higher rpm the pressure drop gets worse.