Intercooler Upgrades

[GNBeswick]

I'm curious to get some opinions on the best upgrade from a stock intercooler. I've been looking at the stock location stretch intercoolers, but I've heard that they arent that great of an upgrade because they get heat soaked by the engine? Are front mounts a better way to go? I know those can push coolent temperatures up drastically; especially in the California heat.

 

[tthorngen]

At your power level you prob don't need a front mount, others can chime in though

86-87 Grand National / T-Type Intercooler With Duttweiler Neck

GBodyParts.com 23 Row Stock Location Intercooler

GBodyParts.com Front Mount Intercooler - 3" Inlet/Outlet

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Intercoolers -Stock Location

Free shipping on the G-Body intercoolers from my site thru this Sunday as well as any orders $50 and over.:biggrin:

The pics on the site show the stock location intercooler installed on my GN.

 

[salvageV6]

Stock location stretchers with alky. work just fine, especially with a cold air kit.

They will easily take you beyond your injectors for power level.

And no cooling mods. to do either. :smile:

 

[BlackMetal]

You can argue against front mounts and you can argue against stock location. Sure stock location is closer to the engine and may deal with more heat (I doubt it gets "heat soaked" with the constant rush of outside air coming through the shroud, unless you're doing pass after pass at the track), but with front mounts you have a lot more tubing and bends for air to travel though, the concerns about needing additional cooling mods if it's a street car, etc.

I think a large majority of people who have front mount intercoolers don't really need them and they just buy into the hype or think it looks cool having the silver intercooler behind the grille.

As I said I think the stock location stays pretty cool considering the shroud pulls in air from under the front of the car and the plastic fan behind the intercooler should be moving air around too instead of allowing hot air to settle around the cooler.

Buick knew what they were doing with the location of the intercooler and I don't think it's effecient for the intake charge to have to loop its way around through big "elephant tusk" intercooler piping that bends under the radiator, back up to your intercooler, back down under the radiator, back up to your throttle body, etc.

Just my two cents, I think stock location intercoolers are perfect.

 

[Grumpy]

how fast you looking to go ???? stock locations work very well :biggrin:

 

[GNsnake]

I added a Mease stock location bigneck intercooler and it has turned out to be one of the best upgrades I've ever done. A stock location unit will take into the 10's probably 9's with the right combo.

 

[86brick]

I think it really depends on your goals as well as your intentions with the car. For example, if you plan on running mid to low 10's at the fastest and plan on the car being driven on the street 90% of the time I'd say all you need is a good efficient stock location IC. However, if your plans are to run in the 9's and the car will be more of a track car I'd say you're probably better off with the front mount. One thing I personally like about the stock locations is the "stealth" factor, but some might not care. It's more of a preference thing IMO as both will work for the majority of the cars and both have their pros and cons which have been mentioned already.

FWIW, I run the PTE stock location IC on my car and really like it. It has 3" inlet/outlet and has a very efficient 19 row Garrett bar & plate core. Seen the one local guy down here run 9.96 @137mph with it (without the aid of alky) so I'd say it's a pretty good piece

 

[turbo6mike]

I like the precision stock location.Still can run sway,bigger inlet pipe,hoses and nice shroud are included.Importent part I pick up 4lbs of boost from my mark jackson intercooler.

 

[GNBeswick]

Awesome guys.....thanks for all the input. This is what I was looking for. I think I'll probably go for a stock location stretch, since I was leaning towards it before anyways.

 

[ecna]

Well haven't been to the track yet, the butt meter likes it.

I just got back from a test drive after putting the Mease stock location on my car today. I had at least 3-4 pounds more boost, had to turn it way down as I don't have the Alky finished yet.

I can't imagine wanting to deal with a front-mount.

Eric

 

[brandnu6]

I like the precision stock location.Still can run sway,bigger inlet pipe,hoses and nice shroud are included.Importent part I pick up 4lbs of boost from my mark jackson intercooler.

Hi Mike , So when you said you "picked up" 4lbs of boost with M.J. IC. What did you mean exactly? Because right now I'm running my S.L.I.C. w/ Dutt. neck at 17 psi. [no alcohol.] And I have a chance at purchasing a CAS V4 stretch IC 19 row. Are you saying because of the efficiency of the larger IC surface area. My boost gauge will read 13 psi? or are you saying, I will be able to turn up the boost by 4 lbs. to 21 psi? Please explain what you mean. I would love to be able to run at 21 lbs. of boost on 93 octane WITHOUT ALKY, and NO DETONATION! Am I missing something here? Or will the shear size [area] and it's better design make this possible? If so I will contact him next week to let him know that I defiantly want It! By the way, I'm not a big fan of the PTE stretch unit . I understand there are fitment issues. They are bigger, heavier, and up pipe being 3" contacts the hood pad. Also, I just realized this post is from 2007. I hope you see it. I hope you well. Thanks, Phil

 

[dynoman]

I would love to be able to run at 21 lbs. of boost on 93 octane WITHOUT ALKY, and NO DETONATION! Am I missing something here

Not likely , you would be lucky to run 19 psi without KR consistently . At that point more octane is needed , unless you pull timing out of it .

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

Hi Mike , So when you said you "picked up" 4lbs of boost with M.J. IC. What did you mean exactly? Because right now I'm running my S.L.I.C. w/ Dutt. neck at 17 psi. [no alcohol.] And I have a chance at purchasing a CAS V4 stretch IC 19 row. Are you saying because of the efficiency of the larger IC surface area. My boost gauge will read 13 psi? or are you saying, I will be able to turn up the boost by 4 lbs. to 21 psi? Please explain what you mean.

I believe he means because the I/C is less restrictive the engine will see more boost.
If you are running 17 psi boost now, by changing only the I/C the engine will now see 21 psi boost. If you have the octane to support that boost level you're ok, otherwise you will have to turn the boost down to a safe level, whatever that may be.

 

[MikeS]

I think I was able to go from 17lbs and no kr to 19lbs and no kr on just 93 octane when I went from SLIC to front mount. However the 3” piping did cause a surge at 10psi with a te44. I got the front mount and piping for $280, which is the main reason I did it.

 

[Ttype6]

I think I was able to go from 17lbs and no kr to 19lbs and no kr on just 93 octane when I went from SLIC to front mount. However the 3” piping did cause a surge at 10psi with a te44. I got the front mount and piping for $280, which is the main reason I did it.

Did you get one of those ebay intercoolers with the vertical tubes?

 

[MikeS]

It was an eBay intercooler, but not with the vertical tubes. This one has the intake/discharge at the bottom like typical FMIC designs. It was listed for a turbo LS swap g body.

 

[Ttype6]

It was an eBay intercooler, but not with the vertical tubes. This one has the intake/discharge at the bottom like typical FMIC designs. It was listed for a turbo LS swap g body.

Horizontal tubes in the typical front mount are relatively long which produces more restriction.
There are relatively few tubes in the typical front mount which leads to more restriction.
The more restrictive the intercooler,the harder the turbine has to work,the higher the inlet air temps will be,the higher the exhaust back pressure will be.
The vertical tubed intercoolers have more tubes for air to pass through and they are shorter tube.
This type of intercooler is less restrictive.
The SLIC is pretty much a vertical tubed front mount turned on its side.

 

[MikeS]

I’m not arguing your general point, but this front mount is definitely less restrictive than the stock one. The ability to run more boost without knock with no other changes suggests the air coming out is cooler. The momentary surge at 10 psi is the result of a small turbo and large pipes.