Top mount intercooler improvements

[youngsyp]

Chaps,

I'me been trying to 'improve' the TMIC design for a while now. First off, I made a heatshield out of aluminium to help prevent heat from getting to the cold side of the TMIC. This was placed between the rocker cover and the TMIC mounting frame.
The heatshield gave a small improvement in heat soak but, clearly it could be further reduced.

At the weekend, I flattened down both intercooler end tanks, so that they were not only shinier ( :lol: ) but, easier to apply heat tape to. This was done with a flap wheel and some wet and dry. I bought some Thermo-tec reflective self adhesive tap a while ago, and proceeded to 'lag' the end tanks. I completely covered the cold side and covered just the underside of the warm side. The idea behind this was to let heat escape a little easier, from this side.
As a future step, I might just lag the hot side completely now though, just to see if that provides any more improvement.
After lagging the end tanks, I also lagged the leading face of the core (flat end of the core, facing the front of the car. The idea behind this is to try and reduce any heat coming from the front of the car, when driving, raising the cores temperature at all.

The results:

I had to visit the local Nissan dealers yesterday to get an oil filter, a 30 minute drive for me. There was a guy in front of me so, I was probably waiting 5+ minutes. To cut a long story short, I needed the part number for the filter so, went out and popped the bonnet. As I was there, I thought I'd check the intercooler and see if the lagging had an effect. I found that that the cold side, at the very back corner, where it meets the plenum was cold to the touch. The intercooler pipe (cold side) was also cold to the touch, with the rest of the intercooler being just warm.

So, to sum up, £18 spent on the Thermo-tec tape and a bit of work with some aluminium and you can improve the efficiency and heat soak properties of the TMIC.

Next thing to do is make a full length ally heatshield for the underside of the TMIC and see if that further improves things. Then lag the turbo up pipe, manifold and elbow and downpipe to further reduce under bonnet temps.

Paul

 

[Braveheart]

Sounds good Paul... keep up posted.
I'm going to lag my turbo elbow and downpipe and have noticed you can buy a lagging jacket for the turbo housing as well.

 

[youngsyp]

Sounds good Paul... keep up posted.
I'm going to lag my turbo elbow and downpipe and have noticed you can buy a lagging jacket for the turbo housing as well.

Oh yes, it's definitely worth lagging the elbow and downpipe but, instead of the turbo jacket, you could just polish up the original turbo heatshield, on the inside as well as the outside. This will help reflect the heat. You could also line this with the material they use for the turbo jackets. It's a lot cheaper and will do just as good a job !

 

[jpward]

Oh yes, it's definitely worth lagging the elbow and downpipe but, instead of the turbo jacket, you could just polish up the original turbo heatshield, on the inside as well as the outside. This will help reflect the heat. You could also line this with the material they use for the turbo jackets. It's a lot cheaper and will do just as good a job !

Nice one Paul post up some pics in the "how you did it" bit so easier understood and mentally pictured.

I am ordering more Thermo-Tec wrap this week who did you get it from and whats their part codes?

Johny

 

[youngsyp]

Nice one Paul post up some pics in the "how you did it" bit so easier understood and mentally pictured.

I am ordering more Thermo-Tec wrap this week who did you get it from and whats their part codes?

Johny

This is the stuff and the place I got it from: http://www.raceparts-direct.com/pro...and_components.asp?section=Thermo+Shield+Tape

They're by far the cheapest and the service was good too. Don't be fooled by the quantity though, you only get 15 feet and not the 50 feet advertised. Thermo-Tec don't do a 50 foot kit which, I knew before hand so, wasn't disappointed.

I used less than half the roll of tape to cover the bits I did but, I will try and get pictures up so you can see what I did.

 

[warringtonjack]

Paul, i've been thinking too. If you could find a way of raising the tmic and then ducting some air between the rocker cover and the tmic, this would also help no end!

 

[jpward]

Paul, i've been thinking too. If you could find a way of raising the tmic and then ducting some air between the rocker cover and the tmic, this would also help no end!

Rasing it would be easy use spacers on the underside mount bolts but i dont think it will go much higher before it's tight on the bonnet unless you do an outside mount :lol:

Thats a great link Paul yes prices are cheeper than i paid before so I reckon they will be getting an order when i get home later!

 

[youngsyp]

Paul, i've been thinking too. If you could find a way of raising the tmic and then ducting some air between the rocker cover and the tmic, this would also help no end!

Only issue with that is that you might be taking the intercooler out of the optimum flow path, for cold air coming in through the air scoop. Or maybe you may move the part of the intercooler that requires the most cool air, away from where it could get it ?!
The cool air might just be hitting the leading face of the intercooler and not the core fins and plates/tubes.

That's similar to the reason that I didn't want to go for spacers at the rear of my bonnet. If I did, the cool air might have just followed the underside of the bonnet and missed the I/C core altogether.

I had thought about raising the back edge of the I/C though, just so it catches more of the cool air coming through the scoop. However, I think the positioning of the I/C is perfect for when on the move, it's just when you're in traffic that you'll see heat soak.
I think the ideal could be a full length heat shield between the rocker cover and the I/C, with a lip at the front, directing any warm air that might come from the front of the car, when moving, away from the core. This then serves two purposes.

Good idea though bud and keep up the thinking, we'll not get anywhere without it !

 

[Braveheart]

Mitsubishi Delica has a fan below the tmic.
If you use a fan to draw air through from the top then you will contantly shifting the hot air away without giving it a chance to rise through the core.

 

[youngsyp]

Mitsubishi Delica has a fan below the tmic.
If you use a fan to draw air through from the top then you will contantly shifting the hot air away without giving it a chance to rise through the core.

Then you have the weight of the fan, the mounting of it, the relocation of the I/C and the wiring to faff around with.

A heatshield would arguably be more effective, easier to install and lighter ?!

 

[jpward]

Mitsubishi Delica has a fan below the tmic.
If you use a fan to draw air through from the top then you will contantly shifting the hot air away without giving it a chance to rise through the core.

Sure an install like that would workout more work than a FMIC and probably cost similar too! :?

 

[Braveheart]

Sure an install like that would workout more work than a FMIC and probably cost similar too! :?

Constructive criticism can be very healthy.... :lol: :lol: :lol:
I was not considering work or costs involved just wanting to add to the mix of ideas. :roll:
Keeping the TMIC must have benefits for the other cooling needs at the front. (rad, oil cooler) also, some people may not want to grind and cut away parts of the front end to fit a FMIC due to the looks or the vulnerability issues. A tow hook on the front can be useful to.

 

[youngsyp]

A tow hook on the front can be useful to.

I took mine off as it seemed like dead weight to me. I then noticed that there's a smaller one on the other side !! :lol:

A bit off topic but, does anyone know how to remove the rear tow hook ?

 

[marcymarc]

What power/boost are you running with the topmount mate?

 

[Braveheart]

I took mine off as it seemed like dead weight to me. I then noticed that there's a smaller one on the other side !! :lol:

A bit off topic but, does anyone know how to remove the rear tow hook ?

If the stewards have there eye on the ball and enforce the regs, you can't take your car on a track without a front & rear tow hook.

 

[youngsyp]

What power/boost are you running with the topmount mate?

I'm running around the 1.1 - 1.15 bar mark at the minute, still trying to get the AVCR to hold the level steady for me !

Not sure of power output though but, should find out in August !

I will add that I have doe a few other things to help drop intake temps, including modifying the breather system to vent to atmosphere, binning the PCV to intake pipe work and using a 100mm cold air feed for my air induction. All these things help in a small way too !

 

[youngsyp]

If the stewards have there eye on the ball and enforce the regs, you can't take your car on a track without a front & rear tow hook.

Not worried about that mate as, the car won't ever see a track, despite me promising myself I'll do it one day !

 

[Animaldaz]

What about a spray bar? I think ive seen top mount ones advertised. And water injection?
youngsyp, do you run yours without the cover, i guess it wouldnt fit over the lagging.

 

[youngsyp]

What about a spray bar? I think ive seen top mount ones advertised. And water injection?
youngsyp, do you run yours without the cover, i guess it wouldnt fit over the lagging.

Nope, mine runs with the cover just fine. I left that in place as again, I think the airflow might be disturbed without it !

As for a spray bar, you run the risk of getting water all over the plug leads. Plus, you have the weight of the bar, pump and tank and the complication of the wiring. Also, the point of a water spray system, is to use it before you need it, if you know what I mean ?! Basically, you need to spray it in advance of putting your foot down, so that the core is cooled enough to lower the temp of the incoming charge.

Again, water injection means money and weight. I was just trying to improve the function of the TMIC, with as little money spent as possible. Otherwise, you may as well get a front mount !

From experience, the lagging, some mild porting of the turbo up pipe and I/C inlet and outlet pipes, along with a decent heatshield, improve the way the TMIC works in tangible terms and the outlay is very small.

 

[jpward]

some mild porting of the turbo up pipe and I/C inlet and outlet pipes, along with a decent heatshield, improve the way the TMIC works in tangible terms and the outlay is very small.

Funny i was looking at mine last night and wondered how i could port the Turbo pipe as it looks quite restrictive how much do you think would be safe to remove?