Thread: Intercooler piping ideas/science/suggestions needed.

Hey guys, I'm putting together my IC piping, and I would like some input. I'm planning a pretty standard blow thru setup, nothing crazy. I'm going to run a U-bend off the turbo and down to a 90* bend at about the rad support, then around the end of the rad support, thru the IC, up through the fender , thru the maf, and into the TB. The BOV will go on the U-bend right off the turbo.

What I'm wondering is if there is any benefit to putting a 3" section of pipe from the MAF to the TB. Would that yield me any reduction in turbulence or anything? It seems counterproductive to push the air thru a 3" diameter maf and then make it go back into a 2.5" tube and then into the TB. I realize there will be some of that effect at the TB, but it seems like it would make better sense to keep the diameter up. Any thoughts?

Also, for the sake of my amateur fabrication skills, I'm thinking about putting a 90* silicone coupler to make the transition from 2" to 2.5" and to put some flex in that first 90 bend after the turbo. Any downsides to using silicone bends? I usually buy my couplers from ATP, and I can't see it causing any problems.

Finally, for the intake, I was just thinking of putting a 3" pipe off the turbo with a 90* or 45* bend, and just letting the air filter sit there. I don't like how close it is to the rad for the sake of heat, but is there any other good choice? I used to run my intake facing down, but I didn't care about grenading my old engine. This one I'm a little more attached to. Plus, when I pulled it apart, there were some definite scrub marks in the end of the filter! yikes!

Any other pointers you might have would be appreciated.

There's a couple ways I might deal with this 3" MAF situation.

1) Run 3" charge pipes. Use the BB 90 degree transition off the turbo to bring the size up to 2.25" and up high in the engine bay. Transition from 2.25" to 3" with a coupler and then run 90 degrees down through the fender then into an intercooler with 3" in/outs. Then out of the intercooler, up and around the radiator to the right (not through the fender), into the MAF and then get a 3" to 2.75" coupler for the throttle body.

2) Run 2.5" hot side then 3" cold side. Same BB pipe with a 2.25" to 2.5" coupler. Run 2.5" around the radiator (or through the fender if you must) to the intercooler with 3" in/outs. Use the junction between pipe and intercooler to transition from 2.5" to 3". Run the cold side as described above.


As for the turbo inlet, put a 3" elbow off the turbo followed by another 3" elbow to put the filter where the battery usually is or towards the throttle body if you still have a battery.

Get online and talk to me bro! If I get time tonight I will look for ya or post back up on here.

Brent

Ben, you don't think I could get a 3" through the fender? I would worry that such a big pipe would hit the ground under that rad support. I'm pretty sure I'm going to just do a 2.5" hotside, I liked how clean and unnoticeable my old piping setup was, I just need to determine a cold side, I guess.

Oh, you can certainly get 3" through the fender, no problem.
I just hate the whole "through the fender" idea in the first place.
I was not suggesting you go under the radiator support, I was suggesting you go between the radiator and the frame rail.
Whatever you wanna do, 3" would be my suggestion for the entire cold side. And I'd do a 3" in/out intercooler too, even if you're doing 2.5" on the hot side.

didnt i just sell you the Hotshot piping kit awhile ago?

Yeah, you did just sell me the hotshot kit a while back, but I decided I didn't wanna hack it up to make it fit my application. It just kinda seems wrong for such a nice and rare part. I might sell it or just hang onto it for a possible future project.

Ben, thanks for that pic, I needed something like that. I already have my IC, and I don't have a way to get new endtanks put on, there's just nobody here to do it, so I think I'll just have to go 2.5" until it comes out of the IC.

Obviously you are ok with the idea of using curved silicone couplers to make some of the bends, huh?

Yes I'm okay with them. I prefer the smooth curve silicone bends to the sharp turns though. I made sure to use the smooth ones for my car.

Check out this link: http://www.sr20-forum.com/offtopic/12929-where-buy-intercooler-piping.html#post169149

Vadim and I had completely different experiences when ordering from silicone intakes. Treadstone worked out better for me. Vadim had luck with silicone intakes.

If you can't get a smooth 2.5" to 3" 90 degree transition you might have to put up with a crap transition. Those are the ropes...

I wish you could sell your intercooler and pick up another one that will suit you better. That's what I did. Then again I don't even know if they have the IC I got with 3" in/outs... =/

If you decide to sell the hotshot setup lmk

LikeTheMovies, pm sent.

Ben, I'm assuming that you cut that access at the end of the rad? I don't have any space there at all.

Have you ever gotten silicone couplers from ATP? Theirs don't look too bad to me... they carry the piping too, but I need to shop a little. I really don't know what to expect on price.