I have an 08 ss tc and was wondering if it would be nessessary to get an intercooler or if it would be a waste of time and money. I have injen CAI, upper and lower charge pipes, catless downpipe, borla muffler, and I will get a replica zzp or trifecta dyno tune (about 22psi) after I decide weather or not to get an intercooler. Will I pick up any horsepower or will it help my setup run more smooth. Will the stock intercooler be holding me back?

 

Stock intercooler has plastic end tanks that I have heard can break under that boost psi. I havent seen it before thou. With an aftermarket intercooler you can pick up a little more hp usually only after you get tuned or retuned for it. Stock intercooler may heatsoak during hot months. I love my zzp intercooler thou

 

The stock intercooler actually cools way better than most think. In comparing logs from my stock ic and my zzp ic, my iat2 temps are within a few degrees of one another at wot. The biggest difference though is having the piece of mind knowing that the end tanks won't blow out under stressfull conditions.

So no you really won't "gain" any hp to be honest. You may not lose as much hp if you were really heat cycling the ic due to long hard pulls (heat soak), but I doubt you will ever push either ic to those limits anyways.

And yes the end tanks are pretty well known for cracking or blowing out completely (it's been pretty well documented on here). There are quite a few different reasons for it though. Most of which is not always related to high boost pressures from the stock turbo like most people think. Quite a bit is actually user error when installing aftermarket charge pipes.

 

Stock works well, just can burst as it is plastic. Turbo XS is a very popular choice, high quality!

 

Popular? Like 5 people have it.

I think Treadstone and ZZP are the popular ones.

 

I switched to ZZP because of cracking endtanks. I didn't notice any performance gain. Fit was perfect, too.

 

Don't run a turbo car without an intercooler.. Well at least i wouldn't

 

My stock end tanks blew in just normal daily driving (Stock charge piping, just an intake, dp and tune). Started pretty mildly from a stop light on a 45mph road, like 2 psi of boost for normal acceleration, and boom.

 

Or they break it when they bottom out hard a few times.

 

I ran my stock IC to 38k miles from new, and never had any issues with it. I did however install a ZZP IC just because I wanted to upgrade it now so when it comes time for a bigger turbo, I would already have an upgraded IC.

 

Wow. I would have to think that something else lead up to it blowing like that though. You're definitely the first that I've heard of blowing out an end tank at though low of a boost level, but it obviously happened to you so I suppose anything is possible.

It still makes me think that there was something else going on to lead up to it blowing though, even if it was something you weren't really aware of at the time. Maybe a rock hit it just right, or even a nasty pot hole?

That definitely sucks though either way. You must have been pissed.... lol

 

Funny story..... just changed my spark plugs today so I thought id take my ss tc around the block and i got on it in 2nd gear and right when shifted to 3rd gear it sounded like my bpv exploded! while driving home it felt like my car had 50hp cause I had no boost! the boost guage would't move at all! When i got home to take a look my injen charge pipe had blown off my intercooler so I reconnected it and everything is back to normal with regular boost pressure! Just scared the SH*T out of me. I really need stronger clamps and the connecting rubber piece is about an inch too short.

 

You got lucky. Usually, when the piping blows off, the endtank cracks.

 

THe answer to the question.

Intercooling is only necessary if you make more than 5psi of boost. Otherwise no.