Ok, so I've got a contact who is contemplating fabbing up a replacement IM to allow us to run a front mount intercooler.
It would have a single outlet from the SC, and a single inlet, both probably 3".

This would allow us to ditch the restriction nightmare that is seen in the factory GM IM's.

There will be a few down falls though. As with all FMIC systems, there will be a slight loss of throttle response, due to the amount of piping involved. Also, there will be the task of routing the piping without disturbing the factory intake and washer bottle (we will probably have to go under everything).

Another side note... these guys aren't too crazy about providing too much beyond the IM... so it would be up to us to source an FMIC, and required piping. If this goes though, I'll try my hardest to provide as much info as possible, to guide us though the install process.

FYI....
This is the same crew that initially helped me with my porting on the factory IM, and his helping me design another water-air cooled IM for us also.

So, who'd be interested?

 

u knows i is

 

ZOMG!!! You were fast on that one...

BTW... love the new avatar...

 

I could be interested with a bit more info

 

Well.. I should have a preliminary design from them within a few weeks.
I'll have to take my car in the shop and try goofing around with some piping, and check on fitments and stuff.

If anyone has any specific questions, just post away.
If I can't answer it, I can sure pass it on to the shop.

 

You will have the room to come up to your TB because you'll need to remove the intake anyhow. If you do an intercooler that goes in and comes out on the same side, you won't have to move the washer bottle either by keeping the inlet/outlet side of the intercooler on the driver's side. Piping from the turbo can be run under the car up to the IC, and then from the IC to where the intake used to be and up into the engine bay. The new intake pipe for the turbo could come up on the passenger side like most of the kits already do, or you can bolt a stubby HKS style filter right to the turbo.

I'm interested to see you IM you'll be fabbing up though.

 

Yeah... I've seen pictures as to how they do it on the turbo conversions...
This particular manifold is going to be used with the M62 (or TVS) though... that's why we'd like to retain the factory intake piping.

 

Why go with 3" inlets/outlets?That seems kind of big.2.5" should be more than enough.

 

To keep the area the same though the whole system.
3" piping area = area of intake ports

 

Will deffanately put some thought into it.. Keep in the info/updates comin!

 

i was just thinking about this the other day.

i would like to see an initial design before jumping into it.

 

Well... there is no need for anyone to have to commit or anything...
We're just seeing if this is something people would be interested in, and gaining opinions on the matter.

One last bump for the night crew.

 

Well then I guess my post was useless! Just a personal opinion, I like the idea, but the cost vs benefit of doing something like this may not be justified. However, I am all for innovation and being different, so if you're going to make your own, than I can't wait to see it and the results!

 

Well.. I may test the thing, but after I finish the design of the new water to air version, I'll probably switch to that.
I can almost guarantee though, that this route will be cheaper than the water to air version I'll be running later, as this one will have very few parts, and will be easy to fabricate once a design is finalized.

 

Subscribed!

 

Just for ideas, here an impression how the air-intercooled M62 on the Lotus-Toyota engine is configured:


But this is a rear mounted engine and due to the lack of proper airflow through the cooler a lot of owners switch to a watercooled charge cooler.....

 

Where do you think I got the idea?

 

I must have a pic of the seperate Lotus intercooler parts somewhere. Will look.
(FYI. I have an Opel Speedster which is basically a Lotus Elise with an 2,2 Ecotec in the back. Very soon to be replaced with a well tuned LSJ... )

 

haha I had this idea like a year ago and bought the manifold and cut the holes and everything winter came and I just sat it aside. the only problem I ran into was closing off the space between the inlet and the outlet. so air goes out the outlet and through the fm not bypass it you know, 3 inch is a good size becuase since were supercharged we dont have to worry about lag and whatnot trying to fill bigg piping and a FM

 

I think 3" intercooler piping is huge.
That's bigger than the TB and we are talking compressed air here...

 

2.5" inlet/outlets should be fine...same size as the cold air pipes they have for our car...maybe offer 3" for people that have bigger tb

 

This is why...

 

The engine breaths through these inlet ports one at a time, so for the continues total flow through the intercooler etc. you don't need 4 times this area....

3" is already big as exhaust diameter, and there we have expanded hot gasses. 2"piping, 2,5" tops should be more than sufficient for 300+ (W)HP.

Finally found the seperate parts of that Lotus M62 set-up:
http://www.pistonheads.com/pics/news...up240-21-L.jpg

 

You image isn't working right...

Anyways... at high RPM's, the engine is creates an effect that draws air similar to it having all 4 valves open.
Beyond that, by cramming the air in to a 2.5", as opposed to a 3" just makes the SC work harder at the source... aka Heaton technology...

Really it doesn't matter... if someone wants to neck it down to 2.5" off the manifold, they can do that no problem.

 

It's coming from here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=108&i=12580

And this worked earlier but not anymore now.
http://www.pistonheads.com/pics/news...up240-21-L.jpg

Ah, it's working again now I removed the direct link. Strange


Yes I agree, the piping diameter is the least of (y)our problems...