Spearco Hp Flow rate(CFM)
3.5"Dx18.48"Wx6"H 760 1080

Wondering is anyone here is using this intercooler? I got it a long time ago and am wondering if there is any limitations to it. Yes the person I got it from has a supra. The inlet and outlet on the same side will actually be good for me. 2.5" inlet and outlet, piping will be 2.5" and stock sized gsr tb. What do you think about this hunk of aluminum?

 

I've never seen that on any of the cars here.

 

It is actually designed better than most other inter-coolers out there.
This will prove to be one effective inter-cooler with a very little pressure drop.

I'm actually going to get rid of my standard 8" X 22" X 3" air to air core in place of this more efficient design.

The only differences I'm going to make are :

1) 3" core instead of 3.5 ---- too thick of a core has diminishing returns because most of the cooling happens in the first inch.

2) 24 " instead of 18.48" for more channels of cooling.

3) In the lower end-cap(hot-side) Im going to weld in a baffled channel to force half of the air to each side, so once the air enters the inter-cooler half of it will be diverted to the first 12" and the second half to the 2nd 12".


Just make sure that you keep the lower (hot-side) inter-cooler piping connected to the bottom end-cap with this design.

 

I would run a standard IC before I would that one. I think even distribution would be an issue with that one.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tegunderpressure &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would run a standard IC before I would that one. I think even distribution would be an issue with that one.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Even distribution should be fine; look at the way the end-tanks taper off increasing the velocity of the incoming air for better distribution.

A Baffle in the Hotside would be better however.

This is a superior design to almost any other air-air intercooler sold on the market.

 

So it should work pretty good then. I got it for a good price, i figured that if it wasn't any good I could always sell it and get another one. The main thing I noticed about it is how dence the fins are. This intercooler is actually an upgrade for guys with supras, cuz they have the stock side mount, and is very easy to run this on their cars. I think it looks good but I wanted to see what anyone else thought. How's the flow rate compared to others? I was thinking 1080cfm is pretty good.

 

the flow rate is excellent because the large number of channels and the extremely short path of 6"

..

the only concern I have is that it is still relavely small theirfore I wouldn't use it on a 450-500whp motor... but on a 250-400 whp application it would work excellent.

 

The tapered end tanks will help no doubt, but I still dont think it would be as even as a standard FMIC.

How much did you pay for it anyway?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tegunderpressure &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

How much did you pay for it anyway?</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

$200. I think retail is like $800-900 I figure if it suxs I could sell it or even throw it on the sti. But really looking for what the most this thing can take without becoming a restriction.

I didn't think there would be a lot of people here that have actually used it. But intercooler design is a universal thing. Yea the core is relativly small compared to some larger units. I think that may be due to the different design. Kind of like "works better so it can be smaller?"

 

that actually sounds like it could make a differance.

it would just look ugly behind the bumper

oh well,function over fashion

 

I could care less what it looks like. Thats the last thing i'm worried about. "wow that front mount looks small" Actually the smaller the better as long as it does what it needs to. It's just hard to see what it can do if not many people use it. I probably could always talk to a hookup and maybe swap it for a different one.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dasher &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the flow rate is excellent because the large number of channels and the extremely short path of 6"

</TD></TR></TABLE>

That makes sense to me... but would this benifit out weight the disadvantage of having the flow restriction inherited by the 180deg U turn?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 80884 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">$200. I think retail is like $800-900 </TD></TR></TABLE>

You received an amazing deal .. i would be tempted to offer you twice what you paid for it without even flinching except for the fact that I Need a larger core for my whp needs..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turbosi03 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

That makes sense to me... but would this benifit out weight the disadvantage of having the flow restriction inherited by the 180deg U turn?</TD></TR></TABLE>

The far more important factor is the number of channels available.

Here are some examples to show you the difference:

A typical sized intercooler:

3.00 thick" /8.0 wide"/ 24.00" long core ==== has a air flow rate of 204cfm

The same sized intercooler

3.00" thick/24.00" wide/ 8.0" long core ==== has a air flow rate of 727 cfm

Both will practically cool the same (same amount of surface area) but the second core will have far less of a pressure drop.

 

I'd just sell it.......(to me!!) for a little more than what you paid.

 

right on dasher

If you cut off one endtank and turned it around that would be an even better IC. I'm helping my buddy build one similar to this but with 3 blackstone/saab bar and plate cores for his vee dub.


Modified by Bailhatch at 2:55 AM 12/28/2004

 

Ask Stoopid if he is still around he tuned a b16 in a SI that made 4??hp and ran 10's in a street car with this type of intercooler...this was a long time ago

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dasher &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

The far more important factor is the number of channels available.

Here are some examples to show you the difference:

A typical sized intercooler:

3.00 thick" /8.0 wide"/ 24.00" long core ==== has a air flow rate of 204cfm

The same sized intercooler

3.00" thick/24.00" wide/ 8.0" long core ==== has a air flow rate of 727 cfm

Both will practically cool the same (same amount of surface area) but the second core will have far less of a pressure drop.


</TD></TR></TABLE>

hmm... ok that also makes sense to me, but with the flow being less in the one with longer/less channels, wouldn't that mean the air is inside the channels for longer time? therefore making that air cooler (but still having the increase pressure drop)?

I'm just talking common sense here... I need to do some homework on IC's

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turbosi03 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

hmm... ok that also makes sense to me, but with the flow being less in the one with longer/less channels, wouldn't that mean the air is inside the channels for longer time? therefore making that air cooler (but still having the increase pressure drop)?

I'm just talking common sense here... I need to do some homework on IC's

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Although, in principle you are on the right track, reality paints a more complicated picture.

The laws of thermodynamics show that the greater the temperature differentiation the greater the heat transfer. This plays such an important role in an inter-cooler that 97% of the heat absorption internally happens in the first couple inches of the core.

An air/air inter-cooler acts more as a heat sink which desperately tries to get rid of the heat into open atmosphere by using a large amount of surface area exposed to the atmosphere. Air is an extremely poor conductor (insulator actually). This means that a relatively small inter-cooler can typically cool the intake charge 95-97% as efficient as a extremely large inter-cooler until it gets heat soaked! The more important aspect with large inter-coolers is their huge amount of external surface area to be able to dissipate heat.

All in all you have the same amount of internal surface area/external surface area in both cores. So both Inter-coolers will cool just about the same.

It might be helpful to think about it this way:

Although the heated air has a longer path to travel in your traditional design; exposing the heated charge to a greater amount of surface area immediately(through more channels) allows for greater heat dispersion quicker.

 

Wouldn't piping be a pain because the TB is on the opposite side of where the IC exits. . .

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by m R g S r &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wouldn't piping be a pain because the TB is on the opposite side of where the IC exits. . . </TD></TR></TABLE>

yep... thats why you don't see many people using this more efficient setup on Hondas.

I am going to get away with it because I moved my half/sized radiator to the position my ac condensor used to have and am sending both my upper and lower IC pipes through the opening created because the absence of the radiator. This will also allow me to use really short IC pipes also. My lower charge Pipe will be about 12" long!

 

You might see more of these on honda's with a K swap I think it would make alot
of sence in that application.

 

looks like a fox body mustang intercooler.

 

good intercooler.

used this on a A2 GTI with a 1.8T swap with 350whp,

platinum.