I l always love your testing methods, I want to emulate your backpressure monitoring setup on my build. As I too am striving for the most efficiency in my setup

 

I have an extra backpressure can if you're interested.

Just welded it last weekend.

 

Why must you tempt me

I'm using a divided manifold with a true twin scroll turbo, I'm assuming youd plumb both runner groups to one can to get an average pressure as opposed to individual sensors? As the twin scroll has one volute much smaller than the other so for that cylinder grouping the backpressure should be higher in the first place correct?

 

Unless you have the ability to use more than one sensor, I would do a 2-1 can.

I will say this.... Expect a pressure difference between the divided housing (twin scroll). There is difference in resistance, not just in runner design, but wheel design affects it too.

If you were to log waste gate position (assuming you had two) then you'll notice they open at different times due to the pressure differential.

 

It's an internal wastegate based evo 8 turbo.

I would assume all things being equal (runner length, etc) that given the housing has two differently sized volutes that are 100% divided one pairing would have more backpressure to begin with, not taking into account all of the other factors

I can run 2 sensors, as I'm using an AEM ems. Combined with shaft speeds I'm trying (once I get the setup running) to determine when I've reached the turbine limitations. .. as that's the first place my setup will be limited

 

Picture of your backpressure can Tepid?

 

Nothing fancy, but extremely effective. This was last years divided setup....

 

And what I'm starting to like about one can/sensor for a divided manifold is that it gives you an average pressure. Much easier to datalog and interpret than one sensor for each cylinder bank

 

Also, are you worried about the copper coils causing a pressure drop due the gasses cooling in the coil? I just see this causing a lower reading than actual backpressure if you ran a simple straight line directly to the sensor

 

What kind of coating was used on that a2w intercooler to prevent the sweating? Very interested in that!

 

Not worried at all. Pressure is pressure.

Aquaban. It's pretty inexpensive for what it does and works really well! I have a extra gallon if you're interested.

 

Nice, thanks! I might be! How did you apply it? I have a PWR Barrel a2w IC im going to be using with my a2w setup. Im running the hytech turbo manifold and a single Meziere pump w/5 gallon cell in the trunk and a large front mount heat exchanger. I was planning on having the piping powdercoated but considering doing the barrel in this material. Not sure it will be necessary for my goals though. 400-550whp.

 

It is applied by paint brush. It takes about 3-4 coats to get it totally sweatproof. It goes on kinda thick. Little thicker than latex paint. All said and done it's about 1/8 think when cured.

 

I might have to consider this for things like my hot pipe and intercooler endtanks, as I'm running pre turbo water/meth, a lot of users have reported that their a2a cores would start to condensate as would there hot pipe and even the compressor housing on some occasions. So it would be perfect, the question is what's it's heat limit?

Also wondering what else I could coat

 

It handles turbo discharge temps of 400*. I wouldn't use it on exhaust though.

 

Definitely not on exhaust components at least not underhood. I don't think that a car with a full exhaust (no cat) will have exit temps above or at 400 degrees so it could be a cool coating just for it's look on the "tailpipe" of course powdercoating or anodizing would be the preferred choice

I would have to imagine with such a final coating thickness that big it has some heat dispersal properties as well as insulating properties. I wonder if coating the charge piping would help keep underhood temps from influencing air temps within the piping

I think it's a far more attractI've and cost effective coating vs heat wrap/ceramic coating

Thoughts?

Also given my meth setup I can see where the charge piping as well as the intake manifold could develop condensation so it might work there as an anti sweat agent as well as an insulating agent

 

Awesome info and pics in here.

Is an intercooler always advantageous? For a really low boost application, when is the charge air considered too hot?

 

A way to exchange hot compressed air made by a turbocharger with cooler air is always advantageous when it comes to turbocharging, be it a front-mount, small side mount, or air-water.

"Boost" pressure (psi/KPa/BAR) is irrelevant as a measuring stick as to whether or not a heat exchanger is to be used. what one has to consider is the size of the turbocharger relative to the application that it is to be used upon by way of size, power level desired, and engine application. For example, If a small GT12 turbocharger is being used on a D-series turbocharged application for say... 250whp, (which shouldn't really be done anyway) it would have to run an enormous amount of boost pressure to get even close to that power level. In the pursuit of that power level using that turbocharger however, the turbocharger has become its own source of destruction by creating soo much heat (since its WAY out of its efficiency range) that even the use of a heat exchanger wouldn't help in keeping the engine from receiving super hot air that causes detonation.

I think where you're coming from is the fact that you DON'T want to incorporate a heat exchanger if you're only going for what most here would consider to be a "low power" application. The answer is NO. It is not advisable for even a "low boost" application to NOT use some sort of heat exchanger unless you're using some other alternative system to cool cylinder pressures or air inlet temperatures (which are more-than-likely more expensive than a simple heat exchanger, anyway )

 

Well remember Mac that the injected fuel will pull a marginal amount of heat out of the intake charge

Most of the guys that don't use intercoolers are either on s budget or doing a junkyard setup for fun

However you can run no intercooler with a small/medium sized turbo at low boost with a decent tune with not much issue with detonation. However you would get better performance with even the smallest of intercoolers like a dsm side mount or starion front mount, both sell in the 25-50 dollar range

 

You could, like the older school 280ZX Nissans did.. but that doesn't mean you should. It would be derelict of us to tell others that its ok, when there are SOOO many additional factors and safety measures that have to be in place in order to do it properly; especially for the budget-minded...

If you're cheap, and have to save your only engine.. use the damn intercooler.

 

True lol

 

Alot of motorcycle kits don't run Inter coolers. Now im sure they prob would if there was room. But. Just another angle to look at it for discussions sake.

 

Most do, since companies started releasing small cores. Also a lot of motorcycle kits have 2 extra injectors upstream of the airbox that cool the intake charge, most also use water or water/meth injection, another way to drop temps dramatically and increase knock threshold

 

Bringing this back alive.
Has anyone of you heard of Adams Thermal Systems Inc. intercoolers. I picked up a few for a really good price a while back. Did some research on them and can't find a whole lot of info about them besides they do a lot of work for big diesel engines, some stuff for bmw, etc. I have a phone pics of the core I will be using on my next build. The core itself looks pretty dense. Hold it up and look through it at a light and not much comes through.
Here's a pic while I was cleaning it, I'll snap a couple more and post them up.
Just curious if anyone has heard of them or used them before.

 

Looks nice and dense, but what's with the splitter?