TeamFC3S -- Turbo II Intercooler Upgrades Page

Name/Brand	Model #	Core Dimensions (mm)	Mounting Location	Retail Price
Trust (GReddy )		414x266x85	Front	US $1350
Spearco	#2-180	432x330x89	Front	US $405
	#2-179	527x500x114	Front (if you can fit it)	US $910
	#2-178	508x198x89	Front	US $370
	#2-170	254x229x114	Air-to-Liquid	US $725
	#2-171	254x114x114	Air-to-Liquid	US $450
HKS		Not Available	Top Mount	JPY 108,000
HKS		400x260x65	Front	US $1632
ARC		Not Available	Top Mount	JPY 148,000
RMagic		Not Available	Front	JPY 170,000
RE Amemiya		Not Available	Front	JPY 280,000
Border		600x300x76	Front	JPY 300,000
FAMC		Not Available	Front	JPY 178,000

Notes: Prices subject to change without notice. Some kits not available in the US,
except for the Spearco cores, all intercoolers listed are available
as bolt-on kits. Spearco cores does not include endtanks

* All prices are very dated and some products may not even be availible any longer,
new prices are to be posted as soon as they are availible.
Also, prices are subject to change without notice, contact appropriate vendor
for latest prices and ordering information.

Intercooler Tech:

Intercoolers are also called heat exchangers, charge coolers, or aftercoolers. Whatever you call it, the function of an intercooler is the same: it cools the intake charge of air after the air has been compressed (and heated) by the turbocharger. "Why does the intake charge have to be cooled?" is the frequently asked question. Well, a simple answer is because the charge coming out of a normal turbo can be as high as +300F degrees!! At that temperature, air is very thin and has low density. Reducing the intake charge temperature can greatly reduce the chance of detonation, the most common killer to a turbo rotary engine. An effecient IC will provide significant power gains versus an ineffecient IC, even at the same boost levels. With a cooler intake charge, the boost level can be safely turned higher to achieve even more power gains. Of course, the appropriate fuel and engine setup must accompany the increased boost levels in order to produce more power.

Air-to-air intercoolers are good for all-around use, which includes street and track racing. This is because the cooling medium, the outside air, is readily available. The drawback is that the maximum cooling available is only to the temperature of the outside air. The coldest the intake charge can get, is the outside temperature. In most cases, this may be more than adequate. HKS and ARC both offers stock location, top mounted upgraded intercoolers. Unfortunately, they are only available in Japan. When mounting a front mounted intercooler, it should be the first in the front opening, in front of the oil cooler, AC condenser, and radiator.

Liquid-to-air intercoolers are only good for limited uses because of the need to carry extra water, and in most cases, an extra radiator in the vehicle. They are more complicated to setup but can be beneficial in engine bays with limited space. On streetable liquid-to-air intercoolers, a separate closed-looped system is used. A water/coolant mixture, separate from the engine cooling system, is circulated around the intercooler and the extra radiator, by an electric pump. This setup is not very effecient because heat from the intake charge has to first transfered into the coolant mixture before it is carried out into the environment.

In a drag race, a liquid-to-air intercooler has major advantages over an air-to-air setup. Instead of circulating the coolant mixture through a radiator, an ice-water/coolant mixture is circulated through an ice-tank. Using the ice-water/coolant mixture as the cooling medium, the intake charge can be cooled to well below ambient temperatures. Air at this temperature has very high density. Which means even at the same boost pressure, more power can be realized.

Turbo II Intercoolers (still under re-construction)

Intercoolers Available:

Intercooler Tech:

Turbo II Intercoolers (still under re-construction)