Help with my intercooler setup!
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi guys,

I've had my current intercooler setup for a while now, and as suspected i need to get some decent airflow through the intercooler before I can continue to get more power.

I want to keep the current intercooler, seeing as I payed over £200 to have it made, so I need ideas as to how I can get this system working??

heres a pic of it currently:






I don't want a garish bonnet intake as i'm going for the standard look, so I need some air ducting ideas and whatever else people can suggest??

Much appreciated chaps

Tim :)

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

Trouble is - you need to flow 'through' an intercooler... If you duct up to it (from underneath) then the air needs somewhere to easilly leave afterwards...

That is not easy (in current location) if you desire no vents or grilles / louvres in the bonnet.

I do currently have a smallish vent above the intercooler, but this needs properly opening up underneath to be of any use.

In your opinion, would a small scoop with a hole about the size of a postcard provide sufficient airflow if it is directly above it?

Edited by Metro Turbo on 30th Jan, 2007.

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

Could you not tilt the intercooler down a bit or is there no room (bettery in that corner IIRC)?

If you could then maybe you could duct through it easier .... Don't know the practicalities and thinking aloud.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

I moved the battery to the boot, so there is nothing beneath it now.

Its very close to the underside of the bonnet, so maybe a vent will be my only solution?

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

What about something like a naca duct? How good are they at pulling air in as they mount flat without a conventional scoop? Plus i think they look pretty cool.

Remember the entry only needs to be about 1/3 the size of the area to be flowed through.

You need to go from a high pressure area, to a low pressure area. The grill is a high pressure area, and the top of the bonnet is lower pressure. So can you get a vent behind the grill about 3" diameter that expands to seal around the core? The seal the outlet to the bonnet vent.

Sealing the core is essential to make the air flow across it, it will always take the easiest route, and thats not though the intercooler!

J

looking at the size of that cooler, personally i'd look the possibility of putting it where the oil cooler is in front of the alternator, and move the oil cooler. Geting the air throght the IC is more important IMO.

Put the oil cooler over where the battery was,chop the steel bottom hose and fit a tighter rubber bend.....Then a rs turbo ser2 cooler fits next to the rad up front.
When I lose the dizzy,I will be moving the rad back a few inch's and fitting a td5 cooler infront of it

Metro turbo weekend driver,Mini turbo in the making again!

IC problems aside.....engine compartment looks very neat

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

^^^Same as above^^^

-MINI CLUBMAN 1380 TURBO-

Cheers :)

My current bonnet vent isn't as big as the total intercooler core, its about as large as the blue area on my diagram below.

Would this flow sufficient air to work ok?

Edited by Metro Turbo on 31st Jan, 2007.

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

How close is the intercooler to the underside of the bonnet though ? If you use the above design, you'll need space above it for the air to pass through.
In its current position i think you'll probably be getting quite a bit of heat soak off the engine as well.
I'd certainly be looking to front mount it if at all possible.

What happened to the other idea you just posted ? with the funnel/vent up from the bumper ? That's what i was talking about above.

Edited by Turbo Phil on 31st Jan, 2007.

WWW.TURBO-MINI.COM

I'd say 2 inches between the i/cooler face and the underside of the bonnet

My other idea is as below, wasn't sure about it...



I could maybe front mount it, but I'd need to change the intercooler as the in/out connections are in the wrong place for that.

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

Or there is this way of ducting air to it...




But could this flow enough air?

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

OR... I could just flip the i/cooler by using 90' bends to connect it, and have it mounted behind the inner wing like red 850 has done...



And cut into the inner wing to allow air flow?

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

My take on this:-
The effectiveness of the intercooler is determined by the Mass of air flowing through it and the temperature difference between the air and the intercooler.
Given that you cannot control the air temperature we come back to the mass of air flowing.
To get the maximum amount of air flowing you need the greatest pressure drop that you can get across the intercooler.
Assuming you do the 7" x 4" opening in the front bumper and duct this with say 3" hose up to the intercooler and feed this into the matrix via a rectangular funnel shaped close fitting adaptor you should see the potential for enough airflow through the matrix.

The problem in your case is creating the necessary pressure drop across the matrix.

You cant just expect to vent the airflow out to the underbonnet area and expect it to work correctly.

I think for an effective solution you will have to bite the bullet and cut the bonnet.
I would suggest a subtle body coloured NACA duct fitted with its front edge above the rear edge of the intercooler and after raising the intercooler an inch or so fill the gap between the intercooler perimeter and the bonnet with some closed cell foam.

This way you will manage the airflow in and out of the intercooler and have a chance of success.

If you fit the duct carefully you should get away without having to repaint the bonnet.
Alternativley you could relocate the intercooler to a more favourable position.
Hope this helps even though it might not be what you want to hear.
Regards
Dave

Cheers for all the feedback guys.

I've come to a decision that I'm just going to take out the current intercooler and fit a big front mount one instead.

Will lose the sleeper look, but its a sacrifice I'll take.

Thanks,

Tim

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

The engine will love you for taking that step, especially with your set up. More power with less boost, ace!

Should have it fitted within a couple of weekends.

Will post up photos of the new setup soon :)

Tim

89' Metro Turbo
157 BHP , 170 lb ft @ 15psi .... So far....
Mikeanics Rolling Road
WINNER OF RETRO CARS SHOW BEST 80's MODIFIED CAR

i absolutly love your car, ive wanted to see a nice metro turbo for ages, it seems not many people bother with them these days.
spot on!