Insulating Intercooler Pipes

[Fixxxer]

Hey guys,

Had a idea that I got from an autospeed article not long ago.

I have noticed my intercooler piping is 2.5" and I have a FMIC, so the piping runs back across the front of the radiator, then back over the engine. I have touched the piping three times after going for good drives, in coolish weather, and noticed that once the piping gets into the engine bay, it turn HOT, so hot that you can't leave your hand on it for more than 5 seconds, which is bad for performance.

I have also noticed a beer/stubbie cooler would fit almost perfectly over 2.5" piping.

I'm thinking of buying approx. 10-12 of these and shoving them over the cooler pipes, total cost ~20-25 bucks.

Thoughts everyone???

Fixxxer

Edited April 20, 2008 by Fixxxer

[R31Nismoid]

I'd be interested to see the amount of heat that the air actually takes on.

After cooler (take temp), Before Throttle body (take temp)

Think about how fast its moving through there when your on the song. I cant imagine it taking on a massive amount of heat.

This has come up before a few times I think, no real results as yet though

[THENIG]

Make sure they don't get minced by the radiator fan blades, some peoples intercooler setups that pipe is pretty close. I have had to help a mate dremel the corners of his fan blades off to clear the intercooler piping before, i have read something on autospeed about putting rubber over mits over intercooler piping too. That wouldn't be as cost effective as your stubbie cooler cooler.

[Fixxxer]

The oven mits is autospeed's idea, except theirs looked even dodgier, and cost them $75 for 2 oven mits which was only enough to cover 40cm of pipe. I expect beer coolers to give similar results for way less $$.

Ohh and R31Nismoid - On the autospeed article, the guy got a 7-10 C drop in temps from insulating approx. 40cm of pipe. I'm expecting about 1.0 - 1.2m. I agree that at full throttle the air speed is massive, and temp increase may be smaller, but it can't hurt right?

I'm really looking to improve the on throttle response and pickup throughout the rev range, when air speed is reduced, part throttle, etc...

Fixxxer

[sonoramicommando]

should make some difference, I think.

if intercooler water spray is a good idea, then probably so is this.

would look pretty rangi but for the price you pay, you can't go wrong eh.

actually hot intercooler piping is a main reason im going front facing plenum. only a meter or so of the pipes will be in the engine bay.

Edited April 17, 2008 by sonoramicommando

[GeeTR]

I love Ghettto

Think about a good set of b4 and after tests, so the comparison is apples for apples.

[R31Nismoid]

The oven mits is autospeed's idea, except theirs looked even dodgier, and cost them $75 for 2 oven mits which was only enough to cover 40cm of pipe. I expect beer coolers to give similar results for way less $$.

Ohh and R31Nismoid - On the autospeed article, the guy got a 7-10 C drop in temps from insulating approx. 40cm of pipe. I'm expecting about 1.0 - 1.2m. I agree that at full throttle the air speed is massive, and temp increase may be smaller, but it can't hurt right?

I'm really looking to improve the on throttle response and pickup throughout the rev range, when air speed is reduced, part throttle, etc...

Fixxxer

Ah ok cool, they had some numbers, great stuff!

What car/setup was it?

Where were the readings taken? (like, off idle, cruising, full throttle etc)

Sounds interesting

[Fixxxer]

Link to article:

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_109587/article.html

Fixxxer

[Munkyb0y]

i wonder how heat/fire proof a stubbie holder is.

last thing you want is for it to catch fire.

if it is stable under hot temps, it sounds like a pretty good idea. and considering you could likely get a snug fit passing it over the cooler piping, it wouldnt look too bad either.

Edited April 18, 2008 by Munkyb0y

[H@ME]

this is an interesting concept i also would like to see some results, however i am going to the road of changing my piping from the radiator/hypbrid style to suit my greddy intake plenum (not currently on car) cheers.

[Munkyb0y]

i just did a small test. i got a stubbie holder, and placed an open flame directly under it, with my finger firmly against the other side. it insulated the heat perfectly. i couldnt feel the flame at all.

unfortunately it caught fire. so then i tried it again with the flame about 1 inch away, and it caught fire again in about 20 seconds. this might pose a problem. it seems this stubbie holder is basically foam inside, and this starts to melt like rubber and then catches fire.

are there different types of stubbie holders?

Edited April 18, 2008 by Munkyb0y

[R31Nismoid]

There are wet-suit material type stubbie holders

they dont have foam in the middle

I've got all types at home lol.

[Munkyb0y]

but whats sandwiched in the middle?

coz the one i used looks like wetsuit too.

Edited April 18, 2008 by Munkyb0y

[GeeTR]

.... placed an open flame directly under it,

The locations under the bonnet ppl are talking about using the insulation, see less then a 1/10th the heat produced from a actual flame dood.

[Munkyb0y]

yeah thats obvious. but extended periods exposed to heat wasnt a test option . so open flame is a worst case scenario, and may also simulate to a degree what long periods of heat might do. ie. cause the material to become brittle, hard, melt, crack etc.

Edited April 18, 2008 by Munkyb0y

[Fixxxer]

Yes, I've thought about the whole catch on fire thing. Looking at where they will be positioned on the cooler piping, I would guess that underbonnet temp, and the actual temps of the intercooler piping to be less than 100C, which I wouldn't imagine to be anywhere near enough heat to make these things smoke, let alone catch fire.... I was going to trial a few first though, maybe chuck em in the oven at 100C? See if they dry out..... etc....

I'm going to go ahead and buy them anyways, if it fails for whatever reason, I have many coolers to keep my beers cold

Fixxxer.

[Munkyb0y]

excellent will be watching for your results.

if they survive the 100c test, maybe bump it up to 150c or so. just for peace of mind

i can vouch for one thing, it certainly insulates well from heat.

Edited April 18, 2008 by Munkyb0y

[Sydneykid]

Let's do some numbers on say an R33GTST running 1 bar of boost at 2,000 rpm

2.5 litres x 2 bar (1 bar atmo + 1 bar boost) x 2,000 rpm /2 (it's a 4 stroke) = 5,000 litres per minute or 83 litres per second

The average intercooler pipework (after the intercooler) holds around 6 litres.

So the air spends around 0.07 of second going though the pipework.

Now touch the pipework with your finger for 0.07 of a second and see how much heat transfer there is.

Nothing, zero, zip, diddly squat ....... because the contact time isn't enough to transfer any heat.

But wait there's more.....not all of the air is touching the inside of the pipework, some goes down the middle (boundary layer not withstanding).....so its even less than nothing, zero, zip and diddly squat.

That's at 2,000 rpm, at 5,000 rpm it's all of 0.03 of second.

So make your own judgement as to whether or not your time (and money) would be better spent elsewhere.

Cheers

Gary

[R338OY]

Hmmm, Sydney Kid poses an interesting case. Numbers speak.

If this mod can be tested and yield some actual numbers saying it's worth it, then you win. I'd say heatsoak would definitely be reduced with this mod, in the way there's a small amount of foam glued to the back of a SMIC.

If you test this and it works, i'll be buying a dozen stubbie holders with my next case

[sonoramicommando]

The average intercooler pipework (after the intercooler) holds around 6 litres.

So the air spends around 0.07 of second going though the pipework.

Now touch the pipework with your finger for 0.07 of a second and see how much heat transfer there is.

Nothing, zero, zip, diddly squat ....... because the contact time isn't enough to transfer any heat.

someone else brought up this point before - without the figures.

does it mean intercooler heatsoak is not an issue either?