cant make our minds up on new intercooler for track car, only gets driven in anger with alot of WOT, list so far are as follows.
atp garrett 500hp
focus rs 100mm airtec
Grs custom build
act 500hp evo cooler

or just stick with the big cheap toyo sport cooler again for another year.
its on a zetec turbo, running a T38 @ 1.5bar

any input much appreciated

 

I think spec r are known to make some of the best, the intake temps are 30 degrees lower on theirs compared to my rs500 one.

 

Best say why. They use a far more efficient core & hence more expensive than the others listed. I have seen minus readings on acceleration.

 

How cold was it outside?

 

First data log your ACTs it's very cheap and easy to do.

I bought a cheap k type thermocouple and reader for £15 on eBay and logged my temps last Summer. Actually found out I didn't really have a problem.

It's all very well to keep mentioning spec R coolers but Pete, whilst one of life's gentlemen and a great engineer, is terrible at ever getting back to anyone.

 

its not just act,s that im interested in though its efficiency and flow too, although I wish I did do abit of logging whilst on track last year, I know the ebay cooler cools ok, but its as big as a house and that will not aid spool.
spec r would be nice if money was no object..... but it is and I can get a garrett cored cooler alot cheaper.

 

Garrett cores are supposed to be pretty good aren't they though.

 

yea they are up there with the best, some say there fin pack is to tight and does not allow the best flow, but this is nit picking a think.

 

Who else does garret cores?

 

I've been looking into Marston cores and hydro flow from radtec

 

Yes its what Spec-r use. I did the original research for Pete & bought the first core. You get what you pay for im afraid not all there cores are good & they do a lot of cores. Pete wanted the most efficient core at a £600/700 price point. The one I bought for mine was more expensive for that & is thicker than his normal ones. I had to move the front cross member 4" forward & modify the head lights but it was worth it.
Its the most under developed part of Cossie Tuning by most Tuners. Give me a £2000+ price point & there are some really efficient cores out there .


As for Pete being the worst business man in the world & very hard to get hold of, I agree but Mark Shead is no better on time scales. but I think my car proves you wait for the best however long it takes .

 

Alloy racing fabrication use them and bespoke build them to the car and it's needs

 

Agreed, 9 months for an incomplete order is a joke

 

the guys offering intercoolers with garrett cores are, atp, act, garrett themselves make some coolers, but there all in the states, vince from cr can get atp parts pretty quickly.
jon wat sort of prices have you found, I got graham from grs to price me a bespoke cooler but he is opting for a thinner cooler with a larger surface area, but he is making some really cool stuff with bloody good results.

 

I asked the cooler to be safe to 600 bhp and 2.5 bar, just to be on the safe side. Prices are around 550. However he is looking into different core options like marstons and hydro flow. I'm going up to see him tomorrow.
The more efficient the core the smaller it needs to be. I get the whole larger surface area bit but if the end tanks don't guide and collect the air well it will just take the path of least resistance.
I'm hoping to get a small efficient cooler taking up minimal space.

 

yea he make flow diverters in the cooler, and I think he would build the end tanks to be central, have a glance at his stuff if you get the chance.
let me know how you get on tomorrow, might be able to pull a bit of buying power with a double order.wink wink.

 

Will do chap

 

any luck today mate?

 

No mate sorry, family full of flu so not been out of the house. If all are feeling better I'll pop up tomorrow. Need to progress things on mine so can't hang about

 

yea me too. doing my nut in sorting this cooler, its a mine field of B.S. and rigged results.

 

Where is the bs and rigged results.

Mark

 

autobann88, precision, japspeed, then you got coolers with garrett cores being advertised by hp? but looking at the honeywell website they are advised generally 50hp less than stated else where.
would be nice to see some good independent testing between some of the main brands.

 

I have tested garret and bar and plate copy and tube and fin. Nothing compares to the garret in a correctly designed package.

Mark

 

If it has been running fine for over a year, presumably you know whether charge temps were an issue or not.

It isnt a mega power build to necessarily warrant a super expensive cooler...but at the same time, you also dont mention what space or size contraints you have whether it actually warrants a very efficient core in the first place, or an oversized crap core might get the same results.

But it does seem if you want the best, size for size the Garrett cores are just that

 

we know temps are ok, its more the fact of trying to find a smaller cooler to aid lag without compromising on charge temps, the car is running around 400hp so not mega power but only gets driven in anger aat track days, sprints, etc.