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intercooler pipe routing


rossman

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I am considering a different intercooler pipe route that will allow me to keep the mechanical fan and shroud. This route looks interesting but I wonder if it will hit the hood. I need another 45 to run it up tight against the front of the valve cover. Thoughts?

 

img_1692.jpg

 

img_1694.jpg

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I am honestly considering this solution. Cut the hood just enough so the hood closes closest around the intercooler piping and then line the whole in the hood with rubber like what goes on the edge of doors. Then you have an interesting piece of piping exposed to show off. That is what I would do.

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I am honestly considering this solution. Cut the hood just enough so the hood closes closest around the intercooler piping and then line the whole in the hood with rubber like what goes on the edge of doors. Then you have an interesting piece of piping exposed to show off. That is what I would do.

 

Please don't! I have seen more then one honda guy do that and its just hideous! The Z deserves better then that!

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A few issues I see:

 

1) Throttle cable. Your IC piping is right in the way of the usual alignment.

2) Upper radiator hose. You'll have to keep your IC piping elevated until it clears the hose most likely.

3) You are increasing the number of bends in the piping. Each bend is a pressure loss (though not significant, they are a pressure loss and are cumulative).

4) Big issue. Clearance. Your 90 degree silicone boost is right next to the driver side strut tower. You may not have the clearance. I know my setup was VERY tight with 2.5" piping.

 

You should really configure your IC piping with the engine IN the car.

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Just stick with a single sided setup and go through the radiator support or under it like I did. This has ALOT of benefits:

 

- less piping >> thus less charge volume >>faster response

- less time inside the engine bay >> less heat

- less clutter in the engine bay >> easier to work on

- You can keep the mechanical fan >> dunno why you would want to?

- Easier routing of a more efficient vertical core

 

and please for the love of whoever you pray too dont cut your hood!

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Yeah I know I should be doing this in the car. I'm just thinking ahead and of what my options might be. Ive already purchased a cross-flow intercooler and I don't want to cut anything, even on the radiator support. So no worries about cutting the hood :). My intercooler is as wide as one can be and still fit between the two vent holes on the radiator support. In fact I had to get tight radius 90's to make it thru. This is a compromise I know but I think it's worth it to get the longest straight path thru the intercooler.

 

This route does increase the number of bends but it also replaces one 90 Ive seen on other setups with 2 - 45's. Wouldn't this be slightly better?

 

I'm planning to run the throttle cable down, underneath the manifold on the engine side of the manifold collector. I'm not sure how that's going to workout though.

 

I want to keep the mechanical fan because I think it is more effective than electric fans.

 

Also, I forgot to mention, I want to keep the A/C compressor. I live near Houston. A/C is a must :)

 

KTM - I like your setup but it looks like the compressor would have to exit at just the right spot for the piping to make it around the steering shaft without too much complication. I'll check it out when I actually get the engine in the car.

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I would think twice and do some calculation before I installed that core in my car. Unless your just going for the bling factor. You dont need to cut to go single sided either. Charge from the turbo goes under the radiator support and the intercooler outlet comes through the fresh air vent hole. Only down side is the air intake has to be in the engine bay(for a 3" tube) but you can build a box and duct air to it from the a/c evap hole.

 

 

here is what im talking about.

verticle_IC_030.sized.jpg

 

just remember most i/c setups are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to big for the application and will not be as good as you think. Take a look at Monzter's CFD stuff he found out some interesting thing about i/c end tank designs. Tight radius 90's on stock end tank and a huge i/c is not gong to be the best route. And Im guilty of going that route and it did work, just wish I would have taken some quantitative data when I switched setups.

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Please don't! I have seen more then one honda guy do that and its just hideous! The Z deserves better then that!

 

I did find it to be a bit ricer when I thought about it, but I am no longer wanting to go through the trouble of routing the I/C over the fan.

 

It would be way easier to just install an electric fan rather than trying to route piping over the stock fan. I am sure there is a reason why every one is running the electric fan, I'm thinking it's because of "simplicity."

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No bling factor here. I like to think of myself as a minimalist. My idea above was just me trying to solve a percieved problem, not some attempt to display intercooler piping.

 

I didn't mean to imply that my intercooler core was huge. It's just quite a bit longer than it is wide. The core is 21x8x3 and the overall length is 28". I think the vent hole spacing is something like 30.5" edge-to-edge so the piping needs to make a pretty sharp turn to make it thru the holes. I think I got a good deal on the intercooler so I thought I would try it. It was designed by AVO. They seem to have a good reputation in the Subie world.

 

I hadn't actually thought about going under the radiator support. Hmm interesting.

 

 

 

I would think twice and do some calculation before I installed that core in my car. Unless your just going for the bling factor. You dont need to cut to go single sided either. Charge from the turbo goes under the radiator support and the intercooler outlet comes through the fresh air vent hole. Only down side is the air intake has to be in the engine bay(for a 3" tube) but you can build a box and duct air to it from the a/c evap hole.

 

 

 

just remember most i/c setups are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to big for the application and will not be as good as you think. Take a look at Monzter's CFD stuff he found out some interesting thing about i/c end tank designs. Tight radius 90's on stock end tank and a huge i/c is not gong to be the best route. And Im guilty of going that route and it did work, just wish I would have taken some quantitative data when I switched setups.

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Yeah that's what I thought but it sounds like he is using a different oil pan. The stock oil pan is already rear sump.

 

I re-read Maximum Boost's intercooling section last night. 240Hoke has a good point. I'm going to reconsider my intercooler.

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280zx use the rear sump oil pans. I would use a turbo pan because it has the oil return line already in it. But not a big deal to put a drain line into a regular pan.

 

The pan you have on now is a center sump (75 to 78 280z pan).

 

There is lots of room to run IC pipe between the front crossmember and the rear sump pan in a first gen z. I used 2 inch and a friend of mine uses 2-1/4.

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That's interesting. I thought they were all the same ('cept the turbo of course). The one on there now came off my 240 engine but I guess the PO could have switched it. I got a AN bulkhead fitting for the return. It's really easy to drill a new hole in a new pan.

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I am running 2.5 in. IC piping.

 

Rossman, your IC is fine. I poured over Bell's book prior to my IC selection. I wanted to run the same style IC as Austin, but did not want to modify the front support. My IATs are around 100 degrees with my setup. You will have to cut the front for clearance with Austin's old setup. He was running a smaller compressor as well (04B). He did not have to use a 1/2 in. spacer for the turbo.

 

This is why you really need the engine in the car. What looks like it may work out of the car presents challenges once in the car.

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