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Interesting read...anyone care to comment on this copy and paste?
Side Mount Intercoolers (vs Front Mount Intercoolers)
Efficiency. Capacity. Air Flow
As the act of compressing the intake charge creates heat, and the key to engine performance is a cool intake air temperature, the importance of effective intercooling is paramount. Also, because the close proximity of the neighboring cylinders makes even a stock VW VR6 a rather hot running engine, the importance of maximizing cooling efficiency is even more important.
It is often assumed that a Front Mount Intercooler (FMIC) is superior to a Side Mount Intercooler (SMIC) but this is not necessarily the case.
First and foremost, using SMICs will not obstruct the flow of air through the radiator. While a FMIC may do a good job of properly cooling the boost intake charge, however this occurs at the expense of restricting cool air flow through the radiator, and is therefore counter productive.
Secondly, while it is true that OEM SMIC have a smaller core volumetric capacity when compared to a typical FMIC, when used in a dual mount configuration (as on HPA’s higher output turbo systems), the total capacity is increased twofold.
Example:
Stock GTi 1.8T intercooler: 3.57L / 218 in3
Competitor’s FMIC 5.07L or 309.4 in3
Dual Stock GTi 1.8T intercooler: 7.14L / 436 in3
Thirdly, the large amount of piping required for a FMIC (particularly when paired with a factory intake manifold) causes a slowing in spool up time, equivalent to 300 to 500 rpm lag behind a single SMIC.
Joe
Side Mount Intercoolers (vs Front Mount Intercoolers)
Efficiency. Capacity. Air Flow
As the act of compressing the intake charge creates heat, and the key to engine performance is a cool intake air temperature, the importance of effective intercooling is paramount. Also, because the close proximity of the neighboring cylinders makes even a stock VW VR6 a rather hot running engine, the importance of maximizing cooling efficiency is even more important.
It is often assumed that a Front Mount Intercooler (FMIC) is superior to a Side Mount Intercooler (SMIC) but this is not necessarily the case.
First and foremost, using SMICs will not obstruct the flow of air through the radiator. While a FMIC may do a good job of properly cooling the boost intake charge, however this occurs at the expense of restricting cool air flow through the radiator, and is therefore counter productive.
Secondly, while it is true that OEM SMIC have a smaller core volumetric capacity when compared to a typical FMIC, when used in a dual mount configuration (as on HPA’s higher output turbo systems), the total capacity is increased twofold.
Example:
Stock GTi 1.8T intercooler: 3.57L / 218 in3
Competitor’s FMIC 5.07L or 309.4 in3
Dual Stock GTi 1.8T intercooler: 7.14L / 436 in3
Thirdly, the large amount of piping required for a FMIC (particularly when paired with a factory intake manifold) causes a slowing in spool up time, equivalent to 300 to 500 rpm lag behind a single SMIC.
Joe
