Bigger Intercooler

Iceman007

Active member
Ok so who would know if fitting a bigger intercooler will make a differance. I found that the performance package for F30 320d uses the same intercooler of the f30 330d. it has the same part number. I think it will have an effect on a warm day

Any ideas on the above :fencelook:

Then all that is needed is some ECU tuning or some plug and play device at a later stage
 
R

Rolf

Guest
bigger = cooler = denser air = more oxygen = more power :idea:
 

Clownshoe

Active member
Showing my ignorance here, but would a bigger intercooler increase lag?
Does making the charge pipes shorter, by relocating the intercooler to a position on top of the engine help?

Thinking more of my jeep than the BMWs.
 
R

Rolf

Guest
Clownshoe said:
...... would a bigger intercooler increase lag?

normally yes.... BUT that's what performance DV (Diverter Valves) are for.... they compensate by "holding the boost" at the right level.

That's why I prefer DV over Dump Valves (Waste Gates)
Makes the car more driveable with less lag

Clownshoe said:
Does making the charge pipes shorter, by relocating the intercooler to a position on top of the engine help?

Yes and No .... what you gain by shorter piping you'll probably loose by less efficiency
 

Sleeper135i

Member
Promotec said:
Clownshoe said:
...... would a bigger intercooler increase lag?

normally yes.... BUT that's what performance DV (Diverter Valves) are for.... they compensate by "holding the boost" at the right level.

That's why I prefer DV over Dump Valves (Waste Gates)
Makes the car more driveable with less lag


Clownshoe said:
Does making the charge pipes shorter, by relocating the intercooler to a position on top of the engine help?

Yes and No .... what you gain by shorter piping you'll probably loose by less efficiency

this made me laugh. thanks.
 
R

Rolf

Guest
Have you driven both valves in traffic?
Guess that won't make you laugh anymore :=):
 
R

Rolf

Guest
Would you care to explain what's so funny?

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
 

gavsadler

///Member
There are arguments for and against different size piping, but IMO it's negligible. I have 63mm boost pipes on my corsa, and there is no noticeable "extra lag".

Don't see an intercooler as a performance part, rather see it as an efficiency part. The job of an intercooler is to keep the charge air cooler than if you didn't have one. Now if you have a bigger intercooler, there is more area available to cool the charged air. A bigger intercooler will keep your intake temperatures lower, for a longer period of time i.e. it will prevent heatsoak.

The performance benefit you feel, is that you have a lower charge temperature (more dense + more fuel = more power).

So in a nutshell, a car with a bigger intercooler will feel less pap on a hot day, or after repetitive hard driving, than the same car fitted with a stock intercooler.

My 2c worth. :rollsmile:
 

BuFFy_ZA

///Member
i think what he means is recirculating dumpvalve vs atmospheric dumpvalve... and not a wast gate, as a wastegate is not a dump valve...

here is a quote from another forum...

"Every turbo has a waste gate. This is how it controls the level of boost, say you running 15psi, the wastegate opens at any pressure above this to keep it at 15.

A dump valve dumps the air in the Turbo-intercooler-Plenium pipe work, this stops the turbo blades stalling, which can be damaging at high boost levels and also creates more lag. With the air dumped the blades carring on spinning which makes it more reponsive, also it makes a nice noise which can be used to scare kids and make fit birds shit themselves."
 

bybyM3

Member
Promotec said:
Clownshoe said:
...... would a bigger intercooler increase lag?

normally yes.... BUT that's what performance DV (Diverter Valves) are for.... they compensate by "holding the boost" at the right level.

That's why I prefer DV over Dump Valves (Waste Gates)
Makes the car more driveable with less lag

Clownshoe said:
Does making the charge pipes shorter, by relocating the intercooler to a position on top of the engine help?

Yes and No .... what you gain by shorter piping you'll probably loose by less efficiency

are you saying Waste Gates = Dump Valves :fencelook:

last i checked my waste gate was on my turbo and the dump valve on my charge pipe.
 

moranor@axis

///Member
Official Advertiser
lol guys lets get back to topic and not get carried away with semantics when it has little to do with the question at hand...

most cars will benefit from a larger IC if ether driven hard or running higher boost... like most things on a car optimum size depends on driving conditions and engine setup...

also the devil is in the details... end tank design is very important for flow and can make an intercooler way more efficient...
 

Iceman007

Active member
Ok so If I fit the performance intercooler on my F30 320d. Everything will stay the same, but on a hot day or when doing alot of hard driving then I will benifit? I think Ill have the bigger intercooler fitted from BMW its R5500 and have to add labour total so 6k
I just have to ask them if I can have it done. I should be able to have it fitted because it falls under accesories and retrofit on my VIN number.

Any opinions
 
Top