Does an intercooler need a tune?

[anmagro]

I have always wonderd....if you install a an intercooler...will that supercharged or turbocharged application need a re-tune? From what i have read...you basicly just bolt/fit an intercooler up and see gains from then next startup...is this correct?

just wondering if any kind of tune is needed to see gains from adding an intercooler.

Thanks guys!

[njm23]

No tuning..you dont get gains from an intercooler. You pretty much prevent the loss of power through heatsoak.

[anmagro]

What about on a supercharged application that is being killed by inefficency?

[RS_Rawli]

youve also got altered length inlet tracts that will effect lag!

[t1demont1]

What about on a supercharged application that is being killed by inefficency?

on an sc application if you intercool it, the iats will drop a lot which is good. You may drop boost a psi or 2 from the piping and the intercooler, however it will be faster due to the the motor being less heat soaked.

It shouldnt effect afrs enough to need a retune. only way to truly know would be hook up a wideband.

[t1demont1]

youve also got altered length inlet tracts that will effect lag!

he could always run a bypass valve close to the throttle body to help out of boost response. And super chargers don't really lag since they're on a belt.

[Seerlah]

Our turbo cars already have a stock intercooler. There are bigger SMICs such as Tyrol or BoosFactory. An FMIC is just better placement for direct flow into the intercooler vs the SMIC which is more tucked to the side. No tune is needed for an intercooler, just make sure you choose the correct size for your application.

[Euro-Tuner]

thats actually a good question, but what I've always wondered about intercooler's is:

Is the IAT drop worth the restriction and drop in pressure in the system? If I were to route my outlet directly to my IM with a dual nozzle meth injection along the way what would be the outcome?

I'm probably missing something extremely obvious but I just woke up from a long night and I'm curious

[B5A4Kevin]

^^ my theory to that would be:

the amount of water/meth needed to compensate for the lack of an intercooler would most likely be detramental to both power, and long term effects on the pistons/tb/valves etc.

[t1demont1]

yeah, im pretty sure a dual nozzle w/m setup would work but it just doesnt seem worth it. on our 1.8ts it wouldnt make sense to not run an intercooler, the pipping is gonna have to leave the engine bay to reach the TB on our motors anyways.

[ghost6303]

If I were to route my outlet directly to my IM with a dual nozzle meth injection along the way what would be the outcome?

the problem with that is- the water/meth is only cooling while you are on boost. an intercooler is constantly cooling which helps keep the over all temp of your engine down while driving around and while off boost in between runs.

if you are trying to build a dyno monster of a car you might be able to do that if you set it up right, but its not practical to drive around with only w/m to cool the incoming air. you would definitely see a power drop by doing this. it would be especially noticeable in the winter time when the air is below freezing.

[Rich@R2]

It really depends on application. A supercharger is more likely in need of a re-tune because a supercharger is linear in boost and the addition of an intercooler/piping can cause significant pressure drop and throttle lag. To make up for it, you can always add a touch of timing and lean it out just a tad in the lower rpms to help in that scenario. As for a turbo charged application like our Audi's, the ECU can compensate for the pressure drop by keeping the waste gate closed longer to attain the same boost pressure as it did before the FMIC. It should be noted that a custom tune is typically better than a generic performance tune, but a properly sized FMIC will not require a re-tune yet still show a significant increase in performance.

[mike-2ptzero]

I guess it really depends on the tune you are running at the time. If the tune is so weak that you dont end up with any timing pull with a SMIC you could use a bit more timing with a FMIC. More timing = more tq/hp.

[Euro-Tuner]

if you are trying to build a dyno monster of a car you might be able to do that if you set it up right, but its not practical to drive around

that make sense, its possible, but only for short term power, not long term reliability.