So as I'm getting closer to actually installing all the turbo parts I've collected onto my car, the intercooler situation is a bit complicated.

I have a TII top-mount, which is my first choice since it is the easiest solution. The problem is I can't find a TII hood easily near me, and if I do they are upwards of $500 at this point. I also really like the straight NA hood, and since mine is aluminum I have some weight savings there.

My other option is a front mount, which is easy and available. Problem is it has a much larger run of piping, it requires cutting my car (which I don't like at all), and it cuts down on air flow to the rad. Let alone that I want to put the AC back in eventually and I still have PS and battery in stock locations, so the piping needs to take a very winding route. So IMO this is a last resort option.

Lastly, a v-mount is appealing to me. I know it requires some fab work but it seems to just be simple bracketry and some shrouds to channel the air. The piping run is short, it doesn't cut down on air to the rad, and with my e-fan I already have a bunch of space there to fill.

Problem is, I don't want a vented hood. To the point that it is a dealbreaker if I need one. Obviously a hood vent will be ideal temp-wise but I'm wondering if anyone is running a straight hood with a v-mount successfully?

I found that BlueTII was running this setup a few years ago, but details on his IATs weren't included in the post. This tells me it is at least doable. But if it's going to leave me with high IATs then that's a definite downside.

I have plenty of time (months probably) to prepare, so I may find a nice TII hood before this becomes a problem. Just getting all my ducks in a row.

Sorry for rambling, but it turns out intercoolers are a complex topic.

Thanks, Chris

 

you might look at a water to air setup, i've been thinking about it, as the packaging is more flexible. you can have a short pipe run, stable intake temps. plus fitting it with the AC/PS looks possible. its a bit complex, there is a pump that needs power, and water is heavy. if you search there have been a couple people running the water to air IC in the T2 stock spot. the cores are cheap too Front Mount Intercooler

i have an HKS S Type intercooler, and its the same size core as the Greddy unit and its clones. the difference is that the HKS end tanks are narrower enough (its like 1" difference) that it fits under the hood latch, and the pipes are angled such that you do not need to cut anything on the car to fit the pipes. it wouldn't be too bad to modify a greddy size core to match, or just run a smaller intercooler. there are actually two kits on YJA right now, which would fit with the AC/PS. with mine i just got a core, and piped it myself, so AC/PS would be a little fab work.

the old school HKS/Greddy setups only require one hole in the car and they fit with the full sized battery, AC and PS, it wouldn't be out of the question to buy/duplicate something like that (i have one i'd sell, but getting to Canada seems impossible?)

and then the V mount, i've seen nice looking ones, but never really tried it. getting it to fit with the AC is the problem, on the car i'm supposed to be working on, i'm considering an Rx8 radiator, because the AC condenser bolts to that, and then i can move the whole assembly around

 

If not using a hood vent in vmount I'd say you need a fan to get air through the intercooler and around the engine.
But downside in v-mount is that the intercooler is above the radiator, so in slow traffic or while parking the intercooler heats up

You could maybe do a front mount intercooler (in the very front) and vent it through the floor and/or get fresh air through the floor to the radiator...

 

I appreciate the offer, but between exchange and international shipping costs (not to mention customs), and the fact that I'm not sure which way I'm going with this I'll pass for now

Why is the AC condenser a problem with a v-mount? I do want to reinstall mine, but IIRC it mounts to the studs on the rad support sides, not on anything that I'll be relocating when the rad moves.

A small fan that turns on when IATs climb is a good idea.

I'm looking at other pictures (some on FDs) and I think if the angle is right then a v-mount with no vent can be done effectively.

It seems like if you're using a vent, you want the intercooler core as high as you can in the engine bay right up against it (which makes sense). Meanwhile if you're not using a vent, you make the radiator angle a bit more extreme so the intercooler can sit lower (and maybe have the intercooler tilted so that the rearmost end is downward). That way air can escape the back-side of the cooler.

 

I've never seen it done before on an FC, but I wonder if you can mount your IC similar to how the OEM FD IC is mounted - i.e., standing up behind the radiator with a cold air duct providing fresh air to the IC? The FD has the radiator angled forward at a sharper angle than the FC, but if there's enough room to make the IC ducting work in an FC, that might be possible. Then the A/C condenser and oil cooler remains as-is OEM FC design.

Although if you're not trying to push much beyond the 350~400RWHP range, the OEM top mount IC and T2 hood will be perfectly fine. That's where I'm at, and as long as I keep my FC moving, IATs are not a problem.

 

I once made a power point to play around with radiator / intercooler placement.
This is my current setup in my racecar


I can send you the file via email if you want.
I think it is 1:10, so you can put in accual sizes

 

so there are kind of two ways to do a V mount. the first is to make the radiator vertical, and then put the IC in the new space. AC condenser, and oil cooler can stay where they are, does not leave you a ton of room for an intercooler

put the radiator nearly horizontal, like the FD V mount setups, leaves you tons of room for an IC. AC Condenser is in the way. Oil cooler can probably stay where it is.

 

i'm thinking if you put the FD radiator in an FC, the radiator gets shorter, and you can leave a space at the top for a duct, AC condenser is in the way. kind of why i'm thinking about the Rx8 setup, as the Radiator and AC condenser are an assembly (with the fans). so you just move all of that together

 

Hi Chris,

I 100% agree with all of your concerns, pros and cons mentioned in your original post. Did you end up with getting a setup going and working and more importantly, did it result with controlling the IATs nicely?
Thanks
Bryan

 

Hi Bryan

I ended up finding a TII hood so the point became moot. I also had to postpone the turbo swap since my car is currently on a rotisserie stand mid-restoration. Once the car is back together I plan to just use the TII top-mount intercooler since I now have the correct hood, but if I end up changing that I'll come update this thread again.

- Chris