Intake Air temps

[WRX1]

Well, I broke down and bout the Autometer intake air temp guage, and installed it over the weekend. I have only had it in the car a couple of days, and have come up with tsome basic numbers, but later in the week I am going to start switching out parts. Currently I have the STI scoop, and a home made air diverter. I have one temp probe in the pass side intercooler intake elbow, and I have the other probe in the bottom close to the tb opening. Today was 89-91 outside, and I was getting 140-160 before the intercooler and 90-100 after the intercoolor. I was getting results close to the same 50-60 degree drop in the morning and later Sat night when it was coolor. I am going to take out the diverter and give it a try for a day or two, and then drop down to the stock scoop to see how that reacts.

As for on boost, I am just running the stock turbo with mbc and stock exhaust. I have a uppie on the way, and I have samco hoses to install also. As soon as the turbo starts to get close to generating boost the pre-intercooler probe starts to go up, and today (90 degrees out), at full boost (14.5-15 psi) I could only get about 225-230 degrees out of it. Post intercooler would go up, but it took alot longer for the temp to go up.

If anyone has any questions or ideas for my to try out, let me know. I am also in the process of installing a water spray kit, so that will also give me a couple of more options.

Russ

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[jmott]

nice
keep the data coming
if you could log everything neatly and fully in an excel spreadsheet that would be awesome

Originally posted by WRX1
Well, I broke down and bout the Autometer intake air temp guage, and installed it over the weekend. I have only had it in the car a couple of days, and have come up with tsome basic numbers, but later in the week I am going to start switching out parts. Currently I have the STI scoop, and a home made air diverter. I have one temp probe in the pass side intercooler intake elbow, and I have the other probe in the bottom close to the tb opening. Today was 89-91 outside, and I was getting 140-160 before the intercooler and 90-100 after the intercoolor. I was getting results close to the same 50-60 degree drop in the morning and later Sat night when it was coolor. I am going to take out the diverter and give it a try for a day or two, and then drop down to the stock scoop to see how that reacts.

As for on boost, I am just running the stock turbo with mbc and stock exhaust. I have a uppie on the way, and I have samco hoses to install also. As soon as the turbo starts to get close to generating boost the pre-intercooler probe starts to go up, and today (90 degrees out), at full boost (14.5-15 psi) I could only get about 225-230 degrees out of it. Post intercooler would go up, but it took alot longer for the temp to go up.

If anyone has any questions or ideas for my to try out, let me know. I am also in the process of installing a water spray kit, so that will also give me a couple of more options.

Russ

[Uncle Scotty]

Outstanding post

TYVM Russ...

[thng]

Originally posted by WRX1


As for on boost, I am just running the stock turbo with mbc and stock exhaust. I have a uppie on the way, and I have samco hoses to install also. As soon as the turbo starts to get close to generating boost the pre-intercooler probe starts to go up, and today (90 degrees out), at full boost (14.5-15 psi) I could only get about 225-230 degrees out of it. Post intercooler would go up, but it took alot longer for the temp to go up.

If anyone has any questions or ideas for my to try out, let me know. I am also in the process of installing a water spray kit, so that will also give me a couple of more options.

Russ

Food for thought in your quest for power. The magic number that seemed to pop up in my testing years was 120F intercooler out temp.

The number appeared to be the threshold for detonation under boost. This applied when the other parameters were adjusted to the limits. IE, that timing and fuelling were adjusted for maximum power production.

This also seemed to be an indicator of a limit not having been reached yet when temp exceeded 120F and engine ran without detonation. Keep in mind we were running a fuel that ws designed with a turbo in mind. You will have to be extra careful with the over the counter pump fuel we normally run.

Ted

[BOP]

this is pointless

[WRX1]

Well, I think the intercooler is doing a pretty good job. It is keeping the post turbo air at (or close to) ambient temps. Just from my driving around, I was averaging about 5-10 degrees over outside air temp (post intercooler). I don't think thats to bad considering that I still have stock exhaust, so there is 2 cats that will keep the under hood temp kinda high (not to mention the turbo). This weekend I am going to run my scan tool and my meter (has a VERY accurate temp guage on it), and try to monitor the diferences between all the temps. I am also going to try putting the stock scoop back on with no diverter, just to see what happens, and then add a piece at a time to get some data.

I had a chance to do a spirited run and came up with some interesting info, I have my mbc set to about 14.5-15 psi. I was at a complete stop, and I just mashed the gas (have an auto), and the pre intercooler temp only went up to about 215-220 and kinda peaked out there. I ran it up till about 115-120 on the speedo and the post intercooler temp never went over 125, but it was starting to rise a bit. As soon as I let off the gas, the pre and post emp probes droped right back down to a normal temp in less than 5 seconds. I guess it is hard to expain without seeing the guage and how they react to throttle and boost.

Russ

[BOP]

this is pointless

[WRX1]

I will give it a try this weekend. I am going to try out the stock scoop with and without the diverter, and then put in my samco y hose and give it another try. I think the stock intercooler does a pretty good job. the only thing I have seen is that at idle for a bit (over 2 mins), the intake temps start to go up from heat soak, but as soon as you start moving they drop right back down. I think that with a better turbo back and a up pipe that will really start to lower underhood temps. I might also try out a friend cai to see if that changes anything. Does anyone know if the factory air intake temp sensor (one that shows up one obd-II software) is built into the maf, or know where the sensor is??

Russ

[BOP]

this is pointless

[WRX1]

Well, the uppipe and down pipe I was think of is to get rid of the heat soak (or atleast delay it a bit longer). Thanks for the info, that will help me out a bit. I figure if I can keep the post intercooler temps at ambient temp, and then a water spray kit will help get them below when needed, that should work out pretty good. Now, I also have to watch my timing to see how it is effected.

Russ

[Concillian]

Originally posted by BOP
I'm not so sure about underhood temperatures, because stock uppipe and downpipe have heatshieds on them, and aftermarket units do not.

Heatshields are almost pointless on SS exhasut componenets, since they aren't made of much more conductive cast iron like the stock exhaust bits. They're practically their own heatshield.

[jmott]

Originally posted by BOP
I'm not so sure about underhood temperatures, because stock uppipe and downpipe have heatshieds on them, and aftermarket units do not. On the other hand, you're eliminating 2 cats that tend to get really hot... Who knows... And yes, intake air temperature data comes from the MAF sensor.

Looking forward for more info from ya

my aftermarket downpipe has a heatshield on it...

[WRX1]

Well, I did some testing this weekend, and found some interesting things out. First off, I live in Minnesota, so our weather is screwd right now. It was 50 today, and they are talking snow tomorrow. So it is kinda hard to get some good results. I went back to the stock scoop and no diverter and went out for a drive and I came up with some weird results. I think becasue of the cold air, I was getting close to the same post intercooler temps as I was with my STI/diverter combo. I was only getting lie 50-55 post intercooler with the stock scoop, and I ws down right about 50 even with the sti combo. I am thinking that because if the cold, it will cool off the intercooler that much better. So once it warms up a bit (to like 75-80) I will try this out again to see if I get similar results. I used my laptop with obd-II software to check my iat temp (in the maf sensor), and it was actually higher than my post intercooler probe. It was usually about 5-8 degrees higher than the guage reading. I have a few more ideas that I am going to try out and give some more results. I have also been keeping up with Rifts postings about the ecu pulling timing because of the high iat readings, so that is something else I am going to be checking out.

Russ

[Need4Mods]

When you do your next round of tests, are you going to do these tests at low speeds and at higher speeds? I would be courious to see if the stock scoop provides enough airflow to the intercooler at the lower speeds.

Also, with your hood scoop spiltter, what does it look like? Is it just a piece of metal bent in angles or is it a splitter that is curved? This too will make a difference. Our hood scoops are curved and so too should be the hood splitter.

[WRX1]

Well, what are you talking about for speeds?? Once the car gets moving (20+ mph) the intake temps start dropping. For my air diverter, it is curved. It splits the incoming air and the dirverter curves the air downward. Kinda like a 7, but curved on the top and the back is straight up and down. As for our weather today it is SNOWING. We already have like 1.5 inches, and it is supposed to be like 50+ tomorrow. I will try to get some pics of my diverter and post them for everyone to check out.


Russ

[LAWRX]

Interested to see what the next set of test in warmer weather will tell.

Thanks.

[WRX1]

I have found a couple of other little interesting tid bits. I have noticed that just coasting the post intercooler intake temp goes up a bit, and I think this might be because there is not air flowing through (inside) the intercooler. As soon as I started to drive (vaccum starts to drop) the temp starts to drop.

I have been playing with the stock scoop and the diverter, and the only thing I have noticed is that the sti scoop and diverter combo actually drops the temps faster than the stock scoop. Now its not a huge time difference, but it is there (maybe 15-30 seconds longer). Once the car is running up to speed (doesn't really matter what speed), the post intake temps drop down to or very close to ambient temp (with 5-8 degrees warmer).

Russ

[BOP]

this is pointless

[mynew02]

Once the car is running up to speed (doesn't really matter what speed), the post intake temps drop down to or very close to ambient temp (with 5-8 degrees warmer).

Is this with both the stock and STI? Only difference being how long it takes to get near the ambient temp?

[Need4Mods]

Originally posted by WRX1
I have found a couple of other little interesting tid bits. I have noticed that just coasting the post intercooler intake temp goes up a bit, and I think this might be because there is not air flowing through (inside) the intercooler. As soon as I started to drive (vaccum starts to drop) the temp starts to drop.

I have been playing with the stock scoop and the diverter, and the only thing I have noticed is that the sti scoop and diverter combo actually drops the temps faster than the stock scoop. Now its not a huge time difference, but it is there (maybe 15-30 seconds longer). Once the car is running up to speed (doesn't really matter what speed), the post intake temps drop down to or very close to ambient temp (with 5-8 degrees warmer).

Russ

Pictures, pictures, pictures! We need pictures! Where did you get your STi Scoop diverter from? Also, I was wondering, is there any possible way for you to do another test for me?

I was wondering if you could try adding a mesh to your sti scoop. Try that without the diverter. I am really courious to see how this may or maynot effect the intercooler temps. I would also be courious to see a test with the mesh covering and with the diverter.

Nice info, keep it coming!

[WRX1]

I have run the stock and sti scoop, and the temp drops a bit quicker with the sti, but then end up in the same place. As for the diverter, I made them myself out of aluminum. I am going to get a buddy digi cam this weekend so I can get some new pics up. I would try the test with a mesh screen, but Buckbomb hasn't sent out the black kits. I don't really think the grill will change anything, it might just slow down the rate at which the temp drops. I will give a higher boost setting a try this weekend.

Russ

[roybfr]

This is some good info, it will be interesting to see what happens when the temps get back up in the 80's/90's. What is the part number of the Autometer gauge that you got? Does it come with both sensors and does the gauge have two read outs or do you have a switch to go between the two.

Troy

[WRX1]

The guage I am using is the 3373. It does come with both sensors and a black box. Both sensors go into the box, and then the 4 wires from the guage go into the box, and the +12volts and gnd wires go in. The box has 3 buttons, 1 for 1st sensor, 1 for 2nd sensor, 1 for peak hold erase. To get into the peak mode you just hold down one of the sensor select buttons. The box looks like the ones for the egt guages. I will try to get some pics up tomorrow of my setup.

I also install the y pipe for my samco kit and did a little driving around. To me, it seems that the the temps (both) dropped a bit. The pre intercooler definitly drop about 10 degrees. I have a bunch of running around to do today, so I will check it out some more and try to get my pics posted and reply tomorrow.

Russ

[WRX1]

here are some of the pics.....













Also, I noticed about a 10-15 degree drop in the pre-intercooler probe now that I have the samco y-pipe on. Once it warms up a little (recieved about 3 inches of SNOW yesterday), we will have to see how things work out.

Russ

[westy66]

thanks for all the info! i just installed the Samco hoses last week, nice to see they have quite a noticeable effect.

i cant see your pics tho

Bob