[Node]

This weekend while the snow melts I will be continuing to improve several aspects of the Spyder air induction.

1st, I was not happy with my air to water intercooler. Too heavy and it took up just as much space as a regular air to air unit. So, I'm test fitting an MR2 MKII side mount intercooler. My temperature datalogging shows that the air next to the side vent is exactly ambient. So, Ill be adding a duct and shroud with a couple fans to pull cold air through the intercooler from the side scoop. My Arduino will be reprogramed to control the fan speeds. One fan will be mounted next to the scoop and another will be installed on the back side of the intercooler.

I'll need to make a bracket or two to hold the thing in place.

Next, I have already fabricated a new cold air intake and I am working on the airbox for behind the tail light. The airbox will be sealed off from engine bay / exhaust area air. A carbon fiber NACA duct will ram air directly from outside the rear fender.

Here I stuck the duct on backwards to get a little better idea of how it will look. This is more function over form but as long as it is a real air intake I don't think it's too ricer. Not that the rest of the car covered in carbon isn't lol.

Opinions on the proposed location? I could probably go forward or down but this spot is the flattest on the fender. Meaning there should not be any hack job gaps once installed.

 

[FormInFunction]

I like the ram air idea but I thought NACA ducts were relatively low flow with the tradeoff of also being low-drag. Disclaimer...I know very little on fluid dynamics outside of biological equations.

 

[rmeller]

The only advantage of an A2W intercooler, besides the possibility of an ice canister, is getting a direct air blast on the final heat exchanger. If it can do that, then it might be worth the weight and volume.

From the looks of your NACA duct, I doubt that it has enough cross section area to provide the air that you would need to compete with a front mounted heat exchanger. Look at the area of that pipe, and compare it with the front grill.

 

[Node]

The only advantage of an A2W intercooler, besides the possibility of an ice canister, is getting a direct air blast on the final heat exchanger. If it can do that, then it might be worth the weight and volume.

From the looks of your NACA duct, I doubt that it has enough cross section area to provide the air that you would need to compete with a front mounted heat exchanger. Look at the area of that pipe, and compare it with the front grill.

The NACA duct is only an air intake for the turbo compressor inlet on the right side of the car. This normally would feed one of two Skyline turbos so it should be sufficient. Although the airflow at that location is probably quite dirty and not laminar at all. There is also some flow from the right side scoop too. Added a few speed holes in the plastic internal duct

However, the intercooler will have its own dedicated 6" thermally insulated intake connected directly to the left side OEM scoop location. PLENTY cross sectional area there. In fact a bit more than the Exige roof scoop. Plus two 6" fans! I hope it is overkill but if not I can easily add an intercooler sprayer control to the Arduino program.

 

[rcntype]

If you don't have anything in the right vent, doesn't that air, if blocked off from going into the engine bay, just flows over the fenderliner and right towards the tail light area?

 

[MR2-D2]

If you don't have anything in the right vent, doesn't that air, if blocked off from going into the engine bay, just flows over the fenderliner and right towards the tail light area?

Eh kinda? Not really, there's a little plastic duct on both vents that point into the engine bay. If you block it off it just makes a high pressure zone unless you take those ducts out

 

[Node]

Eh kinda? Not really, there's a little plastic duct on both vents that point into the engine bay. If you block it off it just makes a high pressure zone unless you take those ducts out

Yea, with the intercooler now sitting in the engine bay I want to keep as much cool air blowing through there as possible. Also the engine bay metal to the right of the engine gets quite warm from the turbo and exhaust manifold radiant heat. Air flowing through the fender area would get heated a little after sitting at idle. Plus I plan to build an insulated intake box connected to the auxiliary scoop.

 

[MR2-D2]

Yea, with the intercooler now sitting in the engine bay I want to keep as much cool air blowing through there as possible. Also the engine bay metal to the right of the engine gets quite warm from the turbo and exhaust manifold radiant heat. Air flowing through the fender area would get heated a little after sitting at idle. Plus I plan to build an insulated intake box connected to the auxiliary scoop.

It sounds sick and I'm eager to see your progress. My unprofessional opinion though is maybe to only do the duct for the compressor intake. Even with with a bunch of fans, with the metal heat exchanger in the bay and only A2A, I'm pretty sure you'll run into heat soak issues occasionally during idle and the time it takes to reach equilibrium temp will inherently be shorter. Sure while driving it likely won't be an issue but the same can be said with an A2W, especially if you add radiant heat shielding.

What's are the peak intake temps and the delta between it and ambient on the hottest summer days? How much boost are you set to? If you're that unhappy with your current set up and it's doing way better than mine I'll probably have to end up copying you if it improves it haha.

Edit: Also what manifold is that, the blanket looks huge and I'm nosy

 

[SlyBee]

Its known in the SW20 community that the GReddy style side mount intercooler are pretty crappy. They either go A2W or the larger Phoenix Style core. Or a high quality custom made GReddy style intercooler, like how RacerX used to sell.

 

[Node]

Answers to some folks questions. Sitting in traffic previously with the intake at the turbo I would see temperatures of 170f at idle. My setup was and is unique. The problem wasn't really an issue while moving since temperature would drop quickly. But the air was coming from under the car and quite unclean.

Once I build the air box I'm guessing I'll never see elevated inlet temperatures again and I may even manage a slight positive pressure.

Progress.....

 

[Node]

Out enjoying the ice slicks today.

 

[holloway36]

Please let me know if anyone got any on sale!!!!

 

[Node]

Please let me know if anyone got any on sale!!!!

NACA ducts?

There are carbon fiber ones all over eBay and Amazon. Here's a few more shots if you are really looking for something like this.

 

[MR2-D2]

170f?! Good lord! What were ambient temps? I have my piping routed right near the manifold as well but I've only ever seen 120 at the highest. My compressor intake uses the fender hose that comes stock with the car, I modified the plastic end to point downwards at the filter I placed in that space of the fender liner and bumper. The pictures don't really show it that well but it's just out of frame attached to the corrugated pipe on the top left. I never took a good picture and can't now since it's all undone because e throttle and I am RMAing the turbo but you get the idea

 

[Node]

Ambient temperature was 80*f. Measured at standstill after 1 min with no forced air cooling in the bay were as follows.

Above engine at the engine cover vent 190*f
At the driver's side inlet duct 95*f

It was getting toasty partly because of the equal length manifold and partly because I had all the heat shields in place. It's better now with the blanket but I really want to do away with that thing. I suspect it would crack the manifold at the track.

 

[MR2-D2]

Hmm that's really odd. I don't have a tubular manifold and instead have the TKC one. I ended up getting it ceramic coated, as well as the turbo, but that seemed to only affect bay temps not so much intake temps. Ambient for me when it was 120F was around 97F. Maybe try the gold heat wrap on the more exposed areas?

What manifold is that, OBX? I also have a blanket but haven't tried it coupled with the ceramic coat. Temps were about the same before and after. Maybe a tad bit better now with the ceramic coat.

It might be just because of the shear size. I was and am still currently using all the stock heat sheilds with exception of the rearmost black one for the muffler. The only air getting into the bay is the left vent and underneath

 

[Node]

I think it's several factors. The temperature readings I am talking about are from wireless thermocouple probes placed different spots throughout the engine bay. Additionally, I have a bit more surface area with the manifold unshielded race cat and large 3" unwrapped exhaust all the way out. Lots of heat sources!

I really hate exhaust wraps since I work on my car so often and I'm always changing things. So some other forms of thermal management are in the cars soon.

The manifold is parts from am OBX that I cut up and reworked to raise the turbo and do away with the external gate. So the head flange and most of the runners are originally OBX but a few other sections are just scrap 304 I had laying around and an aftermarket 304 flange.

 

[MR2-D2]

Is it routed through the center rather than under the frame like factory? Damn, I wish I went with 3".

I didn't mean on the exhaust, I was referring to the aluminized tapes for heat rejection on the intake piping and A2W within the bay. Maybe the reservoir if it's in the bay as well. Like the gold gold ones I'm using.

That sounds like quitethe manifold though! Do you have any pictures of it naked without the blanket?

 

[Node]

Manifold

3" exhaust

You can kind of get an idea why heat is an issue here.

Here's some data showing air temperature at the top of the engine bay. It gets hot quick!