Insulating The Crossover Pipe

[ClutchBurndout-:(]

on an r33 gtst, the crossover pipe and intercooler piping for a fmic gets pretty farking hot after driving, so all the work the intercooler is doing is just being canceled out from the hot pipes in the engine bay, is it worth wrapping the intake piping in the engine bay including the crossover pipe in insulation tape to block out some heat?

[djr81]

No.

[The Dan]

The intercooler is a heat exchanger, not a radiator.

The heat only transfers from the pipe/cooler into the air stream when you decel or idle. Almost the instant you mash the throttle the cool air coming from the intercooler is able to enter the engine without absorbing too much heat.

If you were to HPC coat the inside and out, I'm sure you might get a small advantage but the cost would far outweigh the advantages

[djr81]

The intercooler is a heat exchanger, not a radiator.

The heat only transfers from the pipe/cooler into the air stream when you decel or idle. Almost the instant you mash the throttle the cool air coming from the intercooler is able to enter the engine without absorbing too much heat.

If you were to HPC coat the inside and out, I'm sure you might get a small advantage but the cost would far outweigh the advantages

The intercooler is a heat exchanger. As is the radiator.

The point is that the amount of heat the turbo puts into the compressed air (Which is a measure of its inefficiency) is alot less at lower throttle openings than at WOT. So there is less heat to be removed at low power levels rather than the inter cooling being less able to remove it.

The point is that the amount of heat transferred to the pipe section per lb of air (or however you like to measure your air) is negligible. Hence it is not worth bothering insulating the pipe.

Or in other words.

No.

[SimonR32]

The intercooler is a heat exchanger, not a radiator.

EH???

[The Dan]

EH???

lunch time brain fart and I still can't think of the correct word.

Radiators are also a type of heat exchanger but what I am trying to say is that the intercooler will absorb heat from the charge air on acceleration, then on decel a lot of that heat will be put back into the air stream. If you hook up temp sensors and monitor before and after you will see what I am talking about

[Dobz]

The only bit worth heat tape wrapping is the section of pipe that travels over the engine into the throttle because that's heat soak central, especially when the crossover pipe runs so close to the exhaust manifold.

[wolverine]

lunch time brain fart and I still can't think of the correct word.

Radiators are also a type of heat exchanger but what I am trying to say is that the intercooler will absorb heat from the charge air on acceleration, then on decel a lot of that heat will be put back into the air stream. If you hook up temp sensors and monitor before and after you will see what I am talking about

"Heat sink" the two elusive words??

[nickor33]

I have recently tried this and there is a slight noticeable difference. On paper people may disagree, however i noticed it. I almost went for a turn flow intercooler for this reason. I used some heat reflective shining tape from bunning's and wrapped it around twice and then back along that whole tube. I swear it made a difference and the engine feels a tiny bit more punchy. ( wild guess and i would say 1 - 2 kw @ wheels ) i tried it on the same day in similar temperatures as well. I am just an amateur though but thought i would comment

glad i did it.

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

you can feel 1kw difference?

[89CAL]

lunch time brain fart and I still can't think of the correct word.

Radiators are also a type of heat exchanger but what I am trying to say is that the intercooler will absorb heat from the charge air on acceleration, then on decel a lot of that heat will be put back into the air stream. If you hook up temp sensors and monitor before and after you will see what I am talking about

The heat on Decel would be due to the lack of flow through the system into the engine due to the throttle body being closed? And I guess without flow the air will will absorb heat from engine, pipes etc.

Something I've never really thought about till now

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

it sits over the hot engine for the entire time the car is running, no matter what you wrap it in the temp will eventually be the same anyway

[nickor33]

Just doing some more research. found a guy who has measured the difference in temperature

7 - 10 degrees ( don't know what car though but it says the return pipe goes over the radiator like aftermarket gts-t - gtt FMIC kit )

Does anyone agree that even a drop in 5 degree might get you 1 - 2 kw for all the non believers

using oven mitts ?

Insulating the Return

[MrStabby]

In that article the guy says that his intercooler exit temperature is almost ambient, so he has optimised for the condition when the turbo is doing next to nothing. If he were to try again with a turbo running hard (so the compressor is adding heat) then he would find that insulating the pipe is a backwards step (assuming underbonnet temperatures are less than compressed air temperatures). But yeah, probably doesnt make much difference either way, as sections of pipe are not great heat exchangers.

Djr has it right, the answer is

No

[Char]

go fwd facing plenum.

/end

[luvpsi]

go fwd facing plenum.

/end

+1 if you are really that bothrd about heat then go and spend some money and get a forward facing plenum