R34 GTR Intercooler choice for 350awkw

[sneakey pete]

4 hours ago, samurai_gtr said:

There seems to be two standard sizes for GTR coolers.  For my power output would I only be requiring a 70ish mm cooler?  What power figure will this take me upto?  Would I lose response if I went to a bigger cooler?  Any other downsides of a cooler that is 'too big'?

800hp at the crank on the 76mm plazamaman. I plan to test that out soon to.
Bigger cooler means more weight and i guess more pressure drop but maybe not?... Also means its harder to fit.
Thing to keep in mind also is that bigger coolers act as a bigger heat sink, eg they're physically bigger chunks of metal that take longer to heat up. an 80C cooler is going to cool less effictivly than a 50C one. They both have the same frontal area so there's the same amount of air flowing through them, though obviously on a 100mm one there's an extra 30% length of fins for it to flow more so it could cool slightly more... but then that disturbs your air flow...

End of the day will depend on your application. For a non extreme street car that's probably never going to do more than a social track day, a 76 will be fine for sure, ditto for aluminium radiator.

[samurai_gtr]

10 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

It's unlikely that you will get a copper radiator that is superior to an alloy radiator at a low price.  Copper rads are inherently more expensive than aluminium rads.  In my earlier reply I said " for otherwise identical heat exchangers [copper] will result in better cooling", but the problem is that there is never going to be a pair of radiators that are the same except for the material.  Aluminium rads have fatter tubes and different fin pitch where copper rads have to have thin tubes because the metal is not as strong.  It's actually easier to get a very good aluminium radiator than it is to get a very good copper one.  And the Al rad is lighter and should last longer.

There are a lot of "articles" written by radiator people on this topic that you could google up.

In your specific case, Koyo don't even offer a copper rad for R34s, so it's not even a point for discussion.  The only parts they list are for their racing product line, which are all aluminium, including the tanks.

Thanks for the reply @GTSBoy.  Sorry I should have been more specific, the two radiators I'm referring to are:

http://www.rhdjapan.com/koyo-type-r-copper-radiator-bnr34-zenki.html

http://www.nolimitmotorsport.com/prod/KOY-R020879

Edited January 23, 2017 by samurai_gtr

[GTSBoy]

That's somewhat intriguing, because Koyo don't list the copper version of that part number on their own website.  Only the HH20879, which is the one you linked from No Limit.

[samurai_gtr]

6 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

That's somewhat intriguing, because Koyo don't list the copper version of that part number on their own website.  Only the HH20879, which is the one you linked from No Limit.

- aluminium part #: R02879

- copper is part #:  KA020879

Got the copper part # / quote from Streeter, perhaps it's an item that's only stocked in Japan?  I also looked at the KoyoRad site and catalog and couldn't find it.

[GTSBoy]

No, the aluminium part number is HH02879.  The part number at No Limit is their own bastardised version, based on the original Koyo number.  Happens all the time at resellers/on-line vendors.  It's easier for them to just use a version of the manufacturer's number to reduce their own confusion.

The copper one will remain a mystery unless you buy one and prove their existence!

[ChrisR33GTS-T]

On 1/22/2017 at 7:15 PM, samurai_gtr said:

Still entertaining the idea of an ARC as I've always wanted one and my mechanic highly recommends them.  Does anyone know the difference between the 073 and 079 models?

 

FYI the difference between the 073 and 079 is the number of tubes between the end tanks. 

The 3 in the 073 corresponds to 13 tubes. The 9 in the 079 = 19 tubes.  

Also, the 07 = 70mm depth of the intercooler. The overall dimensions of both units are exactly the same (300x600x70).  The only difference is the number of tubes.  

Hope this answers your question  :-)  

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Get plazmaman

Also I can assist 

[baron_von_bootsector]

Both of those Koyo rads will work well, the copper one will be more expensive and heavier compared to the lighter and cheaper aluminium model but both will get the job done effectively and are quality units (I have a Koyorad aluminium model and love it). Copper is more resistant in terms of galvanic corrosion but they should both see similar service life if you replace your coolant / corrosion inhibitor regularly.  

Copper is a much better conductor of heat (aluminium is only about ~59% as capable as copper in terms of thermal conduction) but on a radiator the total surface area exposed to airflow has a much larger impact on the ability of the radiator to transfer heat to the environment vs the material used. This combined with the much lower prices / weight of aluminium and improved  welding processes have made thicker / larger aluminium radiators the norm in the vehicle industry where copper radiators used to dominate. This is the same reason why you will almost never see a copper intercooler as the additional weight and expense does not make a worthwhile performance difference..

Look at high end PC heatsink designs these days and they are almost universally using copper slugs or heatpipes to transfer heat from the processor to a large collection of aluminium fins for the same reasons. 

 

In terms of an intercooler go with a "street" (~70mm) model from a decent Australian manufacturer such as Plazmaman or PWR - both offer world class gear at prices much better than the top overseas brands.

[No Crust Racing]

Just chipping in +1 for plazaman 76mm - same car/power as yours. 

Dyno testing showed a small improvement in response, but negligible power change. The big difference was we could hit it multiple times on the dyno and the IATs stayed steady. This is with -9s running 24-25psi so the air temp out of those won't exactly be chilly. 

If you get the IAT bung option, be sure to get a new gasket and use some RTV on it, the mounting surface on mine was very thin and it had a boost leak there. The thread for the screw that holds the sensor in was also not deep enough. 

Stealth for me. No logo painted on the core. Looks stock. 

Edited April 26, 2017 by ActionDan

[ChrisR33GTS-T]

I'm very impressed with the build quality and design of our local products (that Plazmaman unit looks superb). 

I guess I'm also a fan of Japanese steel :-) OK I'm going to nerd out here for a moment - The ARC 073 is 2.5kg lighter than the stock cooler (a pretty important location on your car for weight savings).  All the original Nismo Intercoolers were made by ARC.    I "believe" ARC has a patent on the inlet of their tube design which provides improved response.  

 

Edited April 26, 2017 by ChrisR33GTS-T

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

To improve response, one shall upgrade to a modern single twin scroll turbo.

[No Crust Racing]

Nos. 

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

2 minutes ago, ActionDan said:

Nos. 

That too haha

[TXSquirrel]

Is Greddy or HPI intercooler no good?  With shipping to the States, they will cost less than Plazmaman for me.

[Hadouken]

Nothing wrong with them. [emoji106]

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

But Plazmaman better..

[TXSquirrel]

34 minutes ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

But Plazmaman better..

Yeah Plazmaman looks to be good quality.  However when I say Greddy or HPI costs less for me, it really is only 2/3 of Plazmaman...  Shipping is a killer and so is currency exchange...

[No Crust Racing]

At this power it won't make a huge difference. The Greddy will be fine.

Plazmaman is popular here because it's a good product, well priced, and easy shipping. 

[TXSquirrel]

Greddy and HPI are both "bolt-on" units, so I assume they would be the same size.  But I just read closer and they are not!

HPI: 500mm x 270mm x 72mm  /  Greddy: 600mm x 284mm x 66mm

HPI is a whole 10cm shorter?  Hmm that's intersting...  What is R32's factory size?

[Piggaz]

600x300x60 IIRC.