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I picked up one of the 27x5.5x2.5 bar and plate ebay intercoolers a few months ago andnit has very dense, offset rows of fins. Can't see any light through it. I will snag a picture when I get home later. For $70, I am pleased. Should have gone with the 7" tall one though. Oh well.
Any chance we can get a thread sometim about picking an intercooler, and what makes a good one vs a bad one (probably internal surface area and such, yes?) And how bad bad is and how much difference good ones would make?
we already have a couple. I know I started at least 1 of them.
just search around, they're only a year or two old I think
I was sold this intercooler a couple years ago. It was advertised by the seller as a Spearco. After just taking this picture, it sure does look like poop.
The core measures 18 X 7 X 3. With my 2560 running 20 psi I could go from ambient intake temp cruise, to +35* in about 10 seconds. I'm sure the 2560 was glowing though, so maybe a tough comparison. core still looks like dooky though, I think. Crap, I never looked at it this well, now it bothers me.
Looks like it cruises Highway at about 10-15*F over ambient, then climbs an additional 20*F after 10 seconds WOT. 23 psi tapers to a steady 18psi. during that 10 seconds. That lil turbo was kickin!
Re: OP. Only you can decide what is worth it and what's not worth it. You have to remember that some of the folks on here track their cars and demand a lot out of it. Their requirements are very different than those of the average street driver. There isn't going to be any doubt that the best performing unit is going to be the best, but you have to figure out what works the best for you. There are a bunch of folks on here with vibrant IC's, I'm sure they'll show their data. Some of them and some of the folks that use ebay intercoolers likely decided to upgrade when they started racing on the track. Even autocross runs probably don't result in that need as long as the IC is the right size.
If you want to make damn sure that you only spend money once, then being thrifty is not the right answer.
Originally Posted by ryansmoneypit
Looks like it cruises Highway at about 10-15*F over ambient, then climbs an additional 20*F after 10 seconds WOT. 23 psi tapers to a steady 18psi. during that 10 seconds. That lil turbo was kickin!
maybe for a new "Intercoolest" thread, we could show RPM, PSI, AIT, VS. Time in seconds?. Might be interesting to get all of that data. With a spreadsheet using averages, it would be pretty easy to sift through the BS.
that still doesn't show the whole picture, which would need to include temp in, temp out, back pressure, etc.
The bottom line is:
If you're cheap, you'll go get a 50-150 core like the egay or vibrant, and you really won't care that much about all the details because you're cheap and this is your only option.
If you're not cheap, or you actually care about the details, the premium cores are only $150 more, and you'll go get one of those, and know that you've got a well engineered core in which many different variables were considered.
What do you mean "premium" cores are only $150 more? Garrett is around $600 vs ~$300 for treadstone. I'm still waffling back and forth between garrett and treadstone for my side by side intercooler. I mean I have the IRL EFR, TS wastegate, and Synchronic DV, I should probably complete the balleaur quadfecta with the garrett intercooler I guess.
Hmm I'll have to look for precision then. I have my own weird core size requirement because of doing the side by side setup. I need a core ~12" in the non-flow direction and then ~18" in the flow direction with end tanks. So thats like a 12x12 core. Which puts me at like a 3-3.5 inch core with a garrett or a 3.5-4 inch thick core with a treadstone base on their own ratings.
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