,
“Determining the dimensions of the tubing is important and one good trick is to start out on the turbo sizing first, then gradually step it up throughout the length of the system,” Spears said. “Doing it this way allows the charged air to cool each time the pipe dimensions expand and it also maintains velocity.”
After the tubing and intercooler mounting were all set, the new intercooler was removed and everything that was modified on the core support was repainted to prevent rust and keep things looking clean. Then, the final welds were made to the tubing.
Bryan used a liquid spray soap to check for leaks in the system before reinstalling the front clip and headlamps.
“This setup will fill a huge gap in the progress of my project car and I expect it will open things up to give me additional power gains on the dyno,” he said as he tested the new intercooler out on the street.
Deryck Griffith, account manager at Vibrant Performance, says Bryan’s project is typical of the custom fabrication trend over the past handful of years.
“Because there aren’t many plug-and-play solutions for the 2002 Miata, Bryan’s goals can only be solved through a combination of universal parts and some fabrication,” Griffith said. “Over the last several years, our approach has been to learn more about the issues our customers have to help them resolve problems their day-to-day projects like these.”
Having just purchased a Miller TIG welder, Bryan is on to the next project, opening up another bottleneck, or filling in another hole he’s created – whichever is more fun.
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