NX GTi-R The Search For Traction – Part Two

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Here we're looking at the intercooler from the front. Hot side is on the left is a vertical pipe while the cold side, on the right, is angled to provide an almost straight line connection with the piping to the intake. Almost ready.

Looking down at the intercooler, hot side on the right and cold side on the left. To hold it in place threaded caps were welded to the top. 

Aaron took my sketches, drawings, and mock ups and created the intercooler that fit exactly where it needed. The hot side is a vertical pipe down and comes in on the back of the end tank. The diverter plates shown earlier direct the hot incoming air both up and down. These plates may not have been needed, but I thought it would be beneficial. The cold side does not need diverter plates as the air only has one place to go. The cold side exits the end of the tank and goes on an angle to tie right into the piping for the intake manifold and the GTi-R's four throttle bodies. 

I'm looking forward to seeing how this new setup works. It looks and fits perfectly.

In the process of doing this, I got thinking that it was also time to improve the flow of the up pipe. After all, if there will be better flow through the intercooler then it was only logical to take full advantage of it, right? So I grabbed some PVC piping and bends and put together a piping system. It was only 2” piping, but it demonstrated the angles and dimensions required. It was the next best thing to having the car – although I am positive that were we to do this again Aaron would rather have the car than my creative use of household building materials. Please understand that this PVC system was only a mock-up to allow Aaron a template from which to build the 2.5” aluminum setup.

Don't ever use PVC piping for your intercooler setup, but you will find that it serves reasonably well in creating a mock-up. The insert in the lower left shows how the original up pipe had been cut, rotated, and welded. It has served me well, but since the intercooler was being upgraded, the downpipe was completed a couple of years ago, it's time for the up pipe also.

The up pipe quickly scales up to 2.5”. All of the bends are now aluminum and, in fact, there are only four Vibrant silicone connectors in the piping, which is also from Vibrant. This is needed to allow flex for vibration but it’s also great keep the joints to a minimum so there is less chance of leakage.

The piping on the hot side is kept quite short and one straight Vibrant Silicone connector and one 90° Vibrant silicone connector is used. Once again on the cold side there are only two connectors – a Vibrant straight connector and the original OEM 90° connector. Vibrant Turbo Clamps are used – maybe someday I'll move up to Vibrant's VanJen technology. They look very cool! You can see the top of the intercooler just in front of the rad. It fits like it was made for it! I am just in the process of hooking up a catch can system – I still have some reading and research to do on this facet of my engine.