modifyd

What are the differences (pros/cons) on a top/bottom flowing intercooler versus a side/side flowing intercooler ? Also, choose your pick of the two.

modifyd

flow or pressure drop on either?

IAGS400

The size and shape of the IC and its inlet and outlet decide these factors. Where the inlet and outlet does help the air temperatures.

What's more important is not to fully block the radiator and also get good cool air over the IC.

LXOGOOD

Don't forget the type of intercooler core you get is also important. i.e: Bar & Plate, Tube & Fin, Hybrid, etc...

Those cores all have different cooling factors that needs to be addressed when building your setup.

Hollywood

I personally do not have any expierience with top bottom's as they are considerably more rare in tuned applications over the side side.

But I dont think it is as important of a factor compaired to the overall pipe length of your IC piping. If top bottoms gets u less overall pipe length then you will be ahead of the game.

You got to remember top drift machines mostly mount their IC's diagonally behind the rad so they only use like 2 feet total of pipe or less, for ultimate turbo/engine responsiveness. More pipe more time to pressurize, less responsive.

modifyd

The top/bottoms have more tubes to travel through and then less of a distance to go, but the side/sides cool the air over a longer distance and surface area. So it's kind of a trade off I guess. It seems from thermo that the top to bottom would be less of a pressure drop but the side to side would be more efficient in cooling. So, I guess, the top to bottoms would be best for low boost (<15psi) and the side to side (>15psi).

IAGS400

But it really depends on the core and size of IC. I have a top to bottom on my Thunderbird SC and I will be running over 15 psi as soon as I get a new pulley. I personally know a guy running the same IC as I am and he has dyno'ed his SC at 25 psi and he runs 20 psi for daily street driving.

modifyd

I'm just assuming same dimensions on the core. Just want to hear some pros and cons. I'm leaning toward the top/bottom as I'll only be running about 14-15psi until I get a full EMS. I think the top/bottom will be more efficient for my needs. Also this is my 100 post, seems like I just joined. I guess I'm addicted.

edit...well I just saw I joined in Mar 2005 but I lurked for a while!

IAGS400

I'll have to admit, I haven't done any research on the GS. Where has everyone else put their IC's when they have supercharged/turbocharged their cars? Pics maybe?

SuprRunner

Here is how I mounted mine, and yes, the bumber does fit back on.

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

Yup which basically means a lot less restriction on the boost going through the IC. More tubes + less distance means more flow than a L/R design of the same overall dimensions. If you have the clearance, go top /bottom.

Not exactly.

There is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to cooling. As the air gets cooled through the fins, the efficiency of cooling drops off as you go longer, to the point that you can only go so long before the cooling benefit becomes nil. To look at it another way, you can't say that at a given IC length, that if you go and double that length then the cooling will double?. It doesn't work that way. As the IC tubes go longer, the efficiency loss is closer to a logarithmic scale than a linear one.

The same also holds true for how thick the IC is. There is an optimum thickness versus efficiency. Beyond 3 inches thick will not help.

So again, comparing size for size with the same rectangular dimensions, a top / bottom flow will cool better and have more optimum flow. The main disadvantage is that the clearance in most cars won't allow room for the plumbing, unless you made the overall IC dimension smaller, which defeats the purpose, and explains why a L/R configuration will be a better alternative or lesser of the evils in many cases.

So don't get me wrong. I'm not saying L/R set ups are no good, just not as ideal. Again, space limitations prevent most cars from having this set up.

modifyd

Thanks. Yeah I remember some of the efficiency stuff from thermo/fluids, just making a general statement above. Now that I think about my earlier posts, they were not really talking about a similar size core. I said something regarding the surface area but they are the same . Would it be better to have the air flow top to bottom or bottom to top? It seems you would want the flow to be natural so it would go from bottom to top and not back up per say, as the top to bottom would keep the hot air in the top. This really shouldn't matter either way as it's really negligible. I should have just thought about it instead of posting. A top/bottom is definately more efficient with similar size cores.

IAGS400

Without a fan you are correct, but add a fan to the IC and a 6 inch thick IC is possible.

Lextreme

You guys should get one of the two books by Corky Bell called " Turbocharged" or "Supercharged" In the book fully discrip in details on both designs. It also depending on which engine you are talking about 2JZ vs. UZFE setup. Secondly, it also has to do with the physical space. For example, if you have more then 14-15 inches top to bottom of your GS, then its better to do a T/B setup. If you only have 12" or less, then S/S setup.

Here is my take on it.

2JZGE (NA-T) I would suggest T/B: Because less pipping distance
UZFE (single): S/S
UZFE (Twin): T/B
GTE Swap: S/S

Side to Side (S/S) is good if the air enter of the is exit on the opposite side.
Top to Bottom (T/B) is good if the air enter and exit on the same side

Like the 2JZGE NA-T, the air enter and exit on the same side (Top to Bottom is a better choice)
GTE Swap, the air enter and exit on the opposite side (Side to Side is a better choice)