180sx Intercoolers

Started by Julie · Nov 25, 2007 · 18postsInvision 2005–09

JulieNov 25, 2007, 10:03 pm · #1

i have a 280hp power goal for my ca18det, and im wondering if a stock 180sx side mount intercooler is gonna be good enough to cool the incoming air. i rather not spend a few hundred dollers on a new intercooler if i dont have to

sam31183Nov 25, 2007, 10:08 pm · #2

i would say your better off safe then sorry...but i do not know what the hp limit is on a 180sx smic...i have seen decent sized intercoolers with piping going for cheap lately tho...

RedneckNov 25, 2007, 10:09 pm · #3

The stock side mount sr20/ca18 intercoolers are only good for around 10psi and at 280hp on a ca18det I am sure you will be running a lot more than 10psi of boost.

brewster240Nov 25, 2007, 10:32 pm · #4

i would go with a starion intercooler or similiar.

s13 is a little on the small side, but you dont want to go to big either.

JulieNov 25, 2007, 10:38 pm · #5

i was thinkin of a mk3 supra intercooler or even a volvo intercooler if theyre large enough (never seen one in person)

im not really relying on the turbo to make all my power.. i was gonna install better cams, have a engine tune, free flowing exhaust w/ cutoff, head work, etc. ill be running a RB20 turbo on the engine, so that will help too

gerrybgNov 25, 2007, 10:40 pm · #6

Simply: No.

Geez you can get those cheap chinese intercoolers on ebay for almost nothing.

Nothing wrong with them they do the job great, so get one of those.

sam31183Nov 25, 2007, 10:46 pm · #7

brewster240 @ Nov 25 2007, 02:32 PM i would go with a starion intercooler or similiar.

s13 is a little on the small side, but you dont want to go to big either.

I have a starion fmic....i have heard they are super efficient. Its not huge...but its a good size for the front end of the s12...and where mine is mounted you have to really look to see its there at all.

200sxkitcarNov 28, 2007, 4:36 am · #8

The volvo intercooler I have is the size of my radiator, and it has plastic endtanks. Bleh. I like the starion/daytona intercoolers they listed, and from what I have heard, those Ebay genuine pieces lol aren't too bad really as well.

mcNov 28, 2007, 12:20 pm · #9

i'm using a Ford SVO IC from a mustang/tbird...its small but fits where the stock airfilter box used to be located...its force fed cooler air with 2 fans mounted on its core and the 300zx hood scoop right above...i also use some meth alky[HEET] injected after the IC..seems to work fine....can someome post a pix of a 180sx IC for comparison??

SR20D21Nov 29, 2007, 12:42 am · #10

gerrybg @ Nov 25 2007, 02:40 PM
Simply: No.

Geez you can get those cheap chinese intercoolers on ebay for almost nothing.

Nothing wrong with them they do the job great, so get one of those.

Nuf said! biggrin.gif

Yep even greddy went to what seems to be a Chinese core(used to be tube fin now bar plate and droped the price like $100)
They seem to work well and so so cheap!
Worst thing that ever happened to me was we blew a end tank completely off a hybrid IC!! But that was at very high boost.

JulieNov 29, 2007, 12:46 am · #11

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GODSPEED-18...sspagenameZWDVW

this one isnt bad... the tubing MIGHT even bolt up

asparagusNov 29, 2007, 12:48 am · #12

Not telling you to go vmount, but an ic around these sizes will be more than enough. Don't get one of those honkin huge IC's you see on most s13's, it's usuallly too large for their ~300 hp applications.

IPB Image

JulieNov 29, 2007, 1:06 am · #13

definetly not mounting my ic like that. im going for a very stealth look to the car. if i can hide a mod, im gonna hide it. so the Ic will be up front and painted black

asparagusNov 29, 2007, 1:11 am · #14

Yeah, wasn't telling you to vmount it.

sam31183Nov 29, 2007, 1:40 am · #15

where is that guys radiator?

OzchuckNov 30, 2007, 1:21 pm · #16

A supra front mount is more than good enough for the 300hp goal.

So would be the SMIC from any RB25 powered skyline, or an ARC upgrade cooler for the s13.

gerrybgDec 2, 2007, 12:25 am · #17

Don't go anything that sits anywhere in the engine bay, (those intercoolers are actually sitting in 'top mount' positioning) as they are interheaters, they cop all the heat from the engine. I used to export pulsar GTIR's when I lived in japan. The intercoolers in them were good physically but the intercooling system sucked as they were top mounted and so the bottom of the cores copped all the heat from the engine bay, so despite being good intercoolers for any serious performance they're usually ditched for a front mount setup).

Right I have mine stealth mounted too - Front bar is not chopped at all and you can barely see the Ic, (never been pulled over by the cops in 2 years!!).
You need to use an intercooler a bit smaller than the standard 600mm aftermarket types you see, (I have one with 475mm core and it cools perfect).

Here's some links to around the size you want, top one is best I reckon, but seller is in Australia, don't know what they'd charge to ship does say worldwide, (don't know about the US but here a lot of these sellers are Chinese that live here,but have family and business links in China, so they get the stuff for nothing direct from the factories). Be careful the bastards try and rip you off for shipping:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-FMIC-450x300x76...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-FMIC-450x300x76...oQQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/INTERCOOLER...sspagenameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FR017-FMIC-...sspagenameZWDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Universal-I...sspagenameZWD1V

You want the 76mm inlets and outlets as it gives good flow in and out, you just use silicon setp down to your piping size. 2.5 " is a good piping size.

Also I had a supra mk3 cooler sorry any factory IC like that is shit, 3psi of pressure drop plus poorer cooling performance.

alundraDec 2, 2007, 2:05 am · #18

What are they? Body renforcement? sweatingbullets.gif