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2.5" IC and intake pipes getting too small?

B

BabyBlue240

New member
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Location
Mountain View, CA
So when I built the 242 last summer, I used the 92+ center enter/exit IC from the later 9'ers. Because I was crunched for time near the end, I ended up using all the factory 2.5" pipes plus another coldside pipe modified for the turbo's intake. There's a giant K&N cylinder filter on the end.

I'm wondering now though if all this 2.5" is too small. It's pulling pretty well now (well, until 5k when the clutch won't hold) but whenever I'm steppin on it, I swear the sound of the damn air getting sucked in is louder than the sound of the engine/exhaust itself. Not a turbo spool, just the sound of a bunch of air rushing in.

So with the mods that are in my sig, should I step it up to 3" to get rid of this? Obviously, it's not just the noise, I want to let it breathe like it should. And I know it's not the K&N, the things huge.
 
Humm, I dunno. The inlet/outlet of that IC is just 2.5" right? And the stock throttle body is smaller than 2.5", so I doubt that bigger pipes would make a difference. You'd have to use reducers at each end of the IC anyways. Now if you stepped up to a 3" IC, then yeah, 3" pipes makes sense. I've got huge powerstroke with 3.25" inlets and I'm using 3" piping.
 
the rule of thumb is match your pipes to your intercooler & throttle body.

unless your making 400+ hp.

you should be fine
 
It's best to keep the ID of the piping consistant from turbo to TB.

You don't have anything to gain by increasing the size of the charge piping with the stock IC and TB.
 
2.5 inch intercooler piping is not your problem, I assure you. 3 inch piping is ridiculous unless you're making serious power. The sound of air rushing in is because you have a straight pipe with a k&n on the air intake. If anything, get one of those 3" core ebay intercoolers, that'll give you good gains for not so much money.
 
Alex Buchka said:
2.5 inch intercooler piping is not your problem, I assure you. 3 inch piping is ridiculous unless you're making serious power. The sound of air rushing in is because you have a straight pipe with a k&n on the air intake. If anything, get one of those 3" core ebay intercoolers, that'll give you good gains for not so much money.
Click to expand...

meh, I was scared of that. Maybe I'll just look into a factory airbox, my IAT's can get around 150 degrees anyway right now with this setup....
 
Then your intercooler suuuuuuuuucks. I ran that IC for a while and although it did cool better than the 240 one, intake temps would go from like 75* ambient to 130* at 14psi. With the powerstroke, 75* ambient, maaaaby 76* intake temps :).
 
And you might want to check for boost leaks to make sure that air rushing sounds isnt' air blowing out somewhere it shouldn't.
 
JohnMc said:
And you might want to check for boost leaks to make sure that air rushing sounds isnt' air blowing out somewhere it shouldn't.
Click to expand...

I'll check, but I doubt it, it starts snarling as soon as I mash it, before I'm in boost. Then once it does hit boost, it spools up quick.

The Aspirator said:
Then your intercooler suuuuuuuuucks. I ran that IC for a while and although it did cool better than the 240 one, intake temps would go from like 75* ambient to 130* at 14psi. With the powerstroke, 75* ambient, maaaaby 76* intake temps :).
Click to expand...

yeah, in hindsight, I have no idea why I put that intercooler in there. Wait... I think it came with the motor. Then again, this is also Florida, and I have no heat shield around my filter. It'd be interesting to see what the inlet temp to the filter is, probably already about 130 or so on a hot day..... errr that's everyday.

edit: 1 degree temp gains FTMFW!
 
Get an ebay cooler & call it a day

$150 max & you will be good to well over 300 whp

Posted via Mobile Device
 
BabyBlue240 said:
yeah, in hindsight, I have no idea why I put that intercooler in there. Wait... I think it came with the motor. Then again, this is also Florida, and I have no heat shield around my filter. It'd be interesting to see what the inlet temp to the filter is, probably already about 130 or so on a hot day..... errr that's everyday.

edit: 1 degree temp gains FTMFW!
Click to expand...
Update, my buddy and I went out tuning yesterday and I finally got to watch the temp gauge while he drove. 88* while cruising, 89* throughout a 3rd gear romp. The next time it was 92* cruising and in boost it went DOWN to 91* :rofl:. Now this wasn't a sustained 4th gear uphill battle for 10 minutes, but even then I doubt it would get too hot. I don't have any sort of heat shield around my cone filter either, it's just chillin in the engine bay behind the pass headlight.
 
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