All Things Mk5 > Performance Modifications
Somebody please explain intercoolers to me…
breeze:
--- Quote from: Pudding on May 30, 2022, 09:27:21 am ---S3. Don't need any more than that. I've done extensive data logging and not seen any weaknesses on a predominantly road car.
Those big Wagners and the like are more suited to hybrid/big turbo builds and 1/4 mile action.
You forgot about the 'Welly cooler' option, which is basically just a (really) cheap ebay clone IC, but obviously you will be aware of the relationship between IC volume and lag.
Stock GTI one is OK, but it heatsoaks easily with remaps.......which is the main problem, because too many maps push the turbo way out of it's efficiency zone, which essentially just turns it into a giant hair dryer, doubling the thermal load on the IC.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for that.
So what was the excitement around THS intercoolers a few years ago all about? I would like to be able to do the odd track day from time to time, hence the interest in what is effectively a basic and generally still quite affordable upgrade on the S3 cooler.
Feels like 350/350 is about the safe realistic limit for future modifications. At that power level on a track day I do wonder whether the S3 would cope.
pudding:
I must have missed that excitement but its the usual aftermarket lure of bigger = better.
The ECU doesn't start pulling timing until 45 deg intake temps, so there's quite a bit of headroom in the OEM intercoolers. The S3 one seems to hold a flat temperature curve of 10-15 deg above atmosphere over spring/summer, and around 5-10 above over winter. On hot summer track days, an aftermarket one would probably work out better but it depends on the boost pressure I guess. I paid £260 for the S3 one from an Audi dealer, so they're not that expensive. That was about 6 years ago though!
Yeah 350 is about right. That is the number the CDL engines used to run in the championship race cars, although Borg Warner only rate the K04 to 330hp max, so there may have been some engine tweaks on the race engines, such as different cams, intakes, exhausts etc as to not require as much boost pressure.
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