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Author Topic: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences  (Read 16274 times)

Offline 56OctyVRS

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #45 on: March 30, 2012, 10:02:08 am »
This thread gets funnier everytime i read it. Keep up the good work guys  :signLOL:

Happy to help Gazon...or is that myth or hearsay :rolleye:
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Offline martziniuk

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #46 on: March 30, 2012, 10:05:30 am »
Sod it make the whole cooler plastic  :grin:
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Offline heavyd

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #47 on: March 30, 2012, 01:07:05 pm »
This thread gets funnier everytime i read it. Keep up the good work guys  :signLOL:

Happy to help Gazon...or is that myth or hearsay :rolleye:

He read it on a few forums, but it is yet to be proven :drinking:

Offline the bruce

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #48 on: March 30, 2012, 01:26:18 pm »
If you do research on the topic will find what i said about the plastic is accurate. That why its used on cars for standard intakes, looms, plugs, clips etc. Plastic doesnt absorb heat like metal and has the ability to keep cooler. Try touching your oe engine cover after a drive and then try touching an aftermarket intake pipe. See which retains the heat more. I know my intake pipe got very very hot to touch. That isnt saying the plastic cools the air better. Thats saying the plastic doesnt absorb heat like metal and as such wont affect the performance of the ic


We talk about an interCOOLER. Thermal conductivity is the main important thing for it to work.
Heat is tranfered from one medium to another medium. That's the job of each radiator.
Otherwise they'd made it from plastic. There is no sense in using plastic other than cost saving.

It's pointless. You didn't get it and you never will.  :wink:


Maybe this will settle the argument between you both  :smiley:

http://www.are.com.au/techtalk/intecoolersMR.htm#Tanks

Thanks. It must be feared that 56Octy doesn't have the basic physical understanding to
understand it. Arguments are senseless to him. He still finds the lower thermal conductivity
to be useful on a radiator.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2012, 01:36:39 pm by the bruce »
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Offline 56OctyVRS

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #49 on: March 30, 2012, 01:41:05 pm »
Cost saving or not. It doesnt matter because they both work the same as the end tanks do squat to cool the air. Read VRSCarls link and it will all be explained as I said and the article confirms what I have been saying. All I have been saying is that the plastic is no detriment to how the intercooler works or performs. Have a read and see that the myths I have been saying are very accurtate myths.

It does mention that the metal end tanks can get heat soaked and take time to recover when in traffic. However its about design and not the material they are made of.  You still dont understand that end tanks do not cool the air.  So it doesnt matter whether or not its made of metal or plastic.  The core does the cooling and as the cores are the same in both IC, they cool the same. 
You argument about the plastic  is that is has a low thermal conductivity.  So if the plastic does not conduct heat like metal.  Then the end tanks wont get as hot in traffic.  So that means less heatsoak on the end tanks, so surely that would be a good thing for an IC.  But ultimatley they both work THE SAME.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2012, 01:52:35 pm by 56OctyVRS »
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Offline sub39h

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #50 on: March 30, 2012, 03:02:38 pm »
i think what 56OctyVRS is trying to say is that there's no flow over the end tanks, so their thermal convection properties are irrelevant. if anything, you want them to be poor absorbers of heat (i.e. made of plastic), because otherwise they'd store heat from the engine bay and warm your cool intake air as it passed through!

the core is the bit that cools the air as atmospheric air flows over it, and as this is unchanged, it's ability to cool air has not been affected.

i think on principle alone this makes sense, however NEITHER of you can say one is better than the other without objective proof which neither of you have. i'd let the OP make his own conclusion and leave it at that.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2012, 03:06:54 pm by sub39h »
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Offline 56OctyVRS

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #51 on: March 30, 2012, 04:46:18 pm »
Thanks SUB39H :happy2:  I have always advocated they are equal in performance and thats from looking at other forums from the States, South Africa, Australia and seeing and reading peoples data and experiences.
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Offline pat15312

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #52 on: March 30, 2012, 04:59:50 pm »
Easier just to have got a THS and be done with it...
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Offline gazon69

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #53 on: March 30, 2012, 06:03:14 pm »
Thats why i bought a vf :signLOL: its the shizzle don't ya know.

Offline the bruce

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Re: S3 intercooler plastic end and metal end - Differences
« Reply #54 on: March 30, 2012, 07:44:29 pm »
- pointless -

 :wink:
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Offline gazon69

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