High Flow Intercoolers

December 2012
RISTMAS
H
C
Y
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Volume 1, Issue 4
PRODUCT REVIEW
SPECIAL
High Flow
Intercoolers
G
guy Motors in conjunction with Cross Country
4x4 has launched in NZ an exclusive range of race
-proven high-performance Intercooler kits for delivering huge power increases while being bulletproof reliable too.
The Intercooler kit quality manufactured by Cross
Country 4x4 has been recognised as industry leading
in Australia.
We chose Intercooler kits manufactured by Cross
Country 4x4 on top of PWR cores because, like us
they have had a great deal of off-road racing experience and have tested their kits against their
competitors in the harshest of environments without a single failure.
That is why we are so confident in offering these
Intercooler kits to our customers.
Be assured these Intercooler kits have been put
through their paces, tested on and off-road by 4x4
enthusiasts.
In fact, in this special
Newsletter
we
go
through the results of
our own testing based
on a Top Mounted
Intercooler kit fitted to
our demo-truck.
“We were so impressed with built quality of the kit we
tested the power increase using a dynamometer to
measure the maximum power before and after the kit
was fitted”
Volume 1, Issue 4
Page 2
Basic product review facts:

Test vehicle: 1993 Nissan 4.2 Safari GQ Factory Turbo 
Test scope: Intercooler; Turbo boost; Fuel
pump 
Test equipment: Dynamometer & Grant’s experience! In a nutshell, we use the Dynamometer to record the power
output before and after fitting
the Cross Country 4x4 Intercooler kit designed for the
Nissan GQ Safari/Patrol.
Throughout the test Grant and his team looked at
factors such as kit built quality, ease of fitting and
performance in coming up with their view of the
product and its value for money. Before we get into the details from our product
test, a little more about the product features and
background.
These kits come as a standalone Front Mounted
Intercooler (FMIC) kit or a Top Mounted Intercooler (TMIC) kit with the following features:

An ultra-high quality custom-built PWR Core
(PWR custom-make cores for these kits!)

Kits designed to run quality stainless pipes
where they will avoid damage

Custom fabricated high flow tanks from quality
3mm sheet aluminum

Manufactured in close
ing Pulsed TIG welding

Crafted 2.5" stainless mandrel bent piping

Kits come with complex pipe work, easy to fit
and with the least amount of joins
tolerance
jigs
us-
These Intercooler kits have fast grown in popularity and are now the leading Intercooler in the
Australian 4x4 market.
Cross Country 4x4 Intercooler Kits – What’s the big
difference?
First
Designed by 4x4 enthusiasts, tested by 4x4
enthusiasts and backed 100% by 4x4 enthusiasts.
The Intercooler kits come in a large range of models, designed specifically to maximise the best
power curve for each vehicle. Cross Country 4x4
has achieved this by putting in countless hours of
R&D work so they outperform other similar coolers for cost effectiveness, performance
and durability.
G Guy Motors can fit these kits, or they can be
supplied as a DIY kit with everything you require to fit
a cooler system included, designed with
installation ease in mind.
of all you need to decide if a top mount
cooler (TMIC) will best suit your needs, or
whether a front mount cooler (FMIC) will do the
trick. Generic coolers are often promoted as capable of working with all types of vehicles, but
that is just not the case. Cross Country 4x4 custom design and make their kits to optimise the
power curve for your vehicle type and use.
These kits are built on top of tailor-made PWR
cores and not off the shelf units, custom cores that
are extremely strong while maintaining a high
flow to heat dissipation ratio. Recognised as some
of the best cores in the market and proven time
and time again on the race-track these give the
kits a solid performance guarantee.
Traps for the inexperienced exist, with many Chinese imported coolers found to underperform.
4X4 Driver’s Newsletter
Page 3
With a tendency to heat soak
(not being able to disburse
the heat evenly with ample
air flow because the cooler is
at
saturation
point)
and consisting of very fragile
fins – these cheap copies result in an expensive
lesson for the few bits of flimsy alloy piping you
get!
rounded leading edge tube design throughout
the manufacturing process. These tubes have an
integrated internal fin with a straight-through design, which improves heat transfer for less pressure drop, resulting in higher flow and reduced
lag time.
Cross Country 4x4 fabricate custom high flow
tanks from quality 3mm sheet aluminum. These
tanks are CNC folded and pulse Tig welded - inside and out - to ensure durability and high flow.
Manufactured in close tolerance jigs and fabricated from smooth alloy plate the inside finish is
flawless making these superior in the market.

Low restriction internal turbulators

Leading edge tube wall thickness for
strength

Light weight

Race and street proven performance

Hi-tech “Auto CAD” design
Cross Country 4x4 complete front-mount kits
come with 2.5" stainless mandrel bent piping designed to fit the best place to run to avoid damage
- outside the engine bay is a harsh environment
on any 4x4.
The 2.5" mandrel bent piping is used so diesels
receive the good flow they need to perform, this is
particularly important with longer pipe-runs for
Front Mounted Intercooler kits. Another design
feature is the kits’ pipe work custom-designed to
fit easily with the least amount of joins to limit the
number of silicon joiners that can deteriorate with
the presence of oil and fuel.
Everything you require to fit these kits is included, from proper mounting systems to clamps,
hoses, nuts and bolts etc. The whole lot is included.
Placing
PWR Performance
Products at the heart of the
kits is a smart move because
these guys have a strong
reputation in the industry –
having developed several of the most efficient
intercoolers in the world! PWR use a seamless
PWR intercoolers are individually hand manufactured with the following features:
What an intercooler does for a Turbo?
A turbo compresses the intake charge of air to a
higher atmospheric level. A byproduct of this
compression of the intake charge is heat, and it
has to be displaced. The best way of displacing
this heat on an engine is an intercooler system.
Basically, an intercooler is a heat exchanger. It
exchanges thermal energy from one source to
another and simply displaces heat.
There are a few reasons why this heat is undesirable, but the main issue we will look at is performance and reliability of your engine as well as
economy. As hot air is less dense than cold air,
the amount of fuel you can atomise into hot air is
considerably less than it would be if the air was
cold (dense).
For obvious reasons the amount of fuel/air mix
entering your engine has a fair bit to do with performance of your engine. More fuel and air
equals more power. The more power you gain
and the more efficiently your engine is running
means the less you squeeze the throttle to do the
same amount of work. This simply
means increased economy. That is why you have
Volume 1, Issue 4
Page 4
a turbo fitted, to supply your engine with more
air, for more power.
However, if the intake charge of air is not cooled
down before it enters the engine, you will not be
gaining the full benefits of your forced induction
setup. Typically intake temperatures on a turbo
vehicle that is running conservative boost (less
than 1 bar) will skyrocket over 100 deg C. A general rule of thumb is about 8 deg C will equal 1
horse power. This explains in basic terms why
you need to eliminate intake temperatures, and
why you need an intercooler.
Air to air coolers use a fresh supply of air to flow
around the tubes of the cooler containing the
compressed and heated intake air, thus removing
or displacing heat. These have been the main
stay as the popular choice in the performance
racing industry for decades, as well as OEM
manufacturers.
You can divide these types of coolers into two
categories: Front Mount Intercoolers (FMIC) and
Top Mount Intercoolers (TMIC).
Front Mount Intercoolers (FMIC)
A
front mount cooler is the
most popular type of system
employed today. A large
cooler sits at the front of the
vehicle for excellent air flow
and pipe work leads back
into the engine bay. It’s a hard setup to beat for
optimal cooling of the intake charge while the vehicle is in motion. That is why it is employed so
much in race vehicles that are constantly undergoing speed and endurance.
With air flowing over the cooler at the rate the vehicle is travelling, it’s not hard to see why these
are so effective. Many car manufacturers currently employ this type of system because of its
effectiveness, so a lot of people will upgrade
their standard FMIC for a higher flowing unit and
release the full potential of their engine.
The drawbacks of such a system are the amount
of pipe work you have to put into your intake system to plumb the whole thing up. A front mount
intercooler requires at least 2 meters of piping
fitted to the intake side of your engine and this
will without a doubt cause throttle lag.
Therefore, a good quality kit will have large
enough pipe work, with the least amount of joiners. Another drawback with FMIC systems is they
can have a tendency to put extra load on your vehicles cooling system, a quality FMIC system
should also be designed so that no overheating
issues will occur.
The other drawback to the FMIC system is airflow and this is of primary concern to the 4X4
segment. FMIC systems rely on a steady stream
of fresh air coming from the front of the vehicle to
cool them down. This is fine as long as you are
moving at a reasonable speed, let’s say anything
over 50km/h.
For a good number of off road enthusiasts, that
speed may be a little excessive. Likewise, the position of the FMIC poses the risk of damage due
to impact, so pipe work may be routed in protected positions to avoid damage or constructed
from strong materials. Another problem that has
been seen many times is the front-mount cooler
being totally blocked with mud. This renders the
cooler totally useless.
Top Mount Intercoolers (TMIC)
As the name suggests, these
intercoolers are mounted on
top of the engine. The intercooler is fed a supply of
fresh air by a scoop in the
4X4 Driver’s Newsletter
bonnet. They have none of the issues associated with lengthy pipe work (such as throttle
lag) because they can be mounted directly in
line with the intake system, from turbo to intake. TMIC systems are free from damage because of the position of the mounting. There is
no extra thermal load placed on an engine’s
cooling system, and there is little chance of the
pipe work becoming blocked with mud.
TMIC systems are a popular choice for many
car manufacturers because they can see the
benefits of their simplicity and performance of
this type of system. There are hardly any joining sections to fail, and they are mounted welland-truly out of harm’s way.
Page 5
You have true cooling capacity at crawling
speeds, instant throttle response because of
minimal pipe work, and best of all it doesn’t recirculate its cooling medium. It’s getting fresh
ambient air the whole time.
In Summary
If you’re a hard 4X4 nut who loves pushing the
limit of your truck, then a quality fan assisted
top mount is the only way to go. It has just too
many benefits.
If you’re into some off-roading but do a fair
amount of highway driving then a quality front
mount maybe your answer. Product Testing
One downfall of the TMIC system is that they
too require a steady flow of air to keep them
operating efficiently. This is done in the same
way as a FMIC with the vehicle speed being a
factor in the amount of air flow the cooler receives.
Some OEM manufacturers have overcome this
problem by the use of a fan on the underside of
the cooler to maintain a steady flow of air, even
at zero vehicle speed. Without a decent fan to
pull a constant flow of air through the cooler,
TMIC systems can suffer severe heat soak,
caused by the heat of the engine.
A FMIC will still suffer heat soak from radiated
heat from the radiator at zero speeds, but not as
much as a TMIC due to the fact that heat rises.
With a good fan-assisted top mount, you have a
cooler system that is hard to beat in the world
of off road 4X4ing.
With a Quality TMIC system that has been designed with a good fan (say at least 1000cfm)
you would have the best off-road cooler combination. It's got all the benefits of a FMIC, without the downfalls.
Product Test: Fitting the Kit
Impressive as the Intercooler kit is we at G Guy
Motors don’t add a product to our range without having confidence in its ability to perform.
The Intercooler was put through its paces on
our demo truck and this is what the team had to
say.
The kit was fitted to a TD42T engine was a great
quality product and fitted straight to the engine
without any dramas. All brackets on the cooler
aligned to engine as expected and the fabrication of the cooler itself was top spec.
The fact we were able to install the first kit of
this brand within the recommended time is evidence of its quality design and manufacturing. Volume 1, Issue 4
Page 6
Product Test: Driving Experience
Product Test: Dyno Test Chart
Testing
the performance improvement of the
Intercooler began with a test-drive to the dyno
testing facility in Petone.
On the drive out the power and torque improvement was obvious with engine power coming on
a lot earlier and stronger.
Fine-tuning the engine to make the most of the
Intercooler’s capabilities while on the dyno gave
the best results –
17% INCREASE in torque and 15% INCREASE in
Power that comes on smoothly across the rev
range!
Using
this extra power off-road, towing or just
when driving on the open road has made a huge
difference to the driving enjoyment – gone is the
sluggish off-idle response.
The Intercooler has kept the engine temperature
noticeably down during hard-revving and given
more flexibility to the way I drive as I can rely on
a steady acceleration curve, springing forward
on hitting the power sweet-spot.
I haven’t noticed any significant loss in fuel economy with everyday driving – although I am now
finding I’m using the vehicle more often as my
preferred choice of transport! Grant’s 4X4 Driver’s Club
For more information on the Intercooler kit and other top quality 4WD
products visit our website www.gguymotors.co.nz and join our 4x4
Driver’s Club to receive product information.
G Guy Motors features selective bargains on our Website and Newsletter
from our range of ARB 4X4 accessories and our range 4x4 tyres and rims.
4X4 Driver’s Newsletter
Page 7
WOF Reminder Service Popular
G. Guy Motors has a professional workshop for
servicing 4WD and non-4WD vehicles. We are
mta Assured so whether you have a specialist
4WD or a family sedan you can expect a quality
service and great customer care.
Many of our customers have started using our reminder service where we send a letter or email
you at the relevant time to remind you of a due
WOF or maintenance for your vehicle (4WD or
family car).
Please give us a call if you would like this reminder service and we will load it into our computerised system—taking the hassle away for you.
4x4 Racing for 2013
“Please remember, we don't just service 4WD
vehicles - bring in your family car too for our
full service treatment”
Grant and his team have been busy working on
fitting a full race-proven suspension to his G Guy
Motors 4x4 Racer in time for the 2013 race season
— it features a huge length extension in suspension travel along with custom built mounts for the
new coils and shocks.
Grant’s goal is to have it ready for the next Woodville 100 and later race in the Taupo 1000!
We’ll share with you the build-up, bringing to
“For more details about these offroad
racing events please see Grant’s website
(see the Events Page)”
you insights and challenges overcome as Grant
and the team set-about developing his new racetoughened vehicle.
New Facebook for G Guy Motors
We’ve launched ourselves onto
the social network scene with
our own Facebook page to
share:

ARB product reviews;

Interesting stories about
what’s happening in the
4x4 scene;

Examples of our work fitting products to customer
vehicles;

Notices of sales or Workshop Open Days;

Encourage our customers
to give us feedback.
And we will continue to listen
to what our customers want us
to share with them.
What’s coming up in the next issue
Next Newsletter topics include:
Our newsletter is available from our
website and by clicking on “Join”
you will be placed on our mailing list
 More ARB Product Bargains
 More on 4x4 Touring 4WDs
WWW.GGUYMOTORS.CO.NZ
 More on 4x4 Trade 4WDs
 More on 4x4 Racing 4WDs
41 Old Hutt Road
Thorndon, Wellington
Phone (04) 472 2020
Email [email protected]
Disclaimer
The information provided in this newsletter is for general knowledge purposes
only. G Guy Motors recommends the
reader approaches their local 4WD club
to gain experience with 4X4 vehicles and
the correct use of recovery gear.
G Guy Motors accepts no liability for injury, damage or expense sustained as a
result of application or mis-interpretation
of information provided in this publication.