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Intercooler Piping Insulation - HPC or ?

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 6:15 pm
by me3@neuralfibre.com
I'm looking at dropping a large front mount intercooler on the front of the 100 series.

My intake temp testing is showing a minimum intake temp of 55c when off boost, even with a snorkel. It seems to be picking up heat from the pipes and turbo.

I figure if I put a large cooler on, I'll need to insulate the pipes to stop them picking up so much heat. Last time I did this I got the pipes HPC coated. It worked VERY well, with the pipes and intake temps staying much cooler. Unfortunatly the coating is very slippery, so popped intercooler pipe junctions are common, especially with any oil. It's also damn expensive.

I would like to do all the intercooler pipework and the intake manifold.

Does anyone have any suggestions for either
a) Cheaper version of HPC in Brisbane
b) A foil / insualation that would be more cost effective?

Thanx
Paul

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 8:01 pm
by GRPABT1
You should HPC coat the turbo manifolds and get a turbo blanket, then possibly wrap the manifolds in exhaust wrap. I'd leave the intercooler piping bare as HPC traps in heat and you want intercooler piping to dissapate heat.

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 9:30 pm
by fester2au
How is the HPC black, the one that stands up to higher temps. Not being so shiny bling maybe it's not as slippery. Or coud they mask off that inch or so where your pipes will sit. HPC will look tidier than anything else. But that exhaust wrap tape would probably be OK, not as susceptable to causing rust up that high as it should remain drier easier. Some of that foil lagging or whatever it's called would help but not be as neat looking.

I'm not sure I agree with the thought that the HPC will retain the heat. Sure that's possible but it should also repel heat. I would think the piping would shed far less heat than it picks up when in a hot engine bay.

Maybe ideal is to black HPC the turbo and manifold as the retained heat helps efficiency then no insulation from turbo to intercooler in case it can shed heat then insulation again from intercooler to inlet manifold. If the intercooler is doing it's job then it's very unlikely that the piping will shed more than it gains on the way in.

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 9:54 pm
by LUX90
Have you tried Competition coatings at Archerfield. I can get their number on Tuesday if you like

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 11:07 pm
by v8lux
why not investigate a water to air intercooler setup?

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 11:11 pm
by fester2au
LUX90 wrote:Have you tried Competition coatings at Archerfield. I can get their number on Tuesday if you like
I think you'll find they are much the same price. There was nothing much between the 2 when a mate got soem V8 extractors done a while ago.

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 11:29 pm
by awill4x4
Leave the tubing bare from the turbo to the intercooler as you want it to radiate the heat from the compressed air outwards and then lag or coat the tubing going from the intercooler to the inlet manifold as you want to minimise the amount of radiant heat heating up your cooled intake charge.
Regards Andrew.

Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 8:40 am
by brad-chevlux
i think this is one of those times that someone needs to go to work with a temp probe and prove what actually happening under the bonnet.

Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 9:22 am
by lump_a_charcoal
I am interested in the outcomes, I am buying a 100 series sahara next month.

Re: Intercooler Piping Insulation - HPC or ?

Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 9:23 am
by weeman
me3@neuralfibre.com wrote:I'm looking at dropping a large front mount intercooler on the front of the 100 series.

My intake temp testing is showing a minimum intake temp of 55c when off boost, even with a snorkel. It seems to be picking up heat from the pipes and turbo.

I figure if I put a large cooler on, I'll need to insulate the pipes to stop them picking up so much heat. Last time I did this I got the pipes HPC coated. It worked VERY well, with the pipes and intake temps staying much cooler. Unfortunatly the coating is very slippery, so popped intercooler pipe junctions are common, especially with any oil. It's also damn expensive.

I would like to do all the intercooler pipework and the intake manifold.

Does anyone have any suggestions for either
a) Cheaper version of HPC in Brisbane
b) A foil / insualation that would be more cost effective?

Thanx
Paul
I have a large front mount in my GU, all the pipe work was done in ally as a few people have said i wouldnt worry about the HPC coating as it will retain the heat in the pipe which was what you want to do. My intercooler systems is extremely efficient and never had an issues its PWR core.

In regard to blowing off lines, you should look at the truck fittings, On my GU i run all of them, apparently they arent cheap but they do last and ive never had an issue, i.e. some of the joiners are around $40.

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 8:02 am
by me3@neuralfibre.com
brad-chevlux wrote:i think this is one of those times that someone needs to go to work with a temp probe and prove what actually happening under the bonnet.
Looks like that's what I'll do - have the probes and got the extension leads finally (hens teeth).

Last time I was too slack to probe. It was a front mount with a Nissan Exa (ET).
Touching the pipes before HPC - couldn't leave your hand on them.
After HPC - mildly warm to touch. The pipes ran directly over the turbine side of the turbo twice - plenty of opportunity for radiant heat.

THe problem with the blowing off was that the flares on the pipes were too small, and the stuff is super slippery.

The silver "hot proof" coating is a lot cheaper than the black " superr heat proof" stuff, but it's still expensive. I kinda wonder how it would compare to a good silver powder coat.

Anyone seen any technical info on it?

Paul

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 8:41 am
by 80's_delirious
weld some barbs onto the flares before coating.

You could try clamping a peice of copper bar to the pipe and weld up to it to create a square shoulder on the weld for better clamping

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 9:14 am
by NCpaj
80's_delirious wrote:weld some barbs onto the flares before coating.

You could try clamping a peice of copper bar to the pipe and weld up to it to create a square shoulder on the weld for better clamping
X for weld tabs

also
a mate of mine has a hilux that used to have the same problem with blowing of IC pices all the time, now he just uses some pliers to bend the lip of the pipe up a couple of mm all the way round, its dosent stop the hose from going on and presto no more problems.

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 9:33 am
by nastytroll
NCpaj wrote:
80's_delirious wrote:weld some barbs onto the flares before coating.

You could try clamping a peice of copper bar to the pipe and weld up to it to create a square shoulder on the weld for better clamping
X for weld tabs

also
a mate of mine has a hilux that used to have the same problem with blowing of IC pices all the time, now he just uses some pliers to bend the lip of the pipe up a couple of mm all the way round, its dosent stop the hose from going on and presto no more problems.
This creates an edge that can rub though the hose/joiner. A simple bead welded to the pipe is smooth and prevents the clamp slipping past it.

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 10:06 am
by B.D.R
Apart from having a Lip on the piping, use the best quality hose clamps you can find.

Find a Jap importer close in you're area, and go get some clamps off them, they wont be cheap, but they will work.

Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 10:17 am
by rapid80
Is it possible to wrap some heat resistant insulation around the pipe.Something like this stuff :http://secondskinaudio.com/products/vib ... e.php#tab3
Its a noise and thermal barrier.It comes in small sheets and is super sticky but takes a few seconds to bond,allowing you time to position it correctly.

Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 11:51 am
by me3@neuralfibre.com
rapid80 wrote:Is it possible to wrap some heat resistant insulation around the pipe.Something like this stuff :http://secondskinaudio.com/products/vib ... e.php#tab3
Its a noise and thermal barrier.It comes in small sheets and is super sticky but takes a few seconds to bond,allowing you time to position it correctly.
Hmm - might get melty, despite the rating of 500F
The foil would reflect nicely, but I never really thought of bitumen (butyl rubber) as an insulator.

Paul

Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 6:14 pm
by 80's_delirious
me3@neuralfibre.com wrote:
rapid80 wrote:Is it possible to wrap some heat resistant insulation around the pipe.Something like this stuff :http://secondskinaudio.com/products/vib ... e.php#tab3
Its a noise and thermal barrier.It comes in small sheets and is super sticky but takes a few seconds to bond,allowing you time to position it correctly.
Hmm - might get melty, despite the rating of 500F
The foil would reflect nicely, but I never really thought of bitumen (butyl rubber) as an insulator.

Paul
It looks similar to what is used as body deadener, wouild give some heat sheilding until it was heat soaked. I reckon it would go all gooey and make a mess too.

this looks like a good option for heat sheilding http://www.aclperformance.com.au/prod_heatshield.htm

Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 5:24 pm
by rapid80
80's_delirious wrote:
me3@neuralfibre.com wrote:
rapid80 wrote:Is it possible to wrap some heat resistant insulation around the pipe.Something like this stuff :http://secondskinaudio.com/products/vib ... e.php#tab3
Its a noise and thermal barrier.It comes in small sheets and is super sticky but takes a few seconds to bond,allowing you time to position it correctly.
Hmm - might get melty, despite the rating of 500F
The foil would reflect nicely, but I never really thought of bitumen (butyl rubber) as an insulator.

Paul
It looks similar to what is used as body deadener, wouild give some heat sheilding until it was heat soaked. I reckon it would go all gooey and make a mess too.

this looks like a good option for heat sheilding http://www.aclperformance.com.au/prod_heatshield.htm
This stuff stays in place,and doesn't break down unlike the cheaper types of insulation.It outperformed dynamat for heat resistance.Its commonly used for under bonnet and firewall insulation and remains stuck in place forever.Your intake temps are half its rated capability and the foil should be reflecting the radiated heat from the exhaust.Heat soak may be an issue though its only 1mm thick so shouldn't retain much heat,more a means of reflecting it.Whatever you put on it will retain heat and most will be thicker than 1mm so likely to retain heat for even longer.If you want to check its performance google sound deadener showdown,they tested heat resistance as well as other factors.

Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 7:46 pm
by matt.mcinnes
Just going back to your first post of under bonnet temps been 55C of boost is a number I came across both for mine and marin's prior to intercooling. Though mine did improve with a snorkel.