D4D Top mount intercooler upgrade questions

[mybo Member Find all posts View Profile Close mybo]

Am out of town for a couple more weeks.. Won't have it in until late Jan I reckon.. Getting keen to do it though

[mybo Member Find all posts View Profile Close mybo]

So I finally got time to get the intercooler installed a week or two ago. Pics below.

Ran 0-100 km/h times before and after the install and ended up with a 5% improvement. Also ran a consumption test and got a 6% improvement. There's also a seat of the pants difference - the car feels like it is breathing better and a bit more responsive.

There's a bit more intake noise through the snorkel, but this could be related to me removing the resonator on the air intake.

The parts - making up the brackets was painful... lots of test-fitting and adjustments until it sat just right:


The brackets mounted to the engine:


The old cooler vs the new cooler:

[mybo Member Find all posts View Profile Close mybo]

Close up of the new cooler installed:


Showing the new pipe work from turbo to inlet side of cooler:


Showing the silicone elbow connecting outlet side of cooler to the throttle body, and the mounting of the pressure and temperature sensors:

[mybo Member Find all posts View Profile Close mybo]

I tested the acceleration and consumption performance using my OBDII reader. Before and after the install I ran four 0-100 km/h sprints (two in each direction along the same stretch of flat road) and a 5 minute run on cruise control at 100 km/h (GPS speed was around 95 km/h).

Weather conditions were similar for both tests, and same load of fuel and cargo in the car. So it should be pretty accurate.

When calculating the differences in acceleration, I only compared the times for 20 - 100 km/h to remove any variation in how hard I mashed the go-pedal from take-off.
Old cooler average 20-100 km/h time: 14.5 seconds, New cooler average 20-100 km/h time: 13.7 seconds (5.5% improvement).

When calculating the differences in consumption, I only used the period while on cruise control along the same stretch of road (based on Torque logs of GPS position and the instantaneous fuel usage every 0.1 seconds).
Old cooler consumption at 100 km/h: 9.75 L/100km, New cooler consumption at 100 km/h: 9.13 L/100km (6.4% improvement)

[Palmer Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Palmer]

Interesting results. I wonder what differences the addition of the exhaust will make as well.

[Pete1027 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Pete1027]

Thanks MLC - yeah, Matty & Loz's FMIC is a big part of what planted the seed for an intercooler upgrade in the first place

I seriously considered doing a FMIC myself, but after looking at the difficulty in routing the pipe work under the auxillary battery and past the AC lines, I gave up on it.. and I couldn't justify $1600 or so dollars for a kit from Cross Country - even if it does look amazing.

Your bonnet scoop is pretty awesome too, and would allow for a fairly thick IC core to be used, and plenty of room for a fan too. Bonnet scoop is probably out of the question for me - it would definitely blow the budget.

I've just handed over drawings to the local shop to quote me up the custom ADRAD cooler, so I'll wait and see what the damage is. They also suggested the air temp sensor could be plumbed into the base of the IC end tank, rather than into the silicone hose (which would be a dodgy thing to do anyway) - this might require the wiring loom to be extended.

Are Cross Country doing a kit for the prado??? I spoke to a Craig from cross country via email a few months ago and he told me thry dont do one??? I thought from that, that the one they did FOR Matt & Loz was a one off.

[mybo Member Find all posts View Profile Close mybo]

Dunno to be honest? I did call Cross Country to see if they did a top mount option for the Prado before I set off down this path, and they said no. As for the front mount, I had assumed that if they had done it once, they could do it again?

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

I will touch base with Craig again. Fact is I think he needs my car to do it and you would definitely need the same scoop I have to have any chance of a fan being mounted underneath.

[mybo Member Find all posts View Profile Close mybo]

Yep, for sure.. The cooler I've fitted is about as thick as you'll get in there without a scoop, and there's definitely no room for a fan on mine..

[Troy16 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Troy16]

Yep, for sure.. The cooler I've fitted is about as thick as you'll get in there without a scoop, and there's definitely no room for a fan on mine..

Hey mate, awesome top mount I'm prity keen on getting the same one what size dimensions is it? Or make number is it looks awesome have been looking at something like this for ages. Cheers

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Just finished emailing Craig at Cross Country 4x4. The 120 custom intercooler is on the cards. The 120 is waiting to be admitted to the operating table as the Guinea Pig.

[Pete1027 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Pete1027]

Just finished emailing Craig at Cross Country 4x4. The 120 custom intercooler is on the cards. The 120 is waiting to be admitted to the operating table as the Guinea Pig.

Nice. This for a top mount???

[mybo Member Find all posts View Profile Close mybo]

Hey mate, awesome top mount I'm prity keen on getting the same one what size dimensions is it? Or make number is it looks awesome have been looking at something like this for ages. Cheers

Sorry for late reply.. Have been out of country. Dimensions of the core are (HxLxD) 280 x 300 x 76. The overall width including the end tanks is around 440.
The unit is an AERO tube and fin intercooler with cast end tanks from PWR. I contacted PWR and told them the core measurement I wanted, and that I needed one end tank flipped. Only took them a week or so to draw it up and fabricate. Great service

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Nice. This for a top mount???

It is indeed.

[Troy16 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Troy16]

Sorry for late reply.. Have been out of country. Dimensions of the core are (HxLxD) 280 x 300 x 76. The overall width including the end tanks is around 440.
The unit is an AERO tube and fin intercooler with cast end tanks from PWR. I contacted PWR and told them the core measurement I wanted, and that I needed one end tank flipped. Only took them a week or so to draw it up and fabricate. Great service

Thanks mate for the reply what size is the tubes on either side? Did you go 3 inch on both ends? I was thinking of going a bigger scoop and maybe go a little bigger core .300x 340x76 what are you thoughts ? Also what did you have to ask for about hoses I see the one attached to the turbo tappers in size right at the bottom? Cheers