FL5 Intercooler Reference Thread

[blueroadster]

If your car is still sporting the OEM intercooler, then absolutely not since there is a large air gap across the bottom. Most if not all aftermarket intercoolers are taller and fill that gap.

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[timestamped]

If your car is still sporting the OEM intercooler, then absolutely not since there is a large air gap across the bottom. Most if not all aftermarket intercoolers are taller and fill that gap.

yea I have a larger intercooler and someone recently posted a picture of theirs after some miles showing the bottom couple inches not getting dirty (and presumably airflow).

 

[0x1d7]

Has anyone shaved the lower inside lip of the intercooler opening?

Buy a MY2027 CTR?

 

[timestamped]

Buy a MY2027 CTR?

I doubt the ‘27 facelift bumper’s opening is sized bigger than the OEM intercooler.

I’ll probably wait to take the bumper off again until I have a radiator to swap as well, but if anyone else is in there looking at it…

 

[jtlctr]

Has anyone shaved the lower inside lip of the intercooler opening?

I was going to ask the same question. I have the PRL tube and fin intercooler and I noticed recently that the 2 lower rows are blocked by that lip. I am considering either cutting it out or drilling some large holes across that lip.

 

[blueroadster]

I was going to ask the same question. I have the PRL tube and fin intercooler and I noticed recently that the 2 lower rows are blocked by that lip. I am considering either cutting it out or drilling some large holes across that lip.

It would be worth opening up that area if you are using an aftermarket intercooler and have the ability to make the modification look clean instead of a hack job. Square up the plastic trim along the bottom to align with the front surface area of the intercooler core itself and seal any surrounding gaps.

On the J's Racing intercooler for example, the top and bottom plates around the core include an extended and curled edge to help direct air into the core itself. Shaving the lower plastic lip and filling the small gaps on the sides should not be too hard. I decided to skip doing that because mine would have looked like a hack job even though I also noticed that the bottom two rows of fins on the intercooler core were blocked by the lip itself.

 

[Nikw91]

I was going to ask the same question. I have the PRL tube and fin intercooler and I noticed recently that the 2 lower rows are blocked by that lip. I am considering either cutting it out or drilling some large holes across that lip.

I have posted this a few times in different places. This was my PRL intercooler before I switched to HKS. You can see what’s blocked and what’s getting air by the dirt.

 

[jtlctr]

It would be worth opening up that area if you are using an aftermarket intercooler and have the ability to make the modification look clean instead of a hack job. Square up the plastic trim along the bottom to align with the front surface area of the intercooler core itself and seal any surrounding gaps.

On the J's Racing intercooler for example, the top and bottom plates around the core include an extended and curled edge to help direct air into the core itself. Shaving the lower plastic lip and filling the small gaps on the sides should not be too hard. I decided to skip doing that because mine would have looked like a hack job even though I also noticed that the bottom two rows of fins on the intercooler core were blocked by the lip itself.

Yeah, I think it would be difficult to cut that section out and make it look good. That’s why I am considering drilling some evenly spaced holes across the area, somehow I think that might look better.
plus, I’ll be shaving weight!