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I found some relatively thick walled aluminum tube which looks like the right sz for my IC.

I'm thinking the thick vs thin aluminum will act as a heat sink, cooling the air as it passes to the IC.

Well, aluminum will work great granted you can find someone to weld it. You could use couplers in a few places, yes, but some of the bends need to be fitted accordingly. As for thick versus thin, the thin stuff will have a slightly larger ID, more flow.

kidwired wrote:I'm thinking the thick vs thin aluminum will act as a heat sink, cooling the air as it passes to the IC.

It won't, they both have the same surface area. Not only that but the air spends a negligible amount of time in a pipe, especially under boost.

ding ding

stipro wrote:As for thick versus thin, the thin stuff will have a slightly larger ID, more flow.

Wouldn't that depend on how it was measured? If the two pipes were measured for their OD then yes the thin would have a larger ID and would flow more, but if they were measured for their ID's then they would flow the same, but the thicker one would have a larger OD.

THAWA wrote:

stipro wrote:As for thick versus thin, the thin stuff will have a slightly larger ID, more flow.

Wouldn't that depend on how it was measured? If the two pipes were measured for their OD then yes the thin would have a larger ID and would flow more, but if they were measured for their ID's then they would flow the same, but the thicker one would have a larger OD.

Pipe sizes below 14" is measured in approx. ID

ie. sched 40 pipe with 1 1/2" inside diameter has the same OD as sched 80 1 1/2" pipe, its the ID that is different.

91White-T wrote:

kidwired wrote:I'm thinking the thick vs thin aluminum will act as a heat sink, cooling the air as it passes to the IC.

It won't, they both have the same surface area. Not only that but the air spends a negligible amount of time in a pipe, especially under boost.

mmk, the "surface area" makes perfect sense. But as to "negligible time in pipe" that would be relative to where I mount my IC.
I think this is worth consideration on an FMIC.

But it doesnt seem as tho there are really any negatives to running a thicker wall besides the ID issue.

oh yeah, so what would an appropriate sized IC pipe be for a stock turbo w/ 12-15lbs boost and a decatted exhaust? I would assume 2.25 same as the exhaust.

kidwired wrote:mmk, the "surface area" makes perfect sense. But as to "negligible time in pipe" that would be relative to where I mount my IC.I think this is worth consideration on an FMIC.

The reason the intercooler works is because it flows the air through fins like a radiator. For air to cool down from time inside of the pipes, it would have to sit there for a while. Any air in the system will be used long before it has had a chance to radiate its heat out through the piping.

yeah, I get that but when were talking about 8' of pipe it seems like it might help.

I was thinking about pipe dia last night, I think 2.25 would be fine as the IC would be the most restrictive anyway.....still thinking.

Depends on what turbo you run. I have 2.5" piping to my fmic.

The air in the intercooler piping is spending a fraction of a second there under boost. Even if it is eight feet long. Not to mention the air in the engine compartment is usually on the warm side. I say don't worry about it. Its not going to make a noticable difference,

so why would my little tiny IC work? the air is in the tube long than the IC.

Actually, the air is in the I/C longer than in the tube. The I/C has much more volume than the tube itself. That means the air in the tube is moving really fast to keep the I/C full of equally pressurized air, minus a slight pressure drop.

If you think about how many cubic feet of air an engine consumes, especially a turbo engine, that air cannot spend much time in any intercooler piping.

I guess that the ideal setup, although having miniscule effects, would be aluminum pre-I/C piping and steel(stainless) post-I/C piping.

Please keep in mind that I'm wasted right now. (See Ashtray)

Exposed metallic piping in the engine compartment isn't going to cool the intake charge, if anything it's probably going to warm it. Although the same argument holds: it won't be in there long.

ok, it was worth kicking around.
BTW I found some nice big silicone intercooler tube on ebay! the kind we use on our turbo diesel trucks at work.

Is it the steam pressure hose like the kind used on RV's and such?