FL5 Intercooler Reference Thread

[UCF120]

The RV6 intercooler can actually be considered a “hybrid” intercooler because even though it is a tube and fin intercooler it uses a extruded square internal tubes and fins so its internal components have a cross section that looks similar to a bar and plate intercooler. Hence it essentially has the best properties of both intercooler types. It will work well for a street car and is a great option. Most forum members didn’t get it because it was delayed multiple times and the HKS and J’s racing intercooler which share a similar design were readily available even though the RV6 is cheaper than both of those JDM options. The RV6 will work great and unless you plan to make way over 600whp, it will meet all your needs.

that’s exactly what I needed to know! Appreciate you breaking it down for me!

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[jtlctr]

which downpipe did you go with? How much power did you get after the tune? The way Derek Robinson explained it when he just recently tuned an FL5 with an aftermarket downpipe and factory intercooler that made like 356whp is that the factory intercooler was heat soaking between runs which wouldn’t allow him to push timing to make more power. He’s under the impression that a bigger intercooler is necessary even to make the typical 370-380whp that most of these cars are making but others seem to disagree and think the factory intercooler is fine .

and yeah there is just so much contradictory information out there. I find it funny also that a lot of people are calling the PRL intercooler an overweight brick and were waiting for RV6 to come out with their intercooler just for it to weigh more than the PRL … then you have B&P design vs T&F…so much info and no definitive answer as to which is better for a street car that will never see the track.

people have said that bar and plate is better for the street and tube and fin is better for the track. Yet so many want to buy the RV6 which is tube and fin..for the street not to mention that oem is tube and fin. God I couldn’t be more confused.

I have the TSP downpipe, and the tune was done by @Jester04. Being a remote tune, I don’t know how much power is being made now, but I imagine it’s similar to what Derek gets (though maybe his using a dyno allows for a little bit finer adjustment). I noticed that Derek mentioned IATs of 150 degrees, which is pretty damn hot. I’ve seen mine creeping that high, but only on the hottest day after idling for too long. I do know that my ignition timing peaks at 7 degrees on the hottest days (85ish) doing a third gear pull, and in cooler weather (low 70s/high 60s) I will see 9 degrees. That difference is significant in feel for sure (I’m sure the actual air density plays a role here too). One of these days, I’ll have to go through my data logs and post the differences in IATs vs ignition timing. I live in Massachusetts, so the hottest days where I really notice the reduced power are fairly short lived, so I might not benefit from an intercooler as much as people in hotter climates.

 

[Tougefl5]

So after reading this thread in its entirety, along with a bunch of other intercooler threads, and seeing dyno runs with and without aftermarket intercoolers, I’m still thoroughly confused.

can anyone definitively say an aftermarket larger intercooler is necessary for a street driven car with only a downpipe and tune?

I see a bunch of stats for these intercoolers and a bunch of banter back and forth but no definitive answer. Is the oem intercooler sufficient for a car aiming to make around 370whp after a downpipe and custom tune? Is an aftermarket intercooler necessary? If so, which one! So much info but no one saying whether PRL, RV6, PWR etc..are worth it for a street driven car.

a lot say a bigger intercooler isn’t necessary but then you look at some dyno plots from Derek Robinson and all the cars with a bigger intercooler generally are in the 370-380whp range. He recently did one with a downpipe and factory intercooler that made less than 360whp and he attributed it to heat soak due to the factory intercooler. He said a bigger one is necessary but a lot of others say factory is good for just a street driven car.

im so confused anyone with some experience able to shed some light on whether or not a car that will only be driven on the street, only looking to make around 380whp with a tune and downpipe, and drives pretty normally with a pull here and there needs to spend the money on an aftermarket intercooler?

You probably don't need a intercooler. Your car will definitely tell you if you do. Street or track driving nothing is definitive and cars driving style is all different. If you want to burn some money go buy some parts. If you ain't having any issues with heat soak it's probably go to run oem

 

[Jester04]

just for info! The intercooler will not gain you outright power. What it will do is cool the aircharge and allow for more timing since the air is cooler. Thus allowing for the tune to make more power. In my opinion a intercooler is a must in these cars. Especially if you want consistency pull after pull.

My cars are always tuned with a bit of headroom since I try to account for hotter conditions or inconsistency in quality. I don’t like relying on the knock sensor

 

[UCF120]

just for info! The intercooler will not gain you outright power. What it will do is cool the aircharge and allow for more timing since the air is cooler. Thus allowing for the tune to make more power. In my opinion a intercooler is a must in these cars. Especially if you want consistency pull after pull.

My cars are always tuned with a bit of headroom since I try to account for hotter conditions or inconsistency in quality. I don’t like relying on the knock sensor

appreciate the info! Once I get this downpipe and intercooler in I’m hitting you up for a custom tune. Everyone seems sold out of the RV6 downpipe though for a little so it may be a while unfortunately

 

[UCF120]

I have the TSP downpipe, and the tune was done by @Jester04. Being a remote tune, I don’t know how much power is being made now, but I imagine it’s similar to what Derek gets (though maybe his using a dyno allows for a little bit finer adjustment). I noticed that Derek mentioned IATs of 150 degrees, which is pretty damn hot. I’ve seen mine creeping that high, but only on the hottest day after idling for too long. I do know that my ignition timing peaks at 7 degrees on the hottest days (85ish) doing a third gear pull, and in cooler weather (low 70s/high 60s) I will see 9 degrees. That difference is significant in feel for sure (I’m sure the actual air density plays a role here too). One of these days, I’ll have to go through my data logs and post the differences in IATs vs ignition timing. I live in Massachusetts, so the hottest days where I really notice the reduced power are fairly short lived, so I might not benefit from an intercooler as much as people in hotter climates.

cool man appreciate the info! I’m in central Florida where the summers are absolutely brutal and get extremely hot. An intercooler will probably benefit me most in the summers here. Fall and winter the weather is much more mild. I’m most likely gonna go with the RV6 downpipe mainly for the fact it’s cheaper than the TSP lol. I have @Jester04 conservative track tune and have loved it. Been waiting to have an intercooler and downpipe installed so I can be custom tuned by him. Looking like it’s gonna be a while longer though cause everyone is sold out of like every downpipe lol

 

[Tougefl5]

cool man appreciate the info! I’m in central Florida where the summers are absolutely brutal and get extremely hot. An intercooler will probably benefit me most in the summers here. Fall and winter the weather is much more mild. I’m most likely gonna go with the RV6 downpipe mainly for the fact it’s cheaper than the TSP lol. I have @Jester04 conservative track tune and have loved it. Been waiting to have an intercooler and downpipe installed so I can be custom tuned by him. Looking like it’s gonna be a while longer though cause everyone is sold out of like every downpipe lol

Hit up Axion Industries pretty sure he just got a batch of dp made.

 

[jtlctr]

cool man appreciate the info! I’m in central Florida where the summers are absolutely brutal and get extremely hot. An intercooler will probably benefit me most in the summers here. Fall and winter the weather is much more mild. I’m most likely gonna go with the RV6 downpipe mainly for the fact it’s cheaper than the TSP lol. I have @Jester04 conservative track tune and have loved it. Been waiting to have an intercooler and downpipe installed so I can be custom tuned by him. Looking like it’s gonna be a while longer though cause everyone is sold out of like every downpipe lol

Yes, I would say Florida is a good place to have an aftermarket intercooler! It’s already cooling off up here, the temps were down in the 50s a few nights this week.
Jester’s tune has literally been one of the main reasons I still have this car. As much as I love it otherwise, for me, the stock power just didn’t cut it. I would like to keep going, but I may be marked now by the state inspection Gestapo after my experience last spring, so I’m hesitant to make mods that can’t be easily reversed once a year.

 

[SBX Performance]

So after reading this thread in its entirety, along with a bunch of other intercooler threads, and seeing dyno runs with and without aftermarket intercoolers, I’m still thoroughly confused.

can anyone definitively say an aftermarket larger intercooler is necessary for a street driven car with only a downpipe and tune?

I see a bunch of stats for these intercoolers and a bunch of banter back and forth but no definitive answer. Is the oem intercooler sufficient for a car aiming to make around 370whp after a downpipe and custom tune? Is an aftermarket intercooler necessary? If so, which one! So much info but no one saying whether PRL, RV6, PWR etc..are worth it for a street driven car.

a lot say a bigger intercooler isn’t necessary but then you look at some dyno plots from Derek Robinson and all the cars with a bigger intercooler generally are in the 370-380whp range. He recently did one with a downpipe and factory intercooler that made less than 360whp and he attributed it to heat soak due to the factory intercooler. He said a bigger one is necessary but a lot of others say factory is good for just a street driven car.

im so confused anyone with some experience able to shed some light on whether or not a car that will only be driven on the street, only looking to make around 380whp with a tune and downpipe, and drives pretty normally with a pull here and there needs to spend the money on an aftermarket intercooler?

Here’s how I see it: and yes I could sell you the world to make a sale lol

• You can hit 370–380whp on the stock intercooler in a single pull, especially when it’s cool out.
• The issue is heat soak. After a couple pulls or on a hot day, IATs climb, timing gets pulled, and the car feels softer. Same goes with daily driving these cars are notorious for heat soak
• A bigger intercooler doesn’t magically create power, but in the real world it does add some hp because it keeps IATs down so the tune can hold timing. I’ve seen ~10–20whp differences on back-to-back pulls vs. stock.
• If you mostly cruise in mild temps and do a pull here and there, stock is fine. If you want consistency and a safer tune, upgrade it.

Brands I’d look at:

PRL , RV6, Airtec Great budget friendly and work for what your looking for.

MDR Great and proven gains Dyno comparison: ~302.4 hp / 334.2 lb-ft with stock IC vs ~331.3 hp / 352.1 lb-ft with MDR—plus lower IATs and better repeatability. So yes it can improve HP

PWR High End price not many of us need its more track ready and I do agree its one of the best of the best

 

[SBX Performance]

cool man appreciate the info! I’m in central Florida where the summers are absolutely brutal and get extremely hot. An intercooler will probably benefit me most in the summers here. Fall and winter the weather is much more mild. I’m most likely gonna go with the RV6 downpipe mainly for the fact it’s cheaper than the TSP lol. I have @Jester04 conservative track tune and have loved it. Been waiting to have an intercooler and downpipe installed so I can be custom tuned by him. Looking like it’s gonna be a while longer though cause everyone is sold out of like every downpipe lol

Hey RV6 downpipes just got back in stock message me and I will hook u up if you decide on that one. Will ship Monday! I actually just switched to RV6 downpipe myself! the best quality out there 100% and if you plan on getting tune its fine!

 

[Clark_Kent]

Here’s how I see it: and yes I could sell you the world to make a sale lol

• You can hit 370–380whp on the stock intercooler in a single pull, especially when it’s cool out.
• The issue is heat soak. After a couple pulls or on a hot day, IATs climb, timing gets pulled, and the car feels softer. Same goes with daily driving these cars are notorious for heat soak
• A bigger intercooler doesn’t magically create power, but in the real world it does add some hp because it keeps IATs down so the tune can hold timing. I’ve seen ~10–20whp differences on back-to-back pulls vs. stock.
• If you mostly cruise in mild temps and do a pull here and there, stock is fine. If you want consistency and a safer tune, upgrade it.

Brands I’d look at:

PRL , RV6, Airtec Great budget friendly and work for what your looking for.

MDR Great and proven gains Dyno comparison: ~302.4 hp / 334.2 lb-ft with stock IC vs ~331.3 hp / 352.1 lb-ft with MDR—plus lower IATs and better repeatability. So yes it can improve HP

PWR High End price not many of us need its more track ready and I do agree its one of the best of the best

I'm struggling mightily with the MDR data. In a controlled testing environment, I am highly skeptical of a manufacturer claiming 30+whp and 20+wtq with the substitution of an intercooler. It simply doesn't work like that. Folks who have tuned and/or modified cars over the years know how intercoolers work so there's no need to have an academic discussion about the pros and cons.

The meaningful data to demonstrate performance of an intercooler are inlet tempuratures, outlet tempuratures, pressure drop, cooling efficiency - all plotted across the RPM range, core size, core specs, material, intercooler type. Leading with power figures, with no context or notes is not only unhelpful, it's disingenuous. Trust but verify...

 

[SBX Performance]

Totally get it, an intercooler isn’t some magic 30whp bolt-on (can it? dunno). I didn’t do the testing, but I trust what was shown. They actually posted data instead of the usual “it’s the best out there bs” forum noise with zero proof. MDR’s reputation is stellar, so there’s no reason to doubt it. Best way to settle it is independent testing. I'm all for unbiased testers and I’ll be lining some up for parts I release in the future. The real win is keeping temps stable and giving the car more headroom, not chasing a miracle peak. All of the listed intercoolers are solid choices for most of us. I run MDR and, first-hand, my temps are lower and the car picked up power over my previous intercoolers, I have ran 3 brands.

 

[Clark_Kent]

If anyone is interested in the PWR intercooler, now is a good time. There will be a price increase on September 1. Some vendors have already preemptively raised the price ahead of September 1.

 

[SBX Performance]

It’s going to be my next one but not ready yet. I want to try it out at some point I’m always switching brands to try and heard good things. everyone is increasing prices not just them.

 

[GV27]

If anyone is interested in the PWR intercooler, now is a good time. There will be a price increase on September 1. Some vendors have already preemptively raised the price ahead of September 1.

Thanks for letting us know. Just put my order in.

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