- Joined
- Jan 26, 2017
- Threads
- 70
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- 1,100
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- Location
- Export, PA
- Website
- prlmotorsports.com
- Vehicle(s)
- 2022 Civic Si, 2023 Civic Type-R
- Thread starter
- #1
Why another Intercooler? Don’t you guys already make an awesome intercooler for the FL5/DE5?
Yes we do! We’re incredibly proud of that intercooler, but we’ve heard the community asking for a tube and fin intercooler, so we listened, and we wanted to bring the best “no compromises” intercooler to market. Our goal with this project was simple: We wanted to make the lightest, highest-performing intercooler we could for the FL5 and DE5 platforms, while still maintaining OEM fit and finish as you’ve come to expect from PRL products. Oh, did we mention it looks mean behind the grille?
Why choose the Tube-and-Fin Over Bar-and-Plate?
When it comes to intercoolers, most people are familiar with bar-and-plate designs. They’re strong and durable, but they come with extra weight and added resistance to airflow. If you’re drag racing your Type R, that extra weight over the front wheels can be helpful, and the extra density of the bar and plate can be helpful to absorb all that heat over the quarter mile blast. But the downside is that it can take a longer amount of time to shed that heat again.
Tube-and-fin, on the other hand, takes a different approach. By using thinner material, this style dramatically cuts weight while still delivering the cooling performance drivers need. Less weight up front means sharper handling and quicker response, which makes a big difference for cars that already thrive on balance and precision.
Another advantage of tube-and-fin is the way it performs at speed. On the highway or during a track session, airflow moves through the core more easily, which helps it shed heat faster, while also providing better airflow to your radiator which is crucial on the Civic Type R platforms. Because there’s less restriction, the turbo doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain boost, leading to smoother power and less lag. While bar-and-plate cores might make sense in applications that demand extreme toughness, tube-and-fin offers a smarter balance for real-world driving.
Lighter, Faster, Smarter Cooling
Step one in meeting our goals required us to choose the best, lightest core possible. The star of the show is the CSF ultra-lightweight tube-and-fin core, measuring 184mm tall × 108mm thick × 716mm long (about 7.25” × 4.25” × 28.2”). This is the same core size that we utilize on our Bar and Plate intercooler, which already maximized the available space inside the OEM front bumper.
Step two in meeting our goals was carving every last ounce of weight out of our end tanks. We started from scratch on these designs in CAD, optimizing for proper airflow, maintaining OEM fitment, while also finding every bit of useless material to get rid of.
Step three is actually making this happen. Each end tank starts out as a 19.5lb billet block of custom extruded 6061 aluminum, and undergoes over 2 hours of machining on our state of the art 5 axis machining centers to carve them down to just 1.04 lbs. each.
The results:
New Tube and Fin Intercooler: 14.4 lbs.
Current Bar and Plate Intercooler: 22.2lbs.
That’s a 7.8 lb. savings—roughly 35% lighter—without sacrificing cooling ability.
Why it Matters
Lighter weight means less load up front and better balance for road racing, autocross, or back-to-back pulls. And because the tube-and-fin design sheds heat faster at speed, it’s a great match for long sessions where airflow is constant.
This is only the beginning. Stay tuned for the next edition, where we'll share the results of our recently completed testing and get closer to product launch!
Yes we do! We’re incredibly proud of that intercooler, but we’ve heard the community asking for a tube and fin intercooler, so we listened, and we wanted to bring the best “no compromises” intercooler to market. Our goal with this project was simple: We wanted to make the lightest, highest-performing intercooler we could for the FL5 and DE5 platforms, while still maintaining OEM fit and finish as you’ve come to expect from PRL products. Oh, did we mention it looks mean behind the grille?
Why choose the Tube-and-Fin Over Bar-and-Plate?
When it comes to intercoolers, most people are familiar with bar-and-plate designs. They’re strong and durable, but they come with extra weight and added resistance to airflow. If you’re drag racing your Type R, that extra weight over the front wheels can be helpful, and the extra density of the bar and plate can be helpful to absorb all that heat over the quarter mile blast. But the downside is that it can take a longer amount of time to shed that heat again.
Tube-and-fin, on the other hand, takes a different approach. By using thinner material, this style dramatically cuts weight while still delivering the cooling performance drivers need. Less weight up front means sharper handling and quicker response, which makes a big difference for cars that already thrive on balance and precision.
Another advantage of tube-and-fin is the way it performs at speed. On the highway or during a track session, airflow moves through the core more easily, which helps it shed heat faster, while also providing better airflow to your radiator which is crucial on the Civic Type R platforms. Because there’s less restriction, the turbo doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain boost, leading to smoother power and less lag. While bar-and-plate cores might make sense in applications that demand extreme toughness, tube-and-fin offers a smarter balance for real-world driving.
Lighter, Faster, Smarter Cooling
Step one in meeting our goals required us to choose the best, lightest core possible. The star of the show is the CSF ultra-lightweight tube-and-fin core, measuring 184mm tall × 108mm thick × 716mm long (about 7.25” × 4.25” × 28.2”). This is the same core size that we utilize on our Bar and Plate intercooler, which already maximized the available space inside the OEM front bumper.
Step two in meeting our goals was carving every last ounce of weight out of our end tanks. We started from scratch on these designs in CAD, optimizing for proper airflow, maintaining OEM fitment, while also finding every bit of useless material to get rid of.
Step three is actually making this happen. Each end tank starts out as a 19.5lb billet block of custom extruded 6061 aluminum, and undergoes over 2 hours of machining on our state of the art 5 axis machining centers to carve them down to just 1.04 lbs. each.
The results:
New Tube and Fin Intercooler: 14.4 lbs.
Current Bar and Plate Intercooler: 22.2lbs.
That’s a 7.8 lb. savings—roughly 35% lighter—without sacrificing cooling ability.
Why it Matters
Lighter weight means less load up front and better balance for road racing, autocross, or back-to-back pulls. And because the tube-and-fin design sheds heat faster at speed, it’s a great match for long sessions where airflow is constant.
This is only the beginning. Stay tuned for the next edition, where we'll share the results of our recently completed testing and get closer to product launch!
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