I would agree with you - if you create too much pressure underneath the IC then air flow downward thru the top IC will be affected. At the same time if you got the correct air flow underneath the IC it might help create a draw thru the Top mount.

The designs we have seen so far just bring air into the engine bay and don't overly direct it anywhere in particular. All I see this doing is a general engine bay temp drop.

 

Ok I know I said Im out but, I have isolated the intercooler mostly away from the lower half of the engine with the Areogel stuff over the header/intercooler and sections of a welding blanket. Maybe this will help prevent the vacuum effect? For DFIC owners the vacuum effect would be an outlet for the back of the supercharger. Right Bahama Bart? Just a guess.

"well, if you think so, that's good enough for me"
-PGT
Since I don't have my own Mini cooper business or development team, I guess I just trust the M7 engineering department and rely on them instead of me, to "maximize" my car. Especially when they have told me to not buy something from them in the past because it would be a waste of money. They also focus on reliable upgrades and performance like this piece.

 

If that's the case then by all means continue on

Mark

 

The problem is, we're not moving beyond what we already know from the IMD thread. I think the OP might have done better to post his OP on that thread--it was certainly on the high ground (admittedly, there was no mention of M7 other than in passing that both Partsman and I have the DFIC.) I can wax lyrical about the theory of airflow in my car, but I can't show it to you (airflow being hard to see under normal conditions.) I'd still like my question answered about airflow with the mini scoop. To answer a question posed to me: The air coming in through my IMD is directed at the manifold, it escapes over and under the manifold--directed on top by the DFIC diverter (my own design not M7s) and beneath by the blanket over the SC.

 

thanks for answering phil.

Very hard to test something like this. And the problem is to test it if you have a gp ic or a stock top mount you have to hack your shrowd, and then it's too late to turn back if it makes cooling worse.

 

That's not entirely true, correct? I'm sure you could put up a diverter in front of the IC to keep the airflow from going underneath...

 

Having the IMD makes me question the need for the aerogel blankie.

 

Remember, Bart, I'm not using the M7 blanket as per instructions. I am using a small section of one, and it's between the intake manifold and the SC. I sits under my IMD to act as a barrier and guide for airflow. I agree that a regular blanket placement, as it appears in the OP photos, seems to interfere with the airflow from the scoop. Again, that's why I'm asking for drawings or other airflow information.

 

Mmm, this is getting a little hairy. I am not confident that increased airflow under a downdraft IC is a good idea, despite Bernoulli's effect. So, I agree that some type of diverter is needed. The problem is where do you divert the air coming in through the miniscoop? I'm not convinced from the photos supplied that the air is actually hitting the manifold given the location of the M7 blanket. But even if it does, it has to exit somewhere. I dunno.

 

By the way, its $129.00

 

forgot - tuff to keep up with all the distractions.

 

In regards to Bernoulli's Principle

**Bernoulli's Principle is the reason that you may feel "pulled" toward a large truck or tractor trailer passing you on a highway at high speeds. Presumably, the air between you and the truck is moving at a faster rate than the air surrounding you. So, according to Bernoulli's Principle, the air with a higher velocity will have a lower pressure. Thus, the feeling of being "pulled" toward the large vehicle is, in reality, the force of the surrounding air with the greater pressure, pushing you and the truck together into the area of less pressure. Thus, while you feel that the truck is pulling you toward it, it is actually the surrounding air pushing you and the truck together.**

 

OK, is that the Wikipedia definition? I usually describe it as: a low pressure area is created orthogonal to the flow of a stream of air. My point being that this principle would argue *for* a flow of air under a downdraft IC. The problem is the relative magnitude of the two airstreams: the one coming down through the IC and the one coming underneath it. There has to be a velocity differential as you rightly point out, in favor of the horizontal flow.

 

So in theory, it's only going to have an affect on the air on the same plane? Horizontal-Horizontal. Horizontal-Vetical doesn't have any affect?

And yes, it was the wikipedia (shhh... ) definition.

 

No, but here's the theory: If the air moving horizontally (from the mini scoop,say) is traveling faster than the air moving vertically (down through the IC) then it will "suck" the air out of the IC. Unfortunately, my guess, based on 2+ years of listening to the likes of Dr Obnxs and others here on NAM (the font of wisdom) is that due to the ram effect of the big bonnet scoop, the air going through the IC is going to win the race, and it will always be at a positive pressure advantage over the air under the IC. If I'm right, the mini scoop air is not going to have any effect on the efficiency of the IC.
Now, we know this is true for the DFIC given its design, but what some suspect is that the horizontal airflow might actually interfere with the downdraft IC airflow. I don't know about that.
Again, the idea behind the IMD was to cool the manifold and to provide more general engine bay cooling air, as previously speculated.

 

Correct, but I think what we're now running into is that with the stock IC, air could go between the head and IC (whereas with the DFIC, it can't?).

 

At the end of the day there are only two stage one performance mods that really show substantial gain, a SC pulley and a RMW tune. Next topic.

 

Valid point, but anything you can do to further benefit the engine is a plus.

So this mod may not make a HUGE affect, but if you can keep doing minor things, in the long run they will add up. My $.02

 

Based on the point that this scoop doesn't direct air specifically between the IC and the manifold - it should not be a negative to those running a top mount. Any air that comes in via this scoop and ends up between the Ic and the manifold can't pressure wize exceed the downward pressure. It should accomplish what your IMD is set out to do - general engine bay cooling.

 

I took a closer look through the scoop and my unaltered aerogel blanket is resting on top of the radiator hose at the top edge of the scoop and doesn't appear to blocking any of the flow toward the intakd I'm hoe manifold and supercharger.

I do plan on moving my radiator hose down as per Partsman's idea and expecting that this will also make further improvements in cooling the fron end of the engine. Once I do move the radiator hose then I'll need to pin the aerogel above the scoop outlet to make sure it doesn't block or divert any flow.

Paul

 

I'd like to see what one of these suckers could do for the CAI intake side.

 

you mean like the one already there from the factory?

 

Perhaps a more direct route.

 

please explain <hands over marker and control of the whiteboard>

 

The opening you have circled is actually behind the hood and not the grille. A scoop for said opening would be ideal as the air would not have to "find" it's way there.