Has anyone on here installed/tried to install one of the intercoolers I see on fleabay for $70-$250 ect.? It's too cheap to pass up being that MINI tuners want $600+ for theirs. I'm sure there is a lot of engineering involved with them but I don't want to spend that kind of money.

There has to be someone on here that did it by now. Where are you and how is it working so far?

 

wait forrrrr itttt!

 

Go on then ile start, ask yourself the BIG question, as you say they are too cheap to pass up on the bargain of the decade!

The clue is in your sentence, TOO CHEAP.

Quality, technology and performance costs $$$

 

told you to wait for it hahahaha

i priced out a custom core i was gonna make weld myself and it was like 1k. Got a good deal on an alta so im satisfied.

 

I think with proper measurements and mounting, a universal intercooler will put up comparable numbers to any of the 700-1000 dollar intercoolers that vendors offer. People will argue all day about fin density, pressure drop, efficiency, and quality, but at the end of the day if the surface area is there it will get the job done.

An intercooler has no moving parts, so as long as the welds are decent and it's mounted properly there should be no issue as far as longevity. I have been contemplating the install of one for a long time, but havent gotten around to it. It'd be cool to see someone finally do it.

There are lots of examples on the web about universal intercoolers being run successfully, and initially the guy always gets flamed for wanting to do it. Then he does it and put's up good numbers and everyone else goes and tries it with success as well. Don't hate on the guy for trying to save some cash.

Here's a good read about a cheap intercooler used very successfully:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=426942

 

I can say I looked in to this for a few good weeks and ran in to the same problem over and over. What was the problem? End tank orientation, selecting a core is easy as companies list floew rates, now getting end tanks manufactured was the hurdle. Like I said before my own version of a 2" inch core was going to be about 1k after end tank fabrication.

 

Helix, Forge and Alta are good choices. Is that not enough? What are you guys analyzing here??

I got in on the Helix group buy last fall. I drove down to Philly to have Eric and Ralph install it last December. Done, over with. Performs flawlessly.

My car before Ralph put the front bumper back on.


Pic of the display case in the front of the Helix shop. MINI intercooler on the left and BMW on the right.

 

I think the question was weather he could fit in a cheaper universal intercooler as opposed to paying more for a direct fit one. I'm pretty sure you could mount one with the right couplers and adapters, it would just take a little time to get it in the right

 

I came up with my own design but would have had to pull the lower grill along with the brake ducts...

 

I found a few that seemed to be good for my needs. I don't need some massive Evo sized intercooler. I'm not running 50lbs of boost with 1,000hp. I just want something that will cool a little better then the stock intercooler.

 

As i've said a few times before, in this case size is not important, it's the cores ability to handle heat dissipation, with very good recovery rates!

I am currently running without any intercooler whatsoever, that said, I do have water/meth injection!

And for my track project MCS I have the ultimate intercooler, but it comes with an ultimate price £2,500 GBP.

 

No pics of the ultimate!?

i wanna seeeee

 

*

 

Sadly not, as this is my secret weapon on the rest of you out there in Mini competition land, I've worked long and many hard hours, to get to where I am, what I will say, as a teaser, is it's not much different in size to the stock one, but boy does it cool, so much so, at first I thought we had a problem!

Think way outside the regular box, and may just find the direction I'm coming from!

It's simple and you will all say, oh yes, why did I not think of that! When you think like I do.

 

Ice boxing it huh...

 

NO NO NO, your still in the regular box, Bigfred22, think way beyond the normal, maybe it's easy for me!

Sit back have a brew/beer, and think! Carefully about air.

 

You cooling it with a Nitrous sprayer?

 

No your all still in the regular box, I don't use any external additional sprayers, this is not rocket science, all though maybe it is!

 

Okay I'm pretty sure at this point I know what you did. You gave it all away when you said "think carefully about air" and "this is not rocket science." At this point, there can be only one explanation: pixies. I understand how difficult it must have been to capture all 528 of those little buggers and then stuff them into your intercooler, but I commend you for a job well done.

Edit: Haha sorry couldn't help myself. You just make it sound so mystical and mysterious it's easy to let the imagination go wild. Good luck racing your MINI with your magic intercooler on the track

 

The net was cast far and wide.

It's not magic, it's just a simple engineering solution to a much discussed issue, of how to reduce Intake Air Temperature, I really would like to tell you all, BUT and that's a BIG BUT, you'll have to work it out for yourselves, the clues are there! That said it's NOT a cheap solution, and a good understanding of engineering would be very helpful, in finding the answer, sometimes the future does not give us the answer!

 

He has a turbo in front of the intercooler =p
He made an extra larger funnel outside of the intercooler to funnel in air.

all kidding aside,

If someone with an aftermarket FMIC (probably the alta one) since its a more "traditional" shape vs the helix/forge, as well as end tank measurements /diameters etc etc, pictures next to rulers would be very nice =)

If so we might be able to find something with endtanks that'd fit. (wishful thinking), but honestly for the majority (just street drivers, non track) drivers on here, a small drop in pressure isn't going to be very detrimental, if we get overall cooling from the setup, it'd be better than stock.