Really Light Stuff Intercooler

[Thomasio]

I'll try to answer many of the questions here... I have been in the shop developing products. Everyone knows that a bar and plate intercooler flows better than a tube and fin, and has higher thermal capacitance, and weighs more. It's a tradeoff. Combine the rls Intercooler with the rls Tubes, and you are less than 1/2 a kilo difference in weight from the Lotus Cup intercooler (which is a tube and fin design). The improvement in thermal capacitance of the rls bar and plate intercooler alone is worth the difference. Add to that better flow, better supercharger efficiency, and better heat transfer and it's a decisive win.

One very important example is this: when you close the throttle, say coming into a corner, then open the throttle... the IAT leaps up (for example) 40 or 50 degrees F (or more!) for a few moments. The reason (in a nutshell) is this: when you close the throttle, there isn't much air flowing through your supercharger. This airflow through the supercharger normally keeps it cool. When you close the throttle, you no longer have the cooling airflow through the supercharger and heat builds up. When you first crack open the throttle after this, the extra heat of the supercharger is transferred to the air charge and results in a big IAT temperature spike.

You need thermal capacitance (which is correlated with the mass of the intercooler) in your intercooler to absorb that spike of heat. If you don't have the capacity to absorb that heat at the intercooler, it superheats the intake air and the ECU responds by pulling timing advance and if it is bad enough by richening the mixture. With the stock intercooler, you feel this is a slight hesitation coming out of the corner. Eventually that heat spike passes, and the ECU inches its way back to optimal timing advance and mixture, but it takes a couple moments... this is happening just as you want drive out of a corner.

With the rls Intercooler, the extra thermal capacity absorbs more of these sudden jumps in temperature, preventing your ECU from pulling timing advance and richening the mixture... your car has crisp throttle response and power coming ouf of corners with the rls Intercooler.

Dyno time: it is spring in the Midwest, and dyno time is going to all of the circle trackers / dirt trackers / etc. I have requested a full day of dyno time to document the stock intercooler versus the rls Intercooler verus the rls Intercooler with rls Injection (water / methanol). I've requested time within the next two weeks, as soon as I have results they will be posted here. The reduction in heat soak shows up primarily in data logs, but other factors will show up on the dyno.

Instead of sitting around sulking, I'm doing track datalogging on Sunday the 18th. Give me a little time to sort through the data and I'll put up some educational posts w/ actual plots from the track.

[Smoky]

Excellent! Thanks Thomasio! Can't wait to hear the results. You have a fun job.

[Thomasio]

Originally Posted by Smoky

Excellent! Thanks Thomasio! Can't wait to hear the results. You have a fun job.

Thanks Smoky, and everyone else who is supportive too.

I completely understand the skepticism of the others, and I don't take it personally. You don't have the luxury of knowing me personally

I'm coming out with products and backing them up with data as fast as humanly possible. If anyone is going to be in Joliet, IL on Sunday the 18th you are welcome to stop by and see the Intercooler, Tubes, and Injection in action.

[shay2nak]

nice!

[shay2nak]

How does this IC work with the engine lid's strut?

[Smoky]

I may be mistaken or misinformed but I believe Thomasio includes some sort of strut relocation instructions/adapter. I'm sure he'll chime in and clear it up. Read back a few posts...it came up earlier I think when Thomasio itemized his efforts after someone questioned the cost.

[ZJChaser]

Do you have data you can provide inlet/outlet temps vs stock IC?

[Smoky]

And what is the change in effectiveness of the new intercooler w/ and w/out the mohawk scoop in the other post?

[ZJChaser]

.......bueller?

[Thomasio]

Intentionally maintaining radio silence...

I've been doing intalls for customers and haven't had time to come up for air... hope to get back to the forum in about a week...

[Thomasio]

Dyno testing completed last Sunday.

Executive summary: 2007 Lotus Exige S w/ rls Intercooler and 3.1" pulley, everything else stock including stock ECU.

Result: +26 horsepower at the wheels. We don't recommend the 3.1" pulley w/ the stock intercooler...

Dynos to follow. Waiting for electronic files from the dyno owner.

With the rls Intercooler, heat soak was decimated. When the stock intercooler was busy losing 20+ horsepower within a couple of dyno pulls, the rls Intercooler was still forging ahead with great results after 1/2 a dozen dyno pulls and more. Alone, the rls Intercooler adds 6.5% to your horsepower (compared to a non-heat-soaked stock intercooler), and when you compare it to the easily heat-soaked stock intercooler, you are really gaining multiples of that.

Dyno results from a 2008 Exige S240 within a couple of weeks.

A/F were great. Testing was done at about 550 feet ASL (above sea level).

The pulley is available as an add-on to the rls Intercooler. Stock belt works well, no slipping.

As you might imagine, the rls Intercooler is in demand and new orders can expect a 3 week lead time. Remember, these are hand welded by true craftsmen... you can't rush art.

You can order the rls Intercooler, and the pulley option, from me directly (e-mail preferred over PM), from Blackwatch Racing, or from Fox Valley Motorcars.
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[prodigy]

Originally Posted by Thomasio

Dyno testing completed last Sunday.

Executive summary: 2007 Lotus Exige S w/ rls Intercooler and 3.1" pulley, everything else stock including stock ECU.

Result: +26 horsepower at the wheels. We don't recommend the 3.1" pulley w/ the stock intercooler...

Dynos to follow. Waiting for electronic files from the dyno owner.

With the rls Intercooler, heat soak was decimated. When the stock intercooler was busy losing 20+ horsepower within a couple of dyno pulls, the rls Intercooler was still forging ahead with great results after 1/2 a dozen dyno pulls and more. Alone, the rls Intercooler adds 6.5% to your horsepower (compared to a non-heat-soaked stock intercooler), and when you compare it to the easily heat-soaked stock intercooler, you are really gaining multiples of that.

Dyno results from a 2008 Exige S240 within a couple of weeks.

A/F were great. Testing was done at about 550 feet ASL (above sea level).

The pulley is available as an add-on to the rls Intercooler. Stock belt works well, no slipping.

As you might imagine, the rls Intercooler is in demand and new orders can expect a 3 week lead time. Remember, these are hand welded by true craftsmen... you can't rush art.

You can order the rls Intercooler, and the pulley option, from me directly (e-mail preferred over PM), from Blackwatch Racing, or from Fox Valley Motorcars.
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Those are awesome #'s!!! Can't wait to receive mine

[Shirp]

Sounds nice. I like efficient engineering ideas . Hope they are still being made in 3-4 years when I get my lotus!

[Bavarian Motorist]

Awesome Thomasio!! If I had an Exige S, I would ORDER ONE RIGHT NOW! As I said earlier in this thread, you cannot argue with results and the value of the product should be based upon the results it produces.


You can't argue with those numbers, and it's even more sweet if you're a track junkie

[Mag]

SUCCESS! congrats

[X 911 RSR]

Thomasio

Congrats on the results -- excellent!!!!!

I was thinking about the following combo:

--- RLS Intercooler with downstream IATsensor, and water injection

--- 8" X 24" Larini pipe and cat eliminator

--- 3.1" pulley, stock ECU

(Later possibly add Gotham tuned ECU)

Can you comment on wisdom of this combo and likely results??

Regards - John

[Thomasio]

Forgot to mention... results were obtained with a Dynapack™ chassis dynamometer. (No inflated numbers).

I wanted to test w/ a Gotham but couldn't get one in time for Sunday. If Charlie is interested, I'd like to dyno again w/ the Gotham.

[ZJChaser]

Looks good. Any numbers on a stock car or even the actual inlet and outlet temp numbers? What was the ambient?

[Thomasio]

Originally Posted by ZJChaser

Looks good. Any numbers on a stock car or even the actual inlet and outlet temp numbers? What was the ambient?

We don't recommend using the pulley without using the rls Intercooler or the rls Injection (or both). The stock intercooler heat soaks in one dyno pull. (12 second pulls... 4 seconds at 3,000 rpm followed by an 8 second pull to redline).

Horsepower was SAE corrected for temperature. Ambient was less than 80 degrees in the shop.

[cory1000]

what about using the intercooler without your pulley?