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      04-25-2014, 06:15 PM   #1
s!ke
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Question Intercooler?

What is that big metal box in the engine bay? The intake? It looks unfinished, like it shouldnt be there, covered or something
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      04-25-2014, 06:20 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s!ke View Post
What is that big metal box in the engine bay? The intake? It looks unfinished, like it shouldnt be there, covered or something
Intercooler
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      04-25-2014, 06:21 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by s!ke View Post
What is that big metal box in the engine bay? The intake? It looks unfinished, like it shouldnt be there, covered or something
Top mount liquid to air intercooler
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      04-25-2014, 06:25 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KennyPowers View Post
Top mount liquid to air intercooler
Ah thats what I was thinking, an intercooler. Does it have another intercooler in the front bumper? In the standard position?
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      04-25-2014, 06:29 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s!ke View Post
Ah thats what I was thinking, an intercooler. Does it have another intercooler in the front bumper? In the standard position?
I believe just the top mounted IC.
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      04-25-2014, 06:46 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan
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Originally Posted by s!ke View Post
Ah thats what I was thinking, an intercooler. Does it have another intercooler in the front bumper? In the standard position?
I believe just the top mounted IC.
Looks like two.
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      04-25-2014, 06:47 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Strongbark
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Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan
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Originally Posted by s!ke View Post
Ah thats what I was thinking, an intercooler. Does it have another intercooler in the front bumper? In the standard position?
I believe just the top mounted IC.
Looks like two.
Not sure why but I couldn't post two pics in the reply.
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      04-25-2014, 06:57 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Strongbark View Post
Not sure why but I couldn't post two pics in the reply.
Awesome, this makes me happy.
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      04-25-2014, 08:02 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s!ke View Post
Awesome, this makes me happy.
there is only one intercooler.
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      04-25-2014, 08:26 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HPF 335i #1 View Post
there is only one intercooler.
You are right there is only one "intercooler". But I think folks want to imply that there is also a radiator to cool the water that flows in the intercooler.
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      04-25-2014, 08:28 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Strongbark
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strongbark
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan
Quote:
Originally Posted by s!ke View Post
Ah thats what I was thinking, an intercooler. Does it have another intercooler in the front bumper? In the standard position?
I believe just the top mounted IC.
Looks like two.
Not sure why but I couldn't post two pics in the reply.
No, there is only one. It is air to liquid. There is then a separate radiator to cool the intercooler coolant liquid.

The goal of the top mount is to reduce the length of the intake tract by not having to send the air down to the front of the car and back. Having a top mount and a front mount would be counterproductive.
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      04-25-2014, 08:56 PM   #12
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There's no front mount. Extra ducting and having intercooler outside of the wheelbase would not be ideal. Plus that extra piping would just induce lag compared to the short distance charge air travels to the manifold
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      04-25-2014, 10:00 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CanAutM3
Quote:
Originally Posted by HPF 335i #1 View Post
there is only one intercooler.
You are right there is only one "intercooler". But I think folks want to imply that there is also a radiator to cool the water that flows in the intercooler.
This inter cooler is also water cooled? I do t see any water lines running to the inter cooler.
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      04-26-2014, 12:34 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HPF 335i #1
Quote:
Originally Posted by CanAutM3
Quote:
Originally Posted by HPF 335i #1 View Post
there is only one intercooler.
You are right there is only one "intercooler". But I think folks want to imply that there is also a radiator to cool the water that flows in the intercooler.
This inter cooler is also water cooled? I do t see any water lines running to the inter cooler.
Yes, it is air-to-water.
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      04-26-2014, 04:58 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HPF 335i #1 View Post
This inter cooler is also water cooled? I do t see any water lines running to the inter cooler.
The intercooler is not "also water cooled", it is water cooled period.

As others have specified, such an arrangement allows for a much shorter intake tract by placing the intercooler closer to the engine (better dethrottling in BMW terms). An air to water intercooler is also more efficient at extracting heat from the air. The main dissadvantage is that this type of system is much heavier (water lines, water pump, radiator) than a simple air-to-air intercooler.

If you look on the pic below, you can clearly see the water lines going to the intercooler.
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Last edited by CanAutM3; 04-26-2014 at 05:40 AM..
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      04-28-2014, 09:41 PM   #16
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The other draw back is once this water becomes heat soaked, it takes much longer to cool down vs a conventional air/air. Should be good enough for the majority of people who will only do short pulls every once in a while but on a road course an air/air intercooler is ideal.
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      04-29-2014, 06:21 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiago@VRSF View Post
The other draw back is once this water becomes heat soaked, it takes much longer to cool down vs a conventional air/air. Should be good enough for the majority of people who will only do short pulls every once in a while but on a road course an air/air intercooler is ideal.
If the air-to-water system has sufficient capacity, heat soak should not be an issue. However, if it is inadequately sized, then yes, it will heat soak at some point.
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      04-29-2014, 06:50 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CanAutM3 View Post
If the air-to-water system has sufficient capacity, heat soak should not be an issue. However, if it is inadequately sized, then yes, it will heat soak at some point.
So I am assuming that if this is sufficient for the M3\M4, then there should be no reason for a modified top mount intercooler, or is there room for improvement?
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      04-29-2014, 07:13 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by farbmw View Post
So I am assuming that if this is sufficient for the M3\M4, then there should be no reason for a modified top mount intercooler, or is there room for improvement?
impossible to know

also, there are additional heat exchangers / radiators that work in conjunction with the top mount, so its possible that those could be weak links as well

the n54/55 cars came with pathetic OEM intercoolers which needed to upgraded almost immediately, but I expect this m3 to have far superior cooling. the m5/6 doesn't seem to have major issues and that is a much heavier car with less focus on cooling tech
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      04-29-2014, 10:45 AM   #20
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So I am assuming that if this is sufficient for the M3\M4, then there should be no reason for a modified top mount intercooler, or is there room for improvement?
Impossible to tell just by looking at it . We'll have to wait until it is actually tested on a race track for full sessions on a hot day. BMW did make the point of saying that they spent a lot of development time on heat management, so I do hope they got it right .
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      04-29-2014, 10:48 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KennyPowers View Post
impossible to know

also, there are additional heat exchangers / radiators that work in conjunction with the top mount, so its possible that those could be weak links as well

the n54/55 cars came with pathetic OEM intercoolers which needed to upgraded almost immediately, but I expect this m3 to have far superior cooling. the m5/6 doesn't seem to have major issues and that is a much heavier car with less focus on cooling tech
Quote:
Originally Posted by CanAutM3 View Post
Impossible to tell just by looking at it . We'll have to wait until it is actually tested on a race track for full sessions on a hot day. BMW did make the point of saying that they spent a lot of development time on heat management, so I do hope they got it right .
Thanks for the feed back!

I guess if they got it right, then it will be less money on mods and more money on gas and track days!
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      04-29-2014, 02:52 PM   #22
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How did this branch into it's own thread? I just replied to another thread lol
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