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ECS MK7 GTI/Golf R Intercooler Upgrades!

seanmcd1

Autocross Newbie
Location
SC
Im i for one of these ASAP.

Is there a stock intercooler delete kit anywhere? Would hate to carry the extra weight for no reason
If I was going to go through the trouble of removing the stock intercooler, I wouldn't be using this - I'd get an APR or IE, etc. OEM mount intercooler. I'm not sure of the weight (of the stock ic) but I didn't think it weighed that much.
 
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ECS Tuning

Go Kart Champion
Location
Wadsworth, OH
Sorry guys, our car is running the stock intercooler delete bracket prototypes with our front mount, I got those confused with production.

Until the stock intercooler delete brackets are available you'll want to leave the factory intercooler in place.

-James
 

seanmcd1

Autocross Newbie
Location
SC
One extremely important data point which you rarely see is starting IATs on the dyno. If the stock IC started the dyno pull at a higher IAT than the ECS IC dyno pull, then of course it'll make less HP.

I do a lot of testing on the street. If instead of doing a 1/4 mile pass after cruising at 70 MPH, I park on the shoulder and let the engine idle for 10 minutes, I will lose 1-1.5 MPH on my next run, all from heat soak and the higher starting IATs. The same could be happening during this dyno test. We simply don't know because starting IATs weren't provided for the three dyno pulls.
So is this thing good or bad? Let's pretend you modified your car - would you consider this FMIC?
 

seanmcd1

Autocross Newbie
Location
SC
Yeah I just want an improvement over stock, that I can slap on myself. Something to help in the sweltering summer in the deep South. I am not ever going to see a drag strip (maybe once for fun, one day).
 

oddspyke

Autocross Champion
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2016 GTI, 2018 ZL1
So, you don't think it will reduce any heat-soak when I visit Mexico and it's 100F outside for days?
It will probably help quite a bit. It is larger, mounted in front, and they claim has less pressure drop. How noticeable a difference it makes depends a lot on the tune though. Without getting too deep into the weeds of tuning strategies, you can basically build a tune that gives up some power under ideal conditions in order to make consistent power in all conditions OR use more temperature correction on timing so you're making more power under ideal conditions but lose that extra power when things heat up. Strategy 1 (which is how the stock tune works by the way)would mean you'd need a new tune to get the full benefit, strategy 2 you'd feel it right away. Not sure how APR sets their tunes, but #2 is my guess and you'll notice it.

Edit: this applies to pretty much all intercoolers, I won't get into a debate on "is this the best option" on APR's thread.
 

seanmcd1

Autocross Newbie
Location
SC
I'm pretty sure that even if NOT tuned any intercooler upgrade is going to help with heat soak...
 

oddspyke

Autocross Champion
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2016 GTI, 2018 ZL1
I'm pretty sure that even if NOT tuned any intercooler upgrade is going to help with heat soak...
With an aftermarket tune, I agree. The factory calibration, maybe not. The timing is so conservative to start with, it probably wouldn't have to adjust it until you were severely heat soaked.
 

seanmcd1

Autocross Newbie
Location
SC
It must not get hot where you live? I absolutely noticed the heat-soak when stock.
 

reverend_sean

Go Kart Champion
Location
Pittsburgh
Just FYI these are 15% off right now. $425 with free shipping.

And the ability to return the car to stock (fairly easily) if it doesn't make a notable difference. For us people that are planning to stick with a stage 1 tune (I am running an EQT low torque tune for the track), this sounds like a really good potential value. My car got heat soaked and went into limp mode during 4-5 seperate track sessions this past summer (I, and Ed at EQT, assume it is from heat soak at least...I have neglected to be data logging any of the times it happened...sheesh). I think I will pull the trigger on this today and see how it goes this summer.

Update - it's on its way. Won't be a few weeks (read as 'potentially months') until I can install it. Now to try and understand data logging and monitoring IATs prior to the install...
 
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seanmcd1

Autocross Newbie
Location
SC
Thanks for the heads up Sean!

Edit:
Ordered one! Probably won't install until it gets hot out so I can get some good before/after logs. I'll be happy to let Mr. mygolfmk7.com borrow it for a quick flow test if he gets bored ;)
 
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reverend_sean

Go Kart Champion
Location
Pittsburgh
I ordered this on 1/16, received it on 1/17. I am only about 2 hours from ECS though. The welds may not be the welds of sexy melted metal porn, but all I care about is whether or not it helps my car run better in the summer at the track!
1579545573351.jpeg
Intercooler 1.jpg
Intercooler 2.jpg
 

reverend_sean

Go Kart Champion
Location
Pittsburgh
More intersted in seeing the packaging you are shipping it in to see if it will arrive intact.
I ordered the stock charge pipe kit. It came in 2 boxes; one with all the supporting hardware and pipes, one was just intercooler all by itself. The intercooler box was huge compared to the size of the intercooler, almost comically huge. The intercooler is packed in thick pieces of foam that are cut like a puzzle to fit around it on all sides. I'll try to remember to grab a few pics of packaging tonight.
 
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