Aftermarket Intercooler Survey

TrippyPancakes

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Hi everyone,

I have seen a lot of posts from manufacturers about their intercoolers and some discussion about the benefits of intercoolers but I can't say I have seen anywhere that has pinned down people who have installed them thoughts on the parts so consider this an attempt at that. Only question I'm skipping is "do you see colder IATs after install" because I feel like that is a given lol

If you can comment answering the following questions maybe this can be helpful to some people going forward (including myself)

What intercooler are you running?
What charge pipes do you have installed?
Has turbo lag increased/throttle response decreased since install?
Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum?
Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler?
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WOPSiWOT

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What intercooler are you running?
Mishimoto

What charge pipes do you have installed?
Stock pipes

Has turbo lag increased/throttle response increased since install?
Not noticeable. That is one reason O kept stock piping on stock turbo. Also saw dyno from @edgeautosport.com showing no significant difference with upgraded piping on stock turbo. Their install video is also very good.

Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum?
Yes. Good build quality. Good fitment. No complaints. Honestly, though, there are lots of good options at this point. I also did the black finish with no stencil for stealth look.

Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler?
Not about this IC, but the stock IC is disturbingly small and flimsy feeling, though it is very light. I can’t believe they use it on the turn-key HPD cars.
 

edgeautosport.com

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What intercooler are you running? Mishimoto
What charge pipes do you have installed? Mishimoto
Has turbo lag increased/throttle response increased since install? No
Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum? Yes
Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler? Check out our YouTube channel, we do a full review on it including what happens when you bolt it on without tuning, and then after tuning.
 

jayy_swish

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What intercooler are you running?
PRL V1

What charge pipes do you have installed?
PRL piping v1

Has turbo lag increased/throttle response increased since install?
I don’t feel like it’s that noticeable, plus lower IAT’s are more important. I can live with lag, but again don’t really feel anything

Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum?
Yes, all PRL products are incredible!

Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler?
Recommend pairing it with the PRL race CAI
 

10GenPearlSi

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What intercooler are you running? PLM
What charge pipes do you have installed? PLM
Has turbo lag increased/throttle response increased since install? Yes
Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum? Cheap ripoff of PRL, but works.
Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler? It went from a worst case of one second lag to two second lag with intercooler pipes. It went back to a one second lag when I installed a downpipe.
 


FC1Dawn

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What intercooler are you running?
27Won FMIC

What charge pipes do you have installed?
27Won's included charge pipes.

Has turbo lag increased/throttle response increased since install?
Stock turbo spools up pretty quick. Even with one of largest charge pipe diameters on the market, 27Won's charge pipes work very well. I don't feel much turbo lag at all, if any. Power delivery is more consistent.

Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum?
Absolutely.

Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler?
My IAT2's and knock control are much lower with the 27Won FMIC compared to the OEM FMIC. I did a review on the 27Won FMIC with datalogs: https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/27won-front-mount-intercooler-review-with-datalogs.47613/
 

arnoldo

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What intercooler are you running? Rev9 Intercooler
What charge pipes do you have installed? Stock
Has turbo lag increased/throttle response increased since install? No lag
Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum? Yes
Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler? The intercooler performs slightly better than stock during stop and go traffic but performs significantly better in freeway.
 
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TrippyPancakes

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What intercooler are you running? Mishimoto
What charge pipes do you have installed? Stock
Has turbo lag increased/throttle response decreased since install? No
Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum? Yes
Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler? Might be placebo, but the car just feels better to drive after install (no guessing on how much power I will get)
 

86salmon

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What intercooler are you running? PRL V1

What charge pipes do you have installed? PRL

Has turbo lag increased/throttle response decreased since install? Not noticably

Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum? Sure, although mine was on clearance before v2 release

Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler? It recovers temps faster and takes much longer to soak
 

EkSean

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What intercooler are you running?
DEPO Racing

What charge pipes do you have installed?
Kit supplied charge piping

Has turbo lag increased/throttle response decreased since install?
Yes

Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum?
Definitely, especially price point

Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler?
There was a drop of about 2psi of boost. No power loss though. I actually could feel a difference in the higher rpm ranges. Lower IATs and lower boost pressure will help engine longevity while not sacrificing any power
 


kytos

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  • What intercooler are you running? Mishimoto for civic 1.5t
  • What charge pipes do you have installed? Mishimoto charge pipes (have had the stock ones for more than a year)
  • Has turbo lag increased/throttle response decreased since install? Yes, but only down low on stock tune/pipes. With TSP stage1 and mishimoto charge pipes there's less lag than everything stock. (yes, mishimoto pipes helped under 3000 RPM and spool consistency)
  • Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum? Definitely yes, though it's expensive, wait for deals.
  • Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler? On european models intercooler will touch front bumper bar because it's diferent than USDM models. No modification is necessary, but I recommend covering the top part with 1.5cm thick foam, and cutting some small ledges from the bar reinforcements (it does not affect the chassis at all), to avoid weird occasional squeaking noises. This is not unique to this intercooler, confirmed that it also happens with the PRL intercooler and surely with others in the market.
 

Jes_si562

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What intercooler are you running?
Injen intercooler

What charge pipes do you have installed?
injen piping

Has turbo lag increased/throttle response decreased since install?
Turbo lag increased slight due to piping. Throttle response increased
Would you recommend the part to the members on this forum?
yes
Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler?
Biggest air runners on the market. Does a good job on keeping temps down. Requires trimming stock air strout.
 

FC1Dawn

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Is there anything else you would like to say about the intercooler?
Biggest air runners on the market. Does a good job on keeping temps down. Requires trimming stock air strout.
Just curious, what are air runners?
 

ivanCivix

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What do you think is the reason stock piping increased turbo lag? It should be the opposite in my opinion. Can you explain please? Thanks
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