Im thinking of getting a det soon, and I would like to run it with the stock IC at first (cant spend all my money at once to get a front mount with the piping too).

Now, I want to leave it on top, but I really dont want to put any holes in the hood for a scoop.

How safe would this be? Just for daily driving, I wont go racing every weekend or anything. But just to drive around, and occasionally, taking a 500 mile trip to get to school.

And before you go to tell me its better to get a front mount (I know it is), I wont be able to at first, I just want to keep the stock one, but I just need to know if its safe, and it wont screw up anything.

Thanks guys

Anything is better than nothing. At stock boost levels, you can actually run without an intercooler. It's always better to run with the I/C, but at 6.5psi of boost, you shouldn't have any problems detonating. Why don't you just take the top mount and put it in the front grill? Then, go to a muffler shop and get them to cut and bend you some 2 1/2" pipe to run to it and back. That shouldn't cost you more than about 50.00.

I'm pretty sure that it's not possible to use the top mounted intercooler without cutting your hood. Not enough clearance.

Originally posted by CNibbana
I'm pretty sure that it's not possible to use the top mounted intercooler without cutting your hood. Not enough clearance.

Shit, now Chuck Nibbana is on the forum too? Some heavy hitters around here now.
When my capture device gets sent back to me I am going to upload pics of his car in action back in 98. Check out his webpage. He has a Kojima style (10:1 though) N/A motor.

http://www.geocities.com/cnibbana//SE-R/article.jpg

Why don't you just take the top mount and put it in the front grill?

Well, when I do go with a front mount, I will just get a new IC, with all the piping, so if its not going to hurt the engine to run the top mount at first at stock boost, I will do that, until the time comes to get a front mount.



I'm pretty sure that it's not possible to use the top mounted intercooler without cutting your hood. Not enough clearance.

Actually, it is very possible, I've seen a few that were like that, stock IC with no hood scoop, and there is clearance. The only thing I might have to do is take off the strut bar.

I haven't heard your name in quite some time! I
don't know if you remember me at all, but we spoke back in the day (96-97) about turboing our respective cars.
It's cool seeing all of the "Old timers" make it back to the SR20 world. All we need now is Merlin to drop his BMW and make a comeback. Good to see you found your way back!

Rob Williams

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pretty White
[B]
Check out his webpage. He has a Kojima style (10:1 though) N/A motor.
QUOTE]

LOL Thanks guys.

And correction, Kojima has a Nibbana style N/A motor LOL!!

I've got a DET and I'm stroking the motor to 2.2L and piecing together a turbo kit.

Has anyone here stroked to 2.2L yet? Curious for some dyno figures...

Oh and Rob why are you parting your turbo ??

Top Mounts = Heat soak. Id just move it up front of the wheel well. As far as it fitting with the stock hood. It will fit.

Hey, Cibbana. You're using the Jun stroker kit on the BB motor. That's awfully expensive isn't it. How about getting the crank journals welded and reground? Get some custom rods made longer and move the wrist pin up, to help with the side to side movements of the pistons and keep the rod ratio respectable. If you remember this is what SCC did to stroke their 3S to 2.2 litres. The engine survived a fire and was put into an All-Trac. So this isn't an unreliable way of making a stroker. It would be alot cheaper, just throwing that out there.

you can do it, been done before. but being down in south florida i wouldnt recomend it. Jez drove with his top mounted for a month and he hit texas spun a bearing. Then again Ben Moses ran his top mounted for probaly a year or more with no problem. But I wouldnt do it if I were you. I know how everyone is, they all have heavy feet and you will end up boosting around everywhere and heat soak, get really hot and that leads to spun bearings. couple bucks for the ghetto pipes and you can do the ben davis ghetto front pipe install till you get some more money for the good pipes. just id roll the pipe ends over with a ball pen hammer to keep the couplers from blowing off all the time.

I also have seen many people running the factory top mount intercooler. I did not know this problem existed. Using a hood scoop should solve all these problems right? Like a RX-7 Turbo II hood scoop. Would that help any.

But back to Serbans question at low boost I have been told it should not be a problem. Is that true?

GTiR IC will not fit without cutting hood.
BB IC will fit.


I would think that stock boost levels would be perfectly safe. Remember, thats what they run in Japan.


Why not run like a DSM side mount IC? I run 15# ALL DAY LONG on my Talon with no problems. Must get more flow than a Top Mount but less than a Front. You can get them for like $50.

it's not advisable, but i ran with the top mount on a usdm motor for one year, then put a hood scoop in. not one single problem, and i seriously flog my car. stock boost, synthetic oil, runs like a top.

i am in the process of finally converting to front mount.

the top mount fits just fine in a nx, don't know about the classic because i think the hood sits closer to the motor.

good luck!!

I don't recommend driving it with a top mount without cutting a hole in your hood. Heat soak city! The potential for detonation goes way up because you're just sending really hot air into your intake manifold. IMO it's just asking for trouble.

Well its not exactly what the run in Japan. remember that the old blue birds with the top mount had duckting to it in the hood. one problem i see with it is that there is no where for the air to go once you put a scoop in. air in has to equal air out or you get a big backup and air cant go though the IC. one of the problems with running a hood scoop.

again there are tons of people that run it stock everything and do just fine. and then there are quite a few that end up detonating or other things. just remember having an IC in there doesnt mean you are safe, you have to have something cooiling the IC down, be it air or water. If not it just gets hot stays hot and puts more heat into the engine.