Intercooler upgrade warning AUS delivered Stingers

[AusStinger]

I know most Stinger owners in AUS don't do Intercooler upgrades but just in case you are thinking of doing it, you can take from my experiences....

Many of the Australian delivered Stingers have these front supports that brace a support lower down for the front spoiler.



Because of these, almost every Intercooler / kit available will NOT be a direct fit !!

Yes, with a grinder etc, you can make anything fit but there is no such thing as a DIRECT fit for this variation that I know of.

I've been doing my homework and some trials and it's been something of a rollercoaster ride.

I did get 1 intercooler to fit but it still needed grinding and the final result is acceptable but not perfect.
The only reason I went ahead with it is because the grinding was minimal and I really wanted something better than the OEM unit.

Any way, be warned, do your homework and good luck !

 

[StingertimeNC]

Damn that sucks! any pics of your final work?

 

[AusStinger]

 

[StingertimeNC]

That totally works! looks good.

 

[vipeboy2000]

That's really interesting that aus models have that extra brace! i wonder if it's for rougher roads/protection from roadkill etc???

 

[AusStinger]

That totally works! looks good.

The core fits perfectly between the supports and agreed, is overall a good result.

Also, the silver keeps the factory look to some degree.

 

[AusStinger]

That's really interesting that aus models have that extra brace! i wonder if it's for rougher roads/protection from roadkill etc???

Yeah I was looking at it and wondering if it was a lower bumper support to help reduce distortion / add strength or maybe like you suggested, something to reduce the damage from a road kill impact.

Either way, I'm sure they had a good reason.

 

[AusStinger]

I did find out that the Wagner Competition cooler does fit but it's around 50lbs ( about double that of the unit I fitted ) and wasn't compatible with my Velossa intakes.

Plus I had concerns about all the coolers behind it getting hotter at the expense of the Wagner monster up front.

 

[AusStinger]

Also, I just feel like I have to say the following since it's eating at me.
NOTE: I'm not trying to piss anyone off here but more so share knowledge / open peoples eyes.

On many sites, the after market companies advertise that the OEM intercooler is tube and fin. Like this exert taken from the Mishimoto site;



For those of you who don't know the difference, here's Tube and Fin ( left ) VS Bar and Plate design ( right ).



The OEM Intercooler is Bar and plate as you can see.

OUTSIDE:



INSIDE: ( disregard the date. I never reset it ):





In actuality, the OEM Intercooler is VERY good since it's a Bar and Plate ( more efficient than Tube and Fin at extracting heat ) and, it's INCREDIBLY light !

The two biggest drawbacks ( IMO ) are it's size ( it could / should be taller ) and it's position ( it should be slightly higher up in the air flow ) but otherwise it's damn good ! The OEM Intercooler is VERY good as an all rounder but could just use those little tweaks to make it just that bit better.

IMO, an upgrade is only required if you live in a hot area, drive your car like you stole it, or are looking for big power figures.



The unit I installed ( also Bar and Plate ) was obviously larger ( and heavier ) but also had a slightly more open core design for better flow.

INSIDE:




The drawbacks of fitting 99% of after market intercoolers is WEIGHT !! ( and, where that weight is positioned ).
The Intercooler is as far forward as you can put weight, and therefore has the biggest effect of weight being placed. If you're a drag strip person, not such a big issue ( except for the additional 25lbs to 50lbs you're adding ) but for those who enjoy going around corners, the effect is quite profound !

Adding that weight, so far forward of the front wheels, changes the whole feel of the front end in a straight line and much more when cornering.

So what's my point ?

For those of you who are not mechanically savvy and are thinking "everyone else is doing it so it must be better", know what you have, know what you need, and know the drawbacks ( you can save yourself a lot of money and frustration).

 

[StingertimeNC]

good stuff! the weight did surprise me when I upgraded. It is noticeable in terms of temps, but it is heavier for sure.

 

[BelairBruce]

Which brand of intercooler did you end up fitting then, it looks good.

 

[AusStinger]

Which brand of intercooler did you end up fitting then, it looks good.

Vivid Racing, but since I prefer the handling with the OEM intercooler over the power with the Vivid Racing intercooler, I've decided to remove this unit and go back to OEM.

Therefore, this Intercooler will soon be up for sale.

 

[AusStinger]

I might have spoken too soon.

Last night I opened it up and, Holy $hiznit it went like a cut snake with the bigger intercooler!

Now really torn between the power and the handling......

 

[StingertimeNC]

Keep it!!! I think the few extra pounds is not a big deal

 

[B1ackAlloy]

Keep it!!! I think the few extra pounds is not a big deal

That was my concern as well. I am considering the weight difference with the Mishi and wonder if it would affect the handling of the car.

 

[AusStinger]

OK, so I'm sitting in front of my car right now with both intercoolers off.

The OEM unit weighs 5kg (11lbs) and the Vivid Racing unit weighs 10kg (22lbs) and from what I was told, the Wagner unit is 48lbs ( just for info sake ).

I can 100% feel the difference of the extra weight up front when driving, but I have to say the straight line power was quite a bit better.

Going to put the OEM unit on for a while. Have done a mod to my OEM unit and want to feel the results ( check out my post in the DIY section ) and I'm going do a minor mod to the Vivid unit while it's out.

Will report back soon

 

[AusStinger]

That was my concern as well. I am considering the weight difference with the Mishi and wonder if it would affect the handling of the car.

I would say the Mishimoto unit would be similar to the Vivid unit weight wise.

I guess it depends on which factor is worth more to you.

I think the Stinger has loads of power standard but needs help with weight reduction and handling.

I just fitted the Vivod cooler to drop inlet temps and hopefully reduce fuel consumption.

Like I said I'll do some driving with the OEM cooler back in and report back.

 

[AusStinger]

Just got back from a decent drive with the OEM cooler back on and it's exactly as expected.

The steering has come back to being great again ( keep in mind I have sway bars and MANDO ECS ) and the impacts while driving over rougher surfaces are gone again ( they were much more profound with the Vivid cooler fitted ). I can't imagine how much effect the Wagner cooler must make !?!?

BUT, the overall power has dropped back ( also as expected ).

I'm actually amazed at how such a small weight change makes so much difference !
With the weight so far forward, it's effects are exaggerated.

I'll finish the mod on the Vivid cooler and then put it back in, adjust the ECS, adjust the front sways to hard and see how that goes.



B1ackAlloy, If you're sensitive to changes ( like me ) I would suggest not doing an intercooler upgrade but if you can put up with the slightly harder feedback through the front end and the slightly diminished steering, I'd say go for it with a Mishi kit.

Out of all the intercooler options for the Stinger, I think the Mishi kit is the best all around option. The Mishi kit should feel about the same effect as the Vivid unit but has bigger merge pipe and flow pipes so the compressed charge will be cooler than what I'm getting with the Vivid cooler ( = more grunt ).

I would have gone for the Mishi kit 100% but it won't fit with the vertical supports ( assuming my measurements are correct ).

Like I said earlier, I hope you all can find some help in my trials.

 

[B1ackAlloy]

Just got back from a decent drive with the OEM cooler back on and it's exactly as expected.

The steering has come back to being great again ( keep in mind I have sway bars and MANDO ECS ) and the impacts while driving over rougher surfaces are gone again ( they were much more profound with the Vivid cooler fitted ). I can't imagine how much effect the Wagner cooler must make !?!?

BUT, the overall power has dropped back ( also as expected ).

I'm actually amazed at how such a small weight change makes so much difference !
With the weight so far forward, it's effects are exaggerated.

I'll finish the mod on the Vivid cooler and then put it back in, adjust the ECS, adjust the front sways to hard and see how that goes.



B1ackAlloy, If you're sensitive to changes ( like me ) I would suggest not doing an intercooler upgrade but if you can put up with the slightly harder feedback through the front end and the slightly diminished steering, I'd say go for it with a Mishi kit.

Out of all the intercooler options for the Stinger, I think the Mishi kit is the best all around option. The Mishi kit should feel about the same effect as the Vivid unit but has bigger merge pipe and flow pipes so the compressed charge will be cooler than what I'm getting with the Vivid cooler ( = more grunt ).

I would have gone for the Mishi kit 100% but it won't fit with the vertical supports ( assuming my measurements are correct ).

Like I said earlier, I hope you all can find some help in my trials.

I appreciate you responding back! I will go ahead and order and see if I like it. Worst comes to worst if I really don’t like it I could sell it. Given that my stinger is still fairly new i don’t know if I would see much of a difference.

So I’ll go ahead and take a shot on it and see how long it takes to get here and report back after install on my first impression. I do not think I’m fairly sensitive but then again this is my first performance car. Once again thank you for the quick response!

 

[AusStinger]

I appreciate you responding back! I will go ahead and order and see if I like it. Worst comes to worst if I really don’t like it I could sell it. Given that my stinger is still fairly new i don’t know if I would see much of a difference.

So I’ll go ahead and take a shot on it and see how long it takes to get here and report back after install on my first impression. I do not think I’m fairly sensitive but then again this is my first performance car. Once again thank you for the quick response!

No worries at all.

Before you push the button, check that yours / the latest version don't have those vertical supports ( you can just look in the front ).
IF you do have them, you'll have the same issues as me but maybe worse.

If you do have the supports, I hope you're planning on doing the install because a shop will make anything fit but it won't be good !

I've seen some of the jobs shops do to install kits and it makes my skin crawl.