At What Point is An I/C Necessary?

  • #1

    At What Point is An I/C Necessary?

    Hi guys,

    Recently ran into a fantastic deal on a Garrett GT35r. Thinking of putting that into the VG30ET I'm rebuilding. I had originally planned on a T04e w/ intercooler, but if I splurge and spend more on the turbo--I don't really want to spend another grand on the intercooler.

    At what point, with the GT35, do you think an intercooler is necessary? I'm hoping to run around 16-18 pounds of boost, 92 octane fuel. Not going to be doing a ton of racing or anything. I know with the stock t3, you really need an I/C after like 8 pounds because of the turbo's design. But the GT35 is ball-bearing and water-cooled, so I feel like I should be able to run a much higher boost pressure.

    Let me know what you think, thanks!
  • #2
    Anything more than 6psi regardless really needs an intercooler. Remember air heats up the more you compress it. So more boost equals more heat. Some turbos run more efficiently than others, but you cannot escape the laws of thermodynamics.

    1986 300ZX Turbo…sold
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  • #3
    Yea the turbo dosnt play a big roll as far as how big or small till you need an inter-cooler. Its like Egg said, boost and heat are the things that factor in NEEDING an intercooler. Ive personaly seen Z31 owners boost 6-12 PSI without an intercooler with no problems that where worth mentioning. Running 16-18 PSI like you want is def going to need one tho.