So my fmic has just arrived but am baffled as to how they work upon inspecting it.

 

I can see straight through the vents?? I was expecting it to be a sealed radiator type unit??

 

Thanks

It literally cools the air, which passes through it

 

Thanks, I always thought the air was already in the system kind of like water in a radiator as opposed to being totally open.

It is, as the compressed air travels through the tubes of the intercooler, the outside air cools it by passing through the fins

Thanks, I always thought the air was already in the system kind of like water in a radiator as opposed to being totally open.

 

Its exactly like a radiator. There are lots of tubes running through the core that carry the hot air from your turbocharger to your Inlet manifold and they are sealed off from the air outside.

 

The finned surfaces provide extra contact surface area for the cool air outside to pass over and cool the hotter air inside. (forced convection)

 

Edited November 30, 201312 yr by Yowser

Wow, it's tiny in there, I get it now. Thanks guys

Air is cooled to make the pressurised air smaller so more charged air is available thus more power