FMINT32 Forge Motorsport "Race" Oversized Intercooler Kit for Volkswagen Golf mk7 and mk7.5 R -

Highlights:

• Torque increase by 20 nm\
• Temperature drop by 24°C
• Made in the Kingdom United
• Reduced turbo lag
• No cutting of the vehicle to fit
• Lifetime warranty

This part will replace the following OEM parts: 5Q0145803H, 5Q0145803K, 5Q0145803L, 5Q0145803P, 5Q0145803S, 5Q0145803N

Following on from our previous intercooler solution for the MK7 golf and MQB chassis variants using the EA888 2.0 GEN3 2.0 TSI engine, we have designed our race intercooler to further improve performance over the original intercooler and our previous iteration of our cooling solution, designed, developed and tested at our headquarters in Gloucester, UK. Throughout the development process we sought to improve the efficiency and performance of the EA888 GEN3 engine. Our design brief was to develop an intercooler that utilised all the space available in the original OEM intercooler location whilst again increasing the dimensions over our highly successful FMMK7FMIC product. We also needed to ensure that the inlet air temperature was reduced without adversely affecting boost pressure or engine and transmission cooling.

In the MQB chassis, the intercooler housing is particularly narrow and confined to a small space, as it houses not only the intercooler, but also the radiator and air conditioning condenser. The front panel is theoretically a sandwich pack that houses the ancillary cooling components. This means that, to increase the size of the intercooler without compromising the performance of the surrounding elements and also with very little extra space available, it can be very difficult to perfectly blend a high-flow intercooler within such close proximity. Our R&D engineers went back to the drawing board, examining previously documented dimensions while simultaneously taking new scans of the intercooler housing.

We also examined the differences between the Mk7 and Mk8 cooling components and discovered that the Mk7 Golf GTI and Golf R have a thicker radiator than the equivalent MK8 models, meaning we also had to carefully consider any fitment procedures. The design team began 3D printing the intercooler end tanks while also creating a dummy test core to fit the Mk7s platform and checking for any clearance issues that might arise. The final design chosen has increased inlet and outlet dimensions as well as increased volumetric capacity for increased flow, which helps future-proof the design to work well with highly tuned Stage 3 and EA888 Gen 3 engines, as well as offering the best cooling solutions for a stock or mildly modified powertrain. This offers the best package for enthusiasts starting their journey into vehicle performance enhancement.

The 3D printed end tanks and dummy core allowed us to ensure the fit was perfect on the vehicle before any prototype castings or billet end tanks were produced ready for dyno testing. Different baffle configurations were designed and flow simulated to ensure maximum performance was achieved to maintain optimal core operation, as well as ensuring that all of its cooling capabilities were maintained and that the total volume of the inner core was utilized for optimal performance.

With the increase in inlet and outlet sizes, we turned our attention to the design of our silicone tubing. With flow in mind, we created a passage within the tubing so that where the tubing meets the hot and cold sides of the inlet and outlet junctions, the transition is seamless, helping to reduce any disturbance to the airflow and prevent unwanted turbulence. To further facilitate flow, the inlet and outlets have been increased to 76mm from the OEM dimension of 63mm, which equates to a 45% increase in surface area.

Space consideration and our clever design have led us to produce several intercooler cores with different fin configurations and internal capacities. Depending on the core design, testing results led us to choose a bar-and-plate design with over 83% more volume than the OEM intercooler and a 10% increase in frontal area.

Why do we test different cores?

Here at Forge Motorsport, when developing an intercooler, we will test several different cores for each application. For example, a bar and plate style core, a tube and fin style core along with different fin pitches and heights, i.e. 22 fins per inch or 17 fins per inch, as well as changing the internal fin pitches/shapes and density within the tube allowing you to fine-tune the amount of pressure drop produced by the intercooler.

Pressure drop is not always a bad thing, as our testing and research has shown on various designs, this is because the velocity of the pressurized air is blocked by the pressure drop within the cooler, thus allowing more time to cool the air within the cooler, as the air passes through the unpressurized face of the core, which is open to the atmosphere. Naturally, excessive pressure drop can create problems on high-performance engines as the intercooler reaches its maximum efficiency and the turbo has to work much harder to force air through the core. This in turn creates higher intake air temperatures (IAT) due to the turbo generating more heat as it is over-stressed and working harder. Even the absence of pressure drop can prove inefficient as the cooler will not lower the boost temperature again, resulting in an increase in inlet air temperature.

Dyno Results

Testing was completed using Performance Remap in Gloucester with their VTEC 4WD dyno; This is to ensure all our data is obtained with the most accurate results possible from an independent tuner. Peak power has been increased over stock by 16 hp and 20 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm. With the Forge Motorsport performance intercooler installed, there are significant torque gains throughout the rev range, meaning the car's power will build more quickly and carry all the way to redline, including an impressive increase in hp from 5,000 rpm to 6,500 rpm. Gains on vehicles with recalibrated software and additional hardware performance parts are expected to be much higher due to the substantial drop in IATS when FMINT32 is installed.

During our extensive testing, we let the car's heat soak into the dyno until the radiator fans cycled on and off (which gives an inlet temperature of around 40°C), then performed a dyno pull from this point, this gives a more consistent result and reflects real-world driving conditions more accurately. You can easily see that the Forge intercooler cools much quicker and offers a much greater temperature drop than the OEM.

After more than six dyno pulls we still had super confident IATs and the Forge Motorsport intercooler delivered results of 34°C at 6000 rpm, a 58% reduction over the factory intercooler intake temperatures from 58°C just before the rev limiter. These tests were conducted in relatively warm conditions, with an ambient dyno cell temperature of 23°C, demonstrating just how inefficient the stock intercooler is. In the summer months, the stock intercooler and higher intake air temperatures will have a huge negative impact on engine performance. Under these conditions, the engine management will retard ignition, resulting in reduced engine power as temperatures rise, and the ECU will then retard ignition timing to prevent detonation. On a tuned vehicle, the results will be even more damaging and could lead to possible premature engine wear. If you use a Golf R for fast roads or have a high-performance tune in a hot climate, this product is essential.

Why do we try to reduce IATs (Intake Air Temperatures)?

The temperature and volume of air supplied to your vehicle's engine compressed by the turbocharger has a better effect on performance when it is cold as this provides the engine with more oxygen (denser air), thus improving combustion in each cylinder. Additionally, by regulating and reducing air temperature, it also increases engine reliability by maintaining the AFR (Air Fuel Ratios) in each cylinder at a safe level, which in turn can increase engine power due to cooler air. This creates a larger bang inside the cylinder, provided the correct amount of fuel is added. This can equate to increased horsepower and torque.

The Forge Motorsport intercooler is a perfect performance-enhancing product that fits directly into OEM mounting points, simplifying installation in a relatively short period of time. No cutting of any components is required, making the installation reversible if the vehicle were to be returned to stock at any time in the future. The core and end caps are finished with our textured black anti-corrosion coating, which also aids in thermal performance and keeps the product looking a little more stealthy, or OEM-like. Forge Motorsport's lifetime warranty on all hardware demonstrates our confidence in the quality of our products, while also being enjoyed with pride and joy.