intercooling a NA engine

[Dizzie]

in theory wouldn't this reduce the intake temps when travelling fast enough for it to make a diff and therefore make the air cooler and make the engine run better?

just a thought. I know mine runs loads better once you've got fast enough for the intercooler to make a diff and actually cool the air unlike it does round town.

[davidhawkins_78]

I principle yes - but charged air can often be anything up to 200 degrees C (so I'm told), so it benefits much more compared to ambiant air used in an NA engine ... a nice intercooler can cool the air by some 70% before it reaches the inlet manifold !

You'd never find this with a NA engine - plus the benifits would be marginal over a well sheilded standard intake - as found on a GTI?

[Gambit]

if there was benefit of it then you would see it in use in various aspects of motorsport, u dont see it so therefore would consider it to be of no benefit

[topher]

Turbos pump hot air into the engine due to heat-soak, that's why they need (inter)cooling. You'd need to be driving through Antarctica with 300mph icy headwinds for an intercooler to have any effect on intake temperatures on a N/A engine.
Nice idea though 
A proper cold-air intake with ducting to the front of the car is the best way. Charge-coolers are a different matter altogether though..

[Veedubgt18v]

whats a charge cooler?

[Dizzie]

a water cooled intercooler.

[vwsystems]

i would have thought that is would be very restrictive!

on a turbo its already got pressurised air going through the cooler so the air gets forced through and goes through faster but on a n/a engine it would have to suck it through and it may be too restrictive!