Hello,

My car has a Stage 1 FVD tuned program with AWE straight pipes and stock K16.
I guess that, without my air leak, I can reach about 510hp, so I thought that GT2 intercoolers are the next think to buy, knowing that the GT2 got them with only about 460hp...
Do you think It's a good idea? Can I get more power thanks to them?
What power can they hold till, before bigger (and much more expansive) intercoolers are needed?

 

I'm speaking 100% anecdotally, but I've heard that the 996 GT2 coolers can handle more than people give them credit. I'll be running stock X50/GT2 intercoolers on my car for the time being to see how they perform and will probably upgrade when it starts to warm up in the Spring.

Going for better coolers will reduce lag and improve IAT (allowing you to sustain the gains for a longer duration)

That improvement in IAT is generally achieved in 1 of 2 aspects of I/C design, understanding your goals would help you select what to look for.

If you're going out to buy new I/Cs I'd suggest skipping the 996 GT2 and going straight to 997 GT2rs I/Cs

 

With a used set of GT2RS intercoolers being had at $800ish... its hard to consider upgrading to something far inferior.

Gt2rs intercoolers and never look back. They outperform many $2000+ intercoolers! I run them with 630whp no knock, no issues!

 

They're great with my setup ~600WHP. On hot days at the track I notice very little power loss lap after lap. The install is relatively easy using the stock IC ducting to keep proper air flow over the cores also.

 

Plug and play?

 

I would respectfully disagree
I still have yet to see the God's gift to Porsche owner gt2RS ICs do a fast 60 to 130, decent 1/4 mile, or top end... Mind you, simple 4.5" ICs I make ran a 4.21 60 to 130, ran 9s in the 1/4, and even trapped over 150 mph... no meth and no E85 in pure southern heat... gt2 rs are good for most entry levels set ups but you dont see anyone thats fast running them.. thus my argument that bar n plate good cores are not inferior as Porsche stream lined tube n fin...
Sorry , I see this back to back, dynos and logs... they cool but I question how much do they flow... this argument will never end but until anyone shows me a sub 5 sec 60 to 130, a low 9 sec. run or a trap at least 140 mph, I will continue to share my experience... and just a note, I did my own 4.5s on my car in 2004 back when AM ICs didn't exist on the market... I have done alot of testing over the years... and just for those who do not know.. bar n plate cores do come in 2 versions.. one for flow and heat dissipation and the other for pure heat dissipation... its almost impossible to get both in one... and thus what gt2 RS does well in one category... just my honest opinion... not hating... just sharing...
markski

 

my ~1.2bar tuned(EPL) GT2 has stock IC's and has no issue holding its own even on hot 35-40C days...that said I will probably do GT2RS IC's at some point and see what my datalog's say then.
GT2RS coolers aren't aimed at 'numbers'/straight-line guys(who need very high-flow and a fat intercooler to act as a heatsink), but more for us who track or otherwise drive hard in a continuous fashion(who don't need as high flow numbers but need to cooler to shed heat ASAP).

 

Not exactly. There is a great DIY and volumes of information in an older post by Earl3 if you search for gt2rs intercooler.
It also included great data about their cooling capacity.

 

Follow Earls excellent DIY and you can get it done in a couple of hours. Here's the link to it:

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...olers-wow.html

The only thing I would do differently is instead of using plastic tie wraps to keep the ducting in place I would just cut the OEM steel straps in half and rivet on an aluminum extender as I did here. These intercoolers are excellent for a road course car with around 600hp. Very quick thermal recovery, and very light weight...

 

The install is relatively easy using the stock IC ducting to keep proper air flow over the cores also.

 

Careful with aftermarket hoses and the GT2RS IC's -- I believe stock hoses fit better for some reason.

 

The latest version of the stock hoses fit perfectly with the GT2RS IC's. Been running them at 1.3 bar for 3 years without any issues.

 

dont know for the gt2 996 IC but 997.2 IC are hard to beat if your goal is under 600whp no meth and up to 700whp with meth!i've been running them pass 2bar and run consistent low 5sec 60-130 on a28s! secoundly they will hold nicely boost when shifting ! best bang for the buck for advance mod!

 

if your mechanically inclined or want to have a shop do it i have all the plans for the 4.5" bell core i/c which i built from 02turbo996's design. the nice thing is you can keep the ductwork and have big i/c! i have given these plans to probably a dozen members so far

 

.... i still wish i knew what "heatsoak" "felt" like. i don't see ever needing more than the gt2 ics i have. but then i'm a short blast driver.