I am going to be picking up a set of Phenolic Thermal Manifold Spacers from grimmspeed but I am unsure if I should go with the 3mm spacer or the 8mm spacer. Is 8mm overkill? also do any of you guys run the TGV delete that Grimmspeed sells? http://www.grimmspeed.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=60_33_34_51&products_id=35 Thanks for the help -
iirc, there was some issue fitting the 8mm on wrx's. Something like a hard egr line or something that wouldn't quite make the stretch from the head to the IM with the bigger spacer. There should be a thread on NASIOC somewhere about it. Not sure what all years it affects. Of course, grimmspeed should know and be able to tell you, I would hope.
IMHO, the spacers are more for the N/A cars, (NOT saying they're worthless on a turbo car at all) as they are meant to prevent heat from the engine getting to the manifold, thereby cooling the intake charge. However, with a turbo, the turbo heats the air pretty good, and is still plenty hot after the intercooler. You'd be better off with the TGV deletes than the spacers, as they will shift the entire powerband down and allow for more airflow if/when you go with a bigger turbo.
Waste of time and monies. When I was running my wrx with my air temp gauges, the air going into and though the manifold was close to ambient air temps. You will notice a bigger difference in air temps if you make sure you scoop is sealed to the IC. Remember, just because the surface temp on the outside is hot, doesn't mean that the air on the inside is just as hot. Russ
this is true about the 8mm, the hardline makes it an issue, the way i did it was to put it in b4 u bolt the intake back down and start from the rear and work your way foreward and let the intake "hinge down" which solved the problem for me. I HAVE a NA car, 07 2.5i, so i cant speek to the benifits for a turbo, sorry
