Forge Intercooler - Megane 4 RS 280/300
Megane IV RS Forge Intercooler
FMINT17 is our intercooler upgrade for the Renault Megane Mk4 R.S. We had received reports of this vehicle producing high IAT’s especially in hotter climates when driven hard. Our objective as always was to improve and overcome these issues as well as manufacture a product to the highest standard and quality. This however was not going to be a quick or easy process as with the Megane IV, R.S, Renault had decided to utilize a setup which does not lend itself well to improve its cooling package without a costly overhaul. Renault even went to the extent of using members of it’s F1 team to help with the design of this vehicle so the challenge to improve it cost effectively has been difficult, but with FMINT17, we have achieved this goal.
Using our highly skilled CAD team and fabrication department we went to work designing an intercooler which would occupy the original space without the need to modify the vehicle, while at the same time design a product with a greater capacity core for the optimum performance.
The end tanks have been a key part of the design of this intercooler, and we have opted for our classic and proven sheet metal construction which is folded in a way to produce a shallow and fast flowing design with negligible back pressure. It is also lightweight as this was another key element in our design brief, to manufacture a high performing intercooler as light as we can; this element also has a significant impact on our choice of intercooler core.
Once we had produced an end tank design, we specified several different intercooler core constructions before we started our vigorous dyno testing. Our research and compiled data pointed to the use of a tube and fin core construction, this UK manufactured component really worked well and again was the best option to keep weight to a minimum. The stepped core design is 41% larger in capacity over the OE intercooler and the final product achieved gains of 8bhp with an increase of 12NM of torque between 1900 RPM and 2500 RPM along with 20NM between 5500 RPM and 6000 RPM.This makes the Megane feel and pull stronger at the top of the rev band and when combined with a vehicle equipped with upgraded ECU software like our development vehicle the whole package transforms the 1.8T power plant into the motor this Megane R.S deserves.
FMINT17 is finished in our anti-corrosion powder coating which not only helps preserve this intercooler from harsh environments it also aids its thermal properties. As with all Forge Motorsport fabricated products this intercooler has the legendary Forge Lifetime warranty.
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 e.g. 22 fins per inch or 17 fins per inch, as well as changing the internal fin pitches/shapes and density within the tube enabling to fine tune the amount of pressure drop the intercooler produces.
Pressure drop is not always a bad thing, as our testing and research has proven on various projects. This is because the pressurized air velocity is being stalled by the pressure drop within the cooler thus allowing more time to cool the air within the cooler itself, as air passes through the non-pressurized face of the core that is open to the atmosphere. Too much pressure drop can of course have a problem on the higher performance engines as the intercooler reaches its maximum efficiency the turbo has to work a lot harder to force the air through the core. This in turn creates higher inlet air temps (IAT’s) due to the turbo creating more heat as it is over stressed and worked harder.
Having no pressure drop can also prove to be inefficient as the cooler will not lower the charge temperature again resulting in higher inlet air temperatures.