Mishimoto Ford Bronco Intercooler Kit [+VIDEO] For 2.3 and 2.7 Engines

[Billnchristy]

I don't disagree, especially on the flow side. The bronco is choked off in several areas and luckily manufacturers are stepping up to the plate on that.

I'm going about this somewhat systematically. The exhaust is a huge restriction. The turbo intake piping is a pretty significant one. It doesn't seem like the charge piping is too horrible and the tiny turbos would probably never make enough pressure to crack them.

I haven't looked at the intercooler or logs, probably will start investigating after my injen intake arrives and then I will have both of the major choke points addressed and see where we go from there.

I think if you're going beyond the ford procal or jb4 level (like the Canadians tuning) then it's a real need and would probably see way more gain than stock. Just gaining anything does show there is a flow restriction though.

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[‘21OBX]

Yeah there’s no benefit, just remove your louvers from the bumper CAC temps will stay under 100 degrees. Intercooler upgrades are only needed for high boost high load situations like running flat out all the time which you won’t see on the trails. The hot and cold pipes are also a waste of money, the metallic tubing heat soaks more than the plastic tubing hints why manufacturers use plastic. Even on mishimoto’s data they share on their website shows increased intake temperatures and only a 15 degree drop over oem is nothing. As heavily as the these motors are monitored with sensors you’ll just have more issues with them until you can find someone to tune it and right now no one in the U.S. is doing it due to C.A.R.B. /EPA cracking down. There’s a shop in Canada that’s tuning them so if you’re up for a road trip go for it. The best bang for your buck is the Ford performance tune.

Not completely accurate remove the shutters doesn’t help in slow speed off road or crawling situations where you don’t have a lot of airflow. Plus for some with the LUX package they may not want to lose the adaptive cruise.
I agree on a stock vehicle HP gain is minimal but the cooler temps are nice.

 

[mpeugeot]

good smart info thank you -
So, upgrading the intercooler will help reliability / longevity of the engine itself by:
preventing pre detonation, improving poor fuel mileage, and mitigate the dreaded low speed detonation (eco boom).

correct??

so is it worth $800 over 10 years for the improvement in these areas?

What about cooling the air after the exhaust and before the turbo?
With an "aircooler"

The turbine will not be very efficient if you cool the exhaust like that. This is why you also don't put the catalytic converter in front of the turbo, unless you want massive lag and poor performance.

 

[PWillette]

Can someone help me understand the appeal to an intercooler swap like this? I'm picking up 6HP and 5TQ for $800. Doesn't seem like the best ROI. I can get far more than that by running 93 vs 89 octane.

Agreed, the intercooler upgrade alone isn't a huge bang for your buck however its' just a small piece of the puzzle. My plan is eventually install a tune but not before several other easy bolt on upgrades...I, like many, just can't afford to do everything at once. I started with a cold air intake, then installed a 3" cat-back exhaust and now moving on to the intercooler and charge pipes. All these upgrades combined should translate into more meaningful HP/TQ gains.

 

[mpeugeot]

If you really want to make power on the 2.7, you don't need a bigger intercooler, what you would ideally want is a slightly larger turbo and an E85 tune. Give up significant torque for 500-1000 RPM on the bottom end, but it would gain massively on the top end. E85 will cool far better than any intercooler. Also, I will agree that the exhaust system is shit, just deleting the muffler improves fuel economy significantly, which shows how restrictive it is... but it is very quiet.

 

[chris@pandamotorworks]

If you really want to make power on the 2.7, you don't need a bigger intercooler, what you would ideally want is a slightly larger turbo and an E85 tune. Give up significant torque for 500-1000 RPM on the bottom end, but it would gain massively on the top end. E85 will cool far better than any intercooler. Also, I will agree that the exhaust system is shit, just deleting the muffler improves fuel economy significantly, which shows how restrictive it is... but it is very quiet.

If this were true no one would be making intercooler kits and just Flex Fuel Kits.

Bigger turbos equate to more air flow equals harder to cool which means less performance and reliability.

E85 does keep EGT/Combustion Temps lower but not charge temps & increased flow which is needed to make more power

 

[mpeugeot]

If this were true no one would be making intercooler kits and just Flex Fuel Kits.

Bigger turbos equate to more air flow equals harder to cool which means less performance and reliability.

E85 does keep EGT/Combustion Temps lower but not charge temps & increased flow which is needed to make more power

The exhaust is a bigger factor than the intake side. A larger turbo equals less heat due to decreased system restriction and less boost to achieve the same airflow, thus needing less intercooling to achieve the same charge air temp. The exhaust in this case will yield larger gains than the intake.


Edit: Also a bigger turbo does not decrease reliability, it does quite the opposite, but at a cost of low end performance.

 

[chris@pandamotorworks]

The exhaust is a bigger factor than the intake side. A larger turbo equals less heat due to decreased system restriction and less boost to achieve the same airflow, thus needing less intercooling to achieve the same charge air temp. The exhaust in this case will yield larger gains than the intake.


Edit: Also a bigger turbo does not decrease reliability, it does quite the opposite, but at a cost of low end performance.

A larger turbo without an upgraded intercooler will decrease reliability.

The exhaust system is a restriction but it will not keep you from needing an upgraded intercooler.

If wanting to achieve only the same power with a larger turbo it will take less turbo speed & pressure to achieve the same power but thats not what is stated above. When upgrading a turbo system it will generate more heat at the end of the day as you are looking to make more power and use its full potential.

An intake and intercooler are also 2 different things. Intercooler will be a restriction in flow where the intake box will not be on a larger turbo. Per my statement above for this unit to increase power while dropping temps proves it has removed a restriction on the stock turbos and is actually a bigger difference than just looking at peak #'s

 

[mpeugeot]

A larger turbo without an upgraded intercooler will decrease reliability.

You are flat out wrong here UNLESS the pressure gradient across the intercooler is massive. It would need to be a huge restriction. Then only above the CFM the intercooler was capable of supporting.

The exhaust system is a restriction but it will not keep you from needing an upgraded intercooler.

You only need an upgraded intercooler if you are unable to cool the charge air temps adequately, leak from excessive boost pressures (yes, I have bursted intercoolers from high boost levels), and/or the Intercooler itself cannot flow the required CFM necessitating excessive boost to overcome. The stock Bronco isn't near these thresholds. I am not saying that a better intercooler will not yield better results, but it's not even in the top 5 things that you can change to make more power under $800.

If wanting to achieve only the same power with a larger turbo it will take less turbo speed & pressure to achieve the same power but thats not what is stated above. When upgrading a turbo system it will generate more heat at the end of the day as you are looking to make more power and use its full potential.

Even if you are making significantly more power, a larger turbo may not be making significantly more heat because of the flow differences.

Two examples:
GT25 Turbo 20 PSI 4 cylinder 245 RWHP
T3/T4 Turbo 14 PSI 4 cylinder 325 RWHP

Same fuel, same 2.5" Intake piping, intercooler, same basic 3 inch exhaust system, same engine management system. The charge air temps were much lower on the T3/T4, due to the lower boost levels needed and we are talking about much higher power levels.

An intake and intercooler are also 2 different things. Intercooler will be a restriction in flow where the intake box will not be on a larger turbo. Per my statement above for this unit to increase power while dropping temps proves it has removed a restriction on the stock turbos and is actually a bigger difference than just looking at peak #'s

An intercooler should not be a significant restriction, and while there should be a pressure gradient across the intercooler, ideally that should be due to the fact that air density is recovered as the result of the temperature drop across the intercooler, not because of insufficient flow. Most well designed intercoolers (even less well designed OEM) should not pose a problem in regards to flow. OEM designs often aren't as efficient with regards to heat transfer resulting in less density recovery, but typically this is not where you are going to be getting big gains.

I stand by what I say...

 

[Brnzbronc]

Not completely accurate remove the shutters doesn’t help in slow speed off road or crawling situations where you don’t have a lot of airflow. Plus for some with the LUX package they may not want to lose the adaptive cruise.
I agree on a stock vehicle HP gain is minimal but the cooler temps are nice.

Just from past experience with my F150 with a 2.7 and towing I saw more flat lined temps from the CAC with the louvers removed even sitting on a hot 90 degree in traffic hottest temp I saw was 120F. Lower temps will tell the computer it can change timing more reducing pre detonation. You’ll gain that 5hp for free plus your turbo doesn’t have to work as hard to make boost. Hot air is less dense and now your turbo has to spool faster to accommodate to make the pressure required. So I’m just spitting numbers to make help explain.. If the temperature in the charge pipe is 150F your turbo has to work harder and spin faster say 20,000 rpms to achieve a pressure of 15 psi in the manifold where as if your temps are 100F in your charge pipe your turbo only has to spin 15,000 rpm to make 15th in the manifold. Does that make sense? There’s some crazy calculus equation to use to figure this out. I learn most of this from the mechanical engineers I work with who do airflow analyses.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Direct fit for 2021+ Ford Bronco 2.3L and 2.7L EcoBoost

• Dyno-proven max gains of 5.7 whp and 5.3 lb-ft torque (2.3L EcoBoost) / 6.5 whp and 6.5 lb-ft torque (2.7L EcoBoost)
• 21.2°F (2.3L EcoBoost) / 15.8°F (2.7L EcoBoost) reduction in outlet temperature over stock intercooler
• 7% less restrictive than stock intercooler
• 77% increase in core volume
• 175% increase in fin surface area
• 4.7-inch thick intercooler design for maximum flow and heat soak resistance
• Optimal core design for maximum cooling efficiency with minimal pressure drop
• All-aluminum, TIG-welded construction
• Durable bar-and-plate core for superior durability and performance
• Cast aluminum end tanks are precision TIG welded to the core for increased pressure tolerance and reliability
• CNC-machined 6061 aluminum inlet and outlet flanges
• Does not interfere with adaptive cruise control or 360° cameras
• Available in stealth black or sleek silver powdercoat
• Mishimoto Lifetime Warranty

Mishimoto 2021+ Ford Bronco Intercooler Kit - Silver - Black

Boost your Ford Bronco's performance with the Mishimoto Intercooler! In this video, we give you an overview of the Mishimoto Intercooler for the Ford Bronco. We will talk about the benefits and the advantages of running an intercooler on your ecoboost powered Bronco. Stay tuned for the Step by step installation so you are informed and ready to install this Intercooler on your Bronco!

Nice!

 

[Billnchristy]

Also, I will agree that the exhaust system is shit, just deleting the muffler improves fuel economy significantly, which shows how restrictive it is... but it is very quiet.

I honestly think now that they designed the muffler to hide the fact there is no sound deadening in the vehicle. I have zero perceptible noise decrease with the door open or closed with the new exhaust. You hear it stock and think damn, it's pretty quiet in here (until all the wind noise starts).

Also a big clue was being able to hear the stock intake now that the exhaust is cleared up. I get that big whoosh noise you usually hear on cars with open CAIs.

 

[Brnzbronc]

or the VRTuned? always worry this is pushing too much. Ford one seems good but overly expensive for what it says it does?

I would stay away from the piggy back tuners, they basically trick the computer to think it’s running one boost level while it runs another. It’s just a quick power adder to get around warranty denial. With all the power adders you’re not going to see hardly any increase in hp/tq in the lower rpm range which is where you need it wheeling. Most won’t see increases until the 3000 rpm to redline. If wheeling is your focal point then re-gearing is the way to go. If your bronco is a pavement princess then again that’s a different approach to what aftermarket parts you want. Racing your Rig from stop light to stop light some small minor things can be done. As for durability of the oem stuff.. it’s fine. Stock intercooler will last about 10 years before the plastic caps degrade or crack. Just research the 2.3 in the mustang forums lot of guys have already done all the leg work for bolt on’s and look into the f150 forums and research the 2.7. The exhaust flows more the adequate and the intake Is pretty well designed. I had my f150 for 6 years bought with 5 miles on it had a tune from Brew City Boost at 5k removed the louvers put 110k miles on it with no problems. I wasted thousands of dollars trying aftermarket items and always went back and put on the oem back on.

 

[Tex]

You guys have louvers on your intercoolers?
LOL why tho

 

[Raskew]

Does this work with heavy duty bumper?

I'm wondering this as well.

Anyone know?

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