[Dr.Naren]

I was running Stage 3 Wolf moto remap with stock intercooler in my S-Cross 1.6 for more than 2 years. Intercooler is a must for any stage 3 build. IC upgrade plan always got postponed due to multiple reasons.

Few of my friends were running Chinese intercoolers in their S-Cross 1.6. There was decent drop in IAT. But, I didn't like the performance when I drove those cars. My car with stock IC had better low end and throttle response. I believe the Chinese IC had more pressure drop.

I came across Garrett intercoolers by Stellar turbo. It looked like a good option. Garrett sells only the cores, end tanks are fabricated later by Stellar. Stellar Turbo is official importer of Garrett performance parts. The Stage 3 turbo for my car was also bought from them. Mr. Binoy from Stellar Turbo is always very helpful. I had discussed with him regarding various options from Garrett.

Garrett has multiple intercooler cores with rating of 310 to 1260 HP.



I wanted to go with the entry level core as it is rated 310 HP and my car would be doing only 200 HP. But, my tuner Wolf suggested to get a bigger core (475 HP). The explanation given was that my turbo is making 2 bars of boost and IAT shoots very quick which the smaller core wouldn't be able to handle efficiently. Wolf also said the results weren't really impressive with the smaller core in T-Jet and my car would be doing lot more boost than that. Hence, I decided to go with 475 HP core. Drawback is it would be a tight fit while the smaller core would be much easier to install or even make it a drop in replacment with custom fabrication of end tanks.

Garrett core is bar and plate design while the OE is tube and fin type. Advantages of bar and plate intercoolers are they take long time to get heat soaked but they also take longer time to cool once heat soaked. Tube and fin cores will heat up very fast and also cool down quickly.

I had driven to Kochi for audio upgrade. Wolf Moto had 475 HP rated core in stock. I decided to get it installed at Red Fox.

Stock (Visteon) vs Garrett



OE: 1.9 kg



Garrett: 5 kg



Garrett core weighs heavier thanks to the higher fin density. Stellar Turbo had also improved the welding of end tanks and the design is slightly different compared to their previous version for smoother flow.

Few more pics





Installed



They made custom mounts for the new IC. Stainless steel plumbing was done post end tanks, I think they could have done a better job..not really happy with 270 degree bends. The front member was slightly trimmed to accomodate the new intercooler. I was OK with this as the member isn't really strong to protect passengers in any crash and it is meant to protect only the radiator from minor hits.



The turbo outlet hose was compressed / pinched like this. I wasn't really OK with it. But, they assured me it would work fine and requested me to test it. They also didn't use silicone hoses at end tanks. I wasn't really confident about the installation, expected it to give up anytime.

I went for a logging session with Rajiv. Peak MAF had increased by 15 g/s ans Peak IAT was lower by 15-20 degrees. The car was pulling better and I could also notice better low end and throttle response.

Snapshot from our logging session



I drove without any issues back to Manipal (~500 km). But, the bad installation had to show up and it did. I was doing back to back redline pulls and the car lost power. I could hear a loud boost leak sound and there was lot of smoke from exhaust. It was evident that one of the hoses got burst.

Thankfully I was in Mangalore and I could drive the car with minimal throttle input without much smoke. I took the car to Wagen Tunen.

Culprit



The clamp which was welded at SS pipe was broken. This might have lead to vibrations of the pipe which in turn ruptured the rubber hose at end tank. Wagen Tunen welded back the clamp and installed a hose at end tank for temporary fix.

I did back to back high speed runs and it held up well. But, I also observed that performance drops after back to back full throttle runs. The compressed turbo outlet hose was the culprit because the turbo had to work harder to maintain the requested boost. I was feeling terrible with all the issues due to bad installation at Red Fox. Red Fox offered to fix everything if I go back to Kochi. But, I wasn't comfortable going back all the way to Kochi as I wasn't really sure if they would fix it properly.

I wasn't able to fully exploit the potential of Garettt intercooler with all these plumbing issues. I even thought of removing the entire setup and go with the smaller core. I discussed the same with Rajiv and he suggested to get the plumbing fixed first by installing silicone hoses.

[Dr.Naren]

We had scheduled S-Cross 1.6 Dyno session at Bangalore. I didn't want to miss this and thought of getting the silicone hoses installed at Bangalore and then dyno the car.

I went to Engineering Exponents who is dealer for Wolf Moto in Bangalore. They installed silicone hoses at end tanks. Turbo outlet hose was also replaced by silicone hose. The new hose is slightly larger than OE allowing better air flow.

Before



After



Closer look at the fix



These hoses are super strong. They can withstand high temperatures and won't flex.

I took the car out for drive and was mind blown with the performance. Throttle response was so sharp, I can describe it as touch and fly. It felt like I got another remap. Mr. Jayant was also impressed with how the car pulled. We were really happy with the outcome, finally the Garrett IC was performing the way it should be. The car felt powerful all over the revv band. I believe it's due to negligible pressure drop in Garrett cores and also the new silicone hose for turbo outlet as it has better flow than OE.

Mr. Jayant was very helpful and his mechanics were also too good. They took hardly an hour to get everything sorted

We headed to dyno the car next day. I was really impressed with the 202 HP / 438 NM figures we got at crank.



We also compared Stage 3 cars with Garrett and Chinese intercoolers. My car made same power but 10 NM more torque than the one with Chinese IC. These are just the peak numbers, but I was doing even 25+ NM more torque at lower and mid range. Peak IAT was also 10 degrees lesser with Garrett.



I have driven more than 1500 km after fixing the plumbing. Performance is really amazing. Better low end and improved throttle response was something I wasn't really expecting. The car is also pulling well at higher speeds thanks to reduced IAT. Peak IAT used to go 70+ during WOT runs in 4 th gear, now it's around 50 degrees. Overall I am very happy with the final outcome. IC Upgrade is really useful for even a bone stock S-Cross 1.6, highly recommended.

My friend who is running Stage 3 car with Chinese IC would be getting Garettt core soon. He is trying the smaller core rated at 310 HP, it is under development at Blackworks. They will make it a drop in fit for S-Cross 1.6. I am waiting to see the results, if it performs as good as my bigger IC.. it's a better option as it will be cheaper and easy to install.

Pricing

1. Garrett Intercooler (475 HP) : Rs. 35000
2. Installation & Plumbing at Redfox: Rs. 10000
3. Silicone hoses & installation at Engineering Exponents: Rs. 5000
4. Dyno run at Harmonixx Tuning: Rs. 6500

OT: Morning drive at Gokarna



Who would have even dreamt a Maruti diesel with 200+ HP ? Yes, we have done it and I am enjoying every mile with a wide grin plastered on my face

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Better low end and improved throttle response was something I wasn't really expecting. The car is also pulling well at higher speeds thanks to reduced IAT.

That's a really impressive result.

I struggled with this on my Linea T Jet, partly cause I did not know or understand what caused the car to limp after a full bore start on a hot day. One WOT is all it took and the car felt like it was a 1.4NA engine. It lost all power.

A sign of trouble was noticed in just a month of owning the car. I went to FCA to address the issue. Its also not a fault big enough to trip a fault code so other than showing them a shuddering engine which was also difficult to replicate, I got nowhere with it. Did not for once realize the engine was being starved of air or was breathing hot air due to a poorly designed, heat soaked IC.

It was closer to when I decided to sell the car that some folks here such as FM Keroo had measured IAT's and had data on where the problem was. Without hard data, you're sort of winging it to solve a problem.

Without having to touch or even tune up the engine to develop better numbers, your turbo will do its job better when fed with cooler air and that comes with a better designed IC.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Did not for once realize the engine was being starved of air or was breathing hot air due to a poorly designed, heat soaked IC.

It was closer to when I decided to sell the car that some folks here such as FM Keroo had measured IAT's and had data on where the problem was.

I have seen the OE intercooler of Linea T-Jet. It's a joke as it will get heat soaked really quick.

[jithin23]

Impressive mods for the S-cross 1.6. Do you mind sharing the maintenance interval after all these mods and how's the engine+gearbox holding up?

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by jithin23

Impressive mods for the S-cross 1.6. Do you mind sharing the maintenance interval after all these mods and how's the engine+gearbox holding up?

I service the car every 10k kms / 1 year. Not following any early maintenance schedule .

All good so far except the clutch slips only while launching the car for 0-100 / QM runs.

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

It was closer to when I decided to sell the car that some folks here such as FM Keroo had measured IAT's and had data on where the problem was. Without hard data, you're sort of winging it to solve a problem.

Without having to touch or even tune up the engine to develop better numbers, your turbo will do its job better when fed with cooler air and that comes with a better designed IC.

I was the first Guinea pig. All the research and number crunching was done by adneo

[Dr.Naren]

Few points I missed:

1. IAT increases when you do high speed runs under full throttle and also while crawling in traffic.

2. IAT decreases a lot when you cruise at good speeds.

3. IAT was 20 degrees above ambient while cruising at 120 kmph and it's 10 degrees more than ambient with Garrett IC.

4. IAT used to go 35-40 degrees above ambient during 4th gear redline pulls and now it only 20 degrees above ambient.

5. I have observed peak IAT go above 60 even in Stock 1.6 S-Cross. Garrett IC will have good gains even for stock car.

Do note that I am running with stage 3 high boost map. The IAT is around 5-10 degrees lower with low boost map which makes lesser power.

4th gear full throttle runs

Stock IC: 65°C-IAT and 145 g/s-MAF



Garrett IC: 50°C-IAT and 163g/s-MAF

[ValuableRecluse]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Pricing

1. Garrett Intercooler (475 HP) : Rs. 35000
2. Installation & Plumbing at Redfox: Rs. 10000
3. Silicone hoses & installation at Engineering Exponents: Rs. 5000
4. Dyno run at Harmonixx Tuning: Rs. 6500

OT: Morning drive at Gokarna

Attachment 2196402

Who would have even dreamt a Maruti diesel with 200+ HP ? Yes, we have done it and I am enjoying every mile with a wide grin plastered on my face

That is quite a sleeper you have there.
200+ BHP and a kerb weight of 1275kgs points to a tasty power to weight ratio!
Just wondering how the drivetrain will hold up to that torque increase.
Is the torque steer acceptable or do you have to grip it before you rip it?

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by ValuableRecluse

200+ BHP and a kerb weight of 1275kgs points to a tasty power to weight ratio!

Add 50 kgs thanks to audio upgrades

Just wondering how the drivetrain will hold up to that torque increase.
Is the torque steer acceptable or do you have to grip it before you rip it?

Nothing to worry about. The map is super linear. The stock map has sudden turbo kick and torque steer. My car is so tamed . Most of the guys don't even believe it's "modified" because there is no madness or wildness in power delivery.. it's just a strong and linear pull all the way to redline.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

I was the first Guinea pig. All the research and number crunching was done by adneo

I remember this Kedar. I think he posted a picture of the car from another country and that's when it struck that the IC we were getting on our cars were small and also the same one used for the multi jet diesel engines. For FCA, it made sense as they don't have to bother with sourcing another part. However; with these engines being imported for the first round, I thought it would come as part of the engine kit.

[nightraven]

This is an inspiring and informative mod executed brilliantly Dr. Naren. Take a bow for your determination and final execution with perfection. I have been following your early posts about your remap experiences.

I am also planning on something along similar lines for my Ecosport 1.5 TDCi in India. Looking to push it to 170 bhp territory with a turbocharger, intercooler upgrades along with obvious decat, EGR DPF delete mods. However stock gearbox being rated for a max torque of 280 Nm creates some uncertainty though few have pushed it to 200 bhp and torque well beyond 300 Nm in Europe. Ford provides a boost operated FGT which makes a VNT upgrade complicated.

Enthusiasts like you are also very lucky that Maruti provided a VNT with electronic actuation which helps for easier aftermarket VNT upgrades. Have you also considered any LSD install (from Quaife or other reputed specialists) to reduce torque steer and improve traction?

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by nightraven

This is an inspiring and informative mod executed brilliantly Dr. Naren. Take a bow for your determination and final execution with perfection. I have been following your early posts about your remap experiences.

Thank you

I am also planning on something along similar lines for my Ecosport 1.5 TDCi in India. Looking to push it to 170 bhp territory with a turbocharger, intercooler upgrades along with obvious decat, EGR DPF delete mods.

I would be concerned with the reliability of this engine to handle lot of power. It's an all aluminium engine right ?

Have you also considered any LSD install (from Quaife or other reputed specialists) to reduce torque steer and improve traction?

Nope. I don't find any issues related to traction. The car is putting down power really well .

[nightraven]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Thank you

I would be concerned with the reliability of this engine to handle lot of power. It's an all aluminium engine right ?

Yes it is a cast aluminium engine. I understand the reliability concerns. Its an old workhorse in many Ford and PSA models in 1.5 and 1.6 avatars for 10+ years now. Many have pushed them past 160 bhp here in Europe without issues. Max was around 210 bhp for the 1.6L with BMW injectors but that's pushing luck too far I guess.

Nope. I don't find any issues related to traction. The car is putting down power really well .

Good to know. Happy Motoring! Do you have any other mods in the works?