Tuesday, July 10, 2018

STI Intercooler Custom Shroud - Part 2

Measure twice, cut once.  It sounds simple, but it can lead to a few finicky hours of trial-and-error before you get things right.  That's not exactly why it's taken me a month between updates on this project, but it's all hopefully going to pay off!  My custom intercooler shroud for the STI is nearly done!

Part of what took so long was trying to decide exactly how to get the best airflow from the ViS Carbon Fiber Hood into my STI Intercooler.  I flip-flopped on several ideas before settling on this one.  Due to the fiberglass frame of the hood, I had to get creative with the back portion of the shroud.  The sides of the shroud are angled a bit, too and the curvature should flow well with the shape of the hood.  We cut back on the original design templates to account for engine movement, but the space between the shroud and the hood should still be mostly sealed with a rubber bumper running along each edge that meets the hood.

There's still a mesh cover to block bugs and rocks from bending the fragile intercooler fins that still needs to be added and a few brackets to fit this properly to the intercooler.  If final fitment goes well, it'll go on the car just in time for my 1,500 Mile journey to New England.  The mesh to block bugs and rocks from bending the fragile intercooler fins still needs to be added and a few brackets to fit this properly to the intercooler are really all that's left for this.

With no time left for snags, I'm really hoping the rest of this project goes smoothly so I can button it up and hit the road worry-free.  Part 3 of this will showcase the final product, so stay tuned!