eBay Intercooler for Mk7 GTI

An eBay Intercooler for the Mk7 GTI (1stracinguk brand) was the next aftermarket part acquisition.  During the course of researching aftermarket intercooler options for the Mk7 GTI it was found that two model types are commonly available, the Front Mounted intercooler (FMIC) and the stock location replacement intercooler (IC).

Previously the front mounted intercooler version was measured, and for this post some similar measurements have been taken of the stock location aftermarket IC.

The Intercooler Product:

When searching on eBay for intercoolers for the Mk7 GTI it seems that the inexpensive products that are being imported from China all are essentially the same design, at least based upon published dimensions and the appearance of the intercoolers.  This makes finding one simpler as price and delivery timeframe can be the main criteria for selection.

In this case a low-cost intercooler that was available for shipment right away was selected.

The Measurements:

This product appears to be based off the Wagner Tuning Competition Intercooler for the Mk7 GTI:

  • Length: 25.2″ (Wagner) vs 24.6″ (eBay)
  • Height: 16.1″ (Wagner) vs 16.1″ (eBay)
  • Depth: 2.5″ (Wagner) vs 2.5″ (eBay)
  • Core enclosure volume: 1014 cu. in. (Wagner) vs 990 cu. in. (eBay)
  • Core frontal area: 406 sq. in. (Wagner) vs 396 sq. in. (eBay)
  • Weight: 19.8 lb. (eBay)
Volume Determination - Wagner Knockoff eBay IC
Volume Determination – Wagner Knockoff eBay IC

As was done with the Front Mounted Intercooler I also determined the core charge air path volume, the volume of the air passages through the core where the bulk of the cooling takes place.  These are the passages that run alongside the visible fins.

This measurement was more difficult to make on account of the design of the end tanks.  The entire intercooler was filled with water to include the end tanks and the inlet and outlet hard piping.  Then the water was emptied and the quantity measured.

The Results:

The total volume of the intercooler is 360.9 cubic inches.  To find the volume of the core charge air paths it was necessary to subtract the volume contained in the end tanks and piping.  This was done by taking measurements of the dimensions of the end tanks, calculating the volume, and then subtracting that volume from the total.

Following this process it was determined that the volume of this eBay intercooler charge air path is approximately 181.5 cubic inches.