Rival Nature's Power - Intercooler Pipe R&D, Part 6: Dyno Testing
As the Jeep pulled onto the Dynojet, our anticipation grew. Would the increased flow equate to more power, or would our pipe fall flat? We removed the stock intercooler pipe from the JL and installed our free-flowing cast-aluminum replacement. We strapped down the Jeep and fired it up.
Last time we saw our 2018+ JL performance intercooler pipe, we were finishing our flow testing. The flow bench showed that our 3D printed prototype flowed 27% more air than the stock pipe. We expected our cast aluminum pipe to flow a little better, but when we tested our production sample, we were surprised by just how much better. Thanks to the smoother interior of the cast aluminum, our production sample flowed over 36% better than the stock pipe. But, as we saw with our 2018+ JL intake, more flow doesn't always translate to more power.
To see if all the extra flow would translate to more power, we needed to install the production sample on our JL and run it on the dyno. Our first test would be with the stock intercooler pipe installed to give us a baseline. To get the most accurate results, Jason made four dyno runs and averaged the results together. The results were impressive for a stock 2.0L engine, but close to what we expected based on our previous dyno runs. With the stock intercooler pipe installed, the JL reached an average max torque of 264 lb. ft. at 3,900 RPM and an average max power of 231 hp at 5,400 RPM.
After our stock runs were complete, we let the Wrangler cool down and Jason installed our cast-aluminum replacement. We drove the JL back onto the dyno and strapped it down. After a few minutes of letting the JL get up to operating temperature, we performed four more runs.
As we watched the lines on the dyno graph climb, our hopes climbed as well. Overlaying the average of these four runs on top of the stock intercooler pipe runs showed exactly what we wanted to see. Our intercooler pipe averaged a 12 lb-ft. torque increase and a 7-horsepower increase. Not only did the max power and torque increase, but our intercooler pipe also moved the power earlier in the RPM range. With our intercooler pipe installed, the JL reached a peak torque output of 276 lb-ft at 3,300 RPM. All of this equates to a JL that is not only faster from 0-60, but also better to drive.
As we rolled our JL off the dyno, we knew our intercooler pipe was ready. So, we kicked off production. While we finish building our intercooler pipes, we're starting our discounted pre-sale. Now is your chance to get this cast aluminum intercooler pipe at a deep discount and rival nature's power. Check out our website for more details and, as always, let us know what you think.
