With almost 10 years of experience in modifying EcoBoost powered Fords, COBB has found that the factory intercooler can limit performance significantly. This limitation can be even more severe when adding big bumpers, winches, and accessories to the new Broncos. COBB has introduced an industry-leading intercooler solution for the 2.3 and 2.7 EcoBoost Broncos and wanted to share some of the research and development (R&D) that went into this project.
An intercooler is a heat exchanger located in the intake tract of the engine between the turbo(s) and the throttle body. It is necessary in forced induction applications, both turbocharged and supercharged, as air temperature will increase when pressure is increased. Increased air temperature can hinder safe torque and power production in many ways, and an efficient intercooler design can offset the heat added to the air charge by the compressor and mitigate torque and power losses.
To evaluate the performance of different intercoolers, COBB created a test procedure to control for as many variables as possible. Testing was performed on the same day for all intercoolers in the same vehicle, a COBB R&D Bronco 2.7 w/Sasquatch Package using the same Mustang MD500 AWD dyno running in RWD. The ECU was running the factory calibration, and the vehicle was fueled with the same tank of 93 OCT. Mileage accumulation was performed on the road before dyno testing, and the ECU was not reset during the test sequence. The testing procedure included using additional sensors to measure temperature and pressure drop across the intercooler.
COBB compared the factory Bronco intercooler to two different prototype intercoolers. All three intercoolers used the factory charge pipes and couplers on the hot and cold sides. The COBB intercooler prototypes both used the same end-tanks, machined from billet but otherwise identical to production cast units. The primary difference between the prototype intercoolers was the core design, namely in the charge-side fin density.
The results showed that both COBB prototype intercoolers increased peak and average WHP/WTQ compared to the stock intercooler. The temperature efficiency was also improved compared to the stock intercooler, with both COBB prototypes showing a significant decrease in temperature between start and end at each location. The pressure drop was also reduced with both COBB prototypes compared to the stock intercooler.
In conclusion, COBB’s research and development have led to an industry-leading intercooler solution for the 2.3 and 2.7 EcoBoost Broncos. The testing procedure and results show that the COBB prototypes outperformed the factory intercooler, improving peak and average WHP/WTQ, temperature efficiency, and pressure drop.
