Hi guys, i have recently aquired an audi S3 intercooler.

But its not the full metal one, its the later version with the plastic end housing (i got it for a steal price, no damage on it atall - £56, so happy days!)

What is needed to fit this? Im presuming i need the S3 intercooler piping, or is the octavia one a direct swap?

The reason im asking is, is it looks like its made for clamps (mikalor or worm) not the "retaining clip" style for the metal one

Thought all Audi S3 intercoolers were all Ally ? Have they changed the design ?

They changed the design in 2010, end tanks were plastic rather than metal - not sure why, poss to cost cut but got it at a bargain so its not getting swapped for an metal one

will a audi s3 intercooler fit on a 2006 octavia vrs

what will i need the intercooler and hose pipes ? 

 

as i want to upgrade my intercooler and dont want to spend to much someone let me know =)

Hi guys, i have recently aquired an audi S3 intercooler.

But its not the full metal one, its the later version with the plastic end housing (i got it for a steal price, no damage on it atall - £56, so happy days!)

What is needed to fit this? Im presuming i need the S3 intercooler piping, or is the octavia one a direct swap?

The reason im asking is, is it looks like its made for clamps (mikalor or worm) not the "retaining clip" style for the metal one

You can cut your pipes to fit, if you'd rather not then DarkSide Developments sell a pipework kit. 

will a audi s3 intercooler fit on a 2006 octavia vrs

what will i need the intercooler and hose pipes ? 

 

as i want to upgrade my intercooler and dont want to spend to much someone let me know =)

 

yes, straight swap.  I run a plastic tank Golf R /S3 IC on my 118tsi.

 

If using the S3 hoses then make sure the bayonet fitting from the turbo discharge pipe has the correct orientation.

 

If using the original hoses with the O-rings then you can cut the metal fittings off & use some decent sleeve clamps to hold them on.

 

I'm not aware of any Octavia specific DIYs but I used a Golf one as a general guide.  Allow 4 hours if you have a clue & all the right tools.  6 hours if you need "pondering time".  An extra pair of hands is useful for R&R of the bumper & the actual R&R of the IC.

 

According to my research the plastic tank unit is as good/better than the all alloy unit.  It has more cooling fins & better air flow due to the end tank design.

 

 

According to my research the plastic tank unit is as good/better than the all alloy unit.  It has more cooling fins & better air flow due to the end tank design.

The change to plastic ends was a cost saving measure, the alloy ends hold more boost and offer more efficient cooling. They are the same thickness and have the same amount of fins, the only difference is are the ends. 

 

If your not running huge amounts of boost though you aren't going to notice a difference one way or the other. 

 

The change to plastic ends was a cost saving measure, the alloy ends hold more boost and offer more efficient cooling. They are the same thickness and have the same amount of fins, the only difference is are the ends. 

 

If your not running huge amounts of boost though you aren't going to notice a difference one way or the other.

While I agree the plastic is a cost saving measure and there's a possibility the alloy end tanks might assist in acting as a heat sink (ie: they will initially assist in removing heat until they start acting as a heat mass as they aren't in the flow of air), the plastic tank model differs from the all-alloy model in the following ways:

Alloy - 40mm core

End tanks welded to core

* Allows higher boost

Plastic - 38mm core

4 more bars spaced more closely together

* More equivalent frontal surface area, as well as internal cross sectional area - improved flow capacity

The plate design inside the bars are more closely packed

* Improved efficiency due to greater rate of heat transfer

Smoother flowing end tank ports

* Improved flow characteristics compared to the S3 fittings which have steps in diameter causing turbulence.

I also think (but haven't pulled them apart to confirm) that the end tanks in the plastic unit are snoother and have channels to help direct the flow of air.

You can buy the plastic Golf R / S3 units pretty cheap as plenty of S3/R owners want to go bigger - even the new price from a dealer is cheap(ish). They are about a quarter of the price of the genuine alloy units.

I had a 32mm IC in my car and thought it was a good, cheap upgrade. I'm not sure it would be worth the effort of fitting either unit if you already have the 38mm GTI IC - If I do it I want to add 25% capacity or fit WMI instead.