Turbocake

so the evo made 3 trips to work (freeway commuting) last week after buying it and i realized that already finding a couple of rocks and bugs meant that it would soon be well clogged and loaded with crap. especially in the summer when bugs start really coming out.

so i went down to the hardware store and bought some screen material, the kind for your windows at home.

i trimmed it perfectly straight on top and used tiny little zip ties to hold it to the screen mesh, but did it so the ties are on the back side of the mesh screen.

on the bottom it just tucks in under the bumper.

it looks, well, you cant really see it that well, but when you get down on it, it looks cool, and it sure works to keep crap out of there.

im wondering if this has a significant negative effect on the intercooler. im sure the screen makes more of a difference the faster you go, but still, they have screen mesh like that on the front of Nascars for the same reason and those things run 8k constantly.

im planning to take a piece of it and strap it to a wire frame (hanger wire or something) just so I can hold it out the window at speed and see how much drag it produces and how much air makes it through.

im sure its fine for cold winter air, but what about 100 degree summer days? those are some of the worst insect nights also.
it would be one thing if the I/C was easily accessible and cleaned, but it's stuck behind the factory mesh, so when it gets dirty, you're sorta screwed (or am i wrong and there's a quick, easy way to get in there?).

opinions?

Thoe99

iTrader: (25)

I've been using this for a while, with no negative effects...
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...threadid=39765

xtnct

iTrader: (33)

I guess the idea that I started in the summer and was so flamed for is catching on afterall. Funny how things turn around. Been using my mesh for over 1/2 year with no impact on cooling or intake temps or reliability of any sort even in 100F deg summer temps. I did not use zip ties, I took off the bumper and sandwiched the mesh screen between the bumper and the stock grille parts. I covered all openings to have a consitent & stealthy look.

USP45

iTrader: (13)

I have been using a screen for about three months now as well. I took the black mesh off of the bumper and put the screen between it and the bumper and put back togather. After spending four hours one afternoon with a pair of tweezers straightening out the intercooler I decided that I would rather not be doing it again.

JojoSteez

the VIII don't have any protective screen at all? Damn, mine came with mesh screening over the IC, hehe. But i drive an evo III. They came like that

ChrisS.

Hmm, looks ok. But its a little dark for my taste though... I like seeing the FMIC...

Turbocake

two things...

the viii's come with a metal mesh screen that lets through most bugs and small rocks, but it also serves as the perfect backing for what would otherwise be flimsy house window screen that doesnt let hardly any crud through, but seems to not affect air dramatically.

the material used in the above pics hides way more than the standard window screen, which is what I used, and with the standard stuff you can still see the FMIC, even in low light.

considering the alternative (spending hours to get access to and clean out the crud stuck in my intercooler) this, IMO, is a very worthwhile mod.

xtnct

iTrader: (33)

Not quite correct. The above car does use the standard door/window mesh screen. The reason that is is so dark is because I took the pics in the late evening with a crappy digi cam. I'll take better pics during the day.

Second, you can't see the intercooler because I want it that way. I modified my intercoller so it is no longer silver and that is why you can't see it - just the way I like it.

modvp

iTrader: (13)

Black intercooler…the stealth look! I like it!

Turbocake

oh... ok. well, i dunno... to each his own i guess, but man, i would never hide the intercooler. just way too cool

cjb

Did you use the Phifer Petscreen, or the fiberglass type window screen? I just put the Phifer stuff in front of my intercooler, and it does have smaller holes than the "standard" window screen. I felt that the standard window screen wouldn't stop rocks when the car was moving at 80+ MPH.

Also, what did you use to paint your intercooler? That sounds like an interesting "mod"...

-CJ

Turbocake

ive had that standard screen on there for weeks now and the car is driven on the freeway daily.

not one hole in it from a rock or otherwise.

you gotta remember that the flimsy screen has the factory mesh backing it, so any rocks that are going to be heavy enough to puncture the screen are also going to be big enough to hit the mesh and just bounce off.

meanwhile, the air is flowin like a champ.

cjb

Yea, that's a good point. I'm going to get some of the standard screen tomorrow night and give that a try.

Thanks again.

-CJ

Turbocake

im thinking about getting out the G-tech for a few reasons.

one, im gonna change the fluids this weekend and am curious if it will make a difference in power. there are just SO many gears and bearings, with the AWD and everything.

then the interesting part... ive noticed that in high gears, performance seems to suffer and im starting to suspect that the IC isnt getting all it needs.

i want to make 5 runs with the screen, average them, and then pull the screen up (roll it up, out the way) and see if the next 5 averaged runs get better.

i have a suspicion that the window screen holds a lot more back than anyone thinks, especially because it's not like the car will ping, it will just pull timing or add fuel to keep the det. away. you lost power, but gradually so it's not so noticeable. i might try some tests with water/alky squirting too.

more to come... ill definitely have something to post when im done.

cjb

I also have a Pocket Logger that I'm going to play around with. I can graph out the MPH, Air Flow Rate, and Temperature of the Intake with the screen on and without to see if there is any change in Temperature. I'm thinking that we won't see much difference until it gets warmer...

-CJ