Heat is the number one killer of all things performance so it's no surprise that the 2017+ Type R (FK8) struggles to keep temps under control.
When Honda developed the FK8 Type R they developed an intercooler system that supported their goal…320ish horsepower. Unsurprisingly, we found as we’ve pushed for more power and quicker lap times that there is a major bottleneck in the K20C1. This bottleneck restricts flow and robs power.
The undersized factory intercooler quickly becomes a restriction on the engine's power due low flow potential and limited heat dissipation. 27WON set out to design a performance intercooler for the 10th Gen Honda Civic Type R that provided the best balance in flow and thermal efficiency.
Through many flow simulations, dyno pulls and thousands of miles of driving both on and off track we have created the best performing intercooler for your CTR. Read on below to see how we REDEFINE an intercooler core.
We can't fulfill our goal to REDEFINE with just one feature.We looked at all aspects of an intercooler core to develop a system that goes above and beyond what is available on the market today.
Design, testing, validation, quality, hardware, packaging and customer service all come together to create thecomplete package.
We tested multiple core designs to find the right balance of flow and cooling efficiency for the Civic Type R. The results speak for themselves with+10whp drop in testno tuning and best gains of+26whp/+28wtqwith proper tuning making this unit one of if not the best intercoolers out there for the FK8 Type R.
RESULTS
Baseline OEM Intercooler w/Optimized Tuning
27WONIntercooler Drop In Test
27WONIntercooler w/Optimized Tuning
The efficiency of an intercooler is directly related to both the pressure dropfrom intercooler inlet to outlet along with the temperature drop from inlet to outlet. Below we are going to explain what pressure drop is.
By definition, as it pertains to heat exchangers, pressure drop is the amount of "work" that is required to push the boosted air through the intercooler.The larger the pressure drop the greater the amount of work required. For optimal performance you want the least amount of drop you can have. By testing over 6x different core densities we were able to reduce the pressure drop from ~2.05psi to ~1.24psi thus improving overall performance.
This helps increase spool time because the turbocharger does not have to work as hard to push air through the core.
Lower Graph White Line= 27WON Core
Lower Graph Orange Line= OEM Core
Extracting heat from intake air charge is the #1 job of the intercooler.We not only want to remove as much heat from the air as possible, we also want to be do it time and time again. This means we do not want a core that will hold latent heat.
Thetemperature drop is the amount of heat being removed from the boosted air as it passes through the channels of the core.The OEM FMIC performs ok for 1-2 quick pulls on stock like power but quickly becomes saturated with stagnant heat. This means it can no longer do its job well. This is a major problem for any type of performance driving situation.
The 27WON intercooler both removes more heat, which improves performance, but also does not become heat saturated like the OEM core. It can withstand WAY more abuse both on and off the track. You can see in the graph above that even after forcibly heat-soaking both cores via aggressive dyno testing our unit could still expel over 62 degrees more temperature then the OEM version.
Top Graph Yellow Line= 27WON Core
Top Graph Orange Line= OEM Core
When it comes to intercoolers…size matters. The frontal area of the core is very important in determining the cooling capacity of the intercooler. OE height is 5.63 inches, weincreased height 41% to 7.95 inchesand left the width unchanged. This maximized the frontal area behind the grill.Thickness was increased from 2.52in OE to 3.70in, a 47% increase.
Billet is certainly a buzzword and often a nice design feature but it can also limit design options due to the machining process.With casting, we get better design options and are able to utilize internal flow control fins to optimize the airflowdistribution. Our design allows for a more gradual angle of flow from tank inlet to the core and the internal fins to help distribute the air evenly.
A big intercooler is pointless if you cannot efficiently use the entire core volume. With the use of air foils and CAD Flow Simulations, weoptimized the inlet and outlet end tanks to get the best flow distribution across the entire core.Using the whole core evenly drastically improves the cooling efficiency of the intercooler and thus gives more power. This resulted in the unique inlet end-tank design found in the 27WON FMIC.
Instead of limiting our design to the bolted flange like many other options on the market,the 27WON design incorporates the end-tank inlet pipewhich allowed us to more gradually distribute the airflow through the entire core area.
Pair the 27WON intercooler with ourType R Silicone Boost Tubesfor a complete Front Mount Intercooler kit. This kit includes 3x silicone pieces and all the clamps needed to bolt right on. The boost tubes are constructed with 4-ply reinforced silicone with additional reinforcement in the form of wire that is integrated into the silicone. This kit includes an upgrade throttle body silicone which solves a common failure point on the CTR.
This wiredrastically increases the strength of the silicone couplerwhile still allowing for proper flex and bending for engine movement.
CHECK OUT OUR DESIGN BLOGS TO SEE HOW WE REDEFINE WHAT AN UPGRADED INTERCOOLER SHOULD BE FOR YOUR CIVIC TYPE R:
PART 1: OEM design breakdown
PART 2: Learn about our air inlet design
PART 3: Real testing data
PART 4: Kit includes fix for common CTR boost leak
Every 27WON Intercoolerincludes all necessary hardware, brackets, and crash bar sealfor a complete and painless install.
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Install is pretty straightforward
Both the quality and fitment of the part are on par with what you would expect from this company.
NVH increase over the oem mount is barely noticeable, there is a very minor vibration that is felt at idle but once driving you dont feel it at all.
The engine feels much more stable under wot now and to top it off the part looks good too
Opting for the 2-step performance shipping protection was an absolute no-brainer. When investing in high-end components, the transit phase can often introduce unnecessary anxiety. This service effectively mitigates that risk, offering complete peace of mind and transforming what is usually a stressful waiting period into a seamless, secure experience.
I ordered the red one for the 11th gen Civic SI. Well packaged and came with a Wunderladen sticker. This is a big upgrade over the cheap plastic orange dipstick that came with the car. Its worth the money to be able to reliably read your oil level, especially on a direct injected turbo car.
