Turboplus Intercooler, across the board improvements

[Jeff Shapiro]

...In every phase of flight it is a really great improvement in performance and in cylinder temperatures!

Last Year I bought a Turbo Plus intercooler kit from Jeff Shapiro for my Mooney M20K 231. First, the delivery was very fast and second he gave me a special price for me as member of MAPA. When I unpacked the kit, I was very happy about the really great quality of all the parts. Welding, tolerances and so on. I installed the kit in two days and it was a great pleasure to do. The fiberglass work at the cowling is also very easy, but needs a little bit of trim.

When I had finished all that work and the final adjustment of the TCM injection system, I went flying to see what it will improve. First was, that the intake air immediately cooled down about 30 deg. Celsius in the takeoff run. I operate my Mooney from a 750 meter asphalt strip. After takeoff, in the climb it was cooling by 45 deg. Celsius and raised to 55 deg. in higher altitudes. I think the NACA duct is at the optimum position. Much better and more efficient than by the 252 model, because it gets directly cool air from the outside and not via the cylinders inside the cowling on the right side in the engine compartment.

In cruise I have now much cooler cylinder head temperatures , mostly about 320 deg. Fahrenheit with 75-85 percent of power.  I was flying now for approx. 9 month with the intercooler and in every phase of flight it is a really great improvement in performance and in cylinder temperatures!!

So finally I think that is one of the best mods for a 231 model.

Regards,
Alex Haselmann
D-EMLL Mooney M20K

[Mcstealth]

Nice write up. No accent detected.

 

 

[One Whiskey Hotel]

320 degrees at 75-85% power? I’m both intrigued and skeptical...

[Jeff Shapiro]

Please visit the Mooney page on our website, www.Turboplus.com.  ALL testimonials are from the aircraft owner or pilot testing our system after the intercooler system installation. We have testimonials from around the world for many of our intercooler kit STC'd models; Piper, Cessna, Beechcraft and of course Mooney M20K 231 owners. 

[johncuyle]

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 9:40 PM, One Whiskey Hotel said:

320 degrees at 75-85% power? I’m both intrigued and skeptical...

My experience has been about 340 at 65% power on, a standard day, around 10,000 feet, with the cowl flaps closed -- but my baffling is kinda rough.  (Maybe next annual, though if I'm cruising at 340 I guess it isn't that urgent.)  Someone running with cowl flaps adjusted to be slightly more open than mine and baffling in top condition, or if he's running with the cowl flaps in trail (I sort of assume people who run 75% are used to doing that) -- it's possible.  Me, I consider maximum performance climbs without the CHTs ever exceeding 380 the absolute killer feature.  I mean, if CHTs basically never exceed 380 I should get great life out of the engine.  The intercooler only needs to save a couple jug replacements to pay for itself.

[Jeff Shapiro]

Thanks, John.  All of our Mooney customers seem to be very pleased with the intercooler system.  Maybe that's why it's our number one seller. Thank you for the response and testimonial. 

[Crawfish]

I'm thinking of adding an intercooler at my next annual. Climb CHT's aren't a huge concern for me I have no trouble keeping them down in the 350 range on climb. (Fuel flow is set up above the 24.7 GPH the book calls for.) 

In cruise with the summer temps I can't keep the CHT's below 380 with cowl flaps closed 65% power Lean of Peak. I would like to be able to cruise the majority of the time with cowl flaps closed. Would that be doable with the intercooler, I also plan on looking at baffling next oil change, but because its not an issue in climb my logic was its probably not baffling. 

[Shadrach]

28 minutes ago, Crawfish said:

I'm thinking of adding an intercooler at my next annual. Climb CHT's aren't a huge concern for me I have no trouble keeping them down in the 350 range on climb. (Fuel flow is set up above the 24.7 GPH the book calls for.) 

In cruise with the summer temps I can't keep the CHT's below 380 with cowl flaps closed 65% power Lean of Peak. I would like to be able to cruise the majority of the time with cowl flaps closed. Would that be doable with the intercooler, I also plan on looking at baffling next oil change, but because its not an issue in climb my logic was its probably not baffling. 

Are you using the richest cylinders EGT or TIT to see LOP power?

[Fly Boomer]

1 hour ago, Crawfish said:

Would that be doable with the intercooler

Not all 231s have an aftermarket intercooler, but every little bit helps.  Some people seem to do fine with them (231s) but, at least by reputation, they have heat issues.

Here is a post in a different thread:
https://mooneyspace.com/topic/48559-2024-thoughts-on-the-sweet-spot-in-the-m20-model-range/?do=findComment&comment=857150

 

[Crawfish]

30 minutes ago, Shadrach said:

Are you using the richest cylinders EGT or TIT to see LOP power?

Cylinder for temps, fuel flow for power.

[Crawfish]

38 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

Not all 231s have an aftermarket intercooler, but every little bit helps.  Some people seem to do fine with them but, at least by reputation, they have heat issues.

Here is a post in a different thread:
https://mooneyspace.com/topic/48559-2024-thoughts-on-the-sweet-spot-in-the-m20-model-range/?do=findComment&comment=857150

 

Yessir I’ve read that thread and posted in it as well! Sorry trying to make sure I understand correctly are you saying 231’s have heat issues or that the aftermarket intercoolers do? 
 

If the former I know haha I’m trying to find out how much the intercooler helps with temps. Honestly my 231 isn’t bad when it comes to temps just cruise in the summer needs a little help. If I go cowl flaps to trail 12,000’ ISA+ 19 I could run 65% LoP (10GPH) with the hottest cylinder at 370°. 
 

I’ve read some people had their mx adjust how open the closed position is in the summer time vs winter. That’s also an idea. 
 

 

[Shadrach]

16 minutes ago, Crawfish said:

Cylinder for temps, fuel flow for power.

That only works if you’ve insured that all the cylinders are lean of peak. A given fuel flow can yield different power settings, depending on RPM and manifold pressure. A given FF while LOP will yield the most power, but not necessarily the hottest CHTs. 

[Crawfish]

57 minutes ago, Shadrach said:

That only works if you’ve insured that all the cylinders are lean of peak. A given fuel flow can yield different power settings, depending on RPM and manifold pressure. A given FF while LOP will yield the most power, but not necessarily the hottest CHTs

I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to get across? I ensure I’m lean of peak a couple different ways. One of which is verifying my richest EGT is lean of peak EGT. 
FF while lean of peak is the only way to determine power from my understanding.

My question isn’t so much on Lean of peak operations, I’m plenty comfortable with that. I should have been clearer, how much of a drop to CHT’s are people seeing in cruise post intercooler install? 

Edited May 27 by Crawfish
Spelling

[Shadrach]

43 minutes ago, Crawfish said:

One of which is verifying my richest EGT is lean of peak EGT. 

The above was the answer is all I was looking for.  If you have CHT‘s topping 380° at a LOP power setting of 65%, my first question is always going to center on the mixture setting used and what is being referenced to set power. Especially in a scenario where someone is stating that the engine is cooler in full power climb then at cruise at 65% power, LOP.

 

 

 

 

[Crawfish]

1 hour ago, Shadrach said:

The above was the answer is all I was looking for.  If you have CHT‘s topping 380° at a LOP power setting of 65%, my first question is always going to center on the mixture setting used and what is being referenced to set power. Especially in a scenario where someone is stating that the engine is cooler in full power climb then at cruise at 65% power, LOP.

 

 

 

 

Okay, but take off fuel flow was set way up… about 26.5 GPH, I climb at 115IAS with cowls full open, I assumed all that fuel was why full power ran cool. 
 

GAMI spread is .3 with cylinder #5 being my richest. While my hottest cylinder is number 3 followed closely by number 4. The rest being 20-50° cooler. 

[LANCECASPER]

On 5/27/2024 at 11:02 AM, Crawfish said:

I'm thinking of adding an intercooler at my next annual. Climb CHT's aren't a huge concern for me I have no trouble keeping them down in the 350 range on climb. (Fuel flow is set up above the 24.7 GPH the book calls for.) 

In cruise with the summer temps I can't keep the CHT's below 380 with cowl flaps closed 65% power Lean of Peak. I would like to be able to cruise the majority of the time with cowl flaps closed. Would that be doable with the intercooler, I also plan on looking at baffling next oil change, but because it’s not an issue in climb my logic was its probably not baffling. 

Because of the angle of attack in the climb, the way the cylinders get a substantial amount of cooling in climb is a high fuel flow.

In cruise, cooling is because air is efficiently being forced down over the cooling fins. If there is any way the air is getting by your baffle seal at the top rear of the upper cowling it’s not being pushed down across the cooling fins. It will take the path of least resistance.  

Also the cowl flaps have to let some air out the bottom to allow cool air to come in through the front of the cowl. You can't bring more air in unless you're letting some air out. In flight testing, Mooney found that some air going out the cracked open cowl flaps actually is more efficient and led to a higher cruise number .

[Steve Dawson]

I bought my 231 last year with the Turbo Intercooler already installed and I have the Merlyn waste gate also. Even though my engine baffles aren't nearly as in as nice a shape as Jeff's I get fairly close CHT values (within 20 deg) as he does at all altitudes I've flown. The limiting factor has been ambient outside temperature although I'm running below 75% power. I normally run 65% and anything above 75% I have to keep an eye on the cylinders because they will start to rise to 380F. Then opening the cowl flaps will have to be opened.  When climbing to altitude I have the MP at 35-36 inches which shows 16-18 GPH fuel flow at 700 fpm and roughly 120-125 KIAS. I could push it raising the MP higher but I'm afraid of hurting the engine because of not knowing what then actual MP pressure is with the intercooler increasing the density of the air charge into the engine. 

Perhaps with better condition or newer baffles I could get lower EGT's. I also notice that at standard temperatures + 10 I keep my oil temperatures around 180 or lower. 

[hubcap]

I installed the Turbo Plus intercooler in Myrtle a couple of years ago. In the summertime I will occasionally still need to run with the cowl flaps in trail. I typically fly in the mid-teens or lower flight levels and rarely can I keep the cowl flaps completely closed in the summer. With the cowl flaps closed the temps will get above 380, but in trail they will typically run around 350 degrees.

[Crawfish]

Thank you @Steve Dawson & @hubcap for the breakdowns! I appreciate it! 

[jlunseth]

I bought my aircraft in 2009 with a Turboplus in it. About a year later I installed a JPI 930. Compliance with the Turboplus STC requires knowing the Differential Temperature, which is the difference between the Compressor Discharge Temperature (the air coming out of the turbo and before the intercooler) and the Inducation Air Temperature (the air going into the induction system after the intercooler). The 930 has that feature, and it allows me to see with some precision what the intercooler contributes. As those who have the factory (nonintercooled) engine know, there is a CDT redline of 280 dF. The purpose is to protect against detonation caused by overly hot induction air. On my JPI, I can see what would happen if the intercooler were not there, and what does happen with the intercooler present. I don’t see how it would have been possible to fly a factory 231 much above 17k at least in the summer because the CDT hits redline. One could make the climb more shallow which helps a little, but there are no cooling fins on the turbo, it does not help much. Meanwhile, the IAT is somewhere around 100 dF cooler. This renders CDT essentially a meaningless number and better yet, helps the engine run much cooler. At high altitude cruise the Diff Temp is usually around 100 to 125 dF. My aircraft has no problem climbing to the Critical Altitude that the Merlyn allows, which is around 22,500 depending on day temps.

I don’t doubt the OPs numbers. I have a new engine in my aircraft which is now broken it. I installed new baffling with it. In the late winter, which is chilly around here, the cruise cylinder temps were in the 320 range. Except I have one cylinder, #5, that is doggedly colder than the rest (it sits in the big hole in the cowling) and generally ran in the 285 range. 

Overall, the Turboplus is an excellent addition. It helps the engine run much cooler. I would say that the power setting charts are a little conservative, but whose counting?

A few years after I bought the aircraft I had the Turboplus sent in to be cleaned by the manufacturer. At that point it was about ten years old and the fins were pretty dirty. Really helped, and the temps went down a noticeable jump. Need to do that periodically, and carefully following their instructions so as not to damage fins.

[Phil EF]

Number five is my hottest. 
Gamis, intercooler and Merlyn and GB.