Levels Performance Intercooler Data

[TheLion]

You should be able to log both Inlet Air Temp (IAT1) at the filter and Charge Air Temps (IAT2) going into the throttle body with your Actron. In most cases, if you can monitor IAT1, then you can also monitor IAT2.

There's also the Bluetooth ELM327 modules with which you can monitor loads of PIDs with apps like Torque from the Google Play Store. I had an ELM module and it worked pretty well. You could definitely monitor IAT/CAT with it.

I'll give it a try this weekend and see what I can come up with and post back what I find.

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[gbartolini]

looking forward to my levels IC, but has anyone else experienced delays in the shipment?? I'm over a month now waiting for it to ship...

 

[TheLion]

looking forward to my levels IC, but has anyone else experienced delays in the shipment?? I'm over a month now waiting for it to ship...

I ordered mine at the end of June. Still waiting. I spoke with Nick on the phone about a week ago and he said demand is extremely high for his mustang inter cooler's right now, also for the Focus as well.

He also has the new cast end tanks going on to any IC orders that are pending, which was primarily a result of demand. It was too time consuming and costly to weld the in-house sheet metal end tanks with the higher volumes, but before volumes picked up consistently it wasn't cost effective to have a casting made for cast end tanks. Just the limits of a small business.

When I spoke to him he had estimated 2-3 weeks from the time I spoke to him (July 13th) before he could ship my particular order, which was placed at the very beginning of July if memory serves correctly. Sounds like your before me in line so I would expect it soon.

Sent him a message through his site and I'm sure he will get back to you. He actually took the time to call me in person which I thought was great for a one man operation. Yah, it's slow, not like Full Race, Mishimoto or other larger manufacturers, but that's the exact reason why he can provide you with a Full Race sized and quality inter cooler at the Mishimoto Stage 1 price point.

 

[Blay]

looking forward to my levels IC, but has anyone else experienced delays in the shipment?? I'm over a month now waiting for it to ship...

it will eventually get to you my came in yesterday and I made my order on MAY 19

 

[shelbywannabe]

I have had one under my bed for over a month now. Its too damn hot to tackle it out in my driveway and I dont have access to a shop so I am bummed as I want to get this beast of an intercooler put on !

 

[opensesame]

One of my friends ordered the LEVELS Race Intercooler like 4 months ago. Because they are hand built they are taking forever. Now they are ignoring his email for ETA. :(

 

[Jasber]

I have had one under my bed for over a month now. Its too damn hot to tackle it out in my driveway and I dont have access to a shop so I am bummed as I want to get this beast of an intercooler put on !

I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands. Texas heat hasn't stopped the wifey and I from doing mods on her '06 GT!

 

[Juben]

His number is listed on the website. If you have questions, don't email. Call him. It's the best way to get your answers. Trust me. Nik doesn't ignore anyone. He's a one man show that's doing everything in the business by himself.

 

[shelbywannabe]

I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands. Texas heat hasn't stopped the wifey and I from doing mods on her '06 GT!

I will hold on to it, I plan on trying to do it this weekend hopefully

 

[shelbywannabe]

His number is listed on the website. If you have questions, don't email. Call him. It's the best way to get your answers. Trust me. Nik doesn't ignore anyone. He's a one man show that's doing everything in the business by himself.

I agree totally. Thats how I contacted him and he always got back with me

 

[Glenn G]

I'll try to get a log with my MAP IC for comparison this weekend, I wonder how much more efficient the levels is.

 

[PRG3k]

I'm bumping this in hopes than someone with this Levels IC can answer my questions. I had a MAP street IC all the way up until a few days ago. I bought the Levels thinking it would be a serious upgrade. Now I'm not so sure.

I am regularly seeing heat soak temperatures of 130 degrees at almost every red light. My tiny little MAP unit would see 120 every so often in serious stop and go traffic and I can't recall the amount of times I've seen it higher than 130 being any more than 10 or so. No exaggeration, the Levels is hitting 130 at every stoplight. On the plus side, the recovery is very good when the car starts moving and is better than the MAP unit but when its starting at a higher temperature, whats the point? My grille shutters and lower grille are deleted to airflow isn't a problem.

I know some will say this is normal but I am comparing it to a smaller unit I just had with ambient temps remaining the same here for the past couple of months. I'm on a flush tank of 93 at the moment so I have not data logged any differences on my E30 tune yet.

I love the design of the Levels and the way it looks peeking out from under the bumper, and the fact that Nik Doll is a local guy here in Orlando. But I am thinking about putting the smaller unit back in. Can anyone assuage my disappointment with this thing? Were my expectations too high? Why does the smaller unit seem more resistant to heat soak, does it have to do with the crash bar blocking half the core on the Levels and not getting any air and the MAP unit being 100% exposed?

 

[shelbywannabe]

I'm bumping this in hopes than someone with this Levels IC can answer my questions. I had a MAP street IC all the way up until a few days ago. I bought the Levels thinking it would be a serious upgrade. Now I'm not so sure.

I am regularly seeing heat soak temperatures of 130 degrees at almost every red light. My tiny little MAP unit would see 120 every so often in serious stop and go traffic and I can't recall the amount of times I've seen it higher than 130 being any more than 10 or so. No exaggeration, the Levels is hitting 130 at every stoplight. On the plus side, the recovery is very good when the car starts moving and is better than the MAP unit but when its starting at a higher temperature, whats the point? My grille shutters and lower grille are deleted to airflow isn't a problem.

I know some will say this is normal but I am comparing it to a smaller unit I just had with ambient temps remaining the same here for the past couple of months. I'm on a flush tank of 93 at the moment so I have not data logged any differences on my E30 tune yet.

I love the design of the Levels and the way it looks peeking out from under the bumper, and the fact that Nik Doll is a local guy here in Orlando. But I am thinking about putting the smaller unit back in. Can anyone assuage my disappointment with this thing? Were my expectations too high? Why does the smaller unit seem more resistant to heat soak, does it have to do with the crash bar blocking half the core on the Levels and not getting any air and the MAP unit being 100% exposed?

I have the same IC at the house, could the extreme temperatures we are having right now be the issue ?

 

[ypena02]

I have the same IC at the house, could the extreme temperatures we are having right now be the issue ?

I know some will say this is normal but I am comparing it to a smaller unit I just had with ambient temps remaining the same here for the past couple of months.

 

[Glenn G]

I'm bumping this in hopes than someone with this Levels IC can answer my questions. I had a MAP street IC all the way up until a few days ago. I bought the Levels thinking it would be a serious upgrade. Now I'm not so sure.

I am regularly seeing heat soak temperatures of 130 degrees at almost every red light. My tiny little MAP unit would see 120 every so often in serious stop and go traffic and I can't recall the amount of times I've seen it higher than 130 being any more than 10 or so. No exaggeration, the Levels is hitting 130 at every stoplight. On the plus side, the recovery is very good when the car starts moving and is better than the MAP unit but when its starting at a higher temperature, whats the point? My grille shutters and lower grille are deleted to airflow isn't a problem.

I know some will say this is normal but I am comparing it to a smaller unit I just had with ambient temps remaining the same here for the past couple of months. I'm on a flush tank of 93 at the moment so I have not data logged any differences on my E30 tune yet.

I love the design of the Levels and the way it looks peeking out from under the bumper, and the fact that Nik Doll is a local guy here in Orlando. But I am thinking about putting the smaller unit back in. Can anyone assuage my disappointment with this thing? Were my expectations too high? Why does the smaller unit seem more resistant to heat soak, does it have to do with the crash bar blocking half the core on the Levels and not getting any air and the MAP unit being 100% exposed?

All concerns I had about upgrading. I'll be testing the MAP race as soon as I get it which is similar to the Levels unit with half of it sitting behind the crash bar. My theory about why it heats up faster than a stock location are

1) more surface area, which is a benefit for dissipating heat but also allows more heat to be absorbed faster.
2) Heat rises. A stock mount intercooler is 100% under the radiator, heat can and does radiate in all directions but when it hits air, the air becomes less dense and rises. If you ever had one of those small BBQ grills you can put the cover on it and in a few minutes feel the heat rising off of it to where you can hardly get close, Move your hand to the bottom and you almost have to be touching it to feel the heat.
The levels (and the MAP Race etc.) all cover part of the radiator, heat has a much easier time reaching adjacent rather than lower areas and the top half of the IC is higher than the bottom half of the RAD.

When you are moving all these problems go away, but they are liabilities in traffic.

I'm also concerned that half the core is blocked, Id rather have 50% of the core doing 20% than 40% of the core doing 10% or less.

My torture testing will tell all and I am prepared to hand the win to the street core if the Data leads me there.

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