Phenolic thermal spacer for PD

[Redfuzzbutt]

Car is a 2017 with a Whipple gen 4. Running pump gas and not track/strip car, still with the basic pulley on it, so around 10# of boost.

Goal: Have the car with the same pep at the end of the day as it did at the beginning by being "safe". Primary safety concern is the #8 piston, for obvious reasons with boost.

Question 1: Would a phenolic spacer, combined with a heat blanket/wrap help achieve those goals? We are assuming a lot of variables, I get it.

Question 2: Where are they available? I've only been able to track down one, maybe two suppliers online. Anyone know of significant differences between those available?

Appreciate the knowledge and opinions.

Sponsored

 

[Ruiner46]

I had a gen 2 and now have a gen 4 whipple on a 2016 with Whipple's big heat exchanger. I used to log IAT2 religiously and tried many airflow mods to try and get cooler temps. I never went to a different pump or heat exchanger, but I opened up the grill, added ducting to the airbox, experimented with removing the hood seal, opened up the hood vents, etc. I also tried running straight water with water wetter in the heat exchanger. None of those things made a fraction of the difference that the phenolic spacer made. I was amazed, the spacer works so well. I can be sitting in gridlock traffic with 150+ IATs and my IAT 2 never goes over 135. It makes the intercooler so much more efficient because it isolates the intake manifold from the engine heat and now the intercooler is just cooling the intake and not being affected by the heat from the heads and block. I personally wouldn't bother with the heat blanket, but it might add some incremental benefit.

I have the spacer from MFP in Australia. VMP used to sell it but I don't think they do anymore. I'm not sure where to get it since I bought mine years ago. One thing you will have to do is remove the bolt that ties the front of the intake manifold to the plate that holds the pulleys. Just make sure the intake is pulled forward when you bolt it back together. It can be a pain to get the spacers and gaskets all lined up before bolting down the intake. You might have to adjust the adjustable idler pulley a little to get the belt tensioner in the right place since you are basically lengthening the path the belt takes. Or buy a slightly longer belt if you are using those crazy short belts that Whipple specs these days.

 

[stang17]

Upgrading to a 170 Reische T-stat, adding MFP phenolic spacers, and making a custom supercharger blanket from spare work material netted a nearly 30 degree drop for my gen 2 stage 2 whipple with standard heat exchanger and stock fans.

I believe Paramount Speed or Juggernaut Performance may be able to get you the MFP phenolic spacers.

 

[Redfuzzbutt]

Appreciate the response so far! You always wonder how legit something is, so it's nice to hear first hand experiences.

 

[Grimreaper]

echoing what has already been said.

Roush setup on gen2. stock IC using the dinky bosch 5gpm and 3/4" thick HE. spacers and heatshield products adhesive backed intake manifold blanket like @stang17 did.

20-30* above ambient/iat. Dropped to 20* under wot or heavy throttle. Never heat soaked. Hours on the highway, hour stuck in bumper to bumper traffic in 100+ heat. Didnt matter. IIRC maybe a 5 degree increase during a 2-4th pull.
After upgrading pump and HE, all the benefits listed but a new level of stability. IAT will rise higher than IAT2 now. IAT2 sits right around 15-20 above ambient. on throttle lift after a long pull temp spikes to maybe 5 degrees vs 15+. Recovery time is maybe 10 seconds?

Paramount should stock them. I picked up local at their Mansfield location. Would never install a PD blower with out after my experience.

 

[BlownGP]

Where can you buy these Phenolic spacers?

I can't find them anywhere and is Paramount speed still in business?

Thanks

 

[stang17]

Have you tried reaching out to Matt Coates at MFP? Perhaps you would be able to buy direct from him.

 

[LethalPerformance]

Car is a 2017 with a Whipple gen 4. Running pump gas and not track/strip car, still with the basic pulley on it, so around 10# of boost.

Goal: Have the car with the same pep at the end of the day as it did at the beginning by being "safe". Primary safety concern is the #8 piston, for obvious reasons with boost.

Question 1: Would a phenolic spacer, combined with a heat blanket/wrap help achieve those goals? We are assuming a lot of variables, I get it.

Question 2: Where are they available? I've only been able to track down one, maybe two suppliers online. Anyone know of significant differences between those available?

Appreciate the knowledge and opinions.

I think a few of the biggest things of concern are tune, fuel and cooling. If you've got a tune on there from Whipple themselves or another reputable tuner that's a solid start. If you're going to be hard on the car I would definitely use some race fuel with higher octane than pump gas or an additive such as Boostane or VP Octanium. This will help prevent detonation. For the cooling side of it the Whipple oversized heat exchanger is a great upgrade over the standard one. Take it up one notch and run a trunk mount tank which has much larger capacity and toss some ice in there between runs if you ever take it to the track.

Not really sure a heat blanker or some type of wrap will make any noticeable difference or provide the safety of what you're looking for over what's mentioned above.

Let us know if there's anything we can help you with.

 

[Redfuzzbutt]

Where can you buy these Phenolic spacers?

I can't find them anywhere and is Paramount speed still in business?

Thanks

https://www.harrop-usa.com/ford-thermal-spacers/p139

This is where I got mine. I initially asked Terry @beefcake and he pointed me in Harrop's direction. I haven't installed it yet, had some other issues pop up that needed to be sorted out first.

 

[Redfuzzbutt]

I think a few of the biggest things of concern are tune, fuel and cooling. If you've got a tune on there from Whipple themselves or another reputable tuner that's a solid start. If you're going to be hard on the car I would definitely use some race fuel with higher octane than pump gas or an additive such as Boostane or VP Octanium. This will help prevent detonation. For the cooling side of it the Whipple oversized heat exchanger is a great upgrade over the standard one. Take it up one notch and run a trunk mount tank which has much larger capacity and toss some ice in there between runs if you ever take it to the track.

Not really sure a heat blanker or some type of wrap will make any noticeable difference or provide the safety of what you're looking for over what's mentioned above.

Let us know if there's anything we can help you with.

Agreed with what you said and appreciate the response. I was dealing with some false knock that obliterated my performance, which I was able to track down and eliminate.

I did end up getting some phenolic spacers (thermal gaskets, whatever you want to call them) but haven't put them on yet. Really curious to see the difference, if any, of the IAT2.

 

[beefcake]

well, we sell all the harrop stuff so you can get it directly from us

 

[Redfuzzbutt]

well, we sell all the harrop stuff so you can get it directly from us

Well nuts. Thanks for clarifying, that would've been my preference. Next time

 

[robvas]

echoing what has already been said.

Roush setup on gen2. stock IC using the dinky bosch 5gpm and 3/4" thick HE. spacers and heatshield products adhesive backed intake manifold blanket like @stang17 did.

20-30* above ambient/iat. Dropped to 20* under wot or heavy throttle. Never heat soaked.

you saw IAT 20 below ambient?

 

[BlownGP]

Have you tried reaching out to Matt Coates at MFP? Perhaps you would be able to buy direct from him.

Thank you.

I just did that he got back to me quick and said they making another batch of them soon.

https://www.harrop-usa.com/ford-thermal-spacers/p139

This is where I got mine. I initially asked Terry @beefcake and he pointed me in Harrop's direction. I haven't installed it yet, had some other issues pop up that needed to be sorted out first.

Ok. Thanks

 

[Grimreaper]

you saw IAT 20 below ambient?

No, dropped to 20 degrees above ambient/iat1 under wot or heavy throttle. Stock roush cooling.

Bigger pump and h/e helped but in different ways. Cwa100 and DOB supper single with 1inch lines now

There's old threads about this with one guy testing each change. Think he came up with the whine tubes iirc. Believe he was running a gen 4 whipple. His results showed the same. Spacers above all else, small benefits from improving other pieces etc..

Sponsored