PDI 200 Series Front Mount Intercooler Kit

PDI 200 SERIES FRONT MOUNT INTERCOOLER KIT

Core is 610x320x76mm located to get huge air draw through from the main engine fan.

Pipework is all stainless steel for longevity and durability.

Quality USA made Breeze clamps and silicon is thick 5ply to ensure the setup is trouble free.

The Mk2 200 series kit was released late 2019 and has a new core and end tank design. This is the next generation for even more cooling ability and with enhancements such as:

• improved drivability and performance increase across the board.

• recessed design for max draw through from main engine fan for better slow speed cooling

• transmission cooler location improved to sit directly behind the grill to prioritise cooling.

• easier fitting

NOTE: We have been informed that this kit is not compatible with the Ironman bulbar as it will interfere with the mounts. Additionally we can not provide assurance that these will fit with winches as even within a single design they have variations over the years.

To confirm the clearance for the current model PDI intercooler you will need 90mm in front of the lower radiator support. Additionally you will need 145mm (towards drivers side in RHD vehicle) from the 8mm mounting bolt to ensure clearance around the bullbar mount.  In early 2022 we will be revising the design as manufacturers keep changing the bullbar mount design and we need to make it more compatible with winch installations.

PDI have taken up the challenge to design and supply complete DIY front mount kits for the 200 series Landcruiser and the feedback has been very positive. The huge drop in intake temps has facilitated the development of aftermarket performance turbos for the twin turbo Landcruiser.

The 200 series Landcruiser is a solid vehicle with good power and torque, suitable for towing heavy loads in comfort. When considering performance upgrades, the first step in performance should be an ECU reflash, which is an effective and simple solution where boost and fuel are increased above standard – both of these will result in an increase in inlet air temperature.

If you wish to maintain the thermo fan at the front then 2 lugs are on the passenger side of the intercooler to assist in the mounting of a Spal VA10-AP10/C-61A 12V. This is on the cold side of the intercooler so will still allow cool air to reach the condenser under most driving conditions. We suggest not running any other brand of thermo fan, regardless of rating.

Why go front mounted?

Toyota placed the intercooler on the top of the engine since it met the requirements they had for the standard power ratings on these engines for most users. It also helped to keep production and assembly costs lower. It was not chosen as the most effective solution.

Where efficiency is required to achieve good results (from smaller engines) manufacturers delivered the vehicles with front mounting intercoolers such as Hilux, Prado, D-Max, Colorado, Ford Ranger and many others.

With the standard top mount intercooler, the 200 series performance suffers with increased ambient temperature and load. While towing, the constant higher boost produces more heat than can be dissipated by a top mounted intercooler. At low speed the problem is worse, as the design of the front ducting for the factory intercooler is sealed to below the top of the grill so hot air from the engine is trapped around the core until you start moving. Placing any obstruction (such as a bullbar) in front of the entry at the top of the grill additionally affects getting any cool air moving over the core.

We’ve never heard of a top mounted radiator and that’s because the cold air isn’t there. Testing, performed on a VDJ70 series, running the same engine and intercooler as the 200 series and tuned to around 150rwkw (similar to the 200 series) showed that (at full load) the factory top mount was able to cool the pressurised inlet air charge from around 180-190degC down to 88degC.

A quality aftermarket top mount further brought this temp down to 75degC – a 15% drop in maximum temperature. On the same vehicle, our PDI front mount was tested and the temperature reached a maximum of 47degC, which is a 46% drop in temperature, being over 3x more effective than a quality aftermarket upgraded top mounted intercooler. The benefit of front mounting is even greater with further power increases as the boost is higher and the heat to be removed increases.

The 76mm thick core is huge, utilising the large frontal area on a full size Landcruiser to maximise cooling, improve air fuel ratios and drop your EGT. The setup is ideal for safely optimising your performance aims or for towing applications and requires minimal modification for installation.

The kit brings the air charge from the two turbos into the drivers side and runs across through the intercooler. The outlet has a single feed back into the engine bay to go through either the OEM twin throttle bodies or our single entry design. The dual entry allows your EGR system and soft shutdown to remain in place. The single entry is a neater installation and will give better low and mid throttle response.

For chipped or re-flashed 200 series they can make over 200rwkw, but with very rich mixtures and expected high exhaust temps. Improved intercooling will bring reduce EGT by leaning out the mixtures. This is especially true for those doing any high load or low speed work with their 200 series as air flow over the top mount is reduced.

The front location is where the coolest air is, with limited heat soak from the engine. Even at low speed or when stationary, on the dyno, our PDI front mounted intercoolers can be expected to give the most consistently high power and torque results. Once on the road it only gets better.

Too many times it’s been said that top mounts work better at low speed. We have yet to see a top mounted intercooler to compete with the efficiency and found that top mounted intercoolers efficiency deteriorates rapidly at high load typically seen when trying to go faster.

We have kits available to send out.

SINGLE ENTRY OR DUAL ENTRY

The single and dual entry kits use the same intercooler and same hot side piping to the turbo – only the cold side piping is different.  The factory setup has two throttle bodies facing left and right which go into the factory top mounted intercooler. The dual entry option connect into both of these, but splits the outlet from the intercooler.

The single entry removes the butterflies and the section they bolt to, which also has the feed from the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation emissions system) so the EGR input becomes blocked off with a plate and will not flow any exhaust gases into the intake.  For all 200 series and post 2013 VDJ79/76/78 the two throttle bodies must be plugged back in to prevent the engine throwing codes and de-rating the power.  For early 70 series they can be left off the engine with an ECU reflash to clear the fault from them not being connected. We supply a bracket to mount the throttle bodies and hang either side of the single entry intake adapter.

Reason to go with the single entry kit

1. Chasing max responsiveness and have high flow turbos. The factory throttles are only fully open when your foot is flat to the floor. The rest of the time they are moving to assist with EGR flow.

2. Looking to have the neatest intercooler piping, with less connections.

Reason to go dual entry (or why not to go single entry):

1. Want to keep the EGR system connected to intake to meet emissions requirements.

2. Want to keep the butterflies (throttle valves) in the system to give smooth shut down, maintain factory setup and for those with auto transmission, maintain the ability to shut down the engine in case it ever starts to run on its own fumes (this is a low probability, but high risk outcome).