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940 KL Racing intercooler

Fa182

Fa182

Stage 1
Joined
Apr 4, 2016
Location
Austria
I just wanted to make some comments on the KL Racing intercooler for 940 for future searches. Never actually came across a proper field report, so I thought it wouldn't hurt. Installed on the car today in less than 30 minutes.

Upon inspecting, the welds are very well done, very shiny thing. Just because I read some comments that it might be the same unit as the do88 just without the embossed logos, it's definitely different. The middle section with the fins does look very similar though, or at least similar design.
Weighs around 10kg, much more than the stock IC. The fit was perfect, just had to shave a bit off of the rubber inserts on the brackets because of the increased thickness (60mm) and drill some new holes in the brackets.

The first test drive was amazing, I couldn't believe what huge change it made. Throttle response is much faster, boost increased by around 0,15bar (or roughly 2 psi) without touching the MBC and I have a loooot less turbo lag from 2k-3k rpm. I feel a huge improvement in torque, especially in 3rd gear from 80-120kmh (50-75mph).
Temperature on the intake side is much lower now. After driving with lots of boost, I almost couldn't touch the stock IC on the intake side because it was so hot, the KL unit is just lukewarm.
Don't have any experience with the do88 unit, but I can't imagine it will be much more improvement over the KL and for half the price (254€ KL vs. 490€ do88), you can't really go wrong.
NPR IC is obviously another choice but those are like unicorns to come across around here in Austria, so I just ordered from KL. Ordered in Sweden on Tuesday, arrived today on Friday. KL is awesome.

When I upgraded the turbo from 13C to 16T, the result or increase in power / torque was quite disappointing and I think the IC was the culprit.

1997 945 Turbo, 16T, TLAO chips, 12psi boost. No AC, so top mount IC.
https://shop.klracing.se/sv/artiklar/volvo-940-utan-ac-60mm.html
 
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Great review. I had about the same experience when I installed my do88. I would tend to agree with you though. Had I known about the kl racing unit, they'd have gotten (half) my money. It seems to be the much better deal.
 
So the inlet/outlet is on very top (that's how the picture shows it) instead of the center? Did you change the IC piping too?
 
PCH said:
So the inlet/outlet is on very top (that's how the picture shows it) instead of the center? Did you change the IC piping too?
Click to expand...

My stock intercooler is like that because I have no AC. It uses different piping, the non-AC IC has the outlets on top. They have both versions, just like do88.

AC https://shop.klracing.se/sv/artiklar/volvo-940-med-ac-60mm-.html
03553_1.jpg


Non-AC https://shop.klracing.se/sv/artiklar/volvo-940-utan-ac-60mm.html
03561_1.jpg
 
Yeah I think there were more non-AC 940's around here than in the US. AC was usually not equipped as stock on most cars here back then.
 
I have the same one in my 240, great improvement. Almost a drop in replacement. Plus it's shiny. My butt dyno isn't very well calibrated, but I felt a definite improvement throughout the revs. Boost jumped 1psi after installing.
 
Swapped in 24x12x3" chinese/"ebay" intercooler today. Also 0.2 bar more boost than stock 940 IC.

Had to cut some metal from the car to fit the elbows and had to fab up new piping.
Still running AC condenser and everything.
 
SquareD said:
Maybe you took the inlet/outlet caps off too early and let all the extra boosts out?
Click to expand...

Most of us measure the pressure at the intake manifold.

If there is less pressure drop over the new intercooler (less restriction) you will measure higher manifold pressure, while the pressure post compressor is unchanged.
 
I saw a similar pressure increase at the manifold when I swapped from the stock to the NPR. Didn't see a drop when I swapped the NPR for the do88 though.

Thanks for the review on the KL, good to hear from someone that has one.
 
The one thing that I do personally like better about the more expensive do88 is the cast end tanks. I have no experience with either of these as far as a redblock goes but I did recently change to a cast tanked intercooler in my car and felt the smallest difference but a difference none the less when I switched from a sheet metal eBay ic to a treadstone
 
The end tanks are cast in the KL cooler as well. And I agree with Fa182:s comments on the cooler, fits and works nicely. I didn't have to drill any new holes in the brackets, just extend the old ones 2-3mm. The rubber has to bee trimmed on both upper and lower brackets.

One negative aspect is that you have to slightly move or pull out the cooler when changing the air filter.
 
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