[n8dgr84]

As part of preventive maintenance for track season coming up, I've decided to swap out the stock intercooler (which is prone to cracking and leaking) for a more robust (and possibly more efficient) charge cooler.

The Do88 cooler piqued my interest after reading the marketing blurb, testing and engineering data on their site. They use Garrett cores, which I think is a great idea and it seems like very few have experience with it in North America, so I thought I'd shed some light on it, especially since the most common coolers don't provide any measurable (or published) efficiency gains compared to stock.

The instructions were clear and the cooler install was easy. There is slight (1/2") bending of a small part of the hood support structure required for the overflow tank to clear the hood. I just bent this by hand as it is very thin sheet metal. Look at your stock hood and you'll see what I mean. This is a small price to pay to accommodate such a beastly unit, in my opinion. However, if you are very concerned about weight, you may be shocked by how dense this thing is compared to stock. I guess it weighs about 10 lbs. more than stock unit. Not sure how this compares to other aftermarket options, but it provides some performance benefits (and reliability and detonation resistance) for the weight penalty.

Testing Notes: Ambient conditions were close for both tests and parts were identical. I filled up the intercooler circuit with 30% BMW coolant to 70% distilled water with 4 oz. Redline Water Wetter, as with the stock cooler. My tune is a conservative "Stage 1 93 octane" custom tune with a 19psi boost target. I also have the F80 "inlet ducts" installed to provide cold air to the factory intake for both turbos. I have CTS aluminum charge pipes.

The method is to drive the car straight to a flat piece of road from "cold" (to eliminate heat soak variable) and perform a 3rd to 4th gear pull from 3500-6500rpm on the same flat piece of road.

Testing Data:

Stock Cooler Testing October 25 2023 Datalog:
Ambient: 46f
IAT Start: 61f
IAT End: 72f
Delta: Start 15f, End 26f

Do88 Cooler Testing February 5 2024 Datalog:
Ambient: 50f
IAT Start: 55f
IAT End: 62f
Delta: Start 5f, End 12f

Conclusion: I am happy with this investment and trade-off with weight penalty for the performance and reliability gains. I was able to more or less replicate the results that Do88 claims on their site. If you're looking for another cooler option, check this one out!

[Track/S]

Thanks for sharing, I always liked the products that do88 offers, and this watercooler becomes the cheapest and best option in the aftermarket, when my OEM dies I will mount this.

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by Track/S

Thanks for sharing, I always liked the products that do88 offers, and this watercooler becomes the cheapest and best option in the aftermarket, when my OEM dies I will mount this.

Agree about do88 products - they are generally awesome. Price though Wagner should be right there with it now (at least in the US).

[3t3p]

I bought their FMIC for N55 as they had good data on their site.

[Track/S]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

Agree about do88 products - they are generally awesome. Price though Wagner should be right there with it now (at least in the US).

Yes, I have seen that the Wagner is slightly more expensive in the US, but in Europe it is much more expensive.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by Track/S

Yes, I have seen that the Wagner is slightly more expensive in the US, but in Europe it is much more expensive.

What about this vs the Garrett?

[n8dgr84]

Originally Posted by chris719

What about this vs the Garrett?

This has +85% larger core vs Garrett is +47%

[Track/S]

Originally Posted by chris719

What about this vs the Garrett?

Originally Posted by n8dgr84

This has +85% larger core vs Garrett is +47%

That statement of +85% is strange, if Garrett made his +47% watercooler, who sold the +85% core to do88? I don't think Garrett sells different cores to other brands, plus the profits between Garrett and do88 are the same...

[n8dgr84]

Based on the pics, I think the Do88 is in fact bigger.
The Garrett looks like it has some room between the coolant pipes and the oil filter cap, whereas my Do88 is basically on the limit of obstructing the removal of the cap.
I don't think they have a reason to be disingenuous, but, regardless, the Do88 is cheaper and seems to function well.