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DEFCON RACING : PHENOLIC INSULATING SPACER
For decades, individuals have strived to make the most of their automotive engines. The desire to go faster has led to countless innovations in the attempt to achieve a similar goal: cooler intake air temperature. Combustion engines need air; the colder and denser the intake charge, the more power the engine can produce.
To achieve colder air, enthusiasts have tinkered with simple bolt-ons like Cold Air Intakes and Nitrous Oxide. Both have a similar goal. One routes the intake system below the car closer to the pavement to take in colder, fresher air (as opposed to hot air from the surrounding engine bay). The latter uses a compressed liquid, which, when sprayed into the intake system, super-cools the air prior to entering the cylinder head. Both are good and effective methods.
Of course there are always those that demand more. So the R&D division at Defcon Racing began to think. How could we further reduce intake air temperatures? Then it occurred to us: What had yet to be touched? The intake manifold. It’s a little known fact that the intake manifold absorbs a great amount of heat, generally transferred from the cylinder head. This greatly raises air temperature as it enters the engine. Warm air is less dense than colder air and therefore takes up more space, reducing the amount of air ingested into the engine.
Solution: thermally separate the intake manifold from the rest of the engine.
To achieve this, we required a material with excellent thermal insulation properties, good strength-to-weight ratio, and the ability to withstand temperatures in excess of 350°F. With its excellent properties, there’s no wonder Phenolic was our first choice of material. The strong, rigid polymers within have superior resistance to a wide range of chemicals; high heat resistance; and excellent flame, smoke, and toxicity properties. They satisfy critical requirements in a cost-effective manner.
The Defcon Racing Phenolic Insulating Spacers are CNC cut to 3/8” thickness. Similar products are made to 1/4” thickness or less. Size does matter: tests have shown that insulation
does benefit with thickness. Spacers come port-matched to OEM specifications, but are so versatile that they can be ported if needed. An installation kit with longer bolts to replace the studs on the cylinder head, a set of lock washers, and high temperature gasket sealant is also included.
PHENOLIC SPACER PICTURES
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