I've been privy to some intercooler testing. We measured pressure at the compressor and then pressure at the manifold. We also measured temperature rise during the run as well as exhaust pressure but that didn't really seem to change any. All testing was on the same car. Stock long block, valve springs had been changed, 6262, E85, 120lb injectors, IAT in the up pipe
Stock intercooler 28 psi at manifold = 36 psi at compressor, almost 200 degrees on that pass from starting at ambient
GN1 SLIC 28 psi at manifold = 34-35 at compressor, up in the 170's on temp
Precision SLIC 28 psi at manifold = 34-35 at compressor, up in the 170's on temp
No real advantage to either of the two major aftermarket intercoolers once the boost was over the 25 psi mark.
I did a pass on my precision FMIC on my limited. Completely different combo but still a 6262. .4 psi drop at 21 psi at the compressor and only a 30.8 degree rise from ambient. More testing to come with this setup with a few tweaks to come...
My belief is that the airflow across the air to air intercooler is irrelevant when only making passes at the drag strip. I feel that the intercooler acts as a heat sink during the pass, therefore the size of the intercooler and the degree of the turns that the air has to make plays a key role in the magic of the intercooler.
my two cents...