A fresh new development in the Process West 4x4 Enhancement range is the TERRATUFF Front Mount Intercooler system for the Ford Ranger PX1/PX2 and all generation BT50 3.2 Mazda utes. Designed not only with market leading performance in mind, OEM level durability is also part of the TERRATUFF arsenal, offering manufacturer style design and fitment, followed through with industry leading testing and validation.

This means that when you fit a Process West TERRATUFF Intercooler system to your Ranger/BT50 you have made a choice to have not only the best charge air cooling, resulting in significant power and torque gains, but you have also chosen a product that will last the life of your vehicle no matter what you throw at it. That’s the Process West TERRATUFF way!

Ranger/BT50 TERRATUFF Design Philosphy and Parts

Heart of the Process West TERRATUFF Intercooler system is a durable front mounted Bar and Plate intercooler core. All TERRATUFF intercoolers use Bar and Plate construction due to not only its effective cooling and heat-sink capability, but also because it is the most durable and impact resistant of all intercooler types. Measuring in at 700m x 247mm x 75mm the Ranger/BT50 TERRATUFF core also offers a massive increase in cooling surface area as well as overall thickness.

The traditional bug-bear of intercooler upgrades – piping integrity – has also been addressed with the TERRATUFF system. Specifically moulded silicone hoses of four ply construction are utilised throughout, and when combined with high-durability constant tension hose-clamps, tying to the mandrel bent aluminium pipe-work, the result is of factory quality and dependability.

A final (and important) part of the TERRATUFF design is the use of isometric rubber mounts for the intercooler core. This means that in extreme conditions – such as demanding off road use – that the intercooler itself can flex its mounts with the rest of the vehicle and relieve strain on the mountings and pipe-work. The long term effect of this is no cracked mounting brackets and reduced likelihood of ever failing a hose connection.

As you can see by now the Process West TERRATUFF intercooler solution is a serious product for long-term serious application.

Ranger/BT50 TERRATUFF Testing

There is no point in putting a vehicle on the dyno to try and show the effects of intercooling on performance. While there might be a little torque or power gain, the job of the TERRATUFF intercooler upgrade is to work in real-world conditions without the assistance of a climate controlled dyno room and the cooler itself fed with artificial airflow from a fan. This might convince some to buy intercooler upgrades, but it doesn’t really tell you how, or even if, they work.

Instead the Process West engineers took a different approach to validate the TERRATUFF design. Real world simulation rather than a dyno run was decided on, and with that in mind the team put together a test rig for our development Ranger to show the precise and measured result of fitting a Process West TERRATUFF intercooler upgrade. The schedule for this testing is laid out below –

• Ford Ranger is loaded with 650kg of concrete blocks in the tray
• A standardised 4km uphill run with an elevation of 310m (nearly 8% avg grade)
• Hold 80km/h road speed using Cruise Control (with only a small traffic speed variance)
• Use our racetrack developed AIM datalogging system to measure all of the pertinent data points to ensure the data for complete cooling effectiveness is generated.

This test procedure was carried out back to back with both factory and Process West TERRATUFF intercoolers on the same day in the same ambient conditions.

Looking at the datalogging shows that the factory intercooler peaked at 49C (with a faster rise to temperature) than the Process West TERRATUFF intercooler system which peaked at just 28C. That’s a massive 43% improvement over stock cooling with Process West TERRATUFF. The gains this shows are three-fold with not only hikes in Torque and Power you can feel through the seat of the pants, but there is also the flow on effect of reduced EGT figures to help the engine live a longer and happier life.

Summary

We believe that the comprehensive design, development, and professional testing schedule of the Process West TERRATUFF Intercooler system sets it apart from other offerings on the market. Properly measured data has allowed design of the most efficient product, and real-world testing on the Process West development vehicle has also ensured a highly durable product. Whether it’s serious off-road use or towing your van around Australia, Process West TERRATUFF is the answer.