Intake Air Temp Sensor - Best location?

Hi,

I have an Rb25det that will be receiving an Intake air temp sensor.

I have been reading conflicting ideas about the best place to install it, In the charge air pipe just before the throttle body Or in the intake manifold.

In the manifold would be my preferred location due to simplicity and packaging, but i will install it where it is most accurate.

Most people are saying just before the throttle body due to heatsoke in the manifold, but i am also installing water/methanol which will have a jet placed just after the Inter cooler, So would the relatively short distance between the 2 have any ill affect?

(running a plazmaman manifold btw)

I run mine just after the intercooler, although I'm sure just before the throttle body would be fine as well. You CAN get pretty bad heat soak if its placed in the manifold, some applications will be worse than others.

Just before the throttle body for me.

In theory just after the throttle is more accurate, but as others have said heat soak is a real problem. I go for pre-throttle due to this.

Depending on ecu you can have a coolant temp based manifold air heating compensation which gives a more accurate air model without the heat soak problems associated with mounting closer to the inlet port.

I've always found the best results with the IAT sensor fitted somewhere in the charge pipe pre-throttle as it reduces heat soak issues that can give unrealistic values. As Slides mentioned, a charge temp estimate model that accounts for ECT, IAT, and airflow helps do a better job of estimating the actual air temp entering the cylinders which is what we want to know.