Guest DaneL24 Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 Has anybody tried using an electric fan to improve the cooling efficiency of an intercooler, just like a radiator fan improves radiator cooling. I'm thinking of one that would turn on and off with a boost activated switch. Does anybody think this would effectively improve the cooling effect? I know that one of the main reasons radiator fans are used is to improve cooling when the car is sitting at idle, when air isn’t moving quickly through the radiator. Obviously a turbo only produces boost when the car is moving, so air naturally flows through the intercooler. With a big enough fan though, it should still improve airflow through the intercooler, especially at high boost/low vehicle speed conditions...like revving up in first gear. So does anybody think this would effectively improve the cooling effect of the intercooler? Has anybody actually tried it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 My $0.02. From what I have read, once a car gets above 35mph, there is more air being forced through the radiator/intercooler than any fan can generate. Also, if your IC is mounted in front of your radiator, then the radiator fan is pulling air through your IC below 35mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 I agree, plus a boost activated only fan seems kind of a half working solution, if a switch was added in the circuit also that would be something. What I'd look at though is something like the race teams used back when the turbo 280s were raced in SCCA, which is basically duct work to ensure forced air is going past the IC, as opposed to just random air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DaneL24 Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 Thats what I was wondering about...so I guess the normal radiator fan would do the job anyways. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted April 25, 2003 Share Posted April 25, 2003 Actually a fan on the backside of the intercooler is not a bad idea. Here's why. Only about 25 percent of the air that goes into the front of an engine compartment actually passes thru the intercooler. That is why ducting is so effective. You are not going to get the airflow thru the intercooler core with a radiator fan like you would get with a fan on the back of the intercooler, IMO. A fan will pull more air thru the core which is especially helpful around town where it is easy to heat soak an intercooler. On the interstate, it probably won't do much. But if you are sitting in the staging lane at the drag strip, I think it would be a benefit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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