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new idea for intercooling a Z?


GrayZee

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What do you guys think of this idea?...

 

You place a intercooler in the same place the radiator goes on a early Z. However it is only 1/3rd of the width of the normal rad and flows up and down.

This way there is very little IC plumbing at all. The remaining 2/3rds of space on the right side would be filled by a custom rad with a very high quality core for the best cooling possible considering you've lost alot of cooling surface area. If the rad proves to not cool enough then you could add a auxilary rad between the bumper and rad/IC. Something perhaps shorter but as wide as possible.

This setup would be made to use the stock fan and shroud. However the fan would be benifiting the IC as well.

 

My main question is.. Do you think it is possible to cool the engine when you've lost surface area even if the core has been upgraded?

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I think this is a very good idea. Not only are you gaining shorter intercooler plumbing, but you are reducing total depth through the core by not making air travel first through the intercooler and then through the radiator. I would add a shroud to direct air into the intercooler and make sure it doesn't go through the thinner radiator.

 

Regards,

Justin

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one problem...

 

 

HEAT SOAK from the radiator.. the radiator on average is running 190-200* F ... now your trying to pass car through an intercooler right next to it?

 

 

ive seen a radiator and intercooler in ONE unit.. similar to a radiator with an transmission oil cooler mounted in one unit... with oil its a good idea..

 

with air.. bad idea

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one problem...

 

 

HEAT SOAK from the radiator.. the radiator on average is running 190-200* F ... now your trying to pass car through an intercooler right next to it?

 

 

ive seen a radiator and intercooler in ONE unit.. similar to a radiator with an transmission oil cooler mounted in one unit... with oil its a good idea..

 

with air.. bad idea

 

 

Yes, I thought of that problem as well. Perhaps it will be a problem, pehaps not. I will say that I've seen this idea used before on heavy trucks. Not sure what the application was (pehaps Volvo?) Whoever it was, their engineers must have weighed out the pros and cons. Remember the setup I'm talking about would have the benifit of a puller fan with shroud directly behind it. Typical Z IC setups do not have that as a advantage. I am more concerned about not cooling the engine rather than IC efficiency. I don't expect the best IC setup, just something better than not having one at all. I can always do some additional charged air cooling with some help from my alcky injection system. Some sort of heat isolator between the rad and IC certainly wouldn't hurt either.

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You could put a piece of stainless inbetween the RAD and IC and then some exhaust shielding. Also maybe an inch of gap would not hurt with a splitter in-between the two. Sounds like a great idea since I just have a 3 row radiator and I have only gotton over 215 once sitting in traffic with no wind and a black steel hood. Surely a more narrow, yet thicker, aluminium radiator would not be a problem with a proper fan. Plus you could vent the cooler post-IC air over your turbo to keep it cool as well.

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one problem...

 

 

HEAT SOAK from the radiator.. the radiator on average is running 190-200* F ... now your trying to pass car through an intercooler right next to it?

 

 

ive seen a radiator and intercooler in ONE unit.. similar to a radiator with an transmission oil cooler mounted in one unit... with oil its a good idea..

 

with air.. bad idea

If both are crossflow, not so sure if this is much of an issue especially if it is the inlet side of the I/C that mates to the radiator tank. Under boost, the temp in the I/C inlet tank will probably be higher than the radiator inlet unless you are running extremely low boost and very high coolant temps :D

 

With the narrow width of the Z framerail, could you have cores big enough for either of them to be effective.

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You could run a radiator big enough to supply the cooling needs and then put it as far to the passenger side as possible. Then put the IC back a few inches and have it wider than it would be when side-to-side. Run a large duct from the front and then pull more air from the brake duct (or the like) to supply enough air to be effective.

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I have an idea I am not sure if it will work because I am used to looking at a ford 302 under the Z hood, but here goes. With my engine you can move the radiator back about 4 inches or so? (just guessing) If you do this and get a nice fan then leave the IC in the same place or even move it forward and put a fan on the IC. Would that work to keep the temp. down? I know it would be a huge cluster or crap and it would add more IC piping etc. but this is just some food for thought.

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I have an idea I am not sure if it will work because I am used to looking at a ford 302 under the Z hood, but here goes. With my engine you can move the radiator back about 4 inches or so? (just guessing) If you do this and get a nice fan then leave the IC in the same place or even move it forward and put a fan on the IC. Would that work to keep the temp. down? I know it would be a huge cluster or crap and it would add more IC piping etc. but this is just some food for thought.

 

 

A L6 is longer than a V8, there isn't any room for that.

 

 

On another note, I went to a rad shop that does alot of work with intercoolers and fabrication. I know the owners so I went to visit as ask for their "professional opinion" Well they seem to figure as long as I have a good quality aluminum core it shouldn't be a problem. So I'm gonna try to find some cores to work with a maybe build up something for you guys to see next summer.

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It isn't like what you are describing, but will definatly prevent heat soak. The final assembly will have a scoop/guide like in Link, and it will have a custom air dam to help feed the intercooler/radiator. I'm thinking about placing a fan between them as well. The intercooler on my car is big enough for just about any monster application and if by chance it isn't a slightly larger version that from my calc. should fit barely!

 

 

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Oh pay no attention to the mesh on the front of the car... I was trying to find something to emulate the fairlady grill... it sucked.

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