Jump to content
HybridZ

Intercooler alternatives


Recommended Posts

I wanna run a turbo 4-cylinder in my Z but the only part I don't like about that is the long intercooler piping unless you do a V-mount. I was wondering if there's any other options for cooling the air flow? I thought there may be something new out there or maybe someone has an idea that they think may work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well this is a street vehicle so I dont want to have to have something that would have to be drained and refilled all the time with ice water (air to water). That may eliminate the water/meth injection too, I haven't heard anything about how long the reservoir stays filled or anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know what boost you're planning on running, but that aside consider the following. I've run an air to water on my car for 9 years (Supra 7M-GTE engine in my 510) including multiple track days at Thunderhill in temps over 100 with no detonation at 16-17 psi. I do have water injection, however I've run those boost pressures without it with no issues.

 

Get a good heat exchanger up front and a good pump and you should be fine. Again, not saying it's perfect or better than an air to air, but it worked for me in about as demanding conditions as you can expect any street car to live with.

 

However it does bring a new level of complexity. Many feet of hoses, a pump to buy and wire, a tank to hold the water, a heat exchanger to plumb (mine had a fan also, so wire that too).

 

But in IMO if you're just worried about whether it can do the job, you shouldn't, just make sure you have good supporting items (pump, heat exchanger, preferable ducted properly).

 

All that said I'm just switch to air to air but for weight complexity issues, not because it didn't intercool effectively.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be a more complex alternative to mounting an air/air IC . Providing your ECU has a secondary injector control , methanol or E98 could be injected into the intake runner which both adds octain and cools the intake mixture. It would require an completely seperate fuel system tank, lines, injectors, regulator, but it worked like a charm in my 510.

 

fuelregulator.jpg

 

The datalogg shows an 90* temp drop with 35% methanol as total fuel.

aemalkyrun.jpg

 

044pump.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What if you leave the radiator where it is but mount the intercooler behind it, closer to the engine and put an electric fan on the intercooler? Would this cool the air as much as if it were mounted right out front? This wouldn't have the intercooler in sight when looking at the front of the vehicle so it wouldn't be a dead give away that its modded, and would be less piping for better throttle response

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm confused here... what is your goal? A good running car or a sleeper?

 

If you put the intercooler behind the radiator you are effectively feeding HOT air through the intercooler pretty much making it pointless to even have one IMO.

 

If your worried about people seeing it... angle the rad and put the IC on the bottom and duct it. Or... paint it like others do.

 

-confused-

-Ed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...