Competition Water to air intercoolers opinions?????

[KSmid]

Who has tried them? What application? drag racing or truck pulling? What brand? What size core? What are any dyno results or air temp results at what psi? Any pictures of the set up? General info dealing with this type of set up?

 

[DMcPherson]

I have had friends use them in drag cars. usually filled with ice. they work well, very well, in a gas engine sometimws too well because the ignition has a hard time burning the cool charge. pwr, spearco, and some others make them, I beleive atp turbo also

 

[HoleshotHolset]

I don't have any diesel specific experience with these types of IC's, but I have worked on them in turbo gasser applications.



Benefits:

Less pressure drop (there's usually a smaller core that the charge air goes thru... )

Ability to have LESS THAN AMBIENT air temps at the intake - with gassers, this helps to make a boatload of power. With air/air IC's - it's kinda hard to get below ambient air temps without some form of external cooling - water spray or even carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, etc...



Drawbacks:

More plumbing - you have to run coolant through 'em AND you still have to plumb them up like a normal IC

More (moving) parts - you need a separate pump, heat exchanger, lines, etc.



There are some good buys on air/liquid IC's on eBay... look around. I'd use 'em on a drag race or sled pulling vehicle... you can ice down the coolant between runs, etc. For a daily driver, air/air works just dandy and is the least pain-in-the-neck way to cool down charge air temps.



Matt

 

[boydo]

They have excellent cooling power, A friend of mine has a 2001 gmc with a 496 cu. in. ( bored to a 515 cu. in. ) with a 3. 3L whipple charger and a GT42RS feeding it, run it at 10-15 psi the temps are controlled to no higher than 110 deg F intake air temp. His cooler was designed by whipple however I not sure if it would handle high boost conditions of a diesel. I've been looking for a new charge air cooler for my truck, but haven't found anything that would work yet.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I'll bet they would work great in a marine application. Being able to draw cold ocean water.

 

[sbentz]

We ran one in the dragster. Ice water submerged. It did OK, but in 7-8 seconds, we never saw the advantages.