Thread: Air-to-water intercooling

When I turbo my car again, I'm thinking of relocating the battery and in its place some type of air-to-water intercooler. This would shorten the piping and allow for use of a proper tubular t3 manifold (ditching the log manifold I had) for example the new TrackForged unit. Since I'm still in the planning stage, I'd like to do things right this time. For those who have used an air-to-water intercooler setup, my questions would be:

• Is there a particular brand, style to gravitate towards (or stay away from)?
• What issues have you encountered and overcome?
• Is use of an icebox necessary to achieve proper cooling? or will a recirculating unit with proper size of radiator be sufficient to reduce temperatures near ambient air?
• What size radiator did you use for your setup?
• What brand of pump did you use/recommend?
  

Any input is appreciated!

For a daily set up, I would run a reservoir and a heat exchanger with antifreeze in it. I run mine with an icebox but it's strictly track duty. Get the pump off of the Cobalt ss or a GMC Typhoon. CX racing on eBay has decent intercoolers for cheap, or I'm sure one of the fabrication guys could make you something.

Air to water is nice but for daily driving you may find your reservoir will heat soak. You should be able to achieve iat's lower than the ambient air temperature. Coheed had it on his car and I believe jody still has it on the super sentra. Another thing to keep in mind with air to water is you have more things to fail. My ic piping got shorter with the track forged manifold due to running a same side intercooler.

Thanks, looks like the pump is a bosch unit. Would there be a benefit to running antifreeze vs just distilled water + wetter additive link Red Line's Water Wetter?




That's a good consideration, if the pump fails for whatever reason that would be bad news. Did you have your same-side intercooler custom fabricated?

nope its a crx intercooler off the self unit. You can get one for less than $150 shipped.

Ok that's good, another option. Living in Phoenix, heat-soak is definitely a concern

Heat soak really isn't that bad. I'd take a2w over a2a any day having run both. Your IAT's are a whole lot lower with a2w.

how do you get water below ambient temperature without evaporation?

Ice water or methanol can be used. They're more efficient, it doesn't have to do with ambient temps so much as efficiency.

My IAT's were 90 degrees at convention last year and it was super hot that day...

The water doesn't heat soak like they are suggesting. It isn't like the water gets super hot super fast and then doesn't do anything. Water still absorbs more heat (4x) than air, even when it is already hot. The trick is to just have a system that holds 3 gallons or so and run water wetter. I don't run antifreeze on any of my systems as it isn't effective.

I have run A2W as a daily driver, and no issues. If the pump dies, just don't boost the car until you replace the pump. I run Jabsco pumps as they are high flow, rebuildable and hold up to large temperature ranges.

Brent