Thread: two intercoolers

You need to have the same size radiator out front to shed the same amount of heat.
Doesn't matter if it's water or air.

Here is a copy paste for the benifit's

Is Water to Air for me?


A Water to Air Intercooler setup is similar in principle to a traditional air to air setup, except that there is water passing through the core of the intercooler instead of air which is responsible for drawing the heat out of the intake air. There are many benefits of using a water to air intercooler setup.
Water to air means incredibly low pressure drop.


Pressure drop on a standard water to air intercooler core is only .05 PSI. That's not a typo, pressure drop on a water to air intercooler setup is up to 20 times less than a comparably performing air to air setup.
Water to air means better engine cooling.


Many people who try to road race with a front mount intercooler have overheating problems because the air going to the radiator has to pass through the hot intercooler first. With a water to air setup, you have far more flexible options. The core will probably be in the engine bay, and the radiator can be mounted in the trunk, under the car, or in some applications a radiator is not even needed.
Water to air means better throttle response.


Instead of the horrible mess of pipes that is normally associated with an air to air intercooler, a water to air intercooler can be mounted in the engine bay, directly between the turbo outlet and the throttle body. A shorter intake route with fewer bends is beneficial in every way.
Water to air means no heat soak.


A water to air intercooler setup circulates water through the core even when the car is not moving. This is especially useful during drag racing, when the core temperature raises significantly during a pass, and then the car sits still for several minutes waiting for the next pass.
Water to air means extreme drag racing advantage.


You can add ice to your reservoir, if so equipped, which will drop your intake temperature BELOW ambient. Of course, the ice melts, which is why this is so good for drag racing.
Water to air means Mid Engine No Problem.


Every modified mid or rear engine turbo vehicle should have a water to air intercooler setup. It is not practical to have a front mounted air to air setup in these applications, but you can have a water to air intercooler in the back of the vehicle and the radiator in the front, providing greater cooling than an air to air setup.
Bugatti Veyron.


The Bugatti Veyron is equipped with a water to air intercooler. 1,001 horsepower, 250 MPH cars might be somewhat common at the drag strip, but that's not what the Veyron is about. The Veyron is an all-around car, not just a top-speed monster. That's the reason it is the most expensive car in the world and they still lose money on every one. Bugatti chose a water to air intercooler for this car because it is absolutely the best system available. The Ford GT and Ariel Atom also use water to air, for a more real-world example.
Why does it work?


Water does a better job of drawing the heat out of metal than air. Look at engine cooling - how many air-cooled engines are there? Not many, because water does a much more effective job at cooling. So much more, in fact, that it is impossible to engineer a solution for a modern high performance engine that is air cooled.
How does it work?


Now that you have a place to buy all of the components, water to air intercooler setups are easier to implement than air to air. The reason it is easier is because you have extreme flexibility as to where to mount all of the components. Mount the core in the engine bay. The air inlet/outlet should, of course, be piped in between your turbo and throttle body. The water inlet should come from the pump, and the outlet should lead to the radiator, then the reservoir (if equipped).
If it is so great, then why does everyone use air to air then?


The reason is simple. Custom water to air intercooler setups have always been extremely difficult to build because they require so many unique, expensive components. However, now we are offering all of the components in one place at unbeatable prices. In the late 90's, everyone started using air to air front mount intercoolers because of their many advantages and very few drawbacks. The next trend is water to air.

Options are there choice is yours

Internet faqs can be fun. But the heat transfer calcs are far more truthful. They always show the cooling advantage to air-air.

Turbo diesels need a lot more intercooling than petrols. Ever seen a factory turbo diesel with a water to air cooler? I've seen two. Both industrial low performance and not since the 80's.

There a guy ( Matt mcinnes??) that does a very nice laminova WTA IC set up for various vehicles especially patrol 4.2 td's
He gets some great results and very nice torque curves
But it is spendy, way more than a good ATA FMIC set up imho
It is a small high compression turbo diesel pushing a big vehicle
I don't really feel comfortable about an aftermarket WTA IC being shaken over 1000km of corrugations
That's a lot of water very close to the intake air under pressure
Pretty easy to FMIC with minimal plumbing most aftermarket diesels in a rover
In comparison there seems easier cheaper quicker gains with an aftermarket IC eg allard tr spares etc.....
Drop straight in everything else factory
Dc

Just to add confusion, what about increasing the efficiency of the standard IC with water or mist nozzles, there are some production cars that use this system, apart from the control and installation of this method having atomized water at the IC can reduce the ambient air temperature around the IC and it's surface, this must have a cooling benefit.

Great idea tried and tested method take an EVO Lancer it comes standard.

You can set them up on a boost activated soiliniod so the only come on in high boost situations



I made 25kw extra on my supra stock before all my mods just from spraying the cooler on the dyno with water

Washer pump and garden sprinkler head can come in handy if you choose to DIY just need a storage tank to feed from.

VM

Great for Rice racers... Not so good for offroaders.

- you need a decent qty of water
- you are in a 4wd, water+dirt/dust = mud.
- mud and fins = blocked

Even before they block the layer of dust that ends up caked in the fin area will reduce the effectiveness below that of stock.

Good points

Nailed it on the Rice Racer

Ever looked into this tech? (if your chasing better cooling)

http://www.aemelectronics.com/water-...el-engines-52/