[baro]

Would it be effective move if I mount the original 900 T8 intercooler right behind the radiator (I have no Air Conditioner) ,near the cooling fan?
That way is possible to get more airflow to the intercooler.
Anyone having experience with this?

 

[Tomarse]

Would that really give you more airflow?

I'd have thought that any air flowing there would already most likely be warmed by passing through the radiator!

 

[saabchilten]

heat

i thought the same thing. theres no point of moving the intercooler to a place where it will be exposed to warn air, even if it is exposed to more air. putting it behind the radiator would kinda destroy the purpose of it being in the car.

 

[Si]

Moving intercooler

I was thinking about it before i went for a FMIC, you'd be better off feeding some cool air in, i was thinking of running some ducting up from the vent on the opposite side of the oil cooler.

There was an intercooler upgrade that used a fan to suck extra air through it at anything above 1000 or 1500 rpm, don't know much about it or how effective it was, i guess a diy version would be to use a radiator fan off a small car.

 

[saabchilten]

fan

the thought of a fan makes total sense to me. if you cant get the intercooler where air will be foreced over it, use a fan to cool it!

 

[Tomarse]

I think Nutcase has managed to find an intercooler with an electric fan. I can't recall what car it was off though.

 

[s900snt]

I don't like the idea of having a fan running all the time...or even a manual switch. BUT I think if you could have a fan and then have it on a thermostat like system, it would be awsome. When the intake air got above a predefined temprature, the fan would power up until the air was below the temprature threshold. This would be awsome!


I'd also have an indicator light in the cabin, to subtly indicate when the charge-air cooling fan was in operation.


What do you think?

 

[ShadowWorks]

Guy you dont have to have a massive current sapping fan on the intercooler, you can use the ones that you find on super bikes like the Hondas and Yamahas, there perfect to reduce the intercoolers temperature and wont create to much current draw,

I had this system before on a manuel switch and in the end for my insurance i had to remove it and put the fan on my rad for extra cooling power.

High engine temperatures IMHO are linked to premature head gasket failures, the cooling power of a fan on the intercooler is not like a C02 system, but it does help lower temperature if your using boost for long spells of time like in inclines.

The fan on the IC wont give chilling performance like a mist system, but still it works.

I dont know but the front mounted intercooler looks very impressive , i will mount one there when i get the money and confidence to do it, i will hang it right out the front:evil: and wont need cooling fans, maybe a mess.

 

[Swedey]

Ditch the standard intercooler for at least a front mounted volvo unit at the first opportunity!! With a slightly modded car the standard placed IC heat soaks within seconds at WOT, and can barely flow even stock power levels with efficiency.

FWIW, I tested this with a "G-tech meter" on my car. On all the HP runs I did up and down a length of road, with cool down drives in between, the average was 235whp. I did 3 'no cool down' runs each ~40 seconds straight after a run, and measured between 195-205whp. Again, FWIW on a G-tech, but its still picking up a large difference.
For a run I drove 1/2 throttle in 1st to ~28mph, WOT in 2nd and 3rd to 6,000rpm. In 2nd it really moves without much problem as it doesn't take long to go through the gear, but mid-way through 3rd I can feel it suffering, even though it holds max boost to redline. This is running 18psi with a much more efficient GT2871R turbo.

Moral of the rant is the SMIC sucks. Big or small power levels - get rid of it.

 

[Matthew]

The core of the stock IC flows waaaaay better than the Volvo unit, but it's strangled by poor end-tank design and flow path. Because the stock intercooler's core is small and in a poor area for ambient airflow, it saturates quickly and then takes ages too cool down.

The Volvo unit suffers from a high pressure drop across the core, due to its long and thin air channels. It wins because folk place it in a location with excellent airflow, and its sheer mass means that it's unlikely to saturate.

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[GearHead]

what about a 9k intercooler?sure it wont do me any good,but it would be nice to know when I find a good T16...

 

[quick4door]

When I used to have my stock side mount IC, I would remove the headlight, it helped alot. I even started work on a dummy headlight scoop, so the cops would not hassel me.

 

[Matthew]

what about a 9k intercooler

Same as the Volvo unit. Look at the cross-sectional area of the air tubes, and their length and draw your own conclusions.

A lot of OE-fit intercoolers are actually quite poor.

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[ShadowWorks]

When I used to have my stock side mount IC, I would remove the headlight, it helped alot. I even started work on a dummy headlight scoop, so the cops would not hassel me.

Clever but i would rather have a head light than a scoop, but it gets dark in Scotland and stays that way for 6 months of the year.

A small lip scoop in the hood above the IC would be a great idea and thats what i would like to have to be honest.

Just a slot, no wider then the IC and maybe only an inch in height that would be a nice way to get alot of cool air passing through the IC.

The only problem i can think of is the aero dynamics? it could whistle for all i know, but fact is it would work very well.

 

[quick4door]

Clever but i would rather have a head light than a scoop, but it gets dark in Scotland and stays that way for 6 months of the year.

A small lip scoop in the hood above the IC would be a great idea and thats what i would like to have to be honest.

Just a slot, no wider then the IC and maybe only an inch in height that would be a nice way to get alot of cool air passing through the IC.

The only problem i can think of is the aero dynamics? it could whistle for all i know, but fact is it would work very well.

I did that too, because it was a pain in the butt to put the light in at night. My dad was building an airplane at the time, (RV-6) and he got me a scoop, like this

I cut it into the hood infront and inline with the IC. You can hook a small tube on the end of the scoop to direct the air. Worked very well.

 

[ShadowWorks]

I know there is good benefit of cold air passing through an IC or even into the intake but what about the drag created by the scoop?

Would this cancel the performace gain and give a net total gain of zero?

more power more drag?

This is why i wanted a scoop from a aircraft, they have the aero flow all sorted.

 

[Jon1]

Getting cool air to the stock intercooler

Pay no attention to the slight dent in the hood....but check out the bumper opening in front of the intercooler. A little drastic, but effective.

Jon
jon1..

 

[baro]

Than how about two of the original 900 IC's mounted in front of the radiator?

 

[Si]

moving intercooler

Than how about two of the original 900 IC's mounted in front of the radiator?

Working on that at the moment! The problem with the standard intercooler is mainly the route the air takes through it, the end caps restirict the flow so if your going to mount 2 in front of the rad you've got to sort out the caps.

I just had a thought though, maybe you could move the intercooler slightly towards the rad but turn it on it's side and remould the caps so the air flows straight through, you'd get loads better flow then.

 

[ShadowWorks]

Wow Si!

Thats very strange and very cool? what is the beef with the standard IC? ist small or the elbow suck?

How did you get them joined? welded i assum? i need to pressure test my IC as i have a small pin hole leak in mines that i filled in with solder, seems ok.

Why didnt you just get a IC from a 9000, there huge! and fit infront of the normal RAD in the 900 so am told,

I was told the piping had to be where the tow hooks are, you have them much higher up, how did you manage that?

I cut my tow hooks off and am in need of a IC from the 9000 and lots of DIY pipes.

please tell is how it works for you Si, it looks great:cheesy: