Mikey3000

1. Is an air-to-water intercooler cheaper than an air-to-air intercooler?
2. Is an air-to-water ic streetable at all? by this i mean, can you drive around the block a couple of times with one?
3. Is installation of an air-to-water ic easier, harder, or the same as the installation of an air-to-air ic?

btw: this is not for a daily driven car. it's a race car.


[Modified by Boss Hogg, 10:42 AM 3/15/2002]

brcivic411

i'm no expert, but seeing that nobody has replied i'll give a shot (and before i say do a search cause there have been several posts about this)

air water ICs are probably more efficient and definitely more compact, but i don't know how practical for every day daily driving.

if i remember correctly, water can absorb a lot of heat before it's temperature rises.. and you can also increase cooling by having a large water tank somewhere that you can fill with ice. the only problem is that you have to maintain the water.

i think for just street driven cars, air to air is most practical...

just my opinion

kidkutz

setup depends on whether or not you are a street car or all out drag car. Generally the setup consists of the Air/Liquid Intercooler, a water pump, a reservoir, and water lines. For a street setup you would want a radiator thrown into the cycle as to cool the water while you drive. I would say that the setup is a bit more difficult than the standard front mount intercooler. you may save money on piping...but all the extra hardware is $$$!

Lsos

My roomate is building an air/water intercooler setup. It seems pretty clear that it will cost him much more than and be much harder than an air/air setup.

It requires a water reservoir, piping to a radiator, a pump, and all this has to be custom installed.

He does intend to keep it streetable. He even intends to race it (road racing). I imagine if you use a big enough radiator and enough water, it shouldn't be a problem keeping it streetable.

By the way, he's doing it because he's got an MR2 and there's no good place to put an air/air intercooler back there near the engine. If he had a FWD car, he would definately go with air/air.


[Modified by Lsos, 6:01 PM 3/15/2002]

Mikey3000

Mikey3000

TTT

SiR Kid

I drive mine daily when it's running and never had a problem with cooling... I keep the pump turned off cor cruising to "save" the cooling effect, and when I plan on ******* it, I turn it on... usually it only takes aobut 5 seconds at a light to cool down the aluminum to maximize the intercooling effect. So drive around without an intercooler... someone revs? Flip a switch, and it's intercooled, ready for 15+ PSI

Never had a leak yet from my intercooler setup, and I think it's really intimidating at a ligth to turn on the pump and look over at a Camaro

Mikey3000

nobody has answered my questions.

can someone do this:

1. answer
2. answer
3. answer

i dunno why people keep replying and saying something about being a daily driver. does anyone read the post in full?


[Modified by Boss Hogg, 4:26 PM 3/15/2002]

Arturbo

1. Yes the core is cheaper, but by the time you buy the pump, lines, tank it will cost about the same.

2. Yes, its streetable but since its a drag car I dont see why you are driving it around the block. If you do drive it on the street you need a head exchanger like a radiator but not on a full race car.

3. Its the same...

art

Mikey3000

Thank You

Lsos

I doubt the ease of installation would be the same. If you put in just the intercooler then perhaps yes, but there's got to be the extra water piping, extra pump, extra reservoir, extra brackets for everything....an air/air doesn't need any of this.