Cooler intercooler

[BOOSTD]

Hey all, the other day I was reading about the CO2 coolers that cool down the intercooler. Looking into my wallet I noticed that I didn't have the money to buy such a "high tech" system. Thats when the light bulb went off. I went and bought a washer fluid pump and a set of windshield sprayers. Next I glued them into the intercooler scoop so that the sprayed in a cross in front of the intercooler. I rigged up the pump with a switch so that I could manually control the water dispersement. If I want to do a full throttle run, I simply flip the switch, and water is sprayed directly on to the intercooler. Hopefully the water will help cool the intercooler and ultimately the air inside of it. Cooler air = More HP Due to a bad starter, I have not tested my creation yet. I would like to hear any suggestions about my idea. Good? Bad? A waist of time? Any ideas on how much (if any ) the water will help cool the intercooler? Will it give me any extra horsepower, or just be a cool gadget?

BOOSTD

 

[BlackBandit]

It should help. Do a search on the subject though. This has been talked about quite a bit.

 

[Pitbozz]

Well one glaring problem is the water that will be dripping on the ground. Will get you 86'ed from the track, and could cause some serious problems should your rear tires drift into it.

 

[postal]

Cool air is a good idea but damn your idea sounds dangerous!

Jason

 

[BOOSTD]

Im not realy planing on going to the track anytime soon. Wouldn't you start the pump after you have left the line anyway? I've read some of the other threads on this subject and the all seem to vear towards CO2 and N2O systems. Im just trying to figure out how well my new H2O system will work. Or if it will work at all. In theory it should lower the temp by at least a fiew digrees. What about a non flamable water/ rubbing alcohal soultion with ice in the coolent tank? Woldnt that cool the intercooler pretty well? Obviously, it wouldnt cool as well as the CO2 system, but even a fiew horses can help. This was mearly an idea that poped into my head. I had most of the materials, so I built it.

BOOSTD

 

[BOOSTD]

Dangerous????? How would it be dangerous? Do you mean loosing traction on the puddle of water? Please elaborate.

BOOSTD

 

[postal]

Sorry about that..... I was refering to traction issues.

Also a co2 sprayer is going to send liquid co2 that flashes to a vapor. When a liquid changes phase and becomes a gas, it absorbs alot of heat. This heat absord is called latent heat of vaporization. I cant tell you exacts on this stuff but I'll try to give you an idea:
If you take a gallon of water its going to take "X" amount of energy to heat it up so many degrees. I believe it takes as much energy to heat it from 100 degrees to 105 gegrees as it does to heat it from 150 degrees to 155. Now when you get the water to the point where its almost ready to boil it takes a much larger amount of energy to get that last degree that actually makes it boil. So basically going from a liquid to a vapor equals alot of heat transfer. BTW this principal is how air conditioners work.

Idea for you: Maybe look into a NOS solenoid and a co2 bottle and make your own kit..OR... Maybe box your IC and pump ice water through it. This wont flash to a vapor but you could pump a whole lot of really cold water and all of the fins will be completely surrounded by it.


Jason

 

[XxDarkSidexX]

HERES A CHEAP EZ SOLUTION!! $2.95 a bottle brake cleaner...spray on pipes and intercooler b4 a run. it gets very very cold instintly! try it and let me know, worst come to worst u have a bottle of brake cleaner.

 

[TURBOV6]

The Subaru STI and the EVO-8 uses this windshield washer pump/sprayer feature in their cars. But these cars are all-wheel-drive.

Just make shure you don't spray too much and slip on you own puddle of water

 

[71RSZ28]

Originally posted by BOOSTD
Im not realy planing on going to the track anytime soon. Wouldn't you start the pump after you have left the line anyway?

BOOSTD

Dude, I'm not picking on you, but in your scenario you have to remember that you're not the only one using the track. The next car that runs in your lane might find your water (regardless of when you spray during your run.)

 

[XxDarkSidexX]

Originally posted by 71RSZ28
Dude, I'm not picking on you, but in your scenario you have to remember that you're not the only one using the track. The next car that runs in your lane might find your water (regardless of when you spray during your run.)

another reason to use brake cleaner....u spray on b4 ur run thus elminating excess water from spilling on the track!

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Still toying with the idea of making up a C02 system myself but haven't got around to it yet. Wondering if shocking a hot IC with -75 degree C02 might hurt the IC, i.e. cracking welds, etc.???

 

[TurboDave]

As for the safety issue:

I'll say this, as much racing as I do/did, if I saw anybody at the track with any kind of water spraying system (whether they intended to use it or not), IT WOULD BE THE LAST TIME they used that track!!!!!!

I can't afford to be wrecking my GN in somebody elses water folly!! They'd be reported as fast as I could get to the tower.

Sorry, but if you folks want to spray intercoolers, etc. with water, do it on some back road that wont affect anybody's safety but your own, but if you go to a track, you better pull that junk out.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

TD, what about C02 sprayers, wonder if that would end up putting any water down?

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by BuickGn Boosted
TD, what about C02 sprayers, wonder if that would end up putting any water down?

Sorry, don't know that much about what CO2 does after it's sprayed.
Water however, just goes straight to the ground.

 

[Two Lane]

Not To Worry

Like a nitrous purge-blast, nothing touches the track w/CO2...it's a gas upon entering the atmoshere.

It puts a "dry-ice effect" on the IC, w/no dribbling.

HTH
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Mark, here's another product idea for you!

Repro the few additional parts necessary to have
COMPLETE AND FUNCTIONAL GNX louvers, please.

 

[BOOSTD]

WOW, I better clear this up before you guys get too heated! I completely agree with the rules and NEVER intended to use the sprayers at the track. In fact, I don't ever see myself racing at the track anyway. Believe me, I would be right up in that tower next to you if I saw some idiot leaving a puddle for me to slip on! I don't want anyone thinking that I'm some inconsiderate car dude who doesn't give a S*** about anyone else.

Tanks for the info on the brake cleaner. I have 6 cans of that stuff in my garage. I've got a g-tech and a clear back road so I'll have to give it a try. One thing though! I was told that brake cleaner would strip off paint. Would it take the black paint off of the intercooler? It sure did a number on my valve covers.

 

[gokada]

Watering down your intercooler wouldn't make that much of difference because it would take alot of water to effectively remove the heat from your intercooler. For example, look at the flow specs of some of the pumps configured with intercoolers. They flow some gallons, and although it recirculates the water it has the whole intercooler immersed. It's soaking in water, so the temp is low already. It takes time for water to lower the temps and thats time you don't have raceing.
Going from experience (lack of it) your best bet would be to make up a c02 or n0s system. I used copper tubing from a local hardeware store. Measured the intercooler and cut my tubing to fit. Silver soldered a cap on one end and a #6 fitting on the other. Drilled the holes with a 1/32 drill bit facing the intercooler. That's it; ask Geoff87 and turbov6, they seen the dyno results. Cheap and very effective. Maybe cost you bout 150-200 bucks tops.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

So what were the dyno results?? How has the copper solder joints held up to the -75 degree temps? What size C02 tank are you using and how long does it last?

 

[Ormand]

H2O vs CO2..

The CO2 will get the intercooler much colder, that's for sure. BUT.. it means you have to keep your CO2 tank filled. Not as easy as filling a water bottle. There have been several ricers that used a water spray, including one or two from Mitsubishi. Probably something on one of their web sites. If the humidity is not too high, there will some evaporative cooling, so you would get that 1000 btu/lb of water helping out. And since you can do it for cheap, why not try it? What does a stock intercooler weigh? Maybe 20 pounds? Thermal capacity is about 0.25 btu/lb, so a 20 pound intercooler would hold 5 btu/degree. If you could evaporate only a tenth of a pound of water, you get 100 btu of cooling, which would cool the intercooler by 20 degrees! Try it! (Put some alcohol in the water so it won't freeze in winter, and it will cool better, too)