Is anyone running a liquid to air ic on the street? I have zero experience with the liquid ic's on the buicks and need some opinions. I have been around many typhoons and syclones which we modified to basically work like the set up on the buicks. I have found a complete unit CHEAP and was wondering if I would be happy with it over a front mount?
Liquid to Air
- Thread starter UNDRPSI
- Start date
uderpsi, i too wonder bout using this. a friend of mine has a typhoon, and the air to water IC that is right before the throttle body seems to have a lot of potential. i know almost nothing about turbo trucks, but it seemed that the air to water ic was filled with coolant. what if this IC was sealed off, and you put a cool substance in it, like dry ice?? i've thought about removing the air to air IC on my gn, and putting something like the typhoon's air to water IC in place, and using something like dry ice in it on occasion to additionally cool the charge.
during the summer, my up pipe would be too hot to touch, it would be nice to having something to cool things off.
during the summer, my up pipe would be too hot to touch, it would be nice to having something to cool things off.
What we have done on all of the sy/ty's is put a fuel cell in the rear of the vehicle and a smaal pump in line on the supply line running to the ic. We use a thermosat control switch to turn the pump on at 160* and have a manual overide switch when you really want to keep it cool. when we are going to race we put a bag of ice in the cell (use the bag where you can simply replace it with a fresh one instead oif having to drain water). This works well on the trucks but I know that they are putting front mounts on the trucks also. So which is better and are any of the front mounts undesirable (too much psi loss across the core...)?
I was considering the intercooler itself being the heat exchanger but what if i added an auxillary heat exchanger infront of the radiator to assist in the problem of soaking. I know that nothing is free but if I am going to race is this far supperior to a front mount? If I am not racing I am just cruising so who cares what the efficiency of the intercooler is at that point anyway.
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
You need to have a heat exchanger in the loop in order for the system to work. The pump is necessary as well.
If you have modded the Syclone and Typhoon intercoolers you can do that. The fuel cell idea is a good one too. Ice in the cooler only helps.
My Dad has an ATR liquid intercooler on his TType and it has worked well for 10 years now.
They have always been an expensive set up but I do like them.
If you have modded the Syclone and Typhoon intercoolers you can do that. The fuel cell idea is a good one too. Ice in the cooler only helps.
My Dad has an ATR liquid intercooler on his TType and it has worked well for 10 years now.
They have always been an expensive set up but I do like them.
Thats what I am looking for. Someone that has done it and likes it. I know th e theorey and have even applied it just not on a buick. I was concerned that after going to the trouble involved that I would later say I wish I haad put a front mount on the car. Do you think that a big trans cooler would wor for the heat exchanger?
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
I dont know that a trans cooler is big enough.
Look at the heat exchanger that ATR makes for the Syclones and Typhoons. It is the same for the Buick.
If you can find something that will work, go for it. I just dont know if there is a trans cooler that size.
Look at the heat exchanger that ATR makes for the Syclones and Typhoons. It is the same for the Buick.
If you can find something that will work, go for it. I just dont know if there is a trans cooler that size.
So when you order a liquid from atr, conley's ... it comes with a heat exchanger? I have upgraded the stock sy/tys exchanger with the ATR piece. Since I am getting this kit off a running car the heat exchanger should be included. Thanks this is making alot more sense now that I understand that it works the EXACT samre as the sy/ty. it is a matter of how good the core in the intercooler itself is to how efficient the system is at this point.
Here 's the deal. We all know that the liquid coolers are some where around 95% efficient according to the vendors. We know that most of the sub 9 sec cars use one (or use to ). To do both of these the water is constantly changed for maximum cooling. What we are trying to figure out is if the core on the liquid coolers are as up to date as the new fm's. And if the benefit of the 95% efficiency is worth it with the added pain of having to try and regulate water temperature.
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
Efficiency is no different from a liquid vs a front mount intercooler. The numbers dont lie. If your liquid unit is 95% and the front mount is 80% efficient, you know which one is better.
Front mounts are not as efficient as a liquid unit that much has not changed. What makes a liquid unit better is the pump and the heat exhanger. It allows for better cooling.
Now what is more cost effective is a different story.......
If you want to spend the bucks, the liquid unit is great that is what the deciding factor will be.
Front mounts are not as efficient as a liquid unit that much has not changed. What makes a liquid unit better is the pump and the heat exhanger. It allows for better cooling.
Now what is more cost effective is a different story.......
If you want to spend the bucks, the liquid unit is great that is what the deciding factor will be.
The money isn't an issue because I can get this kit for less than I was about to spend on a front mount. A friend of mine parted a car out that he bought and put it back stock. I can get the IC kit off of it for my stocker and a little boot! I should have it in the nevt couple of days. I will take some pics and see if we can determine what brand it is. If it is as high quality as the rest of the parts on the car it should be jam up. Thanks for the input.
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
Shoot me the pics when you get them and I can tell you if it was the ATR set up.
I am with you, I dont care what anyone says, I like that set up and it works very well on the street or the strip.
I am with you, I dont care what anyone says, I like that set up and it works very well on the street or the strip.
I was also looking into one of these:
http://www.coolflow.com/prod1.htm
I talked to a guy in Vegas that had one. He said the torque on his stock GN was incredible. It would work great, probably better than most setups. However cost would be the main issue.
The AC compressor supercools the Dynalene that is used in the liquid side of the cooler.
It was too expensive for my taste, but the theory doesn't lie here. The inelt temps would lower than anything else you could run.
http://www.coolflow.com/prod1.htm
I talked to a guy in Vegas that had one. He said the torque on his stock GN was incredible. It would work great, probably better than most setups. However cost would be the main issue.
The AC compressor supercools the Dynalene that is used in the liquid side of the cooler.
It was too expensive for my taste, but the theory doesn't lie here. The inelt temps would lower than anything else you could run.
I have seen the coolflow adds before. Eventhough it looks very effective it looks like nothing but trouble and a plumbing nightmare. It may be right for some but I have enough problems with my temprementle old buick as it is. I don,t see how it could cool the charge any more than a fresh batch of ice water. I am just trying to get close to the performance out of an IC as I did with my stock IC+ 25 shot of nos. Maybe the liquid with fresh ice water will get close. Then I won't have to here everyone complaining about "oh, you're sprayin'" or "you cant spray a buick and not blow it up........." Plus I put the kit on my little bros blazer so I must move on anyway.
I have used a water to air IC on the street. What I had was a stretched IC with a cold box on the top half and air to air on the bottom half. Here in the deep south I think the water to air is better for racing. With 90+ deg temps normal and humidity in the 75%+ range the ability to drop your charge temp into the 40's is a big advantage to race. I have also used dry ice and alky and this would drop the charge temp into the 30's. Just a note: the charge temp at the end of the 1/4 would be right at 100 deg. Yes unless you packed the IC with ice it was not much different than an air to air but if you were going out to play just stick a cooler with ice and of course some drinks in the trunk and go.
My current set up is a enclosed IC that is all water to air with a tank in the trunk and pump to move the water. With the stage II motor the starting temp will be in the mid 30's and will still stay under 125 at the end of the 1/4 on a 98 deg day.
The warmer the day the better a water to air IC will perform over a air to air. From what I have seen the difference in a water to air and air to air start to taper off once the outside temp gets into the 50's. But at this temp traction on the street or track starts to go away also.
I hope that tid bit helps you
My current set up is a enclosed IC that is all water to air with a tank in the trunk and pump to move the water. With the stage II motor the starting temp will be in the mid 30's and will still stay under 125 at the end of the 1/4 on a 98 deg day.
The warmer the day the better a water to air IC will perform over a air to air. From what I have seen the difference in a water to air and air to air start to taper off once the outside temp gets into the 50's. But at this temp traction on the street or track starts to go away also.
I hope that tid bit helps you
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