Air to Air, Water to Air, or No Intercooler at all?

vanderchevy18 · Aug 5, 2013

I'm trying to decide. Its for my dedicated race truck that I'm building. Thoughts? Opinions? It will only run on the drag strip. Also it will be sprayed so that will cool down the temps. Plus I may be using a compounded triple setup so I don't know what I want to do there. Looking for opinions from guys who actually know please. Personally, I'm leaning towards none at all. I can't see how it will help me much in this particular situation.

Southmike · Aug 5, 2013

some of the big pullers use ice bath water systems I think they know a thing or too.
others don't. Never saw the actual gains, but they would not spare the weight.

OldschoolPSD · Aug 5, 2013

Why not just spray water? It is the most effective way to cool and it has a host of other benefits.

vanderchevy18 · Aug 5, 2013

No water meth. It has a whole host of headaches too. Especially for its minimal benefits. To get 100° drop in temps you get higher cylinder pressures, more weight, risk of malfunctioning controller, poor atomization if the pump goes bad, wiring and plumbing headaches, and cost of the kit and methanol to refill it. No thanks. I'm tempted to do a water to air with an ice bath, but it has drawbacks too. Keeping ice, water leaks, more plumbing, weight, etc. Air to water is the simplest but then I get blown boots, plumbing rats nest if i run multiple turbos, and the added weight. I don't know.

OldschoolPSD · Aug 5, 2013

Water meth is not the same as spraying strait water. Spraying strait water after the turbo is the most efficient way to cool. The cooling effect creates a denser charge, almost a vaccum effect after the compressor which will help keep the turbo together and the steam created from combustion expands exponentially to allow you to spool a larger turbo.

For those that know how to apply it, it is a very powerful tool.

Groomzybanshee · Aug 5, 2013

I wouldn't spray water unless its a high pressure setup. The coolingmist and snow kits don't have near enough. Hypermax make a nice kit.

vanderchevy18 · Aug 5, 2013

Again, not spraying water.

Let's do this. Does anyone know exactly what the gain/losses of going from no intercooler to an intercooler is? I mean I know, but does anyone have any numbers? I need to decide if its a big enough gain to make it worth it in this particular application.

OldschoolPSD · Aug 5, 2013

If it's not a high pressure setup its not worth fooling with. High pressure, after the turbo is the only way to go.

I wouldn't trust a "kit" other than Hypermax. All it takes is one of the low pressure cheapo kits to leak and send a water droplet through the turbo and... well water doesn't compress so you can guess what happens after that. "Wet" turbo systems are very hard on impellers.

I can definetly understand not wanting to blaze a new path when there are so many proven setups that are know to NOT blow up your expensive motor, but don't discount something just because you are uninformed about it. We have been doing it in pulling tractors since before you could get a diesel in a pickup... because it works.

Groomzybanshee · Aug 5, 2013

Vander run it without an ic and see what happens if it's to hot buy and intercooler.

4.0l sahara · Aug 6, 2013

air to water imo......

smoker00 · Aug 6, 2013

If its a DD/Puller/race truck I would four sure do a cooler on my old truck i went from air to air
to a air to water egt came down about 200...

If its a puller/racer I would do an ice box.

But I would run one for sure..

I won't bring water I run 1100 psi..lol

Hope this helps...

Wanted to add the air to water will have less pressure drop. About .5 psi compared to 2 to 3 psi
Thats approximate...numbers but close..

bad12jr · Aug 6, 2013

I'd run ice bath with a water to air if I was gonna do it. Mount a plastic round style fuel cell in the bed for the ice. Run the line through the cab and put the drain in there. That way if it leaks its not directly on the track. Also the pump as well.

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