MKI/G60 problem solved

[nealtovsen@yahoo.com (Neal)]

I didn't know you had this problem!

Personally, I intend to go the air/water route myself, but cost is the main
problem. I don't know how to weld aluminum, and decent air-water
intercoolers are expensive. I'd use the stock G60 intercooler if/when I
learn to weld aluminum.

In the meantime, I purchased a Probe/MX-6 intercooler off eBay for about
$50. Though I haven't finished mounting everything yet (engine going in this
week), it looks like it will just barely fit in front of the radiator with
both pipes squeezing between the radiator and the core support/battery tray.
I'm relocating the battery, FYI. I know it will be close, but if it doesn't
quite fit I plan to make some simple little brackets to move the radiator a
bit towards the passenger side and/or rearward.

Another option is the Audi 5K intercooler. Even a bit smaller than the
Probe, IIRC.

> The solution (drum roll please) I've delivered my all aluminum Saab
> intercooler to my friend Paul who is going to make a water jacket for it.

How do I become Paul's friend? :P

By the way, be sure to reverse the flow of the intercooler when you convert
it to air/water use. Run the water through the passages that normally would
carry the intake air, and run the intake air through what would normally be
the ambient air passage. This will take advantage of the efficiency of water
per surface area compared to air. It effectively lets you run a
bigger/deeper core with less "exposed" (to water) cooling area.

Also make sure you pressure test the intercooler, preferrably before AND
after the jacketing. Hydrolocking your engine is not a fun thing to do, and
cast aluminum can sometimes be porous enough to "sweat" or leak even when
there are no cracks or defects.

> transmission cooler in front of it to handle the intercooler. Slick huh?

Fit as big of a heat exchanger as you can in there. The bigger the heat
exchanger (and the bigger the resovoir too), the less likely you are to
heat-saturate the water if you're on boost for long-ish periods of time.

> Now who has a pump recommendation for me?

Submersible 12v marine bilge pump in the resovoir. According to Corky Bell's
Maximum Boost, use 10gal/min (continuous) as the minimum acceptible rating.
You can gang them in series or parallel too.

Got pics to share?

Neal
'77 Scirocco G60