MKI/G60 problem solved

[ralexander03@snet.net (Rick Alexander)]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Neal" <nealtovsen@yahoo.com>

> 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.
Since the stock G60 intercooler has plastic tanks you will be hard pressed
to do any welding on it. That is why I'm using the Saab 900 intercooler.
It's all 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.
I found that moving the radiator to the drivers side is not a problem but
tilting or moving it backwards brings it dangerously close to the G-Ladder.
As it is it is in danger of being holed by it when the engine rocks fore and
aft.
> Another option is the Audi 5K intercooler. Even a bit smaller than the
> Probe, IIRC.
That still leaves you with all those bends in the pipe. Every bend takes
velocity out of the air movement and the charger has to work that much
harder. The best scenario is a straight line from the charger to the valves.
With the air/water I should be able to bring the bends down to only one 180
degree bend in the intercooler.
> > 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
When he has this done, I'll ask him what it would cost to make you his
friend. There are competent welders all over and I'd bet there is one close
to you too.
>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.
Ok, you have lost me here. I don't believe that the air/air surface area
will be any different than the air/water area given the same intercooler.
I'm also not convinced that the surface area will be different with air
inside vs. water inside. All of that aside, this thing is about three times
the size of a comparable retail air/water intercooler so any efficiency loss
will be more than compensated for by shear volume.
> 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.
It's been tested and will be again (both air and water sides).
> > 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.
The intercooler radiator will be an easy part to upgrade in the future if I
find I'm over extending it's capabilities.
> > 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.
The advice I've gotten is the same 10GPM but centrifical and brass or bronze
to handle the glycol and heat. The one I'm working on getting is 15GPM
bronze.
> Got pics to share?
As soon as I can convince my wife to bring the camera home from school.

Rick Alexander