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Intercooler
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What is an intercooler?
Only cars fitted with turbos utilise intercoolers. After intake air passes through the air filter into the compressor side of the turbo, the air gets hot due to compression. The hot air is then directed through an intercooler. The intercooler's job is to reduce the charge temperature before it passes into the inlet manifold. The intercooler is fitted with fins which allows interaction between outside air and the compressed air. As a result, the heat is discharged into the atmosphere. The cold air allows a more dense inlet charge to pass through the throttle body butterfly, and into the inlet manifold, where fuel is added before entering the combustion chamber. In summary, the colder the air entering the engine the more power you get, for it is a denser charge, with more oxygen and fuel.
Can I make my air-to-air intercooler more effective?
Certainly! What can be done? For starters. maximize airflow through the intercooler. This means remove anything between the incoming air and the intercooler's fins--the A/C condenser, funky ducting, or anything else that actually impedes airflow. If your intercooler isn't directly in the path of air, relocate it so that it is. If you are unable to move it around, create some sort of shroud/airdam to redirect air through the intercooler (tin or plastic should be great for this).
Another idea for you creative types is to make a mister. Get a windshield fluid reservoir, mount it where it will stay cool, and fill it with water. Now run the output tube to the intercooler. Mount a few spray nozzles aimed at the front of the intercooler's core, then join them to the output line with tees and such. Rig up this reservoir pump to a switch or button inside the car so that you can momentarily enable it when desired. The water evaporation will help draw even more heat off the intercooler, further lowering the temperature of the intake air that flows through it. You can get really fancy here; I had a friend that rigged the on/off switch to the throttle body so that the mister would activate at WOT. You can decide how to do it, but this is a neat little trick for just a few bucks. |
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