Intercooler location

[GARRICK.CLARK1]

So its time I added an intercooler to this bug of mine.
The cross pipe from the turbo to the carbs is on the warm side. Its positioned a good 10" away from the turbo ,so It is compressed turbo air that's heating it up ,not radiated heat from the exhaust.

I don't have an engine lid fitted so plenty of room for it.. I read somewhere that the engine bay area isn't in good air flow. So I'm thinking the cooler should be on an angle to catch air passing over the roof of the bug, Think Wally had his cooler mounted this way.. I do have a fan I can mount to it also to help things.
Thoughts please on cooler position ,cooler size.

It at least needs to be a 12 x 12 core to use the fan I've already got. But don't want it getting laggy

[Dan Dryden]

I think water/air charge coolers are best suited to rear mounted engines.
Wally mounted his within a whale tail.
There isn’t much air flow behind the car.... I suppose the further away from the rear window, the better the air flow..... maybe a roof mounted air scoop to feed air into the inter cooler?

[Clonebug]

I run a rear mounted intercooler on my buggy. It's from a V6 TT Audi A4...so it's from one half of the 3.0L engine. It keeps my IAT's down to almost ambient along with my W/I. It is 7" X 8" X 3.5".
I have a small 7 inch fan on it which kicks on at 100 degree IAT's or 101 kpa.

Also.. for a street car I feel an air to air is better suited than water to air. As long as you have Water Injection to help your cooling a small intercooler will help enough.

If you are running 21 lbs. boost..... your IAT's without cooling would be 234* F. W/I should be able to remove 100* of that and an intercooler will remove another 30-40 Degrees.
The bigger the intercooler the more heat it will remove.

For me the one I have works well enough.....plus it was cheap.......Water to air will not be cheap.

[Dan Dryden]

I run a rear mounted intercooler on my buggy. It's from a V6 TT Audi A4...so it's from one half of the 3.0L engine. It keeps my IAT's down to almost ambient along with my W/I. It is 7" X 8" X 3.5".
I have a small 7 inch fan on it which kicks on at 100 degree IAT's or 101 kpa.

Also.. for a street car I feel an air to air is better suited than water to air. As long as you have Water Injection to help your cooling a small intercooler will help enough.

If you are running 21 lbs. boost..... your IAT's without cooling would be 234* F. W/I should be able to remove 100* of that and an intercooler will remove another 30-40 Degrees.
The bigger the intercooler the more heat it will remove.

For me the one I have works well enough.....plus it was cheap.......Water to air will not be cheap.

Hey Clone! Hope you’re well!

I would mention that you’re running yours in a buggy though, so airflow over the vehicle will be very different to a sedan bug..... also, your engine is completely uncovered, which will also aid the cooling.

[Clonebug]

I run a rear mounted intercooler on my buggy. It's from a V6 TT Audi A4...so it's from one half of the 3.0L engine. It keeps my IAT's down to almost ambient along with my W/I. It is 7" X 8" X 3.5".
I have a small 7 inch fan on it which kicks on at 100 degree IAT's or 101 kpa.

Also.. for a street car I feel an air to air is better suited than water to air. As long as you have Water Injection to help your cooling a small intercooler will help enough.

If you are running 21 lbs. boost..... your IAT's without cooling would be 234* F. W/I should be able to remove 100* of that and an intercooler will remove another 30-40 Degrees.
The bigger the intercooler the more heat it will remove.

For me the one I have works well enough.....plus it was cheap.......Water to air will not be cheap.

Hey Clone! Hope you’re well!

I would mention that you’re running yours in a buggy though, so airflow over the vehicle will be very different to a sedan bug..... also, your engine is completely uncovered, which will also aid the cooling.

I tested my airflow with some yarn on the back.....I didn't really have that great of flow either from what I can tell.
While mine is not very efficient...it does work well enough for the investment.

Mine has been on for about 1.5 years now and I consistently see IAT's no higher than 95* F. at max boost. I used to see IAT's between 135-170* F. without the cooler at full boost.
I did look at a water to air but the install would have taken more real estate than I had available.

What helped me change my mind was talking to Nathan Kahler with the 240Z. He switched to an air to air intercooler for racing because he could notpack enough ice with him to last a day. It would melt in the staging line and became a PITA to get ready for staging.
His air to air cooler is big but works really well for him and costs nothing for ice or staging time.
Oh.....he runs between 32 and 40 lbs. boost......
I'm sure both have positives and negatives but for the 10-15 seconds I am on boost mine works well and it won't freeze in the winter.......

[buguy]

I think on the street an air to air would be a better option. No heat soak to deal with. I went air to water because I just didn't have a good place to put a decent size air to air.

[MarioVelotta]

What helped me change my mind was talking to Nathan Kahler with the 240Z. He switched to an air to air intercooler for racing because he could notpack enough ice with him to last a day. It would melt in the staging line and became a PITA to get ready for staging.
His air to air cooler is big but works really well for him and costs nothing for ice or staging time.
Oh.....he runs between 32 and 40 lbs. boost......

His new PB from last weekend.

[madmike]