Another homemade H2O intercooler sprayer (long)

[Professor MSP]

Here are the final two pictures.

The first is from directly in front of the intercooler. The quarter-inch drip tubing runs horizontally from right to left, and then attaches to the 8" extension rod, which is then dropped vertically down in front of the intercooler using the small opening in the plastic piece behind the grill and in front of the intercooler. I used a tiny bit of hot glue to fix the extension tube in position.

The second shot is from the left of the intercooler, for perspective. The other extention rod is positioned horizontally in front of the intercooler about halfway down.

Both sprayers are positioned vertically so as to maximize the area of the intercooler covered with the mist.

This was not a hard installation, but it took time and patience to get things positioned optimally and the look clean.

 

[II-Savy]

Sweet install dude, My sprayer just comes from the other way, nice. It's supposed to be 80 Sunday, maybe I'll do some ice.

 

[Professor MSP]

Thanks II-Savy. As I remarked in my first post, I couldn't have done it without your assistance. Thanks again!

I agree with the ice.

Sweet install dude, My sprayer just comes from the other way, nice. It's supposed to be 80 Sunday, maybe I'll do some ice.

 

[speedhawaii]

hope the work was worth it

 

[Puckpimp71]

Only took about two hours from start to finish and I ended up soldering everything. I haven't noticed a HUGE gain, but I didn't try ice yet, and I wasn't expecting one. It's noticeable... definetly more peppy through 1st and 2nd gears after sitting at a long light in 95 degree weather. For the $50 or so it cost me, it was well worth the cash. My Injen cost four times as much and I felt the same amount of gains with that.

 

[Quik89Si]

Wow...good stuff!

Couple questions - what gauge wire to use? Did the momentary switch/bracket come with the kit from NAPA? Did you use any fuse other than the 5 amp that you put on the line in the engine bay?

Thanks!

Alex

 

[Professor MSP]

Alex:

I really don't remember the exact guage of the wire. It is a little heavier, i.e., thicker, than that which comes with the universal windshield washer kit. Its guage is listed on the bulk spool of wire at Lowes.

Yes, I used the momentary switch and bracket that came with the kit that I purchased from Napa.

I only used a single 5 amp fuse placed in-line to the 12 volt source.

You are welcome.



5{9Si]Wow...good stuff!

Couple questions - what gauge wire to use? Did the momentary switch/bracket come with the kit from NAPA? Did you use any fuse other than the 5 amp that you put on the line in the engine bay?

Thanks!

Alex[/QUOTE]

 

[mspeedpro]

bump-- looks like a great lil DIY mod.

 

[Puckpimp71]

Just an update to add to my project... When I used regular water, I noticed my engine temps drop about 1-2 notches after a couple 5 secind sprays. Finally got to try it with ice and the temps dropped 3-4 notches... not sure how that translates to degrees F, but I think it's pretty substantial. Also, I angled my sprayer to spray about 80% on the SMIC and 20% towards the radiator. On more quick thing, with the insulation tape, the ice lasted almost 8 hours in 95 degree weather with 90% humidity and two hours of driving... good stuff!

 

[Professor MSP]

I thought I would add some more of my own impressions of the intercooler sprayer now that I've had it in for about six weeks.

(1) Using filtered water alone, I do not perceive any increase in performance. What I do notice is more consistent performance, which is more or less what I had expected. In other words, heat soak has been reduced to a large extent.

(2) Cramming the reservoir full of ice and water, however, does in fact result in the car pulling harder. I typically spray for 5 seconds as I approach, say, a light. Then I will spray once or twice more for 5 seconds while stopped. I most definitely feel the car accelerate harder when I subsequently punch it and drive aggressively.

(3) Tonight I did a little test to see how long the ice lasted after my initial fill. I put the ice and water in the reservior about 3:00 p.m. It was not until sometime after 9:00 p.m. that the ice had fully melted. When combined witth Puckpimp71's observation, I'd say that the ice lasting more than 6 hours is convincing evidence as to the effectiveness of the 30 feet of insulating foam tape I wrapped around the reservoir. Note also the both he and I are located in hot and humid Florida.

This is a cheap, effective, and fun-to-install modification.

 

[Puckpimp71]

To add to this mod, I did the TB coolant bypass, which is free to do. You just take the top and bottom hoses off the TB, remove the bottom hose from the engine altogether and connect the top hose where the bottom one was... if that makes sense.
To take it a step ahead in elminating heat soak, I now use the pump to simultaneaously spray my I/C and pump cooler water through my throttle body where the original coolant lines were connected and back to the resevoir, so I'm not constantly filling up my tank.
Here's how I did it:
From Lowe's, I bought:
six feet of 1/2in OD-1/4in ID hose
three feet of 1/8in hose (it's MORE than enough hose, but there's plenty of room for error)
Three male 1/4in adapters PN A-192 in the drawers by the hoses (in plumbing)
Three female 1/8in adapters PN A-86
One 1/4in T barb PN A-191
From the pump I used one set of male-female adapters and three inches (rough estimate) of the 1/4 hose to connect the 1/8 inch hose from the pump to the T.
Then I used the other set of adapters and another two inches of 1/4in hose to connect the T back to where the sprayer was originally connected to the pump. On the open end of the T I used enough 1/4in hose to connect to the top of the TB, the I connected the remaining hose to the bottom TB outlet, drilled a 1/2in hole in the top of my resevoir and ran the hose from the TB to the resevoir. To keep too much pressure from being lost in using the bigger hoses, I used the third set of adapters at the end of the TB return hose, so pressure will remain more consistent to the I/C sprayer. Haven't had a chance to try it out on the road yet, but I'll post when I do. It is spraying nicely, though. Also make sure the T is perpendicular to the pump...
I hope this made some sense. I'll tidy this up once I get some sleep.

 

[505zoom]

Very nice.(thumb)

 

[Puckpimp71]

Another thing to add. After driving it around without ice, it lost less power from heat soak, but I decided that I wanted a little more pressure spraying onto the I/C, so I went back to Lowe's and bought a 180 degree mister and used two inches of my 1/4in hose to attach it to the adapter at the end of the return line. A little less water is flowing through the TB as a result, but I'm getting more on the I/C, which will help more for heatsoak, I think.

 

[yashooa]

So you could make an air to water intercooler if you used this setup and recaptured the water. Instead of spraying the water on the IC you could run some sort of hoses/pipes through the IC and then route it back to the pump.
I wonder how long the ice would last in a closed system? The stock IC sucks so why not mod it and scrap it if you weren't happy?

 

[Puckpimp71]

HMMMM I may look into that if I ever get some good time away from work...