Dry ice?

[gene in cincinnati]

I was wondering about strapping dry ice to your intake manifold to decrease the temperature of the air going into the engine.

Has anyone tried this?

I found this paragraph on the web:

"A popular trick of a lot of drag racers is to strap on a pack of dry ice to the intake manifold of their vehicle prior to a race. This is said to shave off up to a 10th of a second. This may sound like nothing, but for dragsters, a 10th of a second is a good improvement! What this ice pack does is seriously cool down the intake manifold, thus it also cools the air flowing through it. Colder air is denser, resulting in a more intense combustion = more power. I've tried this a few times and the results are quite noticeable as long as the ice pack is still frozen. If you do do this, make sure the pack is strapped on well so that it doesn't fall off."

 

[cjstringer]

I think I read something similar. (could have been the same article) On the dry ice subject, I was wondering if we put some IN the air box before the filter how much of a cooling effect it would have. I'm not a drag racer, but would it help in an autocross?
I second the thought. Is it worth it?

 

[Gyre]

If you put dry ice IN the air box you'll get extra CO2 from the dry ice sublimating going into your intake. I'm not sure it would be enough to cause a problem, though. I don't think you could put much dry ice in there without causing some restriction as well.

 

[BigBlue]

As I recall tho, doesn't dry ice turn to gas as it warms up and forms a fog....don't think I'd want everyone to think my engine was on fire or something!

 

[cjstringer]

The gas thing is a good point. I also heard something about putting a wrap on the fuel line that you can put ice in to further cool the fuel making it, err, I dunno, better for something. Yah, that's it.
I probably won't be trying anything crazy like that for a while. Everything seems to be running well right now. I'll just be happy to get my K&N.

 

[Sir Nuke]

True....both of these techniques are tricks of drag racers from MANY years ago...and still used today.....how much it would really help our little cars....well there is only one way to find out...try it. do NOT put the dry ice IN the intake....its FROZEN CO2....you know...the stuff they put in FIRE EXTINGUISHERS....not exactly the gas you want going into your cumbustion champer now is it? if you are going to cool the intake...do it from the OUTSIDE....cooling the fuel like also has some effect.

Another little trick I have heard of recently as well is the guy took his K&N air filter and put it in the freezer over night....then put it in a cooler with ice packs till he got to the track....only put it in right before a race....then took it out and put it back in the cooler till the next run...

hey...they are all cheep quick tricks....couldn't hurt to try it.

 

[katsmp3]

Dont put the dry ice directly on anything metal.. experiment before putting it in your car. It takes VERY little dry ice to have a big effect.
kat

 

[mazdamp3_18]

an easier way is to get just plain ice and wrap it around your intake set it on your manifold a cuple min.. before you race... then take it off right before you are about to race.. it does help and on my old car i noticed about .1 sec better times...

chris

 

[C Rae]

or what about useing a/c system and tie it into our intake. it would take a LOT of work but it would have to be a realy big a/c system.
some sort of coils wrapping around the intake to cool it off.
we're brainstorming here right
and a little dreaming

 

[Gyre]

That's like trying to cool a room by leaving the fridge open. It takes energy to cool the air and that energy has to come from somewhere. You'll end up robbing more power running the A/C than you'll gain from the cold air.

 

[JcsMP3]

If you want less of a hassle and better results get CAI. It's not worth taking risks with this dry ice stuff and whatever else. For drag racers your talking 12 seconds.... your times are nearly 1 minute... your engine bay is about 140 on a nice day... now that you are running the s*** out of your car and not goign very fast.. meaning not cruising at 60 with high winds hitting your rad... then this so called dry ice effect will be gone in seconds... I know that stuff can be cold... but your talking heat over 140 in your engine bay.. no way whatever you put there will last......

Stick with the basics... CAI and if so get some dryer hose to draw in more cold air... get cold air... and try and create a heat sheild for your intake... that way you're air stays colder faster... If you are using aluminum tubing, try and find and insulator for it.. that way you get to keep that cold air... cold.

Jc

 

[cjstringer]

I'd get a CAI, but the point is to stay in stock class, so I can't modify my intake.

 

[frady2001]

hey guys, i wasnt gonna mention this but some of the stuff mentioned was crazier than this soo.... i used to race dirt track and these were race only vehicles..... we ran a copper fuel line through a cooler in the back of the car, is was in a coil so it was very cold by the time it got to the motor, we noticed a very big difference.