How much further does the grill stick out on AC truck vs a non-AC setup?
I am thinking about mounting an aftermarket intercooler below and between the frame rails and putting an oil cooler for the R380 in the void left by the factory intercooler. Will I have enough space with the AC grill to run 2.5" pipes between the radiator and the grill surround?
Wait let me start from the beginning; Anyone got any specifics on aftermarket intercooler set ups that don't cost ungodly amounts? There has to be a good way to make use of one of the under $100 "fast and furious" aftermarket coolers you can pick up on ebay.
I am working with a non-Ac 300tdi with R380 and I am going to fabricate the bumper and steering guard so I can accommodate and protect a remote mounted intercooler and trans oil cooler.
IIRC about a little further than an inch over the non-AC version.
As far aftermarket intercoolers go, all I have to say is...it's not worth it. If you were running at 35lb/min of air at 2 bar boost or something, then sure. But the power of a 300tdi is less than a naturally aspirate Honda Civic.
Are you planning to install a bigger turbo and run more boost?
IIRC about a little further than an inch over the non-AC version. As far aftermarket intercoolers go, all I have to say is...it's not worth it. If you were running at 35lb/min of air at 2 bar boost or something, then sure. But the power of a 300tdi is less than a naturally aspirate Honda Civic. Are you planning to install a bigger turbo and run more boost?
The "better" intercooler should improve the long time EGT increase if you sit at full throttle for minutes on end in hot weather. Someone would need to measure IAT with different intercoolers to see how much these really help. I suspect it is little improvement unless you are running a fair bit more boost than stock.
With my setup as it is, I can usually sit at fuel throttle with excessive EGTs unless you get the wrong wind flow (as I don't have a fan pulling across the intercooler).
Yeah, I haven't seen any graphs showing air temp through the intake probably because there are too many variables (ambient, boost, different rpms etc.), but I simply took EGT readings before and after the intercooler install (which I realize the IC has no correlation on EGTs). Would be worthwhile hearing from somebody who's graphed intake temps at the mani before and after the intercooler install.
But, John, taking down the intake temp is relevant because if you're increasing EGTs via increased combustion, the last think you need is hotter air coming into the chamber. Wouldn't all the factors build on eachother causing hotter head and EGT temp?
I did install the boost gauge before I installed the intercooler and I did see a drop in peak boost. the larger intercooler does provide significant more turbulence and resistance over the stock one from what I saw.
I don't know, but Ed, you are correct in that if you're going to spend the $$$ on an Alisport, you may as well go full-monte and get the VNT turbo kit.
In my case, I was not trying to make a fire (or smoke) spitting hot rod, just needed a little extra to compensate for the extra weight I am hauling and the 1.22 transfer case.
I have understood that an intercooler effectively cools the intake air dependent on its efficiency. Cold air is more dense (and therefore has increased oxygen levels) to increase fuel burn and effectively increase horsepower. On a small, turbo, gas engine this can result in significant horsepower. On a diesel it should increase fuel burn (how much on a 115hp engine is a source of debate as Jackie said) and should increase overall efficiency.
Horsepower gains? If you're talking 15-30bhp on a 2.0L gas engine it might only be 5 hp on a small diesel. But that represents 3-5% increase, which is pretty good IMHO
I understand the physics and how the engine systems work.
The point is that with the stock turbo and stock boost, the stock intercooler cools well enough that there is not much to be gained with a larger one. I keep meaning to chuck in an IAT and have a look, but I've not seen a TDI with a stock turbo that goes any faster than mine. In hot weather, you can probably run full throttle longer than with the stock intercooler, but peak power is not going to be any better, from my experience.
A normal VNT conversion does not give you more boost (or power), so that is not the reason for an intercooler either. A hybrid turbo that is running higher boost or living in a hot climate are probably the only real good reasons.
I wasn't addressing you but I'm proud you've learned about combustion.
I was trying to help the poster determine if he should install an aftermarket intercooler by providing some information and some insight. I too have learned the ways of the turbo...
hybrid all the way. turn up the boost to 30psi. run a huge fmic. crank up your ip and get 220hp and 400 ftlbs torque. coal roll everything when off boost, but at least you get your moneys worth
The article I read and the Allard website said a bigger intercooler, tuning the pump, and swapping for an electric fan would net 5-10hp without sacrificing component life. That 5-10hp allowing you to overcome the lag when pulling out to make a turn into traffic and maintain interstate speed in hill country.
All that said, like most of the things I do with vehicles, this would primarily be done just to do it and learn how to do it right the next time.
Funny!
I have a Kenlowe electric fan with a manual switch. I have rarely had the need to employ its use however as the temp is usually right where it needs to be.
I don't know enough to be an expert on TDi or any diesel for that matter, so I'm certainly not going to argue about it. All I will say is that performance is improved in my 300 since installing the Alisport and conservatively increasing fueling. That's based on seat time, not numbers.
Going back to the original post and your intent, I could see how installing a cheaper but bigger intercooler would be appealing and maybe the engineering challenge is part of the reason you want to try it. It is just that by the time you get the bits and minutiea all figured out, you're going to be into the project for a bunch of time and money. I'd suggest just going with a proven aftermarket product, using the regular grill surround and mildly increasing fueling.
I think what others are getting at is that if you simply stick a gigantic intercooler in front of the radiator (at considerable effort) it doesn't mean you're going and faster.
A bit off topic but does anyone know whether it is possible to get brackets to extend an ARB bull bar bumper out from the chassis so that it clears this type of extended grille slam panel? I have one of the panels and want to mount it but do not have enough room with the ARB bumper in place.
Update, I found an intercooler on eBay for a Supura of some sort that has the same dimensions as stock but is 4" deep. It is triangular on the top and bottom but I am going to weld wedges on to square it off and add the matching mounting pegs. $112 for the cooler; $10 in scrap aluminum; a neighbor that welds at the nuclear power plant to teach me how to tig aluminum-priceless!
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