air to water intercooler

[G3tMyDrift]

Does anyone know where I can get a air to water intercooler for the sr20det? I don't have the motor yet but I plan on changing it anyway and I want to go with the air to water route instead of the front mount. Thanks

[Onizuka]

it has been pretty much accepted that a air to water IC would only benifit for drag racing and would add more weight than its worth. I have never seen or heard of a air to water IC ever being produced for the SR20.

[G3tMyDrift]

what do u think about track racing, you think just the front mount will be good enough.

[Onizuka]

well thats what everyone on both sides of the big pond use for the track so i assume they are doing something right

If you want to read up more about it just do a search it has been discused a couple of times

[G3tMyDrift]

ok, thanks again for the info....my friend brought it up to me by using a atw intercooler instead of the front mount

[PROJECTRB240SX]

WHY IS A AIR TO WATER INTERCOOLER ONLY FOR DRAG RACING? THEY MAKE AIR TO WATER IC THAT HAVE MINI RADIATORS WITH FANS AND PUMPS TO KEEP THE WATER MOVING. IF YOU HAVE THIS BEFORE AN AIR TO AIR IC YOU GET EVEN BETTER COOLING. AIR TO WATER IC ARE PRETTY MUCH A CUSTOM JOB, YOUR GOING TO HAVE TO REPIPE.

[G3tMyDrift]

I know like front mount get like 90% cooling and i heard the air to water gets like 99% cooling. So I was thinking the air to water is better than the front mount.

[Onizuka]

but you are adding so much weight and complexity to the system most people would rather not deal with it.

[p00t]

Just some rambling info...

The only reason its used in drag racing is because they make the coolant (often an alcohol mix) run through an ice chest. This gives them over 100% effeciency....sometimes up to 150% with ice... water doesnt cost much last time i checked. Though that crap you have to spray in front of an air-air unit costs a bit to refill everytime you run low.

They dont use that spray in a liquid-air unit because the systems are designed to loop the warm water back only after the run. So there would be no benefit. (radiator only lowers temps in coolant after the race).

The benefit of liquid-air vs air-air in a street car is that an air-air unit must be fairly large to lower the charge temp down near ambient. The larger the intercooler the more pressure loss results.... and more turbo lag. A liquid intercooler can bring the charge temp down with a unit thats 1/4-1/2 the size of a similar performing air-air unit. The liquid cooling part of the system can be as big as you want it to be, this means you can increase the cooling capacity of the system without effecting pressure loss or turbo lag, pretty good deal if you ask me.

Liquid-air intercooling falls short in the aftermarket support, though adequate, it takes a bit of searching to find something of interest.

Strapped for cash but still want liquid intercooling? There are quite a few cars that had those systems. Subaru RS Legacys had them, some trucks and volvos also.

Reliability is good if you design it right, and its not hard to install it either. All your adding is an intercooler and another radiator.

Good Liquid Intercooling guide:http://ludespeed.com/products/....html

a company called PWR makes an interestlingly designed air to water intercooler, it almost looks like a muffler and it is designed to keep your piping very short. its a straight through type unit and has very little pressure loss.

Click the link and scroll down to PWR Liquid to Air Intercoolers:http://www.absoluteradiator.co...ept=9

[G3tMyDrift]

Thanks for all the info you guys gave me. I'll do some more research and find out which one fits me needs.