gaborpapp

Hello scoobynet users,

does anybody have any ideas about the efficiency and gain of the intercooler watersprays?

I do know that they do work indeed and helps cooling the intake temp, but i don't seem to find an estimate about how much power they will gain you, or how much lower the intake temp will be?

Is just i`m thinking if it's worth it when your intake temps are a bit high with summer around the corner.


Kind Regards

Steve001

iTrader: (7)

I can't understand why these were never 'wired in' with the ecu, a spray every time you go over 5k rpm, pain in the *** pressing a button and don't get me started on the stupid location of said button

Alan Jeffery

It's a charge temp issue only. There is a range of temperatures that can be tolerated, but once it goes outside that range the risks rise rapidly. 40 degrees is accepted as being a high optimum. We set one up recently that runs in Spain, so a bit toasty. Using an Alcatek ECU, we've fed in limits to trigger over 40 degrees, linked to throttle position, boost, charge temp and time scale so it feeds the spray in variable bursts. The trick is not to empty the tank all in one go then leave the motor unprotected! If the charge temp rises, then the Alcatek will dial in corrections for ignition first, then boost.

Steve001

iTrader: (7)

Nice, so it can be wired in I suppose a low water light could be used so that you can back off until you fill it

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

JDM STI's had an auto function

Another reason why JDM are superior

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

Dog with a bone

I've removed my headlight washers and used the pipes from them and connected them to some yet washers for intercooler spray, although the jets are poor and i need to buy the correct ones

Steve001

iTrader: (7)

The only version envy here mate is for the all conquering WRX so I ain't taking the bait

ossett2k2

iTrader: (9)

There are some small gains as you would expect by lowering the charge temps.
There are a few good threads on this and other forums,also some vids on the net to show testing. I did a bit of reading up on this subject as I want to retain the tmic and ic water spray.
I have bought a cheap charge temp gauge but thought twice about fitting it as I've heard a few horror stories about the cheap probes getting sucked into the engine!
I'm on the hunt for a quality gauge when I get round to sorting one,I also work with isoproponal alcohol which when added to water aids in the speed of the cooling process,again thought twice about it(for now) as it has a low flashpoint,I am going to add a small % to my if water tank when the gauge is fitted to see any affects(hopefully not the engine fire affect)

Alan is this the 1st ECU you have rigged up to use auto spray? Would be interested to see if the same can be done on the ESL

ronjeramy

iTrader: (1)

Lick you finger and blow on it

ossett2k2

iTrader: (9)

Getting the missus to lick the helmet and blow is more accurate as the load can be tested

gaborpapp

I would say you can always design a circuit to be fully triggered. I could do it either based on temperatures, either based on throttle position. For example every time you pressed your throttle more than 50% = spray every 5 mins or something.

I've need now to rewatch mighty car mods to see how much their temperatures dropped. I am against front mounts, so I guess if things looks promising I will spend some money to heatshield engine bay, add water IC and even some extractor fans on the bottom of the IC. Also plan is to re-design the undertray so all the airflow gets on full area of the IC rather than just in small patch.

ossett2k2

iTrader: (9)

I have recently seen a tmic with fans added to the bottom,I would have thought the gains would be very small,but I guess it all counts towards lowering them charge temps.
Also read a couple of articles on reverse bonnet scoops and how the air flows better into the ic.
I would be interested to see how you rig up the auto ic spray if that's the road you're going down gaborpapp,keep us updated if you can please

TypeR99

iTrader: (2)

I dont see the need for extractor fans underneath as the engine bay isnt a sealed off area. Theres already air passing under the car drawing air from the engine bay and based on the space available between a tmic and the gearbox I see no benefit.

1509joe

iTrader: (2)

When your sat at the traffic lights or at slow speeds it would greatly reduce heat soak. Hence why a fair few jeeps have fans fitted to draw air through the top mounts.

bigtel

I've rigged mine up using a fish tank thermostat (from eBay about a tenner) to trigger the spray for 5 secs every 30 secs if a set temp is reached. No sure what TMIC you have but the one on my P1 has a small threaded hole, near the out pipe, that goes into the IC but is sealed off. I fitted the probe in packed in with copper grease to help heat transfer then sealed it in. Works great with no risk of the probe getting eaten by the engine!

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=190727560627

gaborpapp

@bigtell I shall come back tomorrow with a few pictures of my very unorthodox way of measuring the heat.

All i did I cable-tied the thermocouple on the outside of my intercooler. Only problem is that for the reading gauge, I used a Depo Racing Water temp, and I was in a shock to find out it only reads above 40deg. However even then I can see everytime I go hard, needle goes to 50, specially if you go hard then stop for a traffic light.

Sure ossett2k2 i`m going to come back with updates asap.

To control it i`m going into a bit of an overkill, i`ll probably use arduino micro-controller and a relay, as I`m to lazy to read how to make something "simpler". There I know I can just add my thermocouple input, output for a relay and rest is all programing.

Need to check now if the seller still wants to sell me his IC kit because last time i said is overpriced, but since then i was lazy to find something and the deal fell of on a £10 anyway.

richie001

iTrader: (3)

Edited for accuracy lol

gaborpapp

seen some STI's (gc8's) with auto feature too

So tank is not for sale anymore. Next i`ll attempt to make my own. Temptation is big right now to unplug the headlight washers and reroute the piping, However i`ll buy a small universal 1,2L bottle off from ebay for £8 and a £6.4 mist type jets. we`ll see where it takes me.

Progress will be slow, as right now i`m working on the body of the car.

bigtel

I've got the 12L tank and 4 mist jets which empties the tank at about 2L per min. There doesn't seem to be a massive benefit in constantly pumping, as the water needs to evaporate, so I have it set to pump 5secs every 30secs. Even then the tank only lasts about half hour.

Bob Rawle

Alan 40 degrees trigger point is far too low for Portugal, I have mapped cars out there running mid 400"s up in 48 to 50 degrees of ambient its a different world

I have done some very definitive testing on the benefits of the water spray function ... basically it does not a lot ... maybe a 0.5 to 1 degree drop in initial charge temp but the ultimate level is still the same plus or minus half a degree, it was put on cars to get it it homologated, nothing more, a WRC car uses a vastly different system, but because this was on the homologation vehicles its "allowed'

Matt Clark and i spent some time on this at Bruntingthorpe using my STi 5 back in 2003 !!

That resulted me changing my APS FMIC to an HKS with the result that my charge temp rise dropped from 50 degrees to 15 degrees ... measured on full throttle over the length of the 2 mile runway ... so go for the most effective intercooler system possible, water spray is a very poor band aid

trevsjwood

iTrader: (2)

I rigged up a three nozzle spray unit which fogged up spray vertically into the incoming airflow of the bonnet scoop, it was quite effective and would knock out a couple of degrees of the low end air charge temp. The problem is, where could it be used, ok for road but not allowed on track or 1/4 mile strip.
Trev

gaborpapp

i don't see why are you not allowed on track or 1/4? is it because you would risk putting wet patches or something?

I hooked up my 1/8 ntp thermocouple in the intercooler and used a depo water-temp gauge. Unfortunately i can't see the under 40deg temps due to gauging, but fun fact is that as soon as you stop in traffic it goes to 50 deg. Heatsoak from engine.

I bought nozzles and will heatshield intercooler, heatwrap turbo downpipes etc. will be interesting to see if there is any differences. Post will be updated in about a week, car is in the body shop.


@Bob I appreciate your input. hence I guess my best bet is actual heat-shielding rather than some water spray.

trevsjwood

iTrader: (2)

at Santa Pod they're real sticklers for it and looked under my car everytime I came around to the start, any water down onto track and you're out. Likewise the marshalls on a trackday will blackflag you if you continue to put anything down onto track which is the last thing you want given the outlay for the day. Also you wouldn't want to be the cause of something happening to someone else.
Trev

The Pink Ninja

iTrader: (23)

Also a little tip, have you all actually lifted the bonnet and pressed the button to check water is coming out as I've seen quite a few nozzles that have calcified/blocked over the years due to prolonged tap water use

InTurbo

iTrader: (3)

I personally think the ic spray is a bit of a gimmick.
I've never noticed any peformance gain from using it.

Even after giving my car a hard drive I pulled over poped the bonnet and put my hand on the intercooler and its stone cold.
So the bonnet scoop must be doing its job effectively.