Intercooler

[Kramer]

Hello All. Here is what I want to run and I need some tech help to know if it can be done. I have a 93 Ranger and the 4.0 blown so I am going to drop in an F150 4.2. I am going to put the M90 supercharger on it and I want to intercool it. Not a standard Air to Air though. Here is my question...

Can I run an Air to Water Intercooler but have it run off the Radiator and coolant? Even if I got a larger Radiator and a more powerful fan and water pump? Or would raise my temp too much and not cool the engine or the super charged air down enough?

 

[James86]

Well if I'm not mistaken, in a radiator, hot waiter from the engine passes thru the radiator to be cooled so it can return to the motor and cool the motor. In an intercooler, the object is to use water to cool the incoming air, since compressing the air increases it density but raises the temp of it, so if you want to cool the air, I don't think using the warm water from your engine is a good idea since theoretically its around 190 degrees at normal operating temperature, whereas your ambient is almost certainly cooler than that. That said, I wholly admit I don't know how a water-air intercooler works, but I don't think tapping into the engine's cooling system sounds like the way to do it...

 

[RangerSVT]

Compressed air reaches temps of 350* and higher in automotive applications, while this will work, it's more effective to go air to air than to use the coolant from the engine to cool the intake charge down. If you use a dedicated radiator, pump and coolant that is separate from the engine coolant, then it will be moe efficient than air to air...
SVT

 

[Kramer]

Thanks. I wasnt going to run the hot coolant through the Air to Water intercooler but im glad to know that it still wont get as cool as an Air to Air. So now the next one. I know I have to run one or the other, witch one? This truck is built already for wheelin, and because of alot of the slower speed driving associated with wheelin would the water intercooler be best because of the less air flow over the radiators? Im pretty sure Ill need a fan for either the Air to Air or Air to Water. This truck will also be a DD once it is done, if that helps.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Water/meth

 

[Kramer]

Ha ha. Yes I did think about that. But im unsure. How long does does the 1 gallon tank last? Does anyone actually run it? Plus can the 4.2 take much more then 8 PSI boost even if the air is significantly cooled?

 

[RangerSVT]

Your traditional air to air IC setups are usually good for a max of 12 psi boost, and not for long durations (IE climbing Mount Vernon pulling a load) on stock internals. If you have upgraded the pistons and rods, then you can run as much as the SC will put out. Either way I recommend an electric cooling fan, and an air to water setup would be the best way to go. Mount a small radiator in the bed of your truck, and plumb an E-fan and the cooling lines to the IC, and your set
SVT

 

[Kramer]

Other Mounting Points

So I need other mounting points for the Heat Exachager. I would love to run it to the bed, but I am really worried about parking it somewhere and someone messing with it. Also I would like to add a Light/Roll Bar and mount removable seats under the Light/Roll Bar. Where else could I mount the Heat Exchanger? Idk how cramped I will be for space once the 4.2 is in there.

 

[RangerSVT]

You can mount it where the factory spare goes, and put the spare in the bed...
SVT