intercooler

GINGER · Post by **GINGER** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:11 pm

Hi Does anyone know of a bigger intercooler to fit the bongo.I've been told cleaning it out would help but wonder if bigger cooler/k&n filter and some new or silicone hoses for the important bits.Before you go off on one i don't want the bongo to do 120mph just to get her runing as good as she could.

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:40 pm

Try a search ginge - I think someone in south africa posted about a larger cooler

GINGER · Post by **GINGER** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:33 pm

yeah i saw that but was looking for something in the uk mate but ta for that.

ICB · Post by **ICB** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:34 am

Hi Ginge

See the post from joe on this thread if you haven't already...

I've been looking at this (I have a Hybrid FMIC with polished piping on my Nissan that cost around £500)

My thoughts:

- Allards are good but not cheap
- There's loads of room in front of the aircon radiator for a decent FMIC, I'm surprised no-one has taken measurements and worked out what the good scrapyard options are yet (Volvo and Saab would be good places to start)
- It's a slightly unusual shape I suppose because it's squarer than most but there's bound to be some budget options that would see a significant improvement
- I'd go air filter + feed pipe, then exhaust, then IC and only upgrade hoses if existing ones are knackered.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 1:06 pm

Pl. excuse my ignorance as I'm no techie, but what benefit will the bigger intercooler bring?

ICB · Post by **ICB** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:04 pm

Hi Mike

There's some very techie detail quoted in the above-linked thread but basically intercoolers lower the air intake temperature (through air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange via an alloy matrix), hence increasing air density which in turn allows for more air/fuel combustion per cycle and higher engine output.

With an uprated IC and no change in the engine mapping there is typically a slight increase in output and an improvement in MPG, with a remap there's usually a significantly increased output and either no change or a slight reduction in MPG but sometimes a larger turbo is also required to achieve big improvements.

The article on wikipedia on this is pretty good.

The Bongo has a small and poorly situated intercooler fitted as standard (as do many cars) but plenty of scope for introduction of a much better one. I don't know what turbo is fitted to the WL-T engine in the Bongo or how close to its maximum output it runs as standard.

Cheers,

Paul

GINGER · Post by **GINGER** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:32 pm

Took my intercooler off and cleaned it with thinners,didn't seem to be that dirty.i then refitted it and noticed the air scoop was narrower because the plastic is getting old. So i made some brackets up and opened the scoop up both sides.It's made it about an inch wider.Took the bus down to Portsmouth on saturday and did a fuel check.the best results i've had for my bus.29.4mpg at 65mph and just under 2500 rpm.Don't know if it has made the improvement but if i add a K & N and do the egr plates hopefully 30 + will be possible

ICB · Post by **ICB** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:33 am

good update, thanks Ginge

GINGER · Post by **GINGER** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:52 am

Hi ICB,yes the intercooler is poorly situated on the bongo.Allard do do a front mounted one that sits behind the bumper but at £550+vat it doesn't justify the returns.That includes the refuelling of the pump to match.Like i said before i'm not trying to make the bongo a fire breathing monster,if i wanted that i'd buy a nissan skyline! would be interested to know if anyone has any ideas as to make up a better air scoop and routeing as this possible help.

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:20 am

An Aquamist intercooler spray would probably drop the A.C.T's a tad,ive considered this before for the bongo,but then discounted it,as i dont think the bongo has an automatic retard for high actual combustion temperatures. So it probably wouldn't be worth it.

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:56 pm

Cleaned the inter cooler out the other day and had a grope at it
after a run it didnt feel at all hot only mildly warm, as BDC says
a spray could cool it more. After cleaning our engine seems to run
a few deg cooler on one of those digi temp gauges.
What about water injection anyone tried that? it was used to boost
piston engines in WW11 up about 3/400bhp on a 2000bhp engine
injecting about a gallon of water a minute, it's still used in Jet engines
today the Harrier jump jet can only hover till it runs out of water.
You used to be able to get kits a water tank washer type pump
and a little overflow thing that sat in the air filter, the pump sent water
to a pipe that was wrapped round the exhaust, the heat turned it to steam
and it was delivered to the engine side of the air filter any drips dropped
into a small tank and ran out of the bottom supposed to work quite
well, engines always run better and produce a little more power in
damp misty conditions.
Just found this.

http://users.frii.com/maphill/wi.html

smartmonkey · Post by **smartmonkey** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:16 pm

Funny to think of a Bongo owner wanting his engine to consume water, with most it's the other way round.

Water injection is a bit specialised and mostly found on high performance tubo petrols to control combustion temperature. You can run more fuel and timing with water preventing detonation and providing a cooling effect as it expands. You often get water added to nitromethane and nitrous cars as well. I know a bit of water does a fabulous job of cleaning the inside of your engine but I always bottle out of trying it myself.

I presume the performance effect comes from converting your engine to an internally heated partial steam engine. The brake mean expansion pressure has to be augmented by vapourising the water.

brookie · Post by **brookie** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:42 pm

Would just opening the air scoop as suggested, plus remove all the paint off the IC matrix help, the paint must act as an insulator, so with a nice bare - metal matrix it may cool a little bit more?

Captainsideways · Post by **Captainsideways** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:05 pm

Plenty of aftermarket ones about for not a lot of cash check ebay out for bargains. All you need to do is some basic measurements & then faff about for a day doing the pumbing. For an outlay of no more than £200 it'd be worth it imho.

Here's mine though it's not on a Bongo

It's called a V mount set up, ducted air goes through the grill & uses the negative pressure over the bonnet to draw the air through. At about 70mph my intercooler works out at about 75-80% efficiency when measuring in & out temps, which is pretty good.

Good enough for 440bhp at the wheels

Some pics during work in progress.........

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:25 pm

Nice motor cap'n

But , surely that I/C should be longitudinally mounted for better airflow when drifting?