CHARGE COOLERS ANY ADVICE/VIEWS?!!
Turbo Mini Forums

ive just bought a charge cooler for my mini, as it relitively small (single cell)

i believe they give good power gains, but i hear conflicting stories. ive never ran one before, and notice not many people do. is it just because a normal type intercooler is easyer/cheeper??

cheers

(going to be a daddy any time soon )

the paint master! D

Chargecoolers are good, but no better than a sorted intercooler setup imho. They're messier too, with the extra water system needed.

Personal view is that it is difficult to get an intercooler in neatly, the extra water system and radiator needed as Alex says is only going complicate matters more.
An intercooler is easier to execute and just as good. (And usually much cheaper too)

cheers. as long as its as good as! its just due to the configuration of my engine layout i think a pace charge cooler will swing it, plus i got it v.cheep!

the paint master! D

must agree with tom forget the charge --cooler

spend you money on a intercooler!

we know you got this cheap but ...................

some times this can lead people down the wrong direction.......

there are plenty of "CHEAP" intercoolers to be had,

(go searching)

do a search on the subject daddy and get genned up on the issues...

then pick the right one and make it happen buddy.

Edited by BENROSS on 12th May, 2005.

CHarge coolers work fine on several cars I've worked on... from Escort RSTs to VW G60's.

Its all a matter of space! Its often easier to fit a charger cooler under the bonnet without hacking lupms out of bumpers etc.

In terms of how they work... water is about 3 times better at cooling things down than air... food for thought.

The limitations tend to be that they suffer from heat soak, they can absorbe heat more quickly than they can get rid of it.

So for road use or 1/4 mile they are a very viable option. But for trackdaying... I'm not so sure.

Alex

AlexF

water is about 3 times better at cooling things down than air...

True, But it still relies on air for cooling - so not so great afterall?

Why no so great? Horses for courses I said :)

For short durations water cooling has got to have an advantage.... no?

I'd personally still fit an IC, but only when needed and also make sure that it actually has air flow, unlike the majority of installations I have seen!

Alex

AlexF

Horses for courses exactly... I'd need a good reason to fit one over an intercooler, but would fit one if i had a good reason (does that make sense???)

In a country like USA where ambient temps are sky high in summer, you could argue that unless a cooling fan was fitted to the heat exchanger (more space needed) then it'd be worse than a stock intercooler. They have their place for sure - as we both agree - the right descision for the right application

I've considered chargecooling for my mini project.

I watercooled my computer, and apart from the fact that's it's near silent in operation, it runs very cool indeed.

As I see it, there would a couple of significant advantages to charge cooling in mini turbo with a couple of mods to the body.

1. As water is very good at removing heat, the actual part (heat exchanger?) that cools the air charge can be physically smaller than an air-air intercooler.
The unit, with a small body mod (i.e. a weber box welded in) could be placed behind the carb resulting in a tiny pipe run, which will help reduce lag.

2. The charge cooler radiator and pump could be situated in the boot. With some modification to the floor a scoop could be welded in to ensure good cold air flow through the rad.

With the siting of the radiator away from the engine bay, it can be made much larger than would otherwise be practical.

Andy

Ive been thinking about charge cooling mainly because like alex I have been very impressed at the results of water cooling on my PC. What I have been trying to work out though is exactly how much energy we are going to get rid of out of the hot air?

My CPU only puts oout roughly 145W of heat, I have a small specifically designed radiator with a 12cm fan.

How much bigger is my system (mainly the radiator for it) going to have to be? I wont know untill I can work out the energy in the moving air charge from the turbo.....and my thermofluids isnt too great!

This is mine using 2 cells...and it works a treat. The reason for me getting one (custom made from pace) was the space issue.

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/index.php?p=slideshow&id=439

picture of full set up

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/index.php?p=slideshow&id=452

radiator size

does this help?

Nice bay!

it is alex magic

Looks very neat.

-MINI CLUBMAN 1380 TURBO-

Thank you.....no major mods to fit, just had to move washer bottle to boot.

Nice install.

From my piont of view I want the lightest and least power consuming system, so charge cooling never got a look in.

Wil

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

good call, horses for courses
I wanted a set up for the road that wouldnt need any body mods ( I also fancied something a little different)

This is mine using 2 cells...and it works a treat. The reason for me getting one (custom made from pace) was the space issue.

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/index.php?p=slideshow&id=439

picture of full set up

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/index.php?p=slideshow&id=452

radiator size


impressed with your set up.! people obviously dont like the idea of charge cooling. they think that they absorb the heat, well, not if it ran with a seperate rad, anyhow, its very easy to fit a teperature gauge on the outlet pipe on the chargecooler radiator to see the running temperatures, and the use of a co2 fogger would cool things down should it be required?!

Edited by the daddy take2 on 19th May, 2005.

the paint master! D

Not sure I'd use a C02 fogger on teh rad for the charge cooler - it would probibly freeze the water within the rad and crack it! I think that charge coolers are great though!

Hannibal: There are two ways we can do this: the easy way and the hard way. In a few minutes my friends and I are going to come down on you like your worst nightmare. You're gonna wish the Earth had opened up and swallowed you whole.
bad guy: What's the easy way?
Hannibal: That WAS the easy way.

I have thought of the charge cooler option myself. One idea i had was to mount the cooler behind the dash inside the car, this would keep the piping length to a minimum, be kept away from the engine heat and leave often much needed space under the bonnet.

Jon.

Thanks guys...it cools very efficiently and even when it heats up on a blast the temp drops almost immediately when you come off the gas, and I have nothing but praise for the guys at PACE. They were very helpful and made the complete unit to my own design specifications.

I have thought of the charge cooler option myself. One idea i had was to mount the cooler behind the dash inside the car, this would keep the piping length to a minimum, be kept away from the engine heat and leave often much needed space under the bonnet.

Jon. ...


thanks giallofly. im glad some ones on my wave length. that idea did cross my mind to, as your right, the pipes would be kept short, and as il be using a curly dash, i give ample hiding space, but!!.. im worried about cutting huge holes in the bulk head, and then sealing them up. i'd need a good bit of space for two 60mm pipes. mmm..

Spencer.

the paint master! D

I am never worries about cutting holes!, my car is full of them!

My idea was to cut 2 holes into the bulkhead and weld steel pipe in create a perfect bulkhead seal, then silicone pipes connected to those to give the flexibility you need.

Easy!

anyone considered the charge cooler from the escort cosworth??

mate has just upgraded to rs500 for his escort, and temporarily loaned me his standard chargecooler for fit up (note to self: "must get a front end for car....")

see link below of 2wd cossie next to escort cossie chargecooler

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/iain/up/intercooler.jpg