Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2006 07:36:13 GMT From: Paul Halliday <pjghnospamyonder.co.uk> Subject: Re: Saab 900 Intercooler Questions
in article bdGqg.316874$Fs1.41157nospamsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net, Jeremy at jerem43nospamnet wrote on 05/07/2006 04:19: > >>> Intercooler questions for the Fourth of July: >>> 1. I was considering upgrading mine to a larger one later this year or >>> early next year. >> >> >> Well, not all stock intercoolers are the same. The later cars had a plastic >> capped 9 row cooler which is more efficient than either the metal capped 9 >> row or the 15 row. It does still heat soak, but I have an idea which >> involves moving the oil cooler ... See below. >> > > I have one of the metal capped 15-row and one plastic capped 9-row, the > cars has the metal capped 9-row. Should I go with the Plastic 9-row? Well, I like mine :) See what others think on the matter. >>> 1a. Anyone seen aftermarket intercoolers for the Classic 900t? (Group >>> 9 had some, but Mr. Dale has closed up shop and sold the company. I do >>> not know what the new owner will be doing with the site/store.) >> >> >> Abbott Racing make a "chargecooler" which will fit into the stock location. >> Theirs is further cooled by water. > > Do you know the approximate cost, or the part #? 750 UKP ... Abbott are known for their pricing :) <http://www.abbottracing.com/2003/tuning/c900/engine/c900_chgclr.htm> >>> 1b. If you have, are there any that will fit in the OEM location with >>> minimal custom work? >> >> >> It would be better to provide increased airflow (or a fan) to the stock >> intercooler. A mate of mine cooked up an intercooler fogging system, but he >> already has a FMIC from a Volvo. >> >> My thought is to move (or replace) the oil cooler to a more central location >> in front of the radiator and install a scoop and pipe up to the stock >> intercooler. My other thought it to cut into the bonnet and install a scoop >> to force air down over the intercooler where that little plastic air dam >> usually sits. > > I was thinking along the scoop idea with two channels, one short one for > the intercooler an the other for the air intake. The problem with the C900 is any ducting would have to come from the RHS of the car, due to the oil cooler filling up that area on the LHS. Move the oil cooler to a more central location and you've got a great hole to pop a scoop into. By all means, feed the air intake with another duct ... Or turn the airbox around and feed it directly from the front of the car? I have seen people drop the airbox altogether, cut through the inner wing and place an open air filter onto the end of a pipe, supplying air through the wing by way of a scoop or slashes in the LHS wing. That gives a lot more space to mount a larger, more capable fan behind the standard intercooler. >>> 1c. Any thoughts about keeping it in the stock location verses putting >>> a larger one below the bumper, behind the air dam? I know this would be >>> an expensive option. >> >> >> Unless you have the Airflow/Carlsson bumper skins, you'll almost certainly >> have to remove/cut the lower airdam or grind off the towing lugs if you go >> for a FMIC. Volvo 760 or SAAB 9000 intercoolers seem popular, but they are >> not very efficient. Going for a FMIC will certainly involve custom pipe work >> and perhaps "clocking" the turbocharger. >> >> One of the cleanest installations I've seen is by Aussie Alex Reid: >> <http://www.900aero.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1448> > > That was just an idea investigating the feasibility of putting a FMIC. > Just throwing it out there for others to opine on. Traditional wisdom has been to fit the larger cooler from the SAAB 9000 or a Volvo 760. People have done this for years without really investigating the effect. More modern intercoolers are very efficient for their size, so something much smaller, but strategically placed (or cooled with water) is a more "modern" approach. The Lotus chargecooler on F900 I pointed you to shows a minimal use of pipework, less bends and leads to significant cooling, compared with the original. That car was built with 300 BHP in mind and over 160 MPH top speed. >>> 3. Any one ever upgrade the hose/pipes so that there is a uniform >>> 3"/7.62 cm pipe/adapters throughout the system? Would there be any >>> advantages to this? >> >> >> Custom job ... Yes, there are advantages if you have a high flow charger. >> There will be increased lag as well. It depends what you want ... Long >> sustained top boost or fast spooling for short bursts? > > I am inclined to go for the long sustained boost. The push you back into > the seat as you press the pedal is fun, but I like to cruise the > Interstate at 90 mph. Radar/Laser detector on of course. A 60 trim T3 is on your shopping list, then? You do need to balance up the flow rate with the pipe diameter. For example, the 8V pipework is 40mm in diameter to match the 40mm diameter turbo outlet. On the 16V car (and late model T8s sold in Europe and Scandinavia), a 45mm trim was used with the same pipework. On later T16s, 60mm pipework was used, which matched up nicely with the inlet and outlet on the intercooler, being 60mm. [Check your intercoolers, but I think they're all 60mm in width for the inlet/outlet.] Once you go up to 3" (75mm) pipework, you're going to introduce some lag unless you beef up the turbo unit a bit. >>> 4. I have a small cooling fan (6"/15.24 cm) that I am conteplating >>> installing to get better airflow over it. Help or hurt? Any thoughts on >>> this? >> >> >> Great! Fit it behind the intercooler to pull air through it. Have it >> actuated by boost, or if you're a little daring, drill and tap in a >> thermostat (like on the radiator). > > How would you tie it to the boost? Vacuum powered solenoid? This one > needs further investigation/explanation. Use a second/spare pressure transducer, like behind the kneeboard. My mate used precisely that to trigger his intercooler fogging setup. Simply, but effective. See the inner wing picture half way down this page: <http://www.900aero.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1127> Paul 1989 900 Turbo S http://saab.go.dyndns.org/
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