can a intercooler be made from radiator?

[RATT]

Can a intercooler be made from a raditor core?

 

[DSMSpyder99]

i believe only if it is air to water intercooler

 

[AWD Eagle]

I would say no. There are too many honeycombs and chambers inside radiator for it to flow good at all. The internals of a radiator couldn't withstand high boost either. That's just my opinion.

 

[me612]

Please dont. There's a line between going a cheaper route, and going the Ghetto route. Using a radiator as a FMIC would be crossing that line. Look at the size of the inlet/outlet of a radiator. I don't imagine it helping performance at all. And please explain how you'd use one as an air/liquid intercooler because ya sure did lose me on that one.

 

[leakyfaucet]

And please explain how you'd use one as an air/liquid intercooler because ya sure did lose me on that one.

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing...

 

[pinknuggit]

I would say no. There are too many honeycombs and chambers inside radiator for it to flow good at all. The internals of a radiator couldn't withstand high boost either. That's just my opinion.

radiators endure insane amounts of pressure every time your car gets to operating temperature. lots more than you could ever make with boost on your intake tract.

A radiator will not flow air enough to do any good period.

 

[Trevor90GXT]

The pressure in a radiator only goes as high as the radiator pressure cap. Which I think is about 13 psi (correct me if I'm wrong) So I don't think they would design them to hold much more then that. Besides the whole flow issue.

 

[Aikouka]

The pressure in a radiator only goes as high as the radiator pressure cap. Which I think is about 13 psi (correct me if I'm wrong) So I don't think they would design them to hold much more then that. Besides the whole flow issue.

Yeah, it's about 14psi for the coolant system. Also, I don't think it would really flow well. You can try finding a bad radiator and cutting it in half to see how well it would flow with air.

 

[92awddsm]

The pressure in a radiator only goes as high as the radiator pressure cap. Which I think is about 13 psi (correct me if I'm wrong) So I don't think they would design them to hold much more then that. Besides the whole flow issue.

I have a 19psi greddy cap but I run 20-21 psi boost on pump. I think my fluidyne will hold the pressure but If someone runs more coolant pressure than that, they have serious problems.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

If you wanted to go THAT cheap and still have a FMIC (i'd stick with the side mount tho) then go with a starion intercooler from a junkyard and custom make the intake piping.

 

[midnght]

Yes it "could"

No it wouldn't work for you. It would hinder your performance.

That is all.

 

[thekellbeast]

And please explain how you'd use one as an air/liquid intercooler because ya sure did lose me on that one.

You'd have to use a heat exchanger somewhere else in the engine compartment, so the charge air is cooled off by the water, and then route the water to a small radiator up at the front of the car. You also need a resevoir, so the water supply doesn't get heat soaked. It's been proven to work.

 

[me612]

i was talking about a radiator alone, by itself, used as an air/liquid intercooler. And that simply won't work.

 

[UndergroundR32]

I wonder if anyone has bench flow tested a radiator

 

[RATT]

The reason I ask is I stumbled into diesel radiators that are about 5in. thick....Im not talking about just taking a radiator and putting it up there I am talking about cutting the core out and welding on end tanks.

 

[dave99gst]

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing...

http://www.turboneticsinc.com/liquid.html

 

[psychlow]

I don't quite understand why no one is using a copper cored-radiator for an air/water setup.

Copper transfers heat much better than aluminum. Maybe it has something to do with oxidation from being outside?

 

[gamingguru]

I think that most people aren't using copper radiators simple because of the cost. When I was shopping around for a new radiator for my computer the all copper ones were far more expensive than the standard alluminium ones.

 

[leakyfaucet]

http://www.turboneticsinc.com/liquid.html

Okay, you could use a radiator as part of a air/water intercooler setup, but it wouldn't be directly cooling the intake air...

 

[Defiant]

Can a intercooler be made from a raditor core?

No.

Now, before the squabbling starts, or we start wandering into a air/liquid discussion, I'm dropping the gate.