air intake warming water/air intercooler

[bhearts]

so most people use water/air intercoolers for cooling off boost temps. but what would keep you from running your 160-190 degree engine coolant through a water/air intercooler for colder weather fuel economy help. i live in kansas, so cold weather is usually december-march. 4 months wouldnt be enough to justify this practice. but if you were far enough into canada, you could probably do this year around with minimal modifications to your engine. we all end up putting cardboard in front of our radiators in the winter months anyway, you might as well put a valve in so you could just shut coolant flow off completely. you could have all your engine coolant cooling come from the heat transfer in your intake tract. most fuel economy guys with warm air intakes suck heat off the catalytic converters like thisinsight.jpgbut imagine being able to harvest the waste energy thats going out your radiator. i had this model water/air intercooler in mindintercooler_type23_picture.jpgive actually though of incoorperating valves inline of coolant passages so with the popping of the hood, you could have ambient air capable boost temps(for turbo guys only)or if youre taking a cruise to see someone, you could max out your mpg and flow your warmed engine coolant through it, with the flip of a valve. better yet, automated water solenoids would be the best bet. at the flip of the switch, you could go from 180f intake temps, to ambient.

[bhearts]

180 degree intake temps equate to around 20 percent less oxygen per intake stroke compared to 20 degree f ambient winter temps.

[bhazard]

Less oxygen means you have to open the throttle more, reducing pumping losses.

These cars need all the help they can get to stay warm in the winter. Try it.

[bhearts]

im contemplating it. the air water intercooler mod is on my list of upgrades to my car once i get the turbo on, but i figure that 300 dollars would first be better spent on a transmission upgrade, because needing an intercooler for boost usually happens around 12. and i know the clutch will fail before that. if anyone was interested in trying it. those barrel intercoolers are roughly 100 dollars from frozenboost.com, and you wouldnt need any pumps or anything. you would just series it in somewhere of your coolant flow. cheapest 100 dollar fuel mod no one else in the world has ever tried. that i know of. no one uses intercoolers for air warming.