Intercooler or Alcohol injection

[Boosted Wagon]

I have been looking into both for my 92 Lumina (99 GTP 3800 sc swap). They both seem very efficient. The intercooler that I am looking at is air/water but it might not fit under the hood (it raises the charger 1in) and the charger is already freekin VERY close so I Have gone into looking for alcohol or methanol injection. They are close in price and I think that I would rather go with the intercooler but I dont know if it would fit. Does anyone have experience with my car and this motor..will it fit and what are people experiences with both intercooler and injection???

[ComputerJLT]

intercooler should be a must have item on a supercharger.

They have less adiabatic effeciency than any given turbo so they heat the air more; v8 guys can get away with it because they run ultra-low compression and huge + displacmeent blowers.

[Slow96GSR]

Found these:

http://www.geocities.com/rad87gn/tech/alcohol.html
http://my.is/forums/showthread.php?t=243444
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=937176

Hope that helps. I myself wouldn't touch it with out a fire suppression system, just to add those few extra seconds to let me get out if it decides to blow.

intercooler should be a must have item on a supercharger.

They have less adiabatic effeciency than any given turbo so they heat the air more; v8 guys can get away with it because they run ultra-low compression and huge + displacmeent blowers.

Running a intercooler like the JRSC doesn't really allow for a intercooler but a kit like the vortec does. This being a Lumina I bet it's a V-6 and you want a top mount SC so no I.C. for you, unless there is a kit I don't know about!

[Skaterkid]

IC with a speed hump/hole.

[ComputerJLT]

IC with a speed hump/hole.


exactly; making shit fit is half the fun of modify'ing a car :p

[Boosted Wagon]

Found these:

http://www.geocities.com/rad87gn/tech/alcohol.html
http://my.is/forums/showthread.php?t=243444
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=937176

Hope that helps. I myself wouldn't touch it with out a fire suppression system, just to add those few extra seconds to let me get out if it decides to blow.



Running a intercooler like the JRSC doesn't really allow for a intercooler but a kit like the vortec does. This being a Lumina I bet it's a V-6 and you want a top mount SC so no I.C. for you, unless there is a kit I don't know about!

I already found a intercooler for it... the more that i think about it i think that im going to buy the intercooler and maybe put the alcohol injection on later

http://zzperformance.com/grand_prix/products1.php?id=145

[boostedEG]

several companies make intercoolers for those cars but last time i looked they were DAMN expensive ($1500+). and i believe snow performance makes alky (alky/water) injection kits for around $500. and i dont see why you would need a fire suppression system as i have heard you can use regular old windshield washer fluid in an alky inj. system.

by the way the benefits of alcohol are the extra fuel it provides, and it sprays in pretty cold, thus cooling the charge.

water is great for reducing detonation.

most people with an alky injection kit run a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water, which i believe is about what windshield washer fluid is, which is why they use that.

for the price difference i would just get alky injection. especially since you wouldn't have to cut up the hood. you dont want any redneck holes in the middle of your hood, or a ricey scoop fiberglassed/riveted to it.

[rmcdaniels]

Intercooler>water/methanol injection for a Roots blown system, I've tried both.

[TheJackal]

For the cost of the system and this being somewhat of a budget build, the alkie kit is far better. I have seen a stock evo run close to 30 pounds with an alkie kit.

Try to find a snow performance kit. Or see if you can find a nozzle. Beyond that you just need a pump and a res.

[rmcdaniels]

The basic ZZ Performance Intercooler kit, including intercooler core, pump, radiator, lines, bolts, everything you need to install and run it, lists for $589.99 and fits under a stock hood (1" core). A lot of the Pontiac SC guys use them and they have a good reputation.

[kingbobdole]

plus you cant "run out of intercooler" and blow your motor.

[Nightfall]

(rmcdaniels)

Wouldn't an aftercooler be a better solution for a roots style charger? Isn't it more beneficial to cool the air after it gets heated up instead of cooling it off just to be heated up again?

[john]

Both. IC initially, and once you swap pullies (because you know stock boost will be fun - for a little while...) and push the boost up somewhat, add alcohol (or water) injection.

[rmcdaniels]

(rmcdaniels)

Wouldn't an aftercooler be a better solution for a roots style charger? Isn't it more beneficial to cool the air after it gets heated up instead of cooling it off just to be heated up again?

It is an aftercooler; virtually all "intercoolers" are really aftercoolers. I just call it that because that's the term in common usage that most people use to refer to an aftercooler. I only know one person with an actual intercooler on his car; it's between his turbocharger and his supercharger.