Intercoolers and for Polo GTI and TDI...and other products!

[RhysQ]

may be if you let them know in the next post that you are interested in a buy , maybe theyll get more interested in giving you more answers.,.....maybe.

i told them i was interested in ordering between 5-10 sets. i thought that would have been enough!

[Greg Roles]

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere, or is considered OT, but has anyone actually measured the temps across the stock sidemount intercooler with a twin channel digital thermometer in real time?

I recently did this in my Golf. Had ideas of water intercoolers, water sprays etc etc. What I found is the stock intercooler does a tremendous job in real life driving in my car, and with the addition of a simple water spray, will cover me for all my future needs. Sure if you are racing or doing track work, you'd be mad not to go for proven ( and tested ) technology, but for the majority...

I have been running two probes directly across my intercooler for a few weeks now, and despite a small whistle leak, it's been valuable feedback. Combined with Vag-com, and I've been able to track inlet, turbo output, intercooler and EGT's concurrently, and found the real weakpoints on the car. I'm sure the same could be done with a Polo.

I'd be very happy to help do some testing on a Brisbane Polo, so if anyone is up for some dirty hands ( I'll help ) and is thinking a water spray, I'd be happy to help out. Will be done with my thermometer for a while pretty soon. Especially keen to help the diesel crew

[RhysQ]

Kai had an I/C spray setup and said it had no noticebale effect whatsoever, that heatsoak still set right in. Water spray was no match for heatoak under spirited driving.

Isn't there significantly more airflow through TDI engines than Petrol turbo engine, maybe it's just easier to cool down a faster airflow...i don't know really ...but what i do know is an I/C spray has been tested on the Polo GTI.

Don't WRX STI's have them standard??

[Greg Roles]

A diesel flows greater air, and has lower EGT's for sure, but the turbo is compressing the air a LOT more ( I measure about 24psi max at the manifold ), so the intercooler, is working a lot harder. To my understanding all the Golfs share the same large intercooler, so the petrol boys should be well off with their stocker from what I've measured.

The Golf has a radiator sized one, in front of the radiator ( but behind AC ), which is always going to be more efficient. For sure the Polo sidemount is limited, but did Kai actually measure it, beyond seat of pants? On speaking with one of the diesel polo boys he informed me the actual airflow path through the intercooler area wasn't great, and me, well I'd be making sure that was changed. I'd be testing both a spray and a booster fan, especially at the lights, to make the most of what you have already. Adding to that I'd try lagging or wrapping the cold side to the inlet, and making sure you're putting the coldest air into the airbox in the first place. I'm sure the stock setup could be optimised, but that's why it needs measuring, to see just how much.

In the Golf, heatsoak sets in at idle, at the lights, with intercooler output temps climbing the most ( more than 20 degrees within 2 mins), even with low turbo output temps, and staying there for several driving mins afterwards. A few flat strap sprints up a steep hill with a max 120 degree turbo output ( in the TDI ) had nowhere near ( a few degrees actually! ) the effect post intercooler thanks to the airflow.

I agree for track work, you need a lot more, but for the street...???

If the STI has the usual top mount intercooler, they are about as bad for heatsoak as one can get, at least you aren't battling that!

[572]

I'd be very happy to help do some testing on a Brisbane Polo, so if anyone is up for some dirty hands ( I'll help ) and is thinking a water spray, I'd be happy to help out. Will be done with my thermometer for a while pretty soon. Especially keen to help the diesel crew

More than happy to get involved with that Greg.

[VW GTI]

Kai had an I/C spray setup and said it had no noticebale effect whatsoever, that heatsoak still set right in. Water spray was no match for heatoak under spirited driving.

Isn't there significantly more airflow through TDI engines than Petrol turbo engine, maybe it's just easier to cool down a faster airflow...i don't know really ...but what i do know is an I/C spray has been tested on the Polo GTI.

Don't WRX STI's have them standard??

Rhys, stand in front of a fan - then grab a spray bottle and squirt it (on mist) at the fan. If you don't feel cooler, then I don't know what's wrong with you.

A water spray will work. Water is one of the hardest substances to change temperature of, so it will cool metal and air long before it changes temp.

If set up correctly - with a nice mist going over the entire intercooler, you will reduce intake temps significantly.

I'm aware of a number of 'tests' that have been done with little or no good result then someone else does it and it changes dramatically. Can't really say after 1 test that it doesn't work when the science behind it says it will.

[seangti]

Cogdoc, I too am happy to play test pig. I'll be doing a track day in early april if you also want some harder driven results. PM me if you want.

[philthy]

Physics behind a waterspray:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latent_heat

Heat energy is absorbed by the water during change of state from a liquid to a vapour.

[mikepologti]

I'm sure the stock setup could be optimised, but that's why it needs measuring, to see just how much.


the stock in take on these things are horendously restricted, hence just about everyone on here has seat intakes,(and have cut the front 2 pieces of plastic out of the oem air trumpet on the grill, to increase air flow). unfortunatly cold air intakes are an adventurous mod at best because of the way the battery is situated.though im definatly all ears for any ideas concerning spray/booster fan setup.

[-pologti-]
5-10 sets?,......well if those guys still didnt get back to you after that then there best left avoided.with most companies ive dealt with over the net , that is one of the sure fire warning signs of bad costomer support and comunication.(never good signs of someone your about to hand a couple of grand over to)

[Greg Roles]

Thanks guys, but Jon was first to offer, and as he's a fellow dieseller, well he's in. I've only got one 4 channel thermometer anyhow, and it's a pain to place probes, let me tell ya. As the diesel runs higher boost pressure ( than a stock petrol polo, not sure about you tuned types ) it'll be a good test for what we can do with the stock intercooler setup.

I'm about to put the you beaut hi pressure Autospeed spray onto my TDI,
http://autospeed.com/A_2720/cms/article.html
and once I have some measurements, we'll start on Jon's baby. Put a probe right before and immediately after the sidemount, and see what we can find, then step to a spray, a booster fan, and I can retrofit my high pressure doobie if we think it'll help. Measure the changes and report on what happens. Be nice to give the beast a trial on vag com too, now I've learnt how to log things into graphs. See the TDI test data thread in the diesel section for an example. Sean, we definately want to log your track day!

Anything that gives a result on a diesel will give an even better result on a "gasser", and then you polo-ers can decide where to spend your money.