Intercooler Question

pajero12 · 28-08-2011 7:51am #1

Hey Guys, After coming to no agreement on an arguement a mate and I had, We're putting the question to Ye guys! Does every turbocharged engine have an intercooler? I didn't think so but he's adamant they do!
Thanks for the help!

Greyfoot · 28-08-2011 9:51am

pajero12 wrote: »

Hey Guys, After coming to no agreement on an arguement a mate and I had, We're putting the question to Ye guys! Does every turbocharged engine have an intercooler? I didn't think so but he's adamant they do!
Thanks for the help!

All turbocharged petrol and diesel cars, tractors and trucks I`ve driven so far had intercooler.

slimjimmc · 28-08-2011 10:19am

Generally the answer is yes (there are bound to be some exceptions in custom/specialised engines).

The turbo increases the pressure (and volume) of the air supplied to the engine. This pressure increase raises the temperature of the air. However an engine runs more efficiently with cold air since it's denser and you can squeeze more into the combustion chamber to get a bigger bang. An intercooler cools the air before it gets into the chambers. You don't have to have one, but an intercooler improves power and efficiency in turbo and supercharged engines, in most cases it would be daft not to have one.

doyle61 · 28-08-2011 10:25am

I had two renault 19's that were turbo (TD) and they didn't have intercoolers. Have a KIA at moment and can't remember seeing one but I'm open to correction on that.
A turbo doesn't actually NEED an intercooler but runs more efficiently with one

Sids Not · 28-08-2011 10:36am

Friend has a Merc Vito 108cdi..no intercooler, but the 110 and 112 do have....

YouTookMyName · 28-08-2011 11:49am

2L and 2.5L Toyota D4D don't have a intercooler AFAIK. 3L D4D Does.

conzy · 28-08-2011 12:28pm

Ill throw in a intercooler question here, I saw a scangered IS200 the other day with a big front mount intercooler, can you use an intercooler on a naturally aspirated car? I really doubt this particular car had an aftermarket turbo kit..

Would the intercooler restrict the airflow and negate any performance benefits it may have created?

Gary ITR · 28-08-2011 12:49pm

Hardly this one is it? If so it's far from a skangermobile, it's running an SR20 Nissan engine.

As for your question, there wouldn't be an intercooler on an NA car, only ones you'll see on NA cars are fake

tossy · 28-08-2011 2:50pm

The purpose of an intercooler is to cool air that has been heated up due to being compressed by a turbo/supercharger,so understanding that we can learn 2 things.

1. You could have a 'charged car with no intercooler or intercoolers once the boost was kept low as to avoid excessive heating of the air being taken in.

2. An intercooler on a N/A car would be dumb.

conzy · 28-08-2011 3:24pm

Gary ITR wrote: »

Hardly this one is it? If so it's far from a skangermobile, it's running an SR20 Nissan engine.

As for your question, there wouldn't be an intercooler on an NA car, only ones you'll see on NA cars are fake
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No its some yoke down around kilkenny, i was thinking it must just be an accessory

Nissan doctor · 28-08-2011 3:31pm

You don't need an intercooler on a turbo engine for it to function. It mostly older TD cars that would have been available without intercoolers as the boost pressure that diesels run is generally much lower the on petrol engines.

Practically all modern turbo charged engines, petrol or diesel, will have intercoolers as the colder charged air make the combustion more efficient.

CJhaughey · 28-08-2011 6:16pm

It depends on the market (or it used to)
my 90 series Irish market Toyota LC has the 3l 1-KZTE engine, non intercooled.
The Japanese import 90's had the same engine intercooled they made more horsepower and torque.
Newer Turbodiesels run higher boost and make more power so they need intercoolers more than older less highly tuned stuff.

_Conrad_ · 28-08-2011 11:03pm

pajero12 wrote: »

Hey Guys, After coming to no agreement on an arguement a mate and I had, We're putting the question to Ye guys! Does every turbocharged engine have an intercooler? I didn't think so but he's adamant they do!
Thanks for the help!

No, not everything turbocharged has an intercooler. Lots of older stuff doesn't.

rex-x · 29-08-2011 2:07am

Nissan doctor wrote: »

You don't need an intercooler on a turbo engine for it to function. It mostly older TD cars that would have been available without intercoolers as the boost pressure that diesels run is generally much lower the on petrol engines.

Practically all modern turbo charged engines, petrol or diesel, will have intercoolers as the colder charged air make the combustion more efficient.

I must disagree there, diesels run higher boost pressure as standard, most in the 14-15 psi range out of the gate with highly tuned up to 50-80. My Dw10 commonrail is at 27 psi atm whereby a petrol would maybe be 3-8 standard and 14 for a good tuned engine.

size etc varies but by psi petrols make more power normally

Nissan doctor · 29-08-2011 7:44pm

rex-x wrote: »

I must disagree there, diesels run higher boost pressure as standard, most in the 14-15 psi range out of the gate with highly tuned up to 50-80. My Dw10 commonrail is at 27 psi atm whereby a petrol would maybe be 3-8 standard and 14 for a good tuned engine.

size etc varies but by psi petrols make more power normally

Tuned diesels run more boost pressure then the highest power turbocharged drag cars in the world? Who knew:rolleyes:

Must explain why everyone wants diesels now, they're all secretly running 1000+ hp

What mods are you running to run that boost pressure and what HP have you got?

Any petrol even vaguely performance orientated will be running from 10-12psi out of the box. Tuned turbo charged engines on the road would run between 20 and 29 psi with high power drag cars running up as much as 43psi.

challengemaster · 29-08-2011 8:08pm

I think that's just answered whats the allure of the A4 TDI :pac:

a_v525 · 29-08-2011 8:13pm

Brother had 2 TD camrys- one intercooled, one not

BMW 318 TD -Turbo diesel
BMW 318 TDS - Turbo Diesel Intercooled

.... so no, intercoolers are not on all TD cars, especially bog-standard cheapo spec cars

_Conrad_ · 30-08-2011 12:16am

a_v525 wrote: »

Brother had 2 TD camrys- one intercooled, one not

BMW 318 TD -Turbo diesel
BMW 318 TDS - Turbo Diesel Intercooled

.... so no, intercoolers are not on all TD cars, especially bog-standard cheapo spec cars

There was no 318td, only tds. It's the 525 that had the intercooled and non intercooled version.

msg11 · 30-08-2011 12:37am

Dont forget some turbo cars have side mount intercoolers so you might not see them on the car!

slimjimmc · 30-08-2011 12:40am

a_v525 wrote: »

Brother had 2 TD camrys- one intercooled, one not

BMW 318 TD -Turbo diesel
BMW 318 TDS - Turbo Diesel Intercooled

.... so no, intercoolers are not on all TD cars, especially bog-standard cheapo spec cars

MkI & MkII Xantia 1.9TD was intercooled, the 1.9D wasn't because it never had a turbo. Guess it was the same for the Pug 407. Neither were top of the range cars.

rex-x · 30-08-2011 1:23am

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Tuned diesels run more boost pressure then the highest power turbocharged drag cars in the world? Who knew:rolleyes:

Must explain why everyone wants diesels now, they're all secretly running 1000+ hp

What mods are you running to run that boost pressure and what HP have you got?

Any petrol even vaguely performance orientated will be running from 10-12psi out of the box. Tuned turbo charged engines on the road would run between 20 and 29 psi with high power drag cars running up as much as 43psi.

Im no dreamer and wasnt making diesel out to be amazing. I was merely pointing out that diesels as standard would run more pressure than petrols in general as they need more air, which you incorrectly stated the opposite

I will do a thread on my car when its dynod

Im not nearly as well known here as you but i do know what im spouting about :pac:

This is a simple 2.0 engine running 50 psi, its non commonrail so excuse the smoking but its a work in progress! as the description states

And a picture!
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk226/darrenjlobb/Black%20Ph1%20D%20Turbo/DSC04516.jpg

Nissan doctor · 30-08-2011 3:10pm

One car built as a showcase is hardly reprisentative of 'tuned diesels' is it?

That car looks impressive, but twin charging a diesel and running that boost(if it is) would only be possible with every componant in/on the engine being custom made and running right up to tolerance meaning that car could never be used as a normal road car.

The same is true of turbocharged petrol cars, 3 and even 4 bar is possible for custom made race engines but these could never and would never be put near a road.

Traditionally turbo diesels run less then turbo charged petrol engines as turbo's on diesels where used to try to bring the power up to match basic petrol engines, while turbo charged petrol engines where always performance orientated, using lower compression pistons and higher boost levels. Even a mildly tuned impreza or evo will be running 1.4-1.6 bar.

The picture is more mixed on the latest generation of low boost turbo petrols(for ecomomy) and higher powered turbo diesels(the tax incentives of diesels lower co2 emmissions have made their tech development worth the investment, keep in mind diesels have been around as long as petrol engines yet its only in the last 10 years that they have really developed much beyond the original design)

The reason I asked about your car is that to run that boost on your engine requires the use of several custom componants as stock componants(upgraded to those from a 2.2) are only safely able for approx 22-24psi which generally make just under 200hp.

Intercooler Question

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