2 stage/dual stage water to air for a daily driver

I run an A/W intercooler on my car, seperate cooling system. It seems to work well, the water never really even gets hot, even after driving for a couple hours on the interstate at 3300rpm the whole time.
 
On my truck ill have dual stage air to water but ill running a completely different radiator infront of the engine radiator. Each intercooler would have a separate pump for each stage. Then be returned back to the separate radiator. I had it set up but single stage on my crew cab at one time . We had air intake temps from 80-90degrees on a 65 degree day. keep in mind i also had a fan on the separate radiator running all the time.
 
So for those who have done a2w on a dd, what were your average egt drops? And if you retained stock a2a Cooler, how did you do it? Just curious.

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I was wondering this my self. Or would the water get to hot and boil even then? May have to run antifreeze through it instead of straight water.
 
madmikeismad said:
Only in the winter though.

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Not quite sure what you mean here. I think if you have a completely separate cooling system between your compound stages. But if the boiling point if water is 212 degrees. I think adding a little antifreeze would be a good ideal to play it safe. I wouldn't want that intercooler to explode from steam!
 
RockinRam96 said:
Not quite sure what you mean here. I think if you have a completely separate cooling system between your compound stages. But if the boiling point if water is 212 degrees. I think adding a little antifreeze would be a good ideal to play it safe. I wouldn't want that intercooler to explode from steam!
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Ohh, I didn't know they got that hot. I thought you meant in the winter to keep the lines from freezing and then bursting at the cooler once the hot air starts flowing.
 
Ghostman said:
If you pull the coolant from the exit of the radiator the coolant should be much cooler to ambient air temps and thus be able to cool the charge air closer to ambient air temps as well. Discharge back into the radiator return. Use a separate pump.
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I may have to try this rather than running a separate radiator. As far as a pump goes, coolant comes out of the water pump and goes directly into the oil cooler. Pretty sure you could drill and tap the block in that passage and let the factory water pump feed the w/a. You may or may not need to discharge back to the block since returning to the radiator would rob GPM from the cooling system. Depends on the application and how much cooling you need. It would also act as a coolant bypass. The less electric crap you have the better.

My biggest reason for going with a w/a setup is to reduce the cubic inches between the compressor wheel and the valves. I'm building a w/a that sits on top of the engine and bolts right to the head.
 
9724VF350 said:
I may have to try this rather than running a separate radiator. As far as a pump goes, coolant comes out of the water pump and goes directly into the oil cooler. Pretty sure you could drill and tap the block in that passage and let the factory water pump feed the w/a. You may or may not need to discharge back to the block since returning to the radiator would rob GPM from the cooling system. Depends on the application and how much cooling you need. It would also act as a coolant bypass. The less electric crap you have the better.

My biggest reason for going with a w/a setup is to reduce the cubic inches between the compressor wheel and the valves. I'm building a w/a that sits on top of the engine and bolts right to the head.
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I was wanting to use the heat exchanger lines since they aren't used anymore.
 
9724VF350 said:
I may have to try this rather than running a separate radiator. As far as a pump goes, coolant comes out of the water pump and goes directly into the oil cooler. Pretty sure you could drill and tap the block in that passage and let the factory water pump feed the w/a. You may or may not need to discharge back to the block since returning to the radiator would rob GPM from the cooling system. Depends on the application and how much cooling you need. It would also act as a coolant bypass. The less electric crap you have the better.

My biggest reason for going with a w/a setup is to reduce the cubic inches between the compressor wheel and the valves. I'm building a w/a that sits on top of the engine and bolts right to the head.
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I contemplated trying to use the water pump to feed both the engine and the w/a, but it seems like it just adds complication and screws with the design outcome. I'm all for simplicity and one less electrical pump is better. Now I hadn't thought of tapping the oil cooler and that could work, but doing it that way would rob some GPM and would act as a bypass like said. If you put a separate pump and plumb like I said, it has no effect on bypass or GPM loss. Just things to think about, and it may work fine like that also. These water pumps already pump A LOT.
 
So I'm running 2 w/a coolers now, and will need a good pump and 2 radiators. are the radiators pretty much all the same, or are there some crappy ones out there? I'd like to just grab 2 cheap one with fans from frozen boost, but if theres another one out there that will drop temps further, or just flow better, I'd rather go that route. Or would any cheap/generic trans cooler with fans work too?

Also, will a raptor pump last with water, and will it flow enough? I've already got a brand new one of those that I'll never use again, and 2 more that need motors replaced.
 
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Best bet is to get some used a/c condensers and craze fittings on the end. There cheap and will cool better than anything else. Go to scrap yard for them to check out the different sizes. They are build for pressure and heat already and the plate design cools much better than the tube and fin design.


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Ghostman said:
Best bet is to get some used a/c condensers and craze fittings on the end. There cheap and will cool better than anything else. Go to scrap yard for them to check out the different sizes. They are build for pressure and heat already and the plate design cools much better than the tube and fin design.


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No extra fans? Just utilize the engine fan?
 
I'm running a condenser out of a 6.5 Chevy 3500 as my heat exchanger, using a Cobra Mustang water pump, 3/4" heater hose, and a factory 6bt aftercooler.

Before, I was running one of those 180* Frozenboost aftercoolers and with no water in the system you couldn't lay your hand on the intake piping after a hard run through the gears. After the system was primed and cycling, it was barely warm to the touch, and the cooler itself was cool to the touch.

No hard numbers, but that's my experience.

I'll also say that the more crap you stack in front of your radiator the rougher the engine cooler is going to have it. Two radiators and a condenser, if you have AC, is a lot of crap to push through before any air gets to your actual coolant core. Let alone if everything in front of it is putting off heat.

Still, we all know A/W is sexier, so that should settle it.
 
Don't think an air conditioning condenser is the best choice, they don't flow for **** air or liquid or will reject nearly enough heat. If these air to water's are in front air flow is already going to get punished for the rad. If its a real tow rig that's going to see the screw's for extended periods i'd likely remote mount a rad in the back with it's own fan. One system split the flow between the coolers.
 
It's true, it isn't the best in terms of flow, but it's cheap, already sized for the front of the truck, and I can get a replacment at any local parts store or even junkyard.

The modification required to the outlets wasn't too wild either, so anyone with even slight brazing/soldering skills could have another made up in an hour or so.


I'm still contemplating a core made for the job so I could possibly cut it in half and get some crap out of the radiator's way.
 
It wouldn't be too rough in front of the engine, as the radiators would just replace the stock IC. But I think I'll just remove the stock IC and put two fans/radiators in the bed. I'll have 1 pump running the whole system if I can find one that will pump sufficiently though 40' of line and cooler.

It will go pump --> cooler 1 --> radiator 1 --> cooler 2 --> radiator 2 --> reservoir --> pump.
 
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