ATR liquid to air intercooler

[Bret.H]

I have a one of ATR's liquid to air intercoolers on my car. The previous owner installed it. I was wondering if anyone had more info on this piece. Install I nstructions, Capacities, any kind of paper work that would have come with it originally. I just want to know more about this piece.

 

[turbofabricator]

I do not have the original paper work anymore, but have used them in a few cars over the years. They do work well with a BIG ice/water tank (like a ice chest in the trunk) but for day to day street use they are not very efficient. The water gets hot real fast and they loose ther efficiency. A good air to air intercooler is a better choice for street use. The intercooler with ice water pumped through it will support over 750 hp. Ice water pumped through it can, in theory, create below ambient intake temps on the starting line, with about a 100 degree drop over an air to air at the top end. The ATR water I/C is a well built unit. BUT........for street use, switch to an air to air unit. Sell the liquid unit to a hard core racer.

 

[Bret.H]

I guess I would consider that, but I don't know what mines worth.

 

[Bret.H]

Is this thing less effcient than say a stock style with a dutweiller neck?

 

[GNocide]

Is this thing less effcient than say a stock style with a dutweiller neck?

no its way more efficient then that

 

[TurboDave]

no its way more efficient then that

IMHO, the liquid/air intercooler (the one in question) is WAY LESS efficient that even a stocker, in short order. Once they get heat soaked most if not all the efficiency is lost. Just not the intercooler to have for a daily driver.

Good for a race car because you can change out the hot liquid between rounds. Not exactly an option on a driver.

 

[1991syclone]

Check with the guy who did Syclones for way to make your water to air work on the street. The big trick is to have a water heat exchange, like a front mount a/a. Extra capacity of water to avoid heat sink and a pump that can move enough volumn to make it work correctly. That being said, alot of the sy/ty (standanr a/w system) guys went to a/a because it is much easier. The big problem with a great working a/w system is the WEIGHT and the fact that in a sealed system when you increase temp you increase pressure and something WILL leak. (even a trick vent in your ice chest). I also believe that to really make a w/a system pay you must have a MAP control system and a large turbo. (the idea is to drop pressure (colder air) in the manifold (which drops boost psi) and then the big turbo sends in more air to regain the boost psi) and you increase lbs of air at the same boost level. This also reduces octane requirements, ie lower inlet temps. However you can do the same thing using NO2 (manifold temp drop)without the expense and weight. Bottom line, yeh, do what everybody said and just change to one of the great a/a systems that we have available.