Cool Air intake

[Busdriver]

I'm new to this forum.  I replaced my vanagon's wasserboxer with an AAZ turbo-diesel.  I have insulated my exhaust pipe to keep heat out of the engine compartment. My air intake sucks cold air from the vent behind the rear most driver's side window. The airbox has a cone filter on it and the tube from the airbox to the turbo is less than a foot long, and are made of plastic and rubber which don't transfer heat well.  I think I have my air intake as cold as I can get it without an inter-cooler.  I was wondering if the stock intake manifold on the AAZ could function "sort-of-like" a small inter-cooler by ducting cool air to it through a shroud that would have the air exit out where the tubo bolts up.  Would this be enough to have any effect at all? The stock manifold does have a fair amount of surface area.  Maybe I could reroute my air-conditioner condensate to drip on the outside of the intake manifold in the summer time.  Worth doing? My other car is an A3 Jetta TDI.

[Busdriver]

The air conditioner evaporator on the vanagon is located approximately three feet directly over the engines intake manifold.  Hoses carrying the cold condensate water are routed into the vertical duct work that used to bring cooling air to the motor back in the old air-cooled days, but are now used to snorkel outside air to the engines air filter box.  As designed the cold (distilled) water that the air conditioner pulls out of the atmosphere pisses on the pavement on either side of engine.  It seems that it would be fairly easy to re-route the drainage so that it trickles over the turbo-diesels intake manifold.  Does this sound like a reasonable way to pick up a few summer time only while the air-conditioner is on ponies, or am I likely to crack engine parts from thermal stress?

[VWRacer]

I don't thing it would be worth the effort and mess. Far better IMO to plumb in an air-to-air intercooler. I have read where most who do this transplant place a small side-mount style IC (from an Audi, Saab or TDI) just ahead of the right rear turn signal. Apparently there is room to mount it there and to route air to and from it. I don't know the particulars, but you should check out the Adventurewagen, Westy and Synchro groups on yahoo.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Adventurewagen/

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Westfalia/

You'll need to do some searching, but I know that I've read threads that deal with this very subject.

Good luck!

[Otis2]

I agree with Stan.  The "a/c drip" business is not worth the effort.

An intercooler isn't that hard to fit.  It can be made to fit in the left (driver's side) area ahead of the left taillight, which is at the bottom of the left "snorkle" vent column.  Your only unique issue will be to fit it in there around your existing "cold air" cone filter & airbox.

A number of people running air-to-air intercoolers have complained that there is inadequate fresh air flow in that position, so they mount a small electric fan (push or pull), to improve matters.  

Otherwise, it's possible to mount an air-to-water intercooler in the same space, and put the heat exchanger for it somewhere else for better air flow.  I went this route, and put the heat exchanger under the van up front, where the spare tire used to go (my new wheels & tires don't fit the original clamshell anyway).  I don't expect any ground clearance problems, as the bottom of the heat exchanger is higher than the bottom of the front cross member.

Post pics if you can.  I'm very curious to see your set up, complete with air conditioning!