any vanagon intercooler pics?

[the caveman]

As i don't have tons of time i need some ideas where i'm gonna install the intercooler in my transporter. Probably will go on the left side under the air intake, but i still some inspiration. Maybe up behind the wheel well with a scoop?

[vanagonturbo]

I had some but my website is down and the guy who is supposed to be redesigning it had his computer crash last night. The ones that we put on vanagons are air/water units as there really is no way to get good airflow in the back of a vanagon. I have thought of cutting out the bottom of the d pillar and mounting an air to air unit there but then there is the problem if dirt and such gets thrown up in there by the tire.

[Otis2]

Air-water intercooler taken from a stock GMC Syclone/Typhoon.

Engine is AAZ with 15 degree install and Kennedy adapter, exhaust manifold flipped upside down, turbo is a Garrett T3.  

[Vanagoner]

nice work, otis2.  I bet the sound deadening mats help, too.
Caveman, I haven't installed one yet either, but I'm with libbypappa on that- lots of good fresh air from the stock scoops.  The problem is getting the heat out.  You could put spacers on the lic. plate door to give it a gap (might have to change the plate lights).  I'm planning on removing the stock taillight clusters completely, putting lower front grille sections in place of them, and putting led lights up on the mid band of the hatch.

[the caveman]

excellent  thanks guys. i don't think i will go the water/air route as i won't be building a total powerhouse, just more than i have now. the stupid thing is that i have had the same problem mounting the oil cooler for my 71 beetle. ended up shoving it above the transmission with some old gas heater ducts to throw the air up. maybe i can put it up below the front bumper :!:  :wink:

[Otis2]

Vanagoner, yes those sound mats make a HUGE difference.  The van made a deafening tractor racket before, and now it's very comfortable.  Wind noise far outweighs engine noise on the highway.  Most of the engine "noise" now is just turbo whistle, which I don't find objectionable at all.


Andrew,  weren't you the one who peeled off a slab of side wall on your Vanagon, and then pop-riveted some tin strips to it, to create a huge "ram air" scoop into your D-pillar?  I'm sure I've seen that photo somewhere.  

With respect, a pretty butt-ugly solution to my eye, but I guess it was effective.

Did you only recently decided the stock D-pillar airflow was adequate?  Was their much difference in EGT between the stock airflow to the intercooler and the airflow with the "ram air" butchery?

I've never mounted a temperature probe in my intake ducting, pre- and post-intercooler, which would be the only scientific way to test the effectiveness of my intercooler.  

I saw a lot of back-and-forth about this in the "200 HP" thread, but I didn't see anybody with hard data to back up their claims.  All I can say is that I don't see more than 1250 F EGT under 20 PSI sustained boost, which is fine by me.  I'm more worried about my oil temperature spiking up under sustained hard boost, and the intercooler isn't going to help much with that.

Finally, props to Dave at Passenger Performance (935racer) who built those shiny intake ducts for me, even though he hates working on Vanagons.  So much better than my previous hack job with radiator hose and exhaust pipe sections...

[wildenbeast]

Anyone have any additional pictures showing the Saab 900 intercooler or similar installed into a Vanagon using a 1.9TD AAZ?  Any photos would be greatly appreciated.

[Baxter]

I've just fitted a barrell charge cooler (air to water intercooler) and I am in the final thows of making it work as I have the worlds biggest VW van show to get to this weekend!
Anyway, I'll post some piccies when it's done.
Tip.
Drive your vanagon down the road with the engine lid unclipped, on the hole but not clipped down.
You don't have to go very fast as all to get the lid to start raising on it's own, take it off completely and you experience a very strange sensation!
I saw a T3 VR6 conversion a few years ago, they used the area by the left hand rear light as an air intake, bit of a mistake in my eyes that.

[Baxter]

No, I'm in total agreement, cooler in  bottom of d-pillar then vented to the rear of the van would work well, as you say engine bay is under positive pressure, vented to the rar under negative pressure it's going to flow really well.
What I was trying to say is that I saw a VR^ conversion and they were drawing air from the rear of the van, surely you want at very least atmospheric if not a bit more for the air intake for the engine, not negative pressure from the rear, seems to defeat the object.

[arb]

WOW Otis2, really sharp installation. Did you weld those IC pipes ? Where sid you get the red rubber collars for the pipes?

I tried to flip my exhaust manifold, but it would hit the intake and not bolt on.  So, my turbo is lower in the van that I want.

[Baxter]

Maybe of some use.