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Engine Specific Info and Questions => IDI Engine => Topic started by: gldgti on November 26, 2008, 04:51:45 pm

Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: gldgti on November 26, 2008, 04:51:45 pm
hey guys,

my peugot intercooler that i've been using on my AAZ for a while now has finally given up - leaks like a sieve from the plastic end tanks joining the core. im sad since i had it nicely placed in hte engine bay and ducted cold air to it (see below)

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=12233&page=8 )[/url]

anyway, i have on the way an all metal IC that is too long for inside the engine bay (by about 4") so i'll have to front mount it. its dimensions are 690x150x65mm including end tanks.

just wanting to know, has anyone on here mounted up a FMIC in a mk3 WITH AIR CONDITIONING (im not getting rid of that, this is my daily :-D )

if you have, post up a pic or two so i can see.

cheers!
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: vanbcguy on November 27, 2008, 09:09:49 am
I was looking around on the Vortex the other day, there's some Mk III intercooler set ups on there (all gasser of course).. A lot of them were done by cutting up the bumper support though, which I'm personally not interested in.  I guess you could say I'm "lucky" though since my Mk III doesn't have AC.  :roll:

I think some people on here have done it by making new mounting brackets for the radiator and moving it towards the engine an inch or two - there's quite a bit of room for the radiator before it starts interfering with the engine.

I'm going to be eager to see what you come up with!
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: nogama3 on November 27, 2008, 12:30:59 pm
you might wanna look at getting a sharan intercooler, surprising it will sit nice in the front bumper, just where the slats are. i have one that i need to fit and replace my wing mounted one with.

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b193/nogama3/VW%20GOLF/golfintercooler.jpg)
sharan intercooler

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b193/nogama3/VW%20GOLF/04082007001.jpg)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b193/nogama3/VW%20GOLF/22082007002.jpg)
intercooler piping on my car

not sure how much restrictions there are due to the air con unit

check out an old post:

http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=5716&highlight=intercooler
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: gldgti on November 27, 2008, 02:38:25 pm
thanks for that - and the link. soo many broken photo links :-(

i'll be sure to post up what i end up with... at this stage it looks like it will be mounted infront of the A/C core, right below the number plate line (directly visible in the lower air ducting).... we'll see.
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: Op-Ivy on November 27, 2008, 09:25:49 pm
That's the nice thing about mk3 bumpers. You have tons to work with when putting an intercooler in!
Title: UPDATES
Post by: gldgti on January 10, 2009, 03:41:04 am
today i bit the bullet:

(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1472.jpg)
not a lot of room to work with at all considering having a HUGE a/c core, and the bumper suppot panel:

(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1476.jpg)
so it became necessary to cut up the bumper support panel instead :-)

(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1480.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1477.jpg)
test fit to see if my cutting was OK

then i added some support for the IC and reinforcing for the support panel to stiffen it up, sincei just chopped a hunk out of it
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1479.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1482.jpg)
primed then painted
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1483.jpg)
and fitted up
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1484.jpg)
and with the intercooler
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1487.jpg)

i'll post up some more detail of the piping tomorrow - but basically i've routed the pipes through the holes in the bumper where the foglights usually go (i've deleted mine now ;-) ) and up infront of the alternator on hte drivers side, and down under the battery on hte passenger side (reversed over here, right hand drive haha).

feel free to ask any questions :-D
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: nogama3 on January 11, 2009, 12:20:30 pm
so what does it look like with the bumper back on?
whats the motor running like now?
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: TurboJ on January 11, 2009, 02:14:22 pm
Good work. Thumbs up!!
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: Smokey Eddy on January 11, 2009, 04:00:11 pm
Nicely done mate
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: gldgti on January 12, 2009, 04:15:55 am
bad pic (night time) - but as you can see its quite discrete!
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1495.jpg)

i've run the piping in the usual places - nothing too complex... and i used some bits i had left over from my old setup, which gives me lots of room to still play with the engine - hence the big elbow over towards the expansion bottle.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1493.jpg)

as to the performance - well its a HEAP better than no intercooler! the i've got the boost set to about 17-18psi - and with the k14 at that pressure, its putting out a lot of extra temp.... so on the test run up a local big hill, i hopped out at the top, popped the bonnet and literally burned my hand on the compressor outlet side pipe (over the timing cover) and guaged the inlet pipe at about 50-60 degrees C - so a BIG improvement!

lots more torque and hardly any lag (well, none before, now almost none!) so i have to say i'm happy!
Title: UPDATE!!
Post by: gldgti on February 02, 2009, 11:36:02 pm
finally a daylight photo:
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u139/gldgti/DSCF1502.jpg)
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: Clintwalker85 on February 07, 2009, 12:48:19 am
i want those headlights! where do you get them????for a resonable price :roll:
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: nogama3 on February 14, 2009, 04:26:20 am
hi, what happened to the oil catch tank?
i read through the whole link you provided but cant see where the oil catch tank ended up.
can you provide pics of how it was mounted to the engine as i need to do this to my AAZ before I add the Sharan intercooler as I am sure my current intercooler is drinking oil.
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: nogama3 on February 14, 2009, 04:36:23 am
i have found that my top end is 100mph and that is flat out (on a drag strip of course)
i raced my bro's mk2 golf 8v gti (he basically had the engine rebuilt with a 2ltr bottom end and some more mods) and i kept up with him and this really pee'd him off so he sold that car and got an Audi 1.8T  :lol:
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: gldgti on February 14, 2009, 11:23:08 pm
Quote from: "nogama3"
hi, what happened to the oil catch tank?
i read through the whole link you provided but cant see where the oil catch tank ended up.
can you provide pics of how it was mounted to the engine as i need to do this to my AAZ before I add the Sharan intercooler as I am sure my current intercooler is drinking oil.


haha, i have ditched the catch tank for now.... i just didnt put it back in ;-)

when you say you top out at 100mph, is that just running out of revs? my trans is a CHD which puts me at 3000rpm at 110km/h, so theoretically, it'd be near impossible to do 200kph with this gb...
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: nogama3 on February 16, 2009, 12:26:57 am
yes mate, running out of revs. shame that really. would have been good to go to around 120mph, this is the only time my bro would beat me as his MK2 would ovetake me/leave me.

how did you attach the oil catch tank. i just need to know where it plumbs in/out so i can do it.
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: Smokey Eddy on February 16, 2009, 04:03:06 am
How big of an increase in power do you notice with the IC?
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: nogama3 on February 16, 2009, 04:26:01 am
i went from 90 to 100bhp  on my car. i couldnt believe it. it is restricted due to the location (wing mounted) but wanna sort out my oil catch tank before i add my sharan intercooler. i may keep both intercoolers.
what do you guys think of that?

will the car be better off or will it be too restrictive?
Title: mk3 (A3) intercooler positions
Post by: TurboJ on February 16, 2009, 08:48:09 am
If you use OE intercoolers, pressure drop will be HUGE with two I/Cs.
Better to use only one, or preferrably a more free flowing alloy unit.