Converting stock 4AGZE topmount to water to air

[myne]

So I've finally got around to sticking the stock topmount back onto the engine.
The ?1jzte? front mount, aka "laggy, oversized pos with holes in it" is no more (unless someone wants it for scrap)

Results with the topmount are :
Perfect idle instead of a lope - higher vacuum too
1psi more boost
FAR better throttle response - feels better lower too.
Detonation at WOT after it gets hot

Now, since I dont want to install a scoop, I've been considering converting the stocker to water to air. So I got an offcut of aluminium for 10$, some basic tools I need anyway, and I made a dummy out of cardboard yesterday.

Tonight on a whim, I tried using sketchup, a free 3d design program.

Took me about 10 mins to come out with this :

project file here :

Once the stock mount points are removed from the intercooler, that should be possible to fit and weld up to the stock box nicely. I plan to use 8mm rubber sheet (if such a thing exists) cut to shape to provide baffles and support internally.

Hopefully within a week or so the aluminium will be cut and ready to weld.

Anyhow, thought this might be of intrest to those out there with a 4AGZE that dont want to sacrifice the response of the SC or cut holes in the bonnet.

Oh, and sketchup is DAMN easy to use. I've never used it before, I suck hardcore with 3dstudio max, and I did that in ~10mins.

[30psi 4agte]

what vare you planing to use to use as a pump for the water and how ya gonna cool it?

[feral4mr2]

stock aw11 gze i/c cores have been used in this way to make a w2a core before, which i beleive worked well.


the Davies Craig EBP works fine for a w2a pump (is what i have in the feral), there is a Bosch one that works well but dont know it's part number.
make sure you stick to a aluminium core (cut down car radiator, motorbike radiator etc.) for the heat exchanger.

[Starfire]

Nice work Myne,

Youll have to show it to me when youre done.

[BigWorm]

I've heard of people using A/C condensors for water to air heat exchangers. You're not going to need quite as much heat transfer as a car radiator is capable of, they're thin so won't reduce airflow to radiators/other heat exchangers too much, and you can get one that bolts straight in or you'll already have one bolted in. If you don't have the A/C hooked up you're laughing, & if you do, fuck it off, everyone knows A/C is for pussies! If you're too hot with the windows down, you're not driving fast enough!

[takai]

Bah, the Cressy has AC and im quite happy with leaving it where it is

Anyway, if you have "teh skillz" and know how to bend alloy i would suggest doing a lot of the box up in a single sheet. From my memories of how big the stock TMIC is the sheet woudlnt need to be that large.

Also i would reccomend at least 2-3mm sheet for the job, as it is a pain to weld anything less and it will tend to bow quite badly with the heat. For my airbox, we had the whole manifold assembled and then bolted to a H beam for extra heat capacity, and it was still getting bloody hot.

[BigWorm]

Oh of course, my "A/C is for pussies" statementin no way included cressidas, crowns, celsiors et other pimpin' cruisers.
These cars without A/C would be like a pimp without bitches, porn without poon, or a pub with no beer!

[Starfire]

If youre interested Jordan has a spare w2a from a GT4 (i think a 185). He wants about $150 for it.

[takai]

But a GT4 W2A would be a pain to fit on a GZE mainly due to the fairly specific nature of the pipe work.

[wiso]

wow i am very iterested in how this works exactly, i am not sure if i fully understand water to air systems (even though i used to own one)

feral with that pic you posted does the air flow throught the normal cooler as is but has water being pumped through the box between the fins taking the heat out of the fins as it goes past?

or is there something i am missing?

[horse]

nah ur correct there wiso. air goes thru as normal the water circulates the intercooler inside removing heat just like usual, except now on a liquid basis, as opposed to air.
generally u want to have as much flow of water as possible thru the fins, and one of the Sports Sedan teams i was talking to actually had their W2A intercooler set up so that there were alternate water channels so that the water could flow through the fins a lot more. might not be as applicable in the converting the 4agze to w2a.

one other idea is would it be a good idea to seal the intercooler so that there are three sections in the chamber? a top section for water inflow, then the intercooler which is sealed against the side walls and the bottom chamber the water outflow chamber, hence water can only flow past the fins to exit. just an idea.

[wiso]

hmmmm, very cool, that might be something to look at in the future, thanks for clearing that up

[mrshin]

There's probably better cores to try it with, but if you have one lying around, might as well try your luck. Remember to put some channels in there so that the water can flow in a logical path and actually do some good, rather than randomly sloshing wherever it happens to go.

[feral4mr2]

I've heard of people using A/C condensors for water to air heat exchangers. You're not going to need quite as much heat transfer as a car radiator is capable of, they're thin so won't reduce airflow to radiators/other heat exchangers too much,

i've used a a/c condensor as a heat exchanger, while it did a satisfactory job a aluminium radiator core that designed to cool water works much better (which i have now).
the bigger the heat exchanger the more effient the w2a system will be IMO.

[inertia]

should work a treat on the street where you aren't on boost alot of the time .

I look forward to the results, I have an ARC topmount on mine that could be an excellent candidate for similar treatment.