What have you done to your mk4 (golf/bora) today?

[kendog]

Redirect your windscreen washers to water cool the stock intercooler

does that work? how about a 3rd line down there? how often would you spray it?

[Lito]

Thanks Lito! At least I know now..

What about one of those BIGGER Side Mount jobs? Like this 'Eurojet one:
Volkswagen Golf IV 1.8T > Engine > Intercooler > ES#1884312 Side Mount Intercooler - EJ401-M10-01-00

or the (seemingly smaller?) Forge one:
Volkswagen Golf IV 1.8T > Engine > Intercooler > ES#1832080 Side Mount Intercooler - Polished - FMINTMK4S

I don't want to have to re-pipe the whole thing to the front, plus keep the costs low. Also, I've heard mention of the 'pancake pipe' being replaced, would that help?

Maybe a combo of bigger SMIC + vented wheel arch + replace pancake pipe??

Also Lito (or anyone), what would you sell those spare headlights for? I just want the glass for a UK style joey mod, drivers side headlight is already cracked

i wouldn't bother with an upgraded side mount, there are tests showing little to no gain on vortex. there just isn't enough airflow. you can get duel pass intercooler kits that retain alot of the stock piping, alot of the 9n3 polo guys are doing the seat style intercooler with forge pipes. lastely the pancake pipe is not as restrictive as you might think at least not for the amount of air a k03/k04 will flow....also i forgot to add i only have one headlights left (driver side) you can have it for the cost of postage. ecs sell replacement lenses as well

[Lito]

Redirect your windscreen washers to water cool the stock intercooler

very illegal but could be effective. would have to be very unlucky to get busted though

[dylan8]

very illegal but could be effective. would have to be very unlucky to get busted though

think most of the stuff one you car would be so wouldnt hurt.
plus iv only ever seen people in trouble with the police for not having water in the bottle, not the fact they dont work

[Sirocco20348]

I did a fair bit of research into intercoolers recently, and the only SMIC worth getting is the tyrolsport SMIC, but it costs a fortune ($900? delivered).

TyrolSport SMIC - UG Side Mount Intercooler Comparison for 1.8T Golf and Jetta - vw golf intercooler

As Lito said, the rest of the SMIC are a waste of time. Personally I think even replacing the pancake and venting the arch is a waste of time. I was going to do it but I didn't bother in the end. Once the intercooler is soaked, its soaked! Unless it starts raining and you get a free intercooler spray kit thanks to nature.

So its Tyrolsport SMIC or a FMIC. FMIC all have messy piping, I liked this one as the piping is run under the engine.

EuroCustoms FMIC KIT MKIV 1.8T, EuroCustoms

[Stan]

all a dilemma. Just like SMIC there are FMIC and there are FMIC. Just because it is a FMIC, doesnt automatically make it better. I do like the look of the EuroCustoms model though.

I wonder if a decent radiator shop could make up a FMIC that flowed well and cost less than an off the shelf product plus international postage....

[Swainey32]

2 very easy systems for your FMIC,
How to Intercooler Sprayer DIY | AIT Build Yourself
Cryo Intercooler Cooling Basics | Fuel Chiller | Liquid Co2

I'm honestly tempted to check out benefits in a mock fit, with the OBD connected, same day, same temps, give it the same thrashing and see what temps the car is reading, could be a bit of fun.

[kendog]

thanks Sirocco, Stan, Lito, Swainey, etc...

From Sirocco's links, I started doing a bit more research last night. Some, in the UK I think, were saying some of the 'ebay' ones (FMIC), were performing almost as well as the expensive ones, if piped efficiently/smarter, for a lot less money.

I'd much rather spend any money I can scrape up on some black headlights, or an interior, so the cheapest idea is king for me! What about attaching an 8"-10" 'radiator' style fan to the back? (Plus the wheel arch vent). Electrics I can do myself easily too. I also like the fan idea as I sit in a bit of traffic in inner Sydney.. And FMIC's probably already (accidentally?) make use of the already aligned radiator fans..

Swainey - That would be awesome if you did that! I'm sure many would be interested in your findings... If I knew how to do all the readings, I could do similar with a good fan.

More opinions & research welcome!! Gavin, any thoughts? Cheap options here..

[Swainey32]

Theoretically, the fan would probably help, i'm trying to sort of think of how it could work, you could have it running parallel with your car, so that in induced airflow from the front, and forced it out the vent, will reduce the temps around the SMIC, and airflow, but I still wouldn't think you'd get much improvement to justify the effort.
I think the pure benefit of having a FMIC is that it gets the air before it even goes near a heat soaked engine bay, anything internal will be subject to engine heated air.
I think this is one of those things that you pay for what you get (to an extent), if your gonna spend a few hundred mocking up something to improve, you will probably get something more expensive later on regardless. Do it right the first time, save yourself problems in the future I reckon.

[kendog]

another guy on one of the forums, said he'd successfully tested, and had been running for 1-2 years, a setup where he had insulated (using muffler insulation), the IC or SMIC in a way, so that it was a separate little room, away from the heat of the engine bay, with its own ventilation too. . . .

[h100vw]

I say don't waste time with sprays and fans. The fan would need to be pretty big to have any effect. Look what they use at a dyno, that's never going to fit in the front of a MK4 .

You'd probably need to dump a bucket full of water over the sidemount to have any effect. Then it would heatsoak again at the next set of lights.

Sadly IMO a FMIC with appropriate sized piping is the way to go.

Don't over spec the core, the turbo will take ages to fill it. Same with the piping, "big" might be able to move vast amounts of air but again will induce lag as the wheezy turbo catches up.

60mm is plenty, my S3 is 63mm all round and I reckon that's just crept over the line. 51mm on the Polo and that's perfect for my Phase 2.

My S3 install partly based around this thread.

'Wellycooler' fitting

I already had the core from my old A3. Made in Australia by ADRADS.

Light reading

ARE Cooling

[kendog]

Thanks Gavin, I'll read those links more tonight.

I was mainly thinking of using the fan & vent combo to get me out of trouble waiting at the lights, and stuck in traffic so often, situations where I'm not sure if an FMIC would be helping anyway? (except that it is in front of the radiator FANS).

I know an FMIC is proven to be way better when doing open runs etc., I want to know what will help me when another goose in a Range Rover tries to take me from the line, after I've been in traffic, barely moving, for over 20 mins on a warm day... When, on a cool night, I could have absolutely wasted him, not just snuck in front..

[clark]

What have you done to your mk4 (golf/bora) today?

I still think an FMIC is going to be your best bet in the situation you've described Ken.

FMIC won't suffer anywhere near as much heatsoak and as soon as you get off the line, you've got the greater cooling effect of the FMIC.

I changed to a FMIC last year, I'm not convinced that I have the right size cooler and piping for the K04, but it's still miles better than the SMIC. And it's good for light after light

[Sirocco20348]

brb to edit comment properly

[eri_12]

Look what my mk4 (golf/bora) did to me today I know I have no excuses...