What is more effective? Water/Air intercooler or water injection?

Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
5,284
What is more effective for controlling EGT's?

A water/air intercooler being fed ice water from a cooler in the bed or a high pressure water injection system 500-600 psi with 3 or 4 nozzles?
 
I think there is more power to be had with an air-water setup compared to just water injection..

However, I think you are helping prevent piston meltage ONLY with water injection, while with an air-water intercooler you are gaining power by providing cooler, denser air.
 
I think if you inject the water soon enough and it is cold enough you can get more power out of water injection. The soon enough may not be that big of deal.
 
Ive heard the air/water is much better. I think that shows alot this year. Seems to be alot of them running it.
 
air to water better than water injection? Or better than air to air. I agree with it being better than air to air. Not convinced that it would be better than the same temperature of water injected out of the cylinder.
 
Anyone care to throw out some before and after intake temps or EGTs running either system?

Why is it that alot of places do not allow water injection but do allow a water/air intercooler? I would think in general if it is something that will help prevent melting a piston or engine damage it should be allowed just for the pullers benefit. Is there some reason I'm not seeing here?
 
Anyone care to throw out some before and after intake temps or EGTs running either system?

Why is it that alot of places do not allow water injection but do allow a water/air intercooler? I would think in general if it is something that will help prevent melting a piston or engine damage it should be allowed just for the pullers benefit. Is there some reason I'm not seeing here?

If done incorrectly you run the risk of hydrolocking a motor which is usually more catastrophic than excessive EGT's for 300ft.........

Also one less thing to tech and/or cheat with.

I'm not saying it's right or the best rule, but is the reason(s) why our club does not allow it in a street class. In a superstock class I can see it being allowed though.
 
The water injection systems are great when combined with a data loger, you can fine tune the egt's to what ever you want and on each cyclinder.

BBD
 
For just controlling egt's I would think water injection because you can do away with the intercooler and still make up for the egt's w/ more water.
 
air to water better than water injection? Or better than air to air. I agree with it being better than air to air. Not convinced that it would be better than the same temperature of water injected out of the cylinder.

If I had my choice I would take air/water over the water injection.
 
If I had my choice I would take air/water over the water injection.


On a street driven truck possibly, but on a dedicated competition vehicle the water injection will do a better job on keeping down EGT's. With the air to water you are relying on the intercooler to transfer indirectly the heat away. On the water injection your directly cooling the intake charge.
 
I would say water injection to cool EGT's the best, Air/water will make more power efficently but will still have high EGT's prob and unless you wanna drive down the street with and ice maker in the back of your truck the Air/water cooler isn't very practical but it probably works good for making more power.
 
why not both? i have heard some running both i know are badger state tractor we sponser runs both
 
I would say water injection to cool EGT's the best, Air/water will make more power efficently but will still have high EGT's prob and unless you wanna drive down the street with and ice maker in the back of your truck the Air/water cooler isn't very practical but it probably works good for making more power.


Well sled pulling is my interest. Which is why I will prefer the air/water
 
That's why I was curious to see some before/after temps. Does a good air/water setup get the intake temps that cool such that a water injection kit wouldn't help any?

Yes, I'm only interested in the aspects of sled pulling not using either system on the street...
 
Look at the big boys, most of the ones I have seen do not run intercoolers. They just run lots of water into the engine. Someone with alot more thermo/heat transfer should chime in here. I guess the best way to look at it, is put your hand on a pot of hot water, and then put your hand in the pot of hot water. Your having to indirectly transfer heat to the air through metal. With the injection your injecting the cold water directly into the air stream. It will cool the air, and will still give you a denser charge, if your dealing with the same temperature of water.
 
I have a couple of questions as I haven’t run a air/water system before.

If you have a couple of hot cylinders running lets say 150 to 200 degrees hotter then the other 4 cylinders how can you correct that with air/water system?

Wouldn’t you be maximizing performance if you kept the difference in temps between all cylinders as close as possible?

If you push air through the Air/water system at high boost 80-100psi does it really cool the charge air that much in the amount time it passes through the system?

Again don’t anything about the air/water system just asking and if I can answer any question in regards to the injection system I have I will.


Oh yeah, if its for sled pulling aren't the sled puling rules going to dictate which system you can even use? or is this in conjuction with the threads strated about allowing water injection in the 2.6 / 2.8 classes

BBD
 
Back
Top