Top Mount Intercooler

[Hybrid455]

I've been toying with the idea of a top mount intercooler. Anyone here ever do or hear of doing anything like this on one of our beasts?

 

[timothyr1014]

when you say top mount are you thinking top of the motor (as in functional hood scoops), or top of the truck....I know where my personal insanity was going....

 

[dyoung14]

I saw a pic somewere, were some company put a intercooler ontop of a psd engine in the truck stuck right threw th hood!

 

[timothyr1014]

there is merit to the design....the hood acts as a decent insulator to keep the motor heat from the charge air

 

[FordGuy100]

I would think that the hot air would actually float up (like it does) and heat up the intercooler. With functional scoops...I suppose it should work. How much clearance between the hood and the intake? And How are you supposed to open the hood, or close it, when up put the pipes on?

 

[Hybrid455]

when you say top mount are you thinking top of the motor (as in functional hood scoops), or top of the truck....I know where my personal insanity was going....

It would be under the hood. I was thinking of relocating components in order to get the left inner fender area free, not scoops but louvers in the hood over the cooler, bringing intake air in from the front next to the radiator. There should be enough room for a decent sized cooler, the CAC tubes would be more direct and shorter,air wouldn't be restricted across the radiator and A/C condensor, the cooler wouldn't be subject to rd hazards. Don't really have a plan drawn up yet. Diggin for ideas. Got any??

 

[FordGuy100]

Oh....I was thinking it would be attached to the hood. Disregard what I said above

 

[timothyr1014]

This is the rough idea going through my head was to put on two hood scoops, one open as a heat escape for the engine, the other ducted with the cooler inline. basically outside air enters the duct via the hood scoop, passes over the cooler and possibly a puller fan (for low speed pulls etc) and out via a fender vent similar to whats used on a new superduty.

I little nuts and a lot of work, but there would be something cool about the woosh of air being sucked through a hood scoop, and a blast of warm are getting forced out a real fender vent

 

[timothyr1014]

for that matter who needs a hood?

 

[Hybrid455]

I would think that the hot air would actually float up (like it does) and heat up the intercooler. With functional scoops...I suppose it should work. How much clearance between the hood and the intake? And How are you supposed to open the hood, or close it, when up put the pipes on?

The cooler would lay flat over the left inner fender well. The battery,coolant catch can and washer solvent bottle will be relocated. The cooler pipes from the ATS turbo will come across the engine bay to the cooler. The hood shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Hybrid455]

This is the rough idea going through my head was to put on two hood scoops, one open as a heat escape for the engine, the other ducted with the cooler inline. basically outside air enters the duct via the hood scoop, passes over the cooler and possibly a puller fan (for low speed pulls etc) and out via a fender vent similar to whats used on a new superduty.

I little nuts and a lot of work, but there would be something cool about the woosh of air being sucked through a hood scoop, and a blast of warm are getting forced out a real fender vent

Nothing about my truck has not been a lot of work. I'm up for that. I don't know about scoops though maybe something a little more conservative looking. I was also thinking about enlisting the help of an electric fan.

 

[timothyr1014]

there is nothing stopping you from ducting it through the cowl...

another thing that I have been contemplating....modifying the fender/cowl line and raising the hood about an inch...would take a lot of fab work, but you could duct the air from between the top of the grill/lower front lip of the hood...

nice to know I am not the only one who thinks outside the box

 

[jperecko]

If you are considering doing anything but a grill mount, I strongly suggest doing some serious looking into a water to air system. If done right, the packaging and airflow can be a lot more direct.

 

[opusd2]

That sounds like a cool Hummer-looking idea, my only worry about it is that you'd get better airflow using the traditional grill mount where the ram air is decent and cool. But I am always open to new ideas and trying different things. You just never know otherwise...

 

[EricW]

...my only worry about it is that you'd get better airflow using the traditional grill mount...

Yup, the guys in the import scene, specifically the WRX STi group, when building their cars get rid of the TMIC and swap it to a FMIC for better flow and cooler air... Not saying it won't work but not as efficient...