Water injection could replace an intercooler?

Hello,

With the modern water injection we have now, could it really replace an intercooler?

I saw this picture on Michael album so I was wondering if it worked and still works well?

http://www.superchargerhelp.com/albu...3&pictureid=11

Thank you

I'm certainly not an expert on this subject, but I'll throw in my two cents. Hopefully someone with more knowledge/information will chime in soon.

In low-boost applications (below about 10psi), water injection is a better alternative to traditional intercooling (air-to-air or water-to-air) because there is no pressure drop from to the maze of hoses to and from the intercooler (not to mention the intercooler itself).

In higher boost conditions (above 10psi), most favor traditional intercooling since any pressure drop isn't quite as noticeable. Plus, there's no need to constantly keep an eye on the water/methanol tank to ensure there is enough present. That doesn't mean water injection can't be used at boost levels above 10psi, it's just that most people prefer the traditional means of intercooling.

It is also possible to use water injection in conjunction with a traditional intercooler in order to really drop the incoming charge air's temperature. But there is a risk that dropping the temperature too low will cause very bad fuel atomization and a loss in power.

So to answer your question: yes, water injection could (and certainly in low-boost applications it does) replace traditional intercooling, but it's largely based on personal preference and, in some instances, available space (I can imagine there are instances where a traditional intercooler just won't fit in the space available. In that case, water injection may be the only option).

Speedytang wrote a couple of really great posts on water injection. If you haven't done so already, you should read through them.

Water Injection Part I:
http://www.superchargerhelp.com/showthread.php?t=9623

Water Injection Part II:
http://www.superchargerhelp.com/showthread.php?t=9633

I hope that helps.

The problem with Water Injection and Nitrous is you always need to fill up. Intercooler is always ready to deliver the cooling you need.

Hello,
Both guys before me have great points. In our experience here in the shop I can tell you that our tests showed that intercooling was absolutely the more efficient option. Now, space-wise maybe not as much. But, I can also tell you that we just had an engine in here built for Steven Dean (1st engine pic on our homepage) that made well over 1400 HP on a fairly light tune and he is using a injection set up we got from the Supercharger Store and is quite happy/successful with it. I personally, do not possess a wealth of knowledge on the subject, I just know what I see and hear go on with our customers etc. I will make sure to ask CJ to give you some further info when he e-mails you back.:teeth:
Kim
SMRE

Thanks Kim.

My engine bay is small and if I can get rid of drilling holes, I will. In the same time, if it's possible to get the supercharger outlet bloweing in the radiator direction, it could be possible to add an intercooler easily. Who knows...