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Water injection before intercooler? good? bad?

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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 02:21 PM
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Default Water injection before intercooler? good? bad?

I'm wondering if spraying water when the intake temp is the highest which would be before the intercooler if it would be more effective? It's strictly for intake temps, so not concerned about fuel distribution.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 02:31 PM
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Bad idea. Water will condense in the intercooler. This could lead to reduced flow, and in really bad situations, hydrolock.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 02:37 PM
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Originally Posted by JoeNova
Bad idea. Water will condense in the intercooler. This could lead to reduced flow, and in really bad situations, hydrolock.
I understand in theory but wouldn't there be enough velocity to keep it suspended?
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 02:51 PM
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No, water will find a way to condense even with good velocity.

But then what happens if your nozzle starts to leak, or your reservoir is mounted in front of the rest of your water injection kit and it develops a slow drip that allows the water to pool up during cruise? As soon as you get an inch of water in your intercooler and hammer the throttle, hydrolock. Don't turn your safety feature that's supposed to keep you from blowing your engine into something that might be the CAUSE of your engine blowing.

The 3 degrees of temps you MIGHT save isn't worth the risk. Water injection's best cooling feature is the actual water and meth that go into your cylinder, not the air that they cool on the way in. The IAT drop is just an added benefit, not the main benefit. Water absorbs an insane amount of heat energy when its heated up, dropping combustion temperatures by a huge amount and keeping your pistons and ring lands together. Intake temps a few degrees cooler isn't going to provide this benefit.

Simply put, your head is in the wrong place.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 02:57 PM
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ok thanks, so the drop in IAT is a secondary benefit? Than how important is it to have a IAT of ambient versus 190F?
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 03:04 PM
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Kinda depends IMO. I run a small nozzle pre-turbo on my LS (2gph). My theory is most of the fluid is gone before it hits the IC. Then I run the big nozzle at the throttle body. I've had my IC off several times and never had any water in it. I agree the nozzle doesn't do a whole lot for charge temps. Pre-turbo injection does help improve compressor efficiency a tad and adding another nozzle was dirt cheap.

Last edited by Forcefed86; Oct 31, 2014 at 03:11 PM.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 04:10 PM
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same here forcefed86. lots of guys run pre turbo and pre procharger on air to air setups. Bikes and diesels especially.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by ls1_chevelle
same here forcefed86. lots of guys run pre turbo and pre procharger on air to air setups. Bikes and diesels especially.
Is it just for efficiency? I'm looking for the best way to lower intake temps and increase knock suppression. I'm running E85 from a race gas supplier so it's 85% alcohol and 15% 114 octane race gas. making 1000-1200rwhp in 70-90 degree ambient temps.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 05:49 PM
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I run a smaller nozzle pre-blower as well, and it is not an issue at all.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 08:29 PM
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why do pre blower?
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 10:04 PM
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Originally Posted by mike13
Is it just for efficiency? I'm looking for the best way to lower intake temps and increase knock suppression. I'm running E85 from a race gas supplier so it's 85% alcohol and 15% 114 octane race gas. making 1000-1200rwhp in 70-90 degree ambient temps.
I wouldn't get hung up in lowering IAT's drastically with Aux. Inj. The charge is all going to your combustion chamber, thats where the "magic" happens. Best way to increase knock suppression is to dump a ton of methanol as close to the CC as possible. I spray my big shot of meth after the IAT sensor so I'm not getting sidetracked with wonky IAT readings.

Pre turbo injection slightly increases the efficiency of the turbo through "wet compression" and lowing charge temps. Every little bit helps. No reason not to run a few tiny nozzles pre-turbo and post IC to help aid in cooling.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 10:07 PM
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You will mix in 50% Meth and then the corrosion starts.
Alcohol eats aluminum fast.
I spray 4" before the throttle body.
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Old Oct 31, 2014 | 10:19 PM
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Originally Posted by wentbig
You will mix in 50% Meth and then the corrosion starts.
Alcohol eats aluminum fast.
I spray 4" before the throttle body.
Horse hawkey!

I've sprayed 100% meth pre-turbo for years and never seen any damage or corrosion on the turbo blades. Even the thin alum in the IC showed no signs of corrosion. Alum intakes, throttle bodies, etc... This is on several different vehicles over a 10+ year period. I believe alot of this has to do with injecting a fine mist into a hot air charge. Methanol boils off at 150*. It's not like methanol is coating the alum parts for any length of time.

I'm not saying alum and methanol get along, but so far real world testing hasn't shown any signs of corrosion on my aux. injected engines.
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Old Nov 1, 2014 | 12:14 PM
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great discussion. Any suggestions on what and where to spray on this combination?

427lsnext
GT5594 turbo
1200rwhp @12lbs
air to water intercooler
E85 9.5 to 1 compression
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Old Nov 1, 2014 | 01:12 PM
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it's been done successfully on diesels pre-intercooler, but usually it's a smaller nozzle.

Garrett
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Old Nov 1, 2014 | 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by ramairetransam
why do pre blower?
Pre-blower helps to cool the air as it's being compressed, which then raises the efficiency of the blower itself, and also raises the amount of cfm it can produce. I forget the link, but someone measured and found a fair amount of gain by doing it pre-blower.
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Old Nov 1, 2014 | 02:26 PM
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I have never done it but I hear that if you spray too much liquid of any kind into a compressor housing the droplets "could" damage the blades.
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Old Nov 1, 2014 | 02:45 PM
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Originally Posted by mike13
great discussion. Any suggestions on what and where to spray on this combination?

427lsnext
GT5594 turbo
1200rwhp @12lbs
air to water intercooler
E85 9.5 to 1 compression

Thats a ton of power at only 12lbs! Honestly with that compression ratio, intercooler, and E85... 12lbs is nothing. I wouldn't bother with aux. inj. Your charge temps should be plenty low.

If your dead set on it, I'd just run the 50/50 mix the dealers sell at 15Gph Pre TB and 2 GPH pre turbo. 300psi pump. Have it kick on at 10lbs or so...
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Old Nov 1, 2014 | 05:13 PM
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Originally Posted by mike13
great discussion. Any suggestions on what and where to spray on this combination?

427lsnext
GT5594 turbo
1200rwhp @12lbs
air to water intercooler
E85 9.5 to 1 compression
Can't see why you'd need to spray anything there unless charge cooling is poor ?
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Old Nov 1, 2014 | 10:52 PM
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I have a 0.3mm nozzle going into the blower, and 2 1.0mm nozzles into my intake pre-throttle body.

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