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Now we know why the piston in the photo album has a chunk of metal missing!

Dimlight, top piston aeroplane engines use both intercoolers and water injection ... this works well together. At the risk of being controversial, I will contend that Fanta injection shouldn't be used with an intercooler as it would cause the engine to be way too cool.

I couldnt agree more to dimlights comments
Also I havent seen it yet, but im told that in a blow through/boxed carb set up, the float in the carb has to be filled with a substance (I cant think of the name of it at the moment) to stop it from colapsing.Imploading

Not to split hairs but, ALL blow through carbs need to have the floats filled with a fuel resistant, expanding foam whether they are fully enclosed or not. The other option is to use plastic floats that will withstand the boost pressure. I can't remember what the stuff is called either.
Fanta injection mught just make my uncombustible steam argument moo. Although I still prefer Nehi Grape as an anti-detonant.

I built an A14 turbo a couple of years ago, with a huge turbo and draw through 32/36 Weber. It was good for 8000rpm @ 12psi with the standard mechanical fuel pump, so I reckon the problem you had might have been more to do with the capacity of the standard carb's fuel bowl.

Quote:water injection will cool the inlet charge resulting in a denser charge - ie it helps you get more air and fuel in. Also, water contains oxygen, and in it's gas state is not uncombustible. It will not adversley affect the combustion process, it will significantly improve it. Water injection also eliminates carbon deposits forming, and will actually remove existing carbon deposits, which helps increase gas flow especially behind valves and over the top of the piston (which once again means more fuel/air in). Carbon deposits also cause 'hot spots' which can cause pre-ignition.

my understanding of deisel turbos is that due to the narrow operating range of a deisel engine and their torque characteristics, their turbos are designed to work over a fairly narrow band of (turbo) rpm. ie to come up to peak efficiency quite quickly. And they will exceed that peak very quickly on a petrol engine which operates over a much broader rev range, and the turbo will make more additional heat than increased volume of flow as it's revs rise.

good luck with the turbo, I'm thinking about building another one as well. I reckon with a more suitable sized turbo I should be able to get at least as much power as I currently have with the L18, but with significantly less weight over the front axle, so it should have handling and braking advantages.

I agree that water injection works very well. I just think that there are better ways of lowering the charge temperature.
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I think you are incorrect here. The only difference between a molecule of steam and one of water is the space between its neighbors. If a glass of water won't support a flame, neither will the steam.
Once again, water injection works well, just like rotary 1200s are very fast, I just don't agree with using either method for going fast.
You know what they say, opinions are like poo-holes, everybody has one.

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Such as? When you've already used the biggest most efficient intercooler practical ... to get even more efficiency what is better than water injection?

- Lowering the boost? Less power
- Aftercooler? More complicated to implement
- Nitrous oxide? More expensive

I'm probably missing the obvious here. I always thought the water injection in the 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire turbo was the height of technology. Especially the glass bottle.

Okay, okay. When I said there are better ways of lowering the charge temperature, I was still arguing the Intercooler versus water injection alone.
If you already have the biggest, most efficient intercooler there is, and you still need to cool it, use the water injection. Or use it from the start if you prefer. I just don't like it, water injection that is. I'm a stubborn old fart and that's just the way it is. Nyah!
As for even more efficiency, an air to water intercooler that runs iced saline would really chill the charge for a short period. Of course then you get into the same "consumable cooling system" argument as the water injection.
How about hooking the intercooler to the air conditioner's freon system? Would the power gains offset the loss of running the compressor? Just a thought.
Once again, water injection works very well, I just don't like it. Ignore me, listen to me, whatever, I'm easy.

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Try spraying that water on the intercooler?

That will also lower your temps, but it's mainly just for racing. I knew a fellow that did this on his WRX and claimed it made a BIG difference to hose down the IC right before a run/race. Personally, I don't have anything against water injection, but I wouldn't want to be in the middle of a race when the bottle went dry.

Another good method, methinks is to shoot nitrous either into the intake to cool the charge, or onto the intercooler to cool the IC. Just a thought...

Woah... how much money you got buddy ;)

Turbo, IC and Nitrus ... good idea.. maybe ill try the bank for the loan first thing in the mornin :) j/k mate

it would be fun to try

-SLAM1024

Only enough to dream....

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