IC lines into heatercore (AC)

[SeattleSy#1255]

Sean Morris mentioned something about this. Was wondering if there is a significant drop in IC temps, espically when waiting to race, with the IC lines run through the hearter core while running the AC? Curious to how many people have done this and if you can do this while actually making a pass to keep IC temps down...but then you have to run your AC. hmm?

 

[Stangbeater]

This was one of the best mods that I have ever seen. Keith ____ had this done to his white Ty. The ic water was way cooler the ambient temp, just after a minute or two. Makes me want to fix my Ac just to do this mod.

 

[SeattleSy#1255]

how difficult is it to do this mod and how do you do it? any other experiences?

 

[GM TURBO]

Maybe it is my lack of understanding the operation of the heater core or the AC system but, isn't the coolant always going to run through the heater core? Couldn't you route the IC liines into the heater core and call it a day. Run the heater and it is going to disapate the heat into the cab unfortunately but would keep it out of the IC system. Isn't the AC going to do two things. 1-Make the compressor run - yes I undstand it shuts off when TPS is 100%. 2. When I run my AC - my truck gets hotter.

How is running the AC gonna lower the IC temps if the two systems are plumbed together? I guess I remember when I had a car that would overheat I was told to run the heater to lower the coolant temp - run the AC makes the coolant temp go up.

 

[GM TURBO]

Maybe it is my lack of understanding the operation of the heater core or the AC system but, isn't the coolant always going to run through the heater core? Couldn't you route the IC liines into the heater core and call it a day. Run the heater and it is going to disapate the heat into the cab unfortunately but would keep it out of the IC system. Isn't the AC going to do two things. 1-Make the compressor run - yes I undstand it shuts off when TPS is 100%. 2. When I run my AC - my truck gets hotter.

How is running the AC gonna lower the IC temps if the two systems are plumbed together? I guess I remember when I had a car that would overheat I was told to run the heater to lower the coolant temp - run the AC makes the coolant temp go up.

 

[Ian Turgeon]

you bypass the core, connect the two lines goin in and out of it together.

then connect the heater core inline with the ic.

then run the ac and (i believe the heater setting) which routs air by the core, causing the cold air to cool the core.

so your ac heats up a bit in its effectiveness but also cools your IC. this can work great, but under track circumstancesit doesnt help a whole lot. You have to keep your truck running to cool your ic, which effectively heats everything else.

I've heard some success stories, but from my experience with christian's didnt impress me that much as a track prep.

As to it's day to day effectiveness, I'd have to leave that to those who drove em.

A good idea thats easily reversable. Try it out, do some diagnostics as to if its helping or not.

 

[SeattleSy#1255]

Well, it was a thought i guess...doesn't sound like its worth the pain even if it works...thanks for info though!

 

[Christian Dionne]

Didn't need heat here, so if it didn't help that much, I didn't care. I always drove with the A/C on, no matter what, so why not use it?

My mats would drop on cruising down to the 70's.

I had no fans, no scoop, no auxillary coolers. Just $5 in hose.

It helped a little at the track, after making a pass I would let the truck run for a few minutes to allow the turbo and heads to cool down. After shutting off the truck, I would use ice on the intake and intercooler to get things back down to normal. The A/C would get the IC down to around 80 degrees before I put the ice on and shut the truck off.

I don't think I originated the idea, but I had it working since January 2001, in fact it was the Sunday that #3 died.

I think a small fan would help out at the track, more than the heater core, but I'm cheap.

 

[Maxtor]

Another thought on this - I started looking for a 12V solenoid diverter valve that could be in-cab switchable to allow you to switch from the AC/heater system to the front mount CCHE system. I was thinking of running the AC/heater system before a run then switching to the front mount system just before takeoff or shortly thereafter.

Couldn't find any reasonable priced 12V valves, though, with a large enough inlet/outlet. I found a couple of sources with valves in the $200-$300 range .

Oh well, sounded like a good idea.

Mark

 

[Typhoon #1133]

i have this set up on my ty. ic temp dropes about 15 deg but your engine temp will go up. i have not tried it at the track yet. but i will need to be carefull not to drip any water on the track. the water temp gets down to around 50 deg even when it is 90 deg outside. it is rather easy to set up and will only take about 5-10 min to switch back if i need heat in my truck. I bought a used ATR upper intercooler from Steve Gavic and after i get it installed i think it will also help my temps drop more.

 

[GM TURBO]

WHy run the AC at all. Wouldn't it be just as beneficial to run the heat? That would keep the compressor from running and dripping on the track to keep the starters happy.

 

[InvisiBill]

WHy run the AC at all. Wouldn't it be just as beneficial to run the heat? That would keep the compressor from running and dripping on the track to keep the starters happy.

You're just routing the IC coolant through the cab via the heatercore. If you have the AC on, you can "supercool" the coolant. With just the vent fan blowing through it, I suppose it'd be similar to having a fan on your stock CCHE. It's just blowing ambient air through a radiator...

 

[GM TURBO]

I understand routing the IC lines to the heater core - makes sense - kind of a auxillary IC in a factory location - totally with you on that. If you turn the HEAT on it is going to blow the warm air from the heater core - now the aux IC - and inturn lowering your IC coolant temperature. I follow that thinking. How is the AC system involved with the heater core - at all? I would think the AC system would do anything but blow on the heater core. If you are running the heat with the AC system on - again still confused about that. Yes, I understand you can run the AC on high heat - just never really understood why. Yes, I know the Defrost uses the AC compressor.

My second thought on this as to the theory behind it - using the coolness in the cab to cool the heater core. This seems very very absurd to me.

I like the idea of the stealth aux IC. I might try it MY way and see what happens. Being in Chicago heat is a nice thing to have. I realize the temperature isn't going to be as high as if the heater core were running off the engine temp. I might try to get this done this weekend and see what I find.

If someone can try to explain the AC thingy to me and what it is going to accomplish - that would be great. Another thing to think about doing it with the heat instead of the AC - is you can cool it without the trucklette running. The AC system is going to need the compressor to run where the heating system isn't directly involved with any engine turning parts.

 

[Methuselah]

Dave,

The AC expansion valve just before the cab, causes the rapid state-change (liquid to gas) in your refigerant. This very cold gaseous refridgerant worms its way through a heat exchanger inline with your heater core. The same air that blows over the AC's heat exchanger blows over the heater core.

So, rather than having engine coolant pumped through the heater core, and thus heating the air blowing over it, you pump intercooler coolant through the core instead. The hot air from the heater core is in turn cooled by the heat exchanger of the AC system.

This is the same principal by which the defroster works. The cool coils of the AC heat exchanger cause condensation of the water in the hot and humid air that results from air being blown over the heater core.

Hope that clears things up.
________
TEEN FORCED

 

[Ian Turgeon]

right, and the reason you can turn the heat on is to in turn, effect the temperature of the air exiting the system by 1st cooling it, then allowing a certain amount of it to run over the heater core.

As stated above, your not necissarily using the air from the cab, your using the air that just pased over the AC's cold "heat exhcanger" With the heat all the way up, more air is allowed to go through the heater core, thus cooling it off better. Not using your ac will take some heat out of it, but not nearly as much as the very cold air passing thru the ac heat exchanger.

as a side note:the dash controls have nothing to do with the flow of coolant through the heater core. (note sometimes hot air coming through the bottom vents when off)

I'll try and find a diagram to post to help clerify.

 

[V6 Kompressor]

From my flow diagram, unless there is some magic, the air flows from the blower, through or around the heater core first, and then to the a/c evaporator. so, unless you can route the air again through the heater core, this won't work too effectively... In My Professional Opinion....

 

[GM TURBO]

Thank you.

Makes sense now.

 

[LIVEEZ]

I have thought about this myself. If you had the temp bar on cold, you would bypass the heater core. If you had the temp bar on warm then you would be using the blower motor to cool the ic water and heater core, but no a/c air will get onto the heater core. If you have the temp bar in the middle with the a/c on, then 1/2 of the air would be air conditioned and the other 1/2 would be cooled by the blower motor. This would be the only way to really cool the heater core.

 

[GM TURBO]

Dammit!

I am going to try the heater on method - measure IC coolant temps.

Try the AC method - measure IC temps.

I guess I like the idea of using the heat method as I could use it with the truck off. I run my heat the engine temp goes down.

By running the AC compressor - you are still going to increase engine temps - BUT if it isn't cold AC - that theory might not hold true. But you have to have the truck running for this to happen which isn't going to allow it to cool down.

I'll TRY to get some hard numbers this weekend. Couple of Datamaster runs - a thermometer in the IC and and a stopwatch and see what happens.

 

[Christian Dionne]

Sorry folks, but real world results have proven my setup works.

My IC would be cold to the touch with water temps in the 60s, just 5 minutes after a 1/4 mile pass. It used to amaze the shit out of people at the track.

Ian, Adam, Mike and several other FAST members will vouge for me.

Once again, I had no fans, no coolers, no scoop.

Us warm weather folks have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by using my setup.