Running 200tdi without intercooler

A question for those who've "been there, done that, or seen it"...

First, the background:

Car:

- 127" Rapier, V8 removed and replaced with 200tdi (not by me)
- The radiator uses all the width of the front grill, 2 electrical fans
- An air-to-air intercooler (don't know where it came from, not LR) has been installed horizontally in the left corner by the bulkhead. Scoop was added on bonnet, directing whatever ram air there is through the intercooler. See pic.







Use:

1) (Main use) slow speed in the bush, puttering around in 1st gear
2) Commuting between places 3 to 6 hours away, on rutted tracks. Max speed 60 km/h
3) Carrying equipment in town. Traffic jams all the way, 60 km/h on a lucky run

Conditions:

- Temperature mild to medium (for African standards), 20C to 30C
- 1200m to 1500m above sea level all the time

My reasoning is that at very low speed, the intercooler doe not make much difference anyway.

In hot weather, at less than 30 km/h or thereabout, I'm pretty sure that there will be more heat transferred to the intercooler from the engine and exhaust than any cooling from the ram air.

The snorkel gets cleaner and cooler air than whatever is available under the bonnet in normal circumstances.

There are lengths of hoses and pipes, and a number of corners or bends that would be eliminated if I connected the turbo directly to the manifold.

Plus, the scoop on the bonnet really sucks...

So, I'm thinking that to just remove the contraption would not make any noticeable difference for the type of use and environment in which the car operates. I may even gain some at low revs (better flow).

And it would be tidier under and above the bonnet.

Any good solid common-sense input?

Thanks!

Philip

could you not change the rad so a intercooler sits next to it like on a defender / disco. the 200tdi wont need a as big rad as to a v8 also the intercooler you have looks like its off a old shogun

Yep, exactly the conclusion I had reached, already done it, thanks!

Got a salvageable rad off a dead Disco, had it redone, and now I just have to scrounge the relevant bits and pieces of hoses and bends and pipes to connect the whole thing together. Of course I can't get anything that even remotely fits from any of the "dealers" around...

I'll post pics once done.

I waas gonna say that sucks cos you aint got a heater but then i realised where you are! doh

Hi guys.
My 200tdi (originally from a defender I believe; now in my S2a) does not have an intercooler fitted.
I am looking to rectify this; am I right in saying an intercooler from any 200tdi iengine should fit (Def / Disco / etc)?
Thanks

Intercooler revised...

Spent a couple of days swimming in a heap of various bends, hoses, pipes, and bits and pieces of dubious origin, but in the end all lines up.

And I'm not going to put back the heater box (which I don't have anyway), I'll use the space to fit a second battery. Always useful when you're in the middle of nowhere.

cheese_aholic said:

Hi guys.
My 200tdi (originally from a defender I believe; now in my S2a) does not have an intercooler fitted.
I am looking to rectify this; am I right in saying an intercooler from any 200tdi iengine should fit (Def / Disco / etc)?
Thanks

Click to expand...

hI I fitted a moded 200tdi intercooler to my old 2.5td ,i had the in / outlet pipes moved to the sides so i could fit it in front of my 2.5 td rad ... now removed to put a 200tdi lump in if you want any pics drop me a line and i will dig it out

Took the rig for her first outing, 2 weeks in the bush.

Well, the 200Tdi is on its way out. Friggin' turbo scares the heck out of animals long before they can see you. With my Land Cruiser (4.2 NA diesel), I can be 20m from an antelope, he'll just glance once in a while and continue feeding. If the Landy is coming behind, he'll be up and running as soon as it crosses the 5 miles marker...

Got a Nissan QD32 available, will give it a serious thought. There is a Toyota 1HZ too, but price is almost 3 times higher...