Intercooler spray kit

March 10, 12:27 PMTampa Sports Car ExaminerMichael Berenis

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Is your vehicle intercooled? For under $15.00 cool it down. There is a lab test that shows an intercooler sprayed with water has surface temperatures 20 degrees cooler than an intercooler not sprayed with water. The effectiveness of the spray system depends on the capability to produce very fine atomized particles of water and the amount of humidity in the air. Cooler intake temperatures make for an increased density of oxygen in the intake charge. This produces slightly more power and reduces the amount of unburnt fuel in the cylinder. Intercooler sprays are used to reduce heat soak on any intercooled vehicle. Add phenolic gasket material in between your intake manifold and engine and see even more gains with a cooler intake charge.

Parts Needed:
3/8" Hose
----Semi-hard white hose
3/8" T Connector
---Fits best with semi-hard white hose
3/8" Fogger Mister Nozzles
-----MODEL NO 7750BB
Black Electrical Tape
Super Glue
OEM Fuel Pump
Switch & Wiring

For Diagram Click Here

Wire up the switch and motor
If you want to skip this step you can use the windshield washer spray button and configure the existing windshield spray lines, pump, and reservoir to spray  your intercooler. A reliable, fused power source can be found by tapping the 12V+ source wire for your power mirrors, windows, radio, cigarette lighters, etc.

You can add a fuel pump rather than use the windshield washer spray system, or you can rewire the stock windshield washer spray pump to your switch and use the hoses and tubing. When wiring up the stock windshield washer pump with a separate switch than OEM, try different wire combinations if info is not readily available for your vehicle. Wait until you hear the pump move, and note. I used my battery as a power source and grounded to the stock ground to find which wire going to my OEM winshield washer pump was positive, and which was negative. Add some nice female connectors to attach the stock windshield washer pump to the switched power source, and your done with wiring. The pump will activate now by switched command!

Run lines and mount nozzles

Take special care when running the lines from your pump to the spray nozzles. You'll want to keep them away from any source of heat, especially hot zones like headers, engine block, and radiator. If you must go near these, use of thermal wrap is recommended but not required. Mount the nozzles for optimal coverage that sprays the most surface area of your intercooler. Keep in mind that the evaporation is what cools down your intercooler and the more zones you cover in a fine mist, the cooler your intake charge.  Three nozzles positioned correctly is optimal for pressure and coverage. Too many nozzles, your system will lack pressure and require a more expensive pump while the lack of nozzles produces too much pressure and frequently blows lines.

You can spend hundereds of dollars on a kit, with pump, nozzles, tank, etc. But your car already comes with most of these things! I used the stock windshield washer fluid reservoir, and my old OEM Subaru fuel pump. (Replaced with Walbro, just sitting on the shelf). I used some cheap fogger/mist nozzles from home depot. "DIG Irrigation Products"- FOGGER MISTER- MODEL NO 7750BB $5.00 for pack of 5. The pressure produced by the fuel pump is pretty high and this can be accomdated for by using super glue and electrical taping all connections that are weak; fuel pump connection, t-fitting, and nozzle connections were my weak points. Additional metal tie straps can also be used.

Bad intercooler spray setup

Good intercooler spray setup

Learn more about 2002 Subaru WRX featured in video by clicking here.

When using this system off road, it has cooled my intercooler down from 186F to 115F with ambient temperatures of 85F at 30-40 ft. above sea level in 100% humidity. In drier more arid regions, this effect will be even greater. Under normal driving conditions, the difference is only 1-3 degrees. The biggest performance gain is under heavy loads and high heat, dry climates!

Additional notes and tips:
You can wrap your lines with exhaust wrap to help keep the water cool on its way to the nozzles. You should also paint the fuel pump metal housing with water safe paint to prevent corrosion. Adding a brass extension with screw down connections that allow you to disconnect your pump from the IC spray system with out cutting line is also a nice feature.

This spray system works on all intercooler types. You can add ice to your intercooler / windshield washer spray reservoir for extra cooling effect. Thermal wrapping or moving your reservoir also helps keep spray temperatures down. Looking for the extra edge? Run the spray lines in your car's HVAC ducts and turn on the air conditioner. This cool air from your ac will give you a quick shot of extra cold water.

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